Revealed: How seven out of ten alcoholic beverages being sold to punters are short measures - as graphic reveals locations across Britain with the biggest deficits in your glass
Going to the local might seem like an unusual strategy to cut down on your drinking.
But seven out of ten alcoholic drinks sold in the UK's pubs, bars and restaurants are short measures, a survey by watchdogs has found.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute said its members carried out 137 test purchases of beer and wine nationwide. Some 96 - marginally over 70 per cent of the total - were shorter than the full measure.
When broken down between beer and wine, 86 per cent of beer was short measured while 43 per cent of wine was found to be short measured.
The average deficit for short-measured beer found in the survey was 4 per cent, while for wine it was 5 per cent.
The average British wine drinker loses around £2.20 a week, or £114.40 a year.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/24/08/85285501-13454161-image-a-2_1716534717410.jpg)
![Seven out of ten alcoholic drinks sold in the UK's pubs, bars and restaurants are short measures, a survey by watchdogs has found](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/24/10/85289747-13454161-image-m-7_1716544222100.jpg)
Seven out of ten alcoholic drinks sold in the UK's pubs, bars and restaurants are short measures, a survey by watchdogs has found
The findings come at a time when the price of alcoholic drinks is at an all-time high. According to the Office of National Statistics, the average price of a bottle of red wine has increased 8 per cent in the last year, while the typical cost a pint of lager is up 5.6 per cent.
The largest short measure was a deficit of 15 per cent found on a 175ml glass of wine in Walsall, with the drink costing £3.20.
The next largest short measures were a deficit of 13.4% found in Belfast, on a glass of wine costing £7.20, and the third largest deficit was of 12% and found on a 175ml glass of wine purchased in Havering, costing £5.75.
New public polling from CTSI also found a generational divide with three times as many people aged under 45 supporting bars and pubs being able to pour spirits without a spirit measure, compared to those over 45 years old.
Bosses at the CTSI advise that customers served a short measure should ask for an immediate top-up. If the request is refused, the incident should be reported to trading standards.
In addition to these issues with short measuring, there has been an ongoing discussion around whether a pint of beer should include the frothy head or not.
Legally, the head is included, however CTSI's new public polling found that over one third of the public (35%) of 2,000 felt the head should not be included in the pint measure – higher than one quarter (23%) who believed the head should be included.
![When broken down between beer and wine, 86 per cent of beer was short measured while 43 per cent of wine was found to be short measured (Stock Image)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/24/00/85276031-0-image-a-10_1716508013915.jpg)
When broken down between beer and wine, 86 per cent of beer was short measured while 43 per cent of wine was found to be short measured (Stock Image)
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/24/08/77876799-13454161-image-a-4_1716534941393.jpg)
This graphic shows Britain's cheapest and most expensive cities for pints
![A recent survey - which asked 3,200 UK consumers if they had spent more, less or the same on leisure over the last three months - found sentiment on 'drinking in pubs and bars' had dropped by six per cent compared to the previous quarter](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/24/08/84275501-13454161-A_recent_survey_which_asked_3_200_UK_consumers_if_they_had_spent-a-3_1716534891311.jpg)
A recent survey - which asked 3,200 UK consumers if they had spent more, less or the same on leisure over the last three months - found sentiment on 'drinking in pubs and bars' had dropped by six per cent compared to the previous quarter
![The NHS recommends people drink no more than 14 'units' of alcohol ¿ around six glasses of wine, or pints of beer ¿ per week. This itself has been watered down over the past few decades in light of studies illustrating the health dangers of alcohol](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/24/08/78058901-13454161-The_NHS_recommends_people_drink_no_more_than_14_units_of_alcohol-a-6_1716535432192.jpg)
The NHS recommends people drink no more than 14 'units' of alcohol — around six glasses of wine, or pints of beer — per week. This itself has been watered down over the past few decades in light of studies illustrating the health dangers of alcohol
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) maintains that the pint measure should not include the head, and that consumers should have a right to a 100% liquid pint.
John Herriman, Chief Executive at CTSI, said: 'While this is a snapshot, it is the first time that we have been able to build a national picture of how widespread short measuring of alcoholic drinks are, and the potential detriment to the average consumer of around £115 every year suggests there is the need for more comprehensive research to better understand the impact of short measures, not just for alcoholic drinks but across a broader spectrum of consumer goods.
'Weights and measures is a key role for Local Authority Trading Standards, but right now we simply don't have the resources to allocate, and even the equipment to use, to undertake spot checks that ensure consumers are getting what they pay for.
'We are calling on the hospitality sector to ensure that consumers get value for money by making sure they are correctly measuring the drinks they are serving to customers in the nation's pubs and bars and for further research in this area.'
In the first week alone of the 2023 Christmas period, 35.9 million pints were sold in the UK, and if the CTSI findings are replicated across the UK, this would amount to £6.8 million in consumer detriment in only one week.
In 2021, the British Beer and Pub Association reported that on-trade sales of beer alone contracted £5.7 billion in revenue, equivalent at the time to 1.4 billion pints per year or 26 million pints per week; with today's prices, this means a 4% deficit in each pint equates to a huge £264 million in potential consumer detriment per year.
Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, and CTSI Vice President, said: 'The cost of living means people can hardly afford a drink.
'To discover you're being served short measures adds insult to injury. A short measure cheats us all, but affects those worst off, the hardest.
'Being able to afford to go out for a drink is not easy and you should get what you pay for. In this current climate, it is great to see this campaign from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute raising awareness of the important work of our Trading Standards profession.'
![Latest data, gathered by the World Health Organization and compiled by Oxford University-backed platform Our World in Data, shows the UK's wine consumption has soared to 3.3 litres of pure alcohol annually (2019), up on the 0.3 litres recorded almost 60 years earlier in 1961. It now accounts for over a third (33.7 per cent) of all alcohol consumed across the country and sits almost level with beer (36 per cent) which has plummeted from the 5.8 litres logged in 1961 to 3.5 litres today](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/24/08/78199195-13454161-Latest_data_gathered_by_the_World_Health_Organization_and_compil-a-10_1716535458991.jpg)
Latest data, gathered by the World Health Organization and compiled by Oxford University-backed platform Our World in Data, shows the UK's wine consumption has soared to 3.3 litres of pure alcohol annually (2019), up on the 0.3 litres recorded almost 60 years earlier in 1961. It now accounts for over a third (33.7 per cent) of all alcohol consumed across the country and sits almost level with beer (36 per cent) which has plummeted from the 5.8 litres logged in 1961 to 3.5 litres today
![On average, one in five Brits (22.8 per cent) ¿ roughly 9.4million ¿ exceed the weekly NHS recommendation, official data shows. This rate has shrunk, however, on the one in four adults recording more than 14 units per week between 2011 and 2014. But the highest rates of alcohol consumption are in the least deprived areas, with the least socioeconomically deprived decile logging a rate of 24.1 per cent](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/24/08/78190873-13454161-On_average_one_in_five_Brits_22_8_per_cent_roughly_9_4million_ex-a-9_1716535457243.jpg)
On average, one in five Brits (22.8 per cent) — roughly 9.4million — exceed the weekly NHS recommendation, official data shows. This rate has shrunk, however, on the one in four adults recording more than 14 units per week between 2011 and 2014. But the highest rates of alcohol consumption are in the least deprived areas, with the least socioeconomically deprived decile logging a rate of 24.1 per cent
Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said: 'Pubs across the country take great pride in serving the amazing range of beer brewed in this country and in no way want to be accused of short serving the millions of customers who enjoy visiting our nation's pubs each week.
'Beer is carbonated and is typically sold with a foamy head although there is considerable difference between consumer preferences for the head that different beers naturally produce.
'This is reflected in industry guidance which says that the measure of beer served with a head must include a minimum of 95% liquid. Customers who would like less of a head should always feel free to ask for a top up and should never be refused.'
![According to OECD data released last year, nearly one in five adults reported binge drinking at least once a month, on average across 29 OECD countries in 2019. The figure varies 10-fold, from less than 3 per cent in Turkey to more than 30 per cent in Germany, Luxembourg, the UK and Denmark](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/24/08/77515397-13454161-According_to_OECD_data_released_last_year_nearly_one_in_five_adu-a-8_1716535450826.jpg)
According to OECD data released last year, nearly one in five adults reported binge drinking at least once a month, on average across 29 OECD countries in 2019. The figure varies 10-fold, from less than 3 per cent in Turkey to more than 30 per cent in Germany, Luxembourg, the UK and Denmark
CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona said: 'Consumers shouldn't have to feel short changed when they support their favourite pubs, social clubs, and taprooms. The idea that 70% of all beer bought at the bar is being short measured in the UK is extremely concerning.
'CAMRA wants the government to make sure pubgoers have a legal right to receive a 100 per cent liquid pint every time they are being served. This latest study is another worrying indication of an issue that has been affecting consumers for a number of years now and should hopefully provide a catalyst for change.
'For anything that is short measured, and particularly anything more than 5% short, you should ask the bar staff for an immediate top-up. You are well within your rights to do this, and the staff should comply and fulfil this request.
'If you get a negative reaction when you do this, you can get in contact with Trading Standards to report the incident.'