Pints &
Profits
Why your digital premise is as important as your physical premise. The 2026 report into how the UK pub and bar sector is being found, chosen and recommended in a digital-first world.
An original study by Brew and Sensu Insights. 1,000 UK adults · 2,000+ venues.
Executive summary
The evidence has moved faster than expected.
The first Pints & Profits report, published in 2024, established digital marketing as a critical driver of choice in the pub and hospitality market. The evidence has since moved faster than expected. AI-powered discovery, mobile-first search and social media have shifted digital from a supporting channel to the primary mechanism for visibility, consideration and conversion.
This year's report identifies two connected challenges that define competitive advantage in the sector: visibility and the professionalisation of marketing.
Much of the sector currently lacks this capability, particularly among independent and smaller operators. The evidence draws on an original consumer survey of 1,000 UK adults, Google Analytics data averaged across more than 2,000 UK venues, qualitative interviews with operators and published industry data.
The picture that emerges is consistent: the underlying demand for pubs remains strong. 79% of adults cite socialising as a reason for visiting.
But demand alone does not create footfall. It must be captured. The operators that will capture it are those that treat digital marketing as a professional discipline, not an afterthought.
Two connected challenges define competitive advantage in 2026:
-
1
Visibility
How a pub or bar is found, chosen and recommended at the point where decisions are made. No longer determined by location or by a reputation built over decades, it is shaped by search rankings, social media content, review profiles and, increasingly, what AI tools surface when asked for a recommendation.
-
2
Professionalisation
The ability to manage that visibility. It demands structured content strategies, segmented audience understanding, active management of reviews and user-generated content, and the skills to execute across a fast-changing digital landscape.
For the 62% of consumers who research online before visiting, the digital experience of a pub precedes the physical one.
Pints & Profits, 2026
A pub has always needed to maintain its physical premises: the fabric, the fit-out, the welcome. Today, it needs to maintain its digital premises with equal discipline. The impression formed on a search results page, a social media profile or an AI recommendation is as consequential as the one formed at the door.
Operators who understand this are building a genuine competitive advantage. Those who do not are, in effect, leaving their front door closed. The gap between operators that have professionalised their approach to digital visibility and those that have not is widening. Closing it is now a commercial imperative.
Key findings
Seven numbers that define the year.
Source: Brew x Sensu Insights, October 2025.
79%
Of adults cite socialising as their reason for visiting.
62% research pubs online before choosing where to go.
2/3
Instagram reaches two-thirds of 25-34s but only 2% of over-65s.
A segmented, multi-channel approach is essential rather than optional.
37%
Post about their visit.
Just 39% are likely to leave a review, meaning user-generated content requires active facilitation rather than passive hope.
58%
Engage with special offers.
Special offers engage 58% of consumers, and events content 69% of 25-34s — pointing towards reassurance over aspiration.
37%
Of adults visit weekly or more.
A steep generational gradient from 59% of 25-34s to 27% of over-65s, meaning every point of digital contact carries greater commercial weight.
14%
Of all adults use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to find pubs and restaurants.
This rises to a third of 25-34s — a channel that barely existed eighteen months ago.
41%
Engage with food photography.
Food quality ranks first in venue selection across every age group, while online reviews rank last — functioning as a reassurance check, not a primary motivator.
The report
Four chapters, nine actions.
Methodology
An original survey of 1,000 UK adults. Analytics from 2,000+ venues. Trade interviews.
Brew commissioned an online survey of 1,000 UK adults, conducted by Sensu Insights in October 2025. The sample was nationally representative, weighted by age, gender and region. Website behaviour data is drawn from Google Analytics averaged across 2,000+ UK venues for 2025. Qualitative interviews were conducted with operators and managers across independent and managed estates.
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If you operate in hospitality and want to professionalise your digital visibility, we should talk. Brew works with hospitality brands and operators of every size, from independents to managed estates.
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