Newcastle beats London in ranking for British pint pride
Newcastle has beaten London in a recent ranking looking at which cities are most likely to stock British-brewed beers in their pubs. But which other cities are also celebrating local brewing talent? db finds out.
The study, which used findings gathered by Freedom Brewery along with new YouGov data, analysed the top 20 biggest UK cities by population and looked at how often drinkers mentioned British or local beers in online reviews for each city’s top 10 rated pubs, according to Tripadvisor. Mentions were then counted across Tripadvisor and Google reviews to create a final ranking, with London coming second in the rankings, despite being the country’s capital.
Avoiding ‘ubiquitous mass produced faux foreign lagers’
Speaking about the results, Freedom Brewery managing director Matthew Willson said: “It’s really interesting to see that London didn’t come top of our rankings, despite the many pubs it has across the city, and its central location for all things Britain. Here in the UK, we have so many fantastic breweries right here on our doorstep, but it’s disappointing that when you step into many UK bars – especially across London, their taps are flooded with ubiquitous mass produced faux foreign lagers.”
Willson admitted that “it’s encouraging to see the pride Newcastle takes in supporting British brewing. It’s not just about what’s on tap, it’s about celebrating homegrown talent and keeping those traditions alive. These results show that consumers do see the value in British beers and want to see them at their favourite establishments. “
The ranking for England’s top cities for British pint pride are:
1, Newcastle upon Tyne
2, London
3, Leeds
4, Leicester
5, Manchester
6, Bristol
7, Plymouth
8, Sheffield
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9, Nottingham
10, Bradford
As part of the study, Freedom also teamed up with YouGov to assess the nation’s attitudes towards support for British beers and, while surveying more than 2,000 respondents, revealed that 37% of UK adults say they support local or independent breweries “always, often or sometimes”, while 35% say they choose British beer over imported options.
According to the data, the survey also found broader patriotic sentiment in consumer behaviour, with 44% of UK adults supporting British brands “always or often,” and only 6% “rarely or never” choosing them.
Speaking to the drinks business, Willson explained: “Since our launch more than three decades ago, Freedom Brewery has been proudly setting the gold standard for British beers and we’re considered to be the pioneers of premium British lagers. That’s something we take very seriously, with our belief that consumers deserve premium British beers and our passion for unlocking the pride and spirit of UK brewed beers underpinning everything we do.”
Willson told db: “In recent years, we’ve seen the market flooded with a raft of mass produced inauthentic foreign lagers. We commissioned this survey to see how much Brits share our passion for British brewed beer and it’s clear from the results that it’s something many people across the country do care about and want to see more of in their favourite pubs across the country.”
He revealed that “it was interesting to see Newcastle top the charts for pint pride, beating London despite the fact that the capital is so central for all things Britain. We hope the results serve to encourage Brits to spare a thought for supporting British brewers when they order their next pint – we have so many fantastic breweries right here on our doorstep. We also hope the results encourage more pubs, bars and hospitality venues to stock more British brewed beers as it’s clear people want to see them at their locals”.
People are more likely to choose a British beer over a non-British beer
When asked about British-brewed beer more generally, 55% of the respondents also described the nation’s brews as either “excellent or good” highlighting the high regard many beer drinkers have for the brewing prowess of Britain.
Willson explained: “We’ve always believed that beer carries a real sense of place and belonging, and this research shows how much that matters to people. People want authenticity and connection, and they want to know the story behind the pint in their hand. The results highlight that pubs need to cater more to the growing demand for beer produced in Britain, as many drinkers feel the current offering doesn’t always reflect what they want.”
The research also revealed what would make people more likely to choose a British beer over a non-British beer with 34% of respondents having stated that they were looking for “availability”, while 46% said they wanted to know they were “supporting local businesses and jobs”.
Willson added: “This year, we’re encouraging Brits to make 2026 the year they spare a thought for where their next pint has come from and to support our British brewers. Opting for a British brewed beer means you’re supporting a fantastic UK community steeped in history too.”
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