Cheers to a Stay in a British Pub

To my right, two 70-something regulars at the Exhibition pub in York, England, pepper me with questions on American politics, teach me how to recognise a fresh pint of beer - it should leave a path of foam on the glass - and invite me next door for a curry at their favourite Indian restaurant.

- Elaine Glusac

To my left, a middle-aged couple visiting from Manchester recommend the pub's burger and identify the gaggle of college-age men in vintage golf attire - replete with tams and argyle prints - as playing "pub golf", a drinking contest that involves hitting 18 pubs.

This easy camaraderie is the by-product of checking into a pub with accommodations. A pub stay offers the hotel-like convenience of on-site room and board with a bar-like following among the local community.

Challenged by everything from inflation to remote work patterns, many pub owners say renting rooms is increasingly important to their survival.

The British Beer and Pub Association estimates there are 45,000 pubs across Britain, down about 2,000 pubs since 2019.

The online platform I use to find the Exhibition, Stay in a Pub, lists more than 1,600 establishments with lodgings throughout Britain, which are searchable by facilities, activities and price (averaging £100 to £300 or S$170 to S$510 - a night, usually including breakfast and taxes).

Ms Sophie Braybrooke, chief executive of Stay in a Pub, describes a pub stay as more social than an Airbnb and less insular than a traditional bed-and-breakfast, with authentic British flair.

"It's easy to walk into a pub, pet someone's dog and suddenly you're in a conversation," she says.

And in Britain, where many pubs with rooms are hundreds of years old, the establishment usually comes with a story - sometimes a ghost story.

A LONG HISTORY

Though it is unknown how many pubs offer lodgings, stays in them have a long history.