ED pubs not selling traditional bar snacks

[SeanMacGabhann]

I like old-fashioned boozers as much as anyone and spent most of of my formative years in them but this harking to a bygone era is pointless, as well is some cases - eg

completely, utterly wrong to the point of barminess

Old fashoned boozers are closing because they don't make money and don't have enough customers - if everyone who says they were much better actually went regularly enough then they would still be in business

Modern pubs, for all of their faults (as well as pluses) tend to make money. Because people in there spend money

There are what I would consider 2 proper old -school boozers left in SE22, and I like them both. But I rarely see many people in either of them. Which is doubly-odd considering how many proper-boozers have gone, you would think the they would benefit. But I suspect a lot of the old patrons actually (whisper it) quite like the newer pubs as well

Not everyone, chocoholic no, but there is no great mystery

[Jeremy]

No, you're quite wrong Sean. People in modern pubs only drink tap water.

[Chocoholic]

If you go into the Herne Tavern the tap water plus glasses are on the bar waiting for you to help yourself.Why bring your wallet or purse out.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Good point, well made. Wherever Water is freely available, people spurn all other options.

Are you for real?

[Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy]

If you go into the Herne Tavern the tap water plus glasses are on the bar waiting for you to help yourself.Why bring your wallet or pause out.

I've never noticed that. All this time I've been wasting my money on beer when I could have drunk tap water for nothing.

[ian164SE22]

One of the best things about growing up in the North East.... Tudor Crisps, especially the Pickled Onion ones.

[THE VALE]

gary

if there is a demand for traditional bar snacks please get back at we will supply them at the vale

i have just returnd from travels and would like to know any feed back about the vale good or bad in my absence

all comments will be replyed to.

[scor46]

Hoopers bar sells the best scampi fries I've ever tasted ? can?t remember who makes then though. I think they must be using real scampi not just cheap imitation stuff that you find in other bars. Just the right amount of crunch and just the right amount of softness ? fabulous.

Right I?m off scampi fishing ? does anyone know where?s a good place to go?

[SimonM]

Right I?m off scampi fishing ? does anyone know where?s a good place to go?

I hear good things about Dublin Bay.....

[cate]

What are scampi fries? Freshly cooked things or in packets?

[HonaloochieB]

Scampi Fries are little crunchy pillows of ersatz fish and lemon flavourings, they might be corn, they might be anything for all I know, I've never been arsed enough to look.

But when enmouthed and bitten into one can insert the tip of one's tongue into the inner shell and feel a sensuous smoothness that is most pleasing.

I doubt the pricipal ingredients have ever been near briny waters or indeed grove, but them's tasty and that's a fact Jack!

[NickTheSnick]

Sorry, there's no scampi fries here in Hoopers - you must have been dreaming (or had a few too many ales).

We do lovely pork scratchings though...

[Jeremy]

This place :

http://www.thegundocklands.com/

Used to do a plate of crunchy pork crackling as a bar snack. Not been there for a while though...

[katie1997]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Old fashoned boozers are closing because they

> don't make money and don't have enough customers -

> if everyone who says they were much better

> actually went regularly enough then they would

> still be in business

Can I be controversial here and suggest that it may have a lot to do with the smoking ban? Oh that and the ridiculous cheap pricing and availability of alcohol in supermarkets and other places nowadays.

> Modern pubs, for all of their faults (as well as

> pluses) tend to make money. Because people in

> there spend money

>

> There are what I would consider 2 proper old

> -school boozers left in SE22, and I like them

> both. But I rarely see many people in either of

> them. Which is doubly-odd considering how many

> proper-boozers have gone, you would think the they

> would benefit. But I suspect a lot of the old

> patrons actually (whisper it) quite like the newer

> pubs as well

Sean, what ones are they in ED/SE22, out of interest? (seriously, I do not know)

My personal opinion, I suspect a lot of the old patrons don't like the newer pubs either, its maybe just that the 'old-school' ones are beyond recognition. (yes, I do realise things cannot stay the same forever but...it often seems that we are becoming too homogenous and appealing to the 'masses' with familiarity)

[SeanMacGabhann]

Controversial? How? It's a pretty common view. It's also wrong IMO. It sure didn't help but the trend towards these pubs closing had been going on for years and ever faster. Smoking ban might have been a nail in the coffin but it wasn't a root cause. Plus, members of my "traditional" family gave up smoking on the back of it - so they are financially better off and will live longer. Bonus

I would say The Castle and the CPT, both on Crystal Palace Rd. Ok the CPT did out the front a few years back but the back bar is as close to an old-school pub as I have found anywhere.

Not sure what your last parapgraph's point is tho. old school pubs are different from newer pubs but are also beyond recognition?

i suspect the pubs of your youth were quite different from the pubs of 50 years previous as well (not that I'm saying you are that old - just that things change) . So will drinking dens be in 50 years time. If you harbour any resentment at the new styple pubs and their clientele, take solace that in 50 years time they will be complaining about how they have lost their heritage as well!

[katie1997]

Fair enough Sean, so 'controversial' was the wrong word to use.

I am assuming the steady decline of clientele before the 'nail on the coffin' was increasing availability elsewhere/diversification? Or perhaps in ED's case, lack of traditional bar snacks?

In my last para, I meant that seemingly the character of most local pubs has irrevocably changed although they still differ from those with the ubiquitous 'designer' wallpaper and anodyne themes.

I don't harbour any resentment to the 'new' style pubs and their clientele and never said (or meant to imply) that in my post. Sure, people will complain in 50 years time that they too have lost their heritage, nostalgia is never what it used to be. I get that.

*heads off to the Castle via the CPT* (tu)

[SeanMacGabhann]

And I may have been using language at 7am that was more direct than I meant to ? sorry Katie

My take on the decline in clientele is to do with the social habits of said clientele. Going to the pub was a much easier option even 20 years ago when you had 4 TV channels on a small screen and take out booze cost just as much then as it did now (I remember Red Stripe being about a pound a can 20 years ago ? about the same now)

Whereas the same people these days often have a huge home cinema setup, the internet in another corner and cheaper booze at home ? the pub, even if it was the same place as 20 years ago, isn?t the same draw

I would also saying that pubs have character (versus the ubiquitous wallpaper modern ones) is part of the crossover. Back then no-one said their pub had character ? it was just an equally homogenised ?pub?. (There are exceptions of course ? I knew that the Beehive in Swindon was a good ?un back then and it still is now)

[katie1997]

but does the Beehive in Swindon serve traditional bar snacks..? ;-)

[SeanMacGabhann]

It wasn?[t one for food at all - I think it was KP crisps or nothing!

[Jah Lush]

This makes interesting reading. Lights fag and takes a large swig. Now read on....

The smoking ban and pub closures.