Have drinking habits changed in Lincolnshire? Stamford pub owner Mick Thurlby thinks so

Drinking habits are changing - and it may not be for the worse, a pub owner believes.

Michael Thurlby, who owns Stamford pubs The Tobie Norris in St Paul’s Street and Paten and Co off Red Lion Square, says fewer people are staying out late.

Instead they are heading into pubs and bars earlier in the day, and are much more likely to choose non-alcoholic options.

“On a recent Saturday night our last bookings in both Patens and at the Tobie was 8pm,” he said.

“You only have to go back a couple of decades and people didn’t even go out until 8.30pm.

“Younger people aren’t out drinking in the evenings like they used to, and we are finding we’re taking money over the bar at different times of the day. Trends have changed and we have had to adapt.”

Jen Dancy, 24, went to Stamford High School and now works in marketing. Although not teetotal, she chooses not to drink alcohol on nights out.

“I used to drink when I was 18, going out regularly and staying until closing time,” she said.

“When I was at university in Nottingham, I would go out with swimming club members either to the student union bar or into town - places such as Rock City.

“But when covid hit in March 2020 I left my student accommodation in Nottingham to move back home to Barrowden. This meant I was spending more time with family and doing more socialising in the daytime.

“At home, we’re not huge drinkers and we wouldn’t pop to the pub just for drinks.

“I'll have an occasional glass of Prosecco. When I go out I might have a lime and soda, and when I'm with friends I feel confident enough to go out and have fun without drinking.”

Jen added that she was more likely to go out for breakfast or brunch than an evening meal, and socialising could be done over a coffee at a garden centre, followed by a wander around.

“By not drinking, you get more out of your day, especially as I tend to get up early,” she said. “I might get up, go for a walk with a friend then we'd have breakfast.

“I very rarely drink alcohol during the day. It's an evening thing, and it's been a while since I was drunk - last year sometime?”

According to LincsOnline reporter Maddy Baillie, 23, weekend drinks have become more casual, with 'big nights out' few and far between.

She said: "My weekends are regularly spent sharing a bottle of Prosecco (or a few) with friends. But I would rather the backdrop for this to be a sunny beer garden or around the table in a cosy pub than downing shots in a sweaty nightclub with strangers.

"Saturday night drinks are about catching up with friends rather than putting away as much liquid as possible.

"We choose the drink we fancy - usually a cocktail or glass of wine - and sip it at our own pace. A round of shots would rarely be seen on the table."

Keen to follow her dream of being a journalist, Maddy chose an apprenticeship with the Stamford Mercury rather than following her peers to university.

But she never felt she had deprived herself of the traditional university 'party experience'.

"Drinking habits are changing for the better,” she said. "People are going out earlier and have become more conscious of how much they drink, so as not to waste half of their weekend hanging over the toilet or being confined to bed.

"I think there's a recognition that you don't have to get sloshed every weekend or stay out all night to have a good time."

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