George Orwell came up with his own idea, but is there a formula for the perfect pub?

IF you’re a beer drinker, and perhaps even if you aren’t, then you probably have a favourite pub the mere thought of which can leave you a little misty eyed.

But what makes a perfect pub? It’s a question that countless barflies and tap room sages have ruminated on over the years and one that’s as likely to divide opinion as have people raising their glasses in agreement.

Seventy years ago this week, though, a certain George Orwell wrote an essay describing his ideal pub, the Moon Under Water - a small establishment with no music, china pots with creamy stout and most importantly, a convivial atmosphere.

The Moon Under Water may have been fictional, a composite of the author’s favourite London pubs, but the idea of a friendly local where the staff know your name (and your favourite tipple) still has real allure.

Just last month research by Oxford University found that people with a local pub nearby are “significantly” happier and have more friends.

But how does Orwell’s 1946 formula for the perfect pub stack up today, and if he was alive now and ventured north to God’s Own County what would he make of our drinking establishments?

Kevin Keaveny, Yorkshire regional director at the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), believes there are plenty of pubs around that he might appreciate. “In Leeds there’s places like Whitelocks, The Adelphi and The Grove and there’s another 50 or 60 similar ones in Yorkshire that he might recognise.”

As with anything pubs have to move with the times and many these days, especially the ubiquitous ‘gastro pub’, seem more interested in food than they do about drinks. Then there’s the insatiable rise of sports bars where more emphasis is given to the WiFi than the quality of the beer, which would probably have Orwell turning in his grave.

The state of the pub scene in this country is, to continue the sporting theme, a story of two halves. On the one hand many of the traditional pubs in some towns and suburban estates are in decline, but at the same time we’re seeing an upsurge in the number of independent pubs and micro breweries.

The rise of micropubs has been a particularly pleasing success story. “These are back to basics kind of places where it’s all about the beer - they do exactly what it says on the tin,” says Keaveny.

There are a small, but growing number of these kind of pubs which he says reflects our changing tastes and lifestyles. “Pubs have evolved and in Yorkshire the pub scene is quite vibrant. I would say overall we’re still losing the odd one but something else then takes its place.”

He believes the role of pubs has changed, especially in rural communities, “Some pubs open early and have mum and toddler groups, the WI and pensioners in, or they run coffee mornings long before they start serving alcohol.”

Keaveny sees a link between the craft beer revolution and what’s known as “localism.” “A lot of people have gone back to basics and started using the traditional butchers and bakers and the same thing applies to what they drink. People want that provenance, they know where their bottle of wine comes from and they want the same with their pint of beer,” he says.

“We’re also seeing pubs with a lot more community focus and in some cases they even act as a library where people can swap books.” That, at least, is something Orwell might approve of.

But as for the perfect pub, it seems that boils down to personal choice. “It’s hard to pin down what makes a successful pub because what works in the centre of Sheffield or Leeds might not work five or six miles down the road. There isn’t one perfect formula.”