Poll reveals Brits prefer to queue for drinks after Hackney pub slams ‘weird’ trend

A YouGov poll found 40 per cent of people prefer to queue for a pint, rather than 39 per cent who would rather keep the traditional system of standing along the bar until they are served

A controversial poll has revealed Brits prefer to wait in single file to order a drink rather than the traditional bar system. Hackney Church Brew Co hit out at the queueing trend last week, claiming it is making them lose business.

The managing director described it as a “weird phenomenon” which has gathered momentum since the Covid pandemic. In the wake of the Hackney pub’s viral post, YouGov carried out a national poll to discover 40 per cent of people would actually prefer to queue for a pint, compared to 39 per cent who said everyone should stand along the bar.

A considerable amount of discourse online has pointed the finger at trendy pubs in London and their younger crowd. But a breakdown of the poll show Londoners are least favourable to queueing across the UK with only 37 per cent of people surveyed supporting the practice.

This is compared to 42 per cent of respondents in the Midlands, northern England and Wales who prefer to queue. In addition to this, those aged between 25 and 49 represent the age bracket of people who support the traditional system of waiting around the bar most.

Hitting out at the trend in a Facebook post on Friday, August 14, Hackney Church Brew Co said: “Please stop queuing at the bar. We need to talk. You love our beer. We love you for loving our beer. You especially love our beer when it’s £3.50 a pint every Thursday. And frankly, who can blame you? But there’s a problem.

“WHY ARE YOU ALL QUEUING SINGLE FILE AT THE BAR?!……. A BAR IS NOT A POST OFFICE. You do not need to form one enormous, beautifully polite British queue stretching halfway across the taproom while four members of staff stare forlornly at 15 feet of completely empty bar.”

The post went on to explain that even with ‘polite encouragement’, ‘gentle shouting’, and ‘instruction flyers’, people still refuse to stop queuing. They added: “Here’s how pubs have worked for approximately forever: ‘Use the WHOLE bar’. If there’s space at the bar, stand there. If the bar is full, stand behind someone. Catch the bartender’s eye with a nod, a smile, a wink or an appropriately demure little wave. We’ll work out who’s next. That’s literally our job.”