Your rights at the pub
We’re here to help. On this page, we break down the most common questions about your rights in the pub and what to do if you think you’ve been treated unfairly.
Price lists, ingredients, full measures and more – there’s a lot of regulation going on in the background of a simple trip to your local pub, social club, or brewery tap, and it can get confusing for consumers to know what they can expect.
Do I have a right to price information?
What’s the deal?
As long as they’re not deliberately misleading consumers, then pubs aren’t required to specifically show a price list, but they do have an obligation to provide ‘sufficient’ information before you buy.
What's CAMRA's view?
We think that it should be compulsory for licensed premises to display a prominent price list – clearly visible from where customers are expected to place orders.
How can I exercise my consumer rights?
Make sure to ask politely about prices before you purchase and tell pubs that a clear price list would help if it’s not displayed.
If you’re not informed about prices before you buy a drink, then you may also have the right to refuse drinks after they’re poured and you’ve been told the cost.
Do I have a right to a glass of tap water?
What’s the deal?
In England, Wales, and Scotland pubs are required to provide free tap water for customers as part of licensing the premises to sell alcohol. However, they can technically charge for related services or items, like filtering the water or use of a glass.
There is no requirement in Northern Ireland.
What's CAMRA's view?
Free tap water is a vital consumer right. As well as making it easier for consumers to drink in moderation, it also reduces the need for single-use plastic bottles. The law is strong here, but we’d like to see consumers in Northern Ireland have the same rights as those in Britain.
How can I exercise my consumer rights?
Failing to provide free tap water to customers is a breach of licensing law so the penalties can be serious. If you think a pub is breaching this rule, politely remind them that it’s a legal requirement. As a last resort, you can report this to the licensing team at your local Council who will be able to take enforcement action – find them here.
Do I have a right to a full pint?
What’s the deal?
Draught beer and cider can only be sold in pints, halves or thirds, in a UKCA marked glass – the rules are different for canned or bottled products. However, consumers don’t currently have a right to a full pint as the industry standard is for 95% liquid, with a 5% allowance for the head of the beer or cider.
What's CAMRA's view?
We want to see the right to a full pint enshrined in legislation. That means defining a pint as 100% liquid, with a head served on top. It’s why CAMRA festival used glasses that hold slightly more than a pint, with markings on them.
How can I exercise my consumer rights?
You can always ask for a top-up, and most pubs will honour a polite request. If you think a venue is persistently serving short measures, then you can report it to Trading Standards through your local Council. Find them here.
What are my rights if I’m refused service by a pub?
What’s the deal?
Pubs have a right to refuse service or entry to anyone, but this must be for a lawful reason; they can’t discriminate against you.
What’s CAMRA’s view?
Refusing service and entry is an important responsibility and some cases, like refusing entry to unaccompanied under 16s or refusing service to someone who is drunk, a key legal requirement. However, nobody should face discrimination in pubs or clubs.
How can I exercise my consumer rights?
If you think a pub has refused you on the grounds of a protected characteristic then a first step is to make a complaint to the pub, or chain if it’s part of one, to resolve with them directly. If this fails, you may be able to make a civil claim for discrimination, but this route is difficult and expensive.
What are my rights if I get a bad pint?
What’s the deal?
Cask beer doesn’t stay fresh forever and a fault in the beer itself might also mean a bad pint even if the barrel is new. If your beer doesn’t taste right, it’s helpful to politely let the licensee know so they can stop serving that beer and let the brewer know if needed.
What’s CAMRA’s view?
Keeping cask in top condition requires a huge amount of skill and even the best brewers and licensees might end up with the odd bad beer – what counts is how you’re treated as a consumer that matters here.
How can I exercise my consumer rights?
There are no specific legal rights if you get a bad pint. The simplest solution is to swap your beer for something else, and most pubs will be happy to let you do this. If you ask politely but the pub isn’t receptive, the best thing to do is simply go somewhere else in future. Make sure you’re also scoring your beer if you’re a CAMRA member, it’s a really important way that branches track the quality of cask being served in pubs.
Do I have a right to information about how my pint was made?
What’s the deal?
The only information that is legally required is the alcoholic strength and any of the major allergens.
What’s CAMRA’s view?
Consumers should have a right to know how their beer was made, including a full list of ingredients, and where it was brewed. We’re campaigning for changes to the law so that labels and pump clips must say where a beer or cider was made.
How can I exercise my consumer rights?
If you’re not sure where your beer has come from, you can ask at the bar or check with the brewer.
Did you know?
It’s unthinkable today that consumers might not know the strength of the beer they’re drinking, but beers’ ABV – the percentage showing its strength – used to be a closely guarded secret. In the early days of the Campaign, CAMRA members snuck beer samples away for testing and published as much information as they could, forcing big brewers to declare ABV for the first time and ensuring consumers now have a right to know what they’re drinking.
Exercising your consumer rights
We want every consumer be able to assert their rights, but we should all be polite and understanding when we’re doing it. We all need to remember that there might be things on the day affecting service, and always provide feedback to staff in a constructive way.
We don’t support anyone who is being rude or demanding of hospitality workers in CAMRA’s name.
This includes demanding discounts, and we encourage anyone who encounters unacceptable behaviour from someone claiming to be a CAMRA member to report it to us. As a first step please use the form on this page.
