The British pub, long a staple of community life, has been in a state of decline for years – and it’s getting worse. Last year 400 pubs closed their doors. A record low number remain and with the average price of a pint now more than £5, the battle to survive is getting harder. Pubs are more than just places to get drunk – they occupy a unique space in the UK’s cultural landscape and provide a social hub for people across the class and wealth spectrum. With alcohol consumption also in decline, and successive governments never keen to offer pubs a helping hand, can this great British institution survive?