Are lunchtime pub trips still a thing?
Posted by Realistic-Muffin-165@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 129 comments
Does anyone still go for a few pints at lunchtime? When I first started working in the 90s it was really common for a quick pint and on Fridays a full lunchtime session followed by an hour at work and back again(we could clock off at 3pm on a friday).
My last job had plenty of regulars who were in every day , I'd sometimes go for one but as lifestyles change it became less common. I remember one lunchtime boozer getting sent home at least once.
I've barely been in an office post pandemic but what prompted me to write this was some wording in a job I've started where you are forbidden to work under the influence of alcohol(its not a manual job but an office one)
bnliz@reddit
Not quite the same but a colleague and I often go to the pub for lunch and get a main and a drink for £8 and slag other colleagues off. Rarely an alcoholic drink though usually just a soft drink!
Comfortable-mouse05@reddit
I would hope not. It's mostly a thing of the past
Realistic-River-1941@reddit
No, creeping US work culture and young people have killed it.
7148675309@reddit
I worked in London in the early 2000s and Friday lunchtime drinking happened - and occasionally turned into all afternoons.
I moved to the US in 2003 - and I have not worked anywhere where this would have been acceptable. I asked about it when I started and that had happened in the 80s and 90s but was gone by then.
My last job - I had posted a picture of my fridge that my admin had stocked with a bunch of diet cokes - and a couple comments from UK friends were like - where’s the alcohol…. um, that wouldn’t really be acceptable here….
Realistic-River-1941@reddit
We thought we had solved it by getting rid of the puritans 300+ years ago!
CanIhazCooKIenOw@reddit
Young people have killed after seeing the impact on the previous generations, case in point, OP mentioning people being sent home because they're drunk at work.
I've seen that in my early days were some had to go to the pub every day after lunch. Alcoholics? No no... just really enjoyed it.
Realistic-River-1941@reddit
How dare they!
BillWilberforce@reddit
HR and I'd say it was a white British thing. The Yanks are aghast if you have a bottle of wine with an evening meal.
RegularStrength4850@reddit
I keep hearing about "pints" of ice cream from American culture. If they're actually pints, I'm as amazed about their sugar intake as much as they are about our alcohol. A pint!?
BillWilberforce@reddit
US pints are slightly smaller 16 fluid ounces instead of 20. We actually used to use the same system as them but in the Victorian period when every other European was converting to metric. We decided to convert from one type of imperial system to an other. Don't ask me why.
CarpetGripperRod@reddit
Their pints are smaller (473 ml), remember. Such a stupid number of mls and much harder to do maths with than our obviously superior 568ml 🤓
Ambiverthero@reddit
lunchtime drinking and then working, whether fridays or other days, died out in the 90s really. puritanical american work culture - the city thrived for years half cut. however after work…
No-Structure-8125@reddit
Lunchtime? I've never experienced that.
At a previous job, there was a group of us who'd go down the pub on a Tuesday after work for a couple. But I've never worked anywhere where people went out at lunchtime for a drink.
impossiblenottodo@reddit
Working in the city, sometimes people won't go to the pub at lunchtime on Mondays.
batman_not_robin@reddit
Tech company in Manchester: yes, particularly when the company is footing the bill
Cococannnon@reddit
At my current company we aren’t allowed to socialise with eachother if it involves alcohol. People still do obviously but it’s much less than it used to be. As such there is no official functions, attrition is terrible and senior management even worse.
copypastespecialist@reddit
Surely that’s just in company time
copypastespecialist@reddit
Also when you leave name and shame them
Cococannnon@reddit
It’s not sadly. Our previous CEO had never drunk in his life so he put the rule in, it’s pending to see whether or not the new CEO agrees. We know it’s not properly enforceable so people still do but it’s just put a dampener on the whole thing and really ruined the culture as a result. I’ve seen people get in trouble for putting in diary invites for after work events.
I don’t even actually drink myself but still very happy to go to a work function or two. It’s a really odd rule, I’m currently looking for a new job so I definitely will once I’m gone.
copypastespecialist@reddit
I gave up drinking a year ago to try get my health in check but still enjoy spending time with people. If anything there’s more opportunity as we’ve always got a driver lol
dajay2k@reddit
This tradition is alive and well, in the city (of London)
publiusnaso@reddit
The insurance industry is still pretty boozy. I’m a lawyer and although in most law firms’ lunchtime drinking has pretty much dried out, there a couple of firms where they have elevated it to an art form. And they are in litigation so they know a few boozy barristers as well.
ClockAccomplished381@reddit
Even insurance has tailed off a fair bit. You still see people having lunchtime beers in the Lamb, the Bull etc but some companies, even Lloyd's have clamped down on it. Deffo less common than 15+ years ago.
publiusnaso@reddit
My experience may have something to do with the age of the insurance people I hang out with, who are generally in their 40s and 50s (although, having said that, I don’t know how old they are: they may be in their 20s and 30s and look as though they are in their 40s and 50s because of their lifestyle).
ClockAccomplished381@reddit
I'm in that age bracket, and for sure there is still a bit of a boozy culture, but it's not quite the extremes it used to be. I think the days of most deals being slips signed after a few pints in the pub are gone, not just due to changing culture around alcohol but also more modernisation / digitisation of practices, increased risk management in the form of underwriting controls and compliance, etc. Maybe see if your associates think it's changed since 20 years ago, it could be their experience differs from mine.
wdwhereicome2015@reddit
Last time I was in London on a weekday, went into Cross Keyes down Gracechurch Street (this was about 4 years ago mind) in heart of City. Place was empty ish. Not even two deep at the bar. When i used to work in the City the pubs used to be 2 or 3 deep at lunch times and some days were to busy so went elsewhere.
The bar staff said it was busy even though there were plenty of tables to sit at.
mr_iwi@reddit
If only there was a reason why places were less crowded in 2021.
wdwhereicome2015@reddit
Well the restrictions had all been lifted that were due to Covid at that point. Hence we were in London as tourists
ClockAccomplished381@reddit
Yeah but the majority of companies were probably still operating under mostly WFH conditions. During 2021 I think I attended the office twice, compared to maybe 190 times per year before covid. There was a lag in return to office.
mr_iwi@reddit
Whether there were restrictions in place or not, many people were still nervous of picking it up and passing it on to grandpa or whatever
Independent_Rub_4500@reddit
I went in there last Friday lunch and it was packed
wildOldcheesecake@reddit
That’ll be the recruiters.
I am from London and it’s definitely not a thing in many sectors. Currently based in Moorgate but I’ve been previously based in CW office wise.
AcceptableCustomer89@reddit
Massively rife in insurance. Like completely endemic
IHoppo@reddit
Depends on where you are. Lloyd's have banned their staff from lunchtime drinking and the syndicate I last worked at had a no alcohol policy for everyone too.
dwardo7@reddit
Insurance industry is notoriously boozy
arctickiller@reddit
Fintech and atleast some people at my company will be out everyday.
PaulaDeen21@reddit
I can assure you it’s very much not just the recruiters.
wildOldcheesecake@reddit
When I served in such pubs as student it was.
PaulaDeen21@reddit
Okay, I am sure that’s the case.
But that feels like a very small sample size to say “that’ll be the recruiters” no?
Craft_on_draft@reddit
Sounds like you may be an offended recruiter
PaulaDeen21@reddit
Cisco Network Engineer, but close.
Leekyoulater@reddit
Well no exactly related to their field ro an office job is it?
PaulaDeen21@reddit
I’m rather confused by the point you are trying to make?
wildOldcheesecake@reddit
Are we not all talking from personal experience and thereby, it’s inevitable that our comments will be based off a small sample size. That’s what Reddit is essentially, no?
ZoltanGertrude@reddit
Ah, those were the days. Friday lunchtime - a massive lasagne and chips with garlic bread side and four pints of Stella. Bit of a weave back to the office for some light cheque signing and then get into the Maestro for the evening pub sesh.
dajay2k@reddit
Light cheque signing / snooze after that!
DiscoChikkin@reddit
I worked with a guy in the 90s who on his friday lunch hour managed to consume four pints of Stella and a bottle of white wine. Upon return to the office, he tried to get a belching competition going. The lack of willing competitors perplexed him. When he got his train home in the evening, he got himself another bottle of wine for the journey. A trult remarkable drinking performance.
anoamas321@reddit
I work from home so doesnt have the same feel, although im not agasint friday social calls with brevrages of choice
Obvious-Water569@reddit
Extremely rare these days, which is a shame. A two-pint lunch on a Friday is one of life's most underrated pleasures.
Immediate-Platform59@reddit
I work in healthcare. Fridays are often one of our busier days, barely time to eat lunch and I rarely go home on time. Plus the whole not being allowed to be under the influence at all while in the hospital. So no never have a lunchtime pub trip lol.
Jose_out@reddit
Have a wander around the City at lunchtime and you'll see plenty are still going for a lunchtime pint. Particularly on a Thursday.
Realistic-Muffin-165@reddit (OP)
Not visited in years now but I remember the pubs being surprisingly busy in the past and then shut/empty in the evenings.
Polz34@reddit
I don't think it's that common but I work in a 'safety critical' industry so random drug and alcohol testing is totally a thing at my site; I think anyone here would be an idiot to drink booze at lunch time, even if it's 'just the one' but it might be industry dependant
ClockAccomplished381@reddit
The last time I remember it being a regular thing for me was 2008 but that was largely because one of the managers in the department was an alcoholic that would go most days.
I do remember one time, two people were getting married so obviously a lot of people were at the wedding that day. Those of us who weren't decided to take advantage and have a decent lunchtime session (4 pints) and got back fairly late, thinking nobody would care due to how dead the office was that day.
We get back, and one of the other managers (who was the ex of the guy getting married) comes in and starts asking questions. I think she was in a mood due to the wedding and looking for an excuse to throw her weight around, she had an overinflated sense of importance at the best of times.
Army-Status@reddit
I worked in Manchester city centre for years and we would be in the pub probably 3 lunchtimes a week on average (and always on a Friday). I then moved jobs to a smaller town on the outskirts and literally nobody goes to the pub not even on Fridays. Admittedly it’s a much younger workforce but some people think you’re an alcoholic suggesting a liquid lunch. I really miss it!
slade364@reddit
When I first started working in 2013, Fridays would always be a liquid lunch. I hated it. Having to sit in work after a couple of pints was dreadful, just wanted to leave.
I still drink, maybe once a month when I'm out with mates, but have never really seen the point unless it's a proper day/night out.
jahambo@reddit
I’ve found when you don’t work in the city centre more people have to drive so a liquid lunch is less likely
Army-Status@reddit
Yep absolutely spot on that is the other issue.
RoyalKingAndy@reddit
“Business lunch”
Where we go to a private location to discuss business matters - aka to the pub because I’m fed up of sitting in the office talking about work
StonedJesus98@reddit
Not so much going on your actual lunch break but often my boss will fetch a round into my workplace (there’s a pub 2 doors down) around 3ish
teerbigear@reddit
My job is out of town now so this never happens, but I remember coming back after two pints, feeling merry but not really drunk at all, then trying to write an email and realising that pressing send could probably wait until tomorrow.
More-Magician4492@reddit
Even on building sites it’s very uncommon to nip to the pub at lunch
EnjoyableBleach@reddit
It used to be where I work, which I believe is absolutely insane as this is a high hazard chemical manufacturing site.
AndyWatt83@reddit
Not done this for about 10 years. It was common when I started working in 2005, almost completely gone by Covid I think.
Educational-Angle717@reddit
No american cuklture screwed us all.
carson63000@reddit
I think hybrid remote/office work has hurt the Friday pub lunch. Lot of people who work a few days a week in the office don’t want Friday to be one of those days. So the critical mass isn’t there.
Strong-Economist-394@reddit
We all went for lunch for someone leaving, all soft drinks and back to work, clock in and out. The person leaving got to leave a whole 10 mins earlier
Ineffable_Confusion@reddit
My office in Brighton (PR and Digital Marketing) does a long pub lunch on a Friday. There’s a couple of nice ones with outside spaces on the same street as our building, so it’s easy for us to get there and get a long table for everyone who wants to go
Pockysocks@reddit
I imagine most workplaces these days would take disciplinary measures for it these days.
Even with the hour lunch I get, I don't think it would be enough time to really enjoy it myself.
hhfugrr3@reddit
Don't know as I work from home now, but I miss lunch sessions. Mine weren't regular but they were great. I remember taking lunch at 11am with warm sake in a Japanese place. Finished about 8pm in a pub somewhere in London.
drakesdrum@reddit
Probably once a week or two weeks I'll go and have a couple of solo session strength ales, chuck some darts and chat some shit then head back to the office. It's really good for the brain to have that third space type place. I keep it a secret from colleagues as I like its a place just for me (but I'll go out with them in the evenings)
Boredpanda31@reddit
Not common. I think most workplaces, yes including office jobs where you just sit at a desk, would take umbridge to people having a few pints at lunch and then coming back to work.
Wonderful_Falcon_318@reddit
Used to be 3 lunchtimes a week with 2 pints then often an extended session on Fridays if we had a good week (media sales/advertising).
Particular_Meeting57@reddit
People have the internet and more than 4 channels on the tv at home therefore the £6 pint isn’t so appealing.
BellamyRFC54@reddit
A lunchtime pint is quite frankly degenerate
KindlyFirefighter616@reddit
It’s great isn’t it?
Pukit@reddit
In my last job I’d take all my techs for a beer on Friday lunchtime. We had an old 16th century pub a five minute walk away so was easy to do.
jahambo@reddit
I wfh full time except when we have US visitors we will get a temp office for a week. We tend to do a pub lunch once or twice that week which turns into a pub night haha. I don’t imagine that would be the case if we worked in office full time but it’s nice a couple of times per year
dinkidoo7693@reddit
It’s not as common, you can tell when its payday though.
StuD721@reddit
It used to be in the Army but has dropped off massively in the last 10 years
Expression-Little@reddit
My 30 minute lunch break doesn't really stretch to time for a pint down t' pub.
CrossRoadChicken@reddit
A guy at work used to do 2 pints everyday during our half hour lunch break. First one would be sitting waiting for him to arrive everyday.
It was well known he done it. Shortly after he retired an official HR policy came out says zero tolerance for drinking. Makes sense as we work in a manufacturing machine shop.
It also used to common on someone's last day before retirement to bring in cases of beer. Retiree would get smashed. Everyone else would have one or two and back to work. Happened probably up until 2018 or so.
Expression-Little@reddit
That almost sounds impressive if not for the health implications
Current_Scarcity_379@reddit
Amateur ! Fella I used to work with did 8 pints in 40 minutes regularly. There’d be 3 or 4 on the bar ready for him !….And don’t even start me off about my old man 🫣😆
Rude-Possibility4682@reddit
Almost the same. Guy I worked with did 6 pints and a whiskey chaser nearly every 'extended' lunch hour. He invited me to the pub one lunchtime, I'd assumed it was a myth. Sank 3 pints to my half, in about 25 mins.
CrossRoadChicken@reddit
Should note, the 2 pints every lunch (and probably more after work), since retiring spent his days in the pub, now has major liver issues and in hospital often
User131131@reddit
Definitely not common in any government / public sector jobs I’ve ever done
Spottyjamie@reddit
10-15 years ago yes
Not so much now
At best a few of us will put in a 1pm finish then pub
Scary-Spinach1955@reddit
No, COVID killed it from what I can tell.
NoFewSatan@reddit
COVID didn't kill it, what killed it was people thinking they shouldn't have pints during the work day
Spottyjamie@reddit
Moving offices to car based trading estates killed it
citruspers2929@reddit
HR have entered the chat
reddog_72@reddit
I still work for the same company I started at in the late eighties, back then there was a significant group of between 20-30 employees out of over 100 who would go for a pint on a Friday lunchtime. The pub was literally a 50 yard walk across the road. This continued throughout the nineties and all the way up to 2004 when we moved premises, but by that time a lot of old lads had retired, and the workforce was smaller so there was only around 5-10 of us going regularly for a pint, or 2 occasionally. In 2004 we moved sites, the lunch break was shorter and the nearest pub was now a 5 minute drive away instead, so it stopped. I don't know anyone now from old colleagues to close mates who will go for a weekly social pint with a group from their work.
BitterOtter@reddit
That's a bloody wide road.
memoriadeshakespeare@reddit
They happen every month or so on our team.
Used to be every Friday pre-covid.
mousepallace@reddit
No. Because of driving home. Also workplace rules. It’s all a bit sad, but probably for the best. I remember some very dubious situations on Friday afternoons.
highrouleur@reddit
I've worked in bits garages for 30 years doing repairs. The generation before me would go down the pub at lunch, so much so, controllers would know to phone for the running shift who'd go out to vehicle after 6 pints. Thankfully hasn't been a thing for decades.
Admittedly it has caused the closure of the pubs opposite the garages I've worked in. But overall that's probably a good thing
GuybrushFunkwood@reddit
I used to regularly go out for a few pints at lunch with work colleagues. It wasn’t just the drinking it bonded us all and allowed us to blow off steam. Bus company ended up stopping it though after a few completely unrelated crashes.
cactusdan94@reddit
Honestly no not really.
I think one of the main reasons is how strict the rules have gotten.
My father in law was saying in the 80s they would go to the pub on a friday and sink 3 pints in their lunch hour, and the supervisor would be in there buying a round.
Nowadays if you walk into a pub on your lunch, your supervisor would be sacking you.
Gremlins-love-food@reddit
I go sometimes on a Friday lunchtime but it is not common with my colleagues.
More go for a start of the weekend pub trip when they finish work.
janky_koala@reddit
Alive and well in the advertising/media industry in London. Two in a lunch hour(ish) is pretty common, three and staying out longer isn’t rare. Not daily, but at least once a week.
Carafaggio@reddit
One of my colleagues does it but I just find even one pint gets me a bit too buzzed to work properly haha
BillyJoeDubuluw@reddit
Post work drinks are very common on Thursdays and Fridays in my experience… You can go to some pubs and stand out if you’re not wearing hi viz, actually… but the boozy working lunch is not as big as it was, I don’t think…
Front-Pomelo-4367@reddit
I've done one late-lunch pub trip where I went back to work afterwards - my old manager was moving jobs and a couple of us happened to be in the office, and he was finishing at 3 that day so he took us to the pub for a pint. Those of us who were still working went back to the office after an hour or so and finished out the day. We theoretically have drinks fridge access for the last \~hour of the day, too, but it's not something we do very often, more of an occasional Friday affair.
I've been working an office job since 2019, for context. If someone came back to work noticeably inebriated, I think words would be had.
VeryTrueThing@reddit
Office job here. In my experience it hasn't been a regular thing since the 90s. In my first temping job after uni the team I was in went to the pub on Friday lunchtime for a quick pint and game of pool.
Since then, occasional lunch with a drink or two. Maybe once a month before covid and less often now.
buginarugsnug@reddit
A lot of people can’t afford to go and buy a few pints every week anymore.
Realistic-Muffin-165@reddit (OP)
TBH, I don't know how the regulars back in the day managed either.
Tall_Working_2942@reddit
Not in my industry - previous employer had a zero limit on alcohol; current one is theoretically aligned to the drink drive limit but I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone have alcohol at a lunchtime unless it was (a) Christmas (and then only one glass of wine) or (b) a limited-frequency event like a leaving do, where we deliberately scheduled lunch for circa 2pm start with the conscious decision that we would not be going back to work that afternoon.
takesthebiscuit@reddit
I sometimes nip to brewdog on a Friday for their £10 beer and burger with the wife as a Friday treat
Realistic-Muffin-165@reddit (OP)
Thats pretty much me, on the odd times I went in over the last few years and nip round the corner for a pint and something to eat. None of my much younger colleagues were interested, they'd rather spend money at Pret.
BG3restart@reddit
I retired 8 years ago. We were still going to the pub at lunch then and straight after work on a Friday.
cwatt69@reddit
80/90's every Friday was a 1 - 2 hour lunchtime session. Fell away early 00's and is non-existent now.
Strong_Roll5639@reddit
In Bristol and yes. In my job anyway! (Finance)
zonked282@reddit
at my office there is constant talk about the " good old days", how there isn't anywhere near as much team cohesion with any of the young ones blah blah. when i suggested we pop to the local on a Friday , as all their good times stories started with, they said if i did that i would be sacked.
i honestly dont care, the thought of drinking during the work day is so odd, but i just wish those that lived through those crazy times, who boast about it would stop moaning at us
Odd_Scar836@reddit
I work from home so not really. If I’m ever travelling the office (London) then yes. I’m usually there to meet people for a course or big meeting so everyone getting together socially makes sense.
When I was a grad working in a city centre about 8 years ago a couple of us would go once a week but once I moved to an office more outside of the city and then to remote it stopped
TH1CCARUS@reddit
Yes it is, of course.
Note: I had to spruce up my answer because (auto)mods thought I was being lazy.
Morris_Alanisette@reddit
Not anymore. When I first started everyone went to the pub for Friday lunchtime drinks and the staff canteen had a bar. About 20 years ago they added that we were strongly encouraged to not drink during working hours and definitely not if you were using dangerous machinery. About ten years ago they forbid it completely.
DoctorWhofan789eywim@reddit
Given the price of a pint nowadays I dont even go for a pint after work never mind during.
Monkeyboogaloo@reddit
Not common.
I was on a course on Friday. 40 people.
Course finished at 12:30. Only 5 of us went to the pub and one of those was the person running the course.
Wide-Ad-7442@reddit
Yeah it’s not common like it used to be, most people I know would rather head home when courses and training finishes early like this.
GrumpyOldFart74@reddit
Yeah - the Friday lunchtime “pie and pint” (which was usually a burger or something - rarely a pie) turned into 2 pints… then 3… I think that stopped sometime in the early 2000s - though getting engaged may have had something to do with that!
Party-Werewolf-4888@reddit
I worked retail for all of eternity and it was pretty normal. We'd nip out on a busy Saturday, have a drink and go back to work. Post-covid, one of the juniors in the shop complained to area management and, even though those same regional managers would have had a drink with us, we were chastised and it never happened again.
Not blaming the juniors, I can see how it is inappropriate, it just felt like that was a cultural turning point. I think covid changed a lot of things really, I suppose due to wider safety of staff and the possibility of catching covid and it effecting the staff.
Naive_Reach2007@reddit
It's a change of a nber of things, decline of pubs, pricing, people growing, more choice for recreational activities, netflix, amazon etc etc...
It's not just one thing which is why I find it ironic some politicians bang on about integration n on understanding that 80% of the workforce go to work then home or gym etc...
Mr_Ham_Man80@reddit
It used to be reasonably common in the 2000s at the places I worked that people might have a couple of pints of a lunch break. At some places the entire office would pretty much all head off to the pub at Friday lunchtimes. As long as people were sensible with it and not necking shots and staggering back to the office nobody seemed to be bothered. However by 2010-2011 companies started to clamp down on it to zero tolerance policies.
Joshouken@reddit
No, because lunchtime pints was a Friday thing and no one goes into the office on a Friday
Divingblues@reddit
They're as common as I can manage. If there's a window of opportunity I'll take it!
DeadBallDescendant@reddit
Where I worked in the 80s/90s the only reason the office hours were 9am-5:30pm was because 5:30 was when the pubs re-opened. Sometimes when we in at lunch the landlord would tell us that there were a load of Police in on the piss, so we could stay all afternoon.
Place I'm at now, I'm in the habit of going for a lunchtime pint occasionally, and this has sparked interest in the younger members of the team who didn't actually realise it was legal.
CautiousCapsLock@reddit
Occasionally do, but not an office job. Pub lunches aren’t uncommon but don’t tend to drink at them
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