A post was shared on the r/AskUK Reddit page asking simply: “Why don’t pubs use beermats any more?”
The question caused plenty of discussion, with plenty of reasons being thrown around while some argued it wasn’t the case.
The post can be seen on the r/AskUK Reddit page here.
Pub beer mat question causes some debate
Various reasons were suggested for why beer mats no longer seem to be commonly seen in UK pubs.
One suggested it was people destroying them or taking them home that led pubs to stop using them.
They wrote: “The bar I used to work in stopped using them because people just used to either pocket them or more annoyingly just sit there folding them, peeling them, ripping them etc. Idle hands and all that.”
Another put it down to branding, as they posted: “Breweries and beer companies used to provide lots of free merchandise to promote themselves. The last 10 years that’s ground to a halt. Beer mats included.”
Similar sentiments were shared by another: “Most pubs serve beer in branded glasses now, so they advertise via the glass.
“That wasn’t the case 25 years ago, when you hardly ever saw a branded glass in a pub.”
The seeming disappearance of beer mats was lamented by several as one put: “Pretty sure it’s a mix of cost-cutting and pubs banking on us not caring.
“Beermats were like the unsung heroes of pint logistics. Now they’re making us fend off condensation like it’s some kind of sports.”
Another wrote: “It’s annoying as hell as you need to get the table wiped down more often, Just supply beer mats. And they also come in handy for a wonky table.”
However, for some people their local still uses beer mats, which seems to depend on where you are in the UK.
One person commented: “Every pub I go to still uses them up here in the north east”.
Meanwhile, another said: “I’m not sure what pubs you are going to, but every pub I’ve been in recently still has beermats on every table.”
Another concurred, writing: “Just back from the pub and I can confirm that our pub has plenty of beer mats.
Recommended reading:
“I mopped up a small amount of spillage (Titanic Plum Porter, very tasty) with my beer mat.”
Some also suggested it was just a matter of knowing where to look, as one posted: “A lot of pubs now keep them on the bar, the idea being that you grab however many you need when you order.
“Saves them a little extra work putting them out I guess.”