As we approach the summer months, most of us will be heading down to our local pubs to engage in the Great British Pastime of sitting in a beer garden drinking a crisp, cool pint.
In a country that's known for its miserable, rainy weather, it's one of few things that we have left to look forward to each year.
However 'concerning' new research is about to rain all over your next pub trip as it turns out that Brits may be losing out on more than a £100 a year due to a drink trick used by bartenders.
According to a new report released by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), over two-thirds of beer and wine poured in UK pubs is short measured.
Advert
The discovery was made after the CTSI performed inspections across UK pubs, with 96 out of 137 test purchases being poured short.
Beer was found to be the drink most likely to be poured short - with around 86 percent of the drinks tested being under-measured - while 43 percent of wine was poured short.
The CTSI has now called on pubs to make sure 'customers get what they pay for' when ordering a pint or glass of wine.
"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," John Herriman, Chief Executive at CTSI, said.
Advert
Labour MP Jess Phillips, who is also Vice President of the CTSI, added that the campaign on short measuring was important amid the rise in cost of living standards.
"The cost of living means people can hardly afford a drink," she said.
"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.
Advert
"Being able to afford to go out for a drink is not easy and you should get what you pay for."
The average short measure for a drink of beer in the survey was around 4%, which translates to around £1.70 per week, or £88.40 per year.
Meanwhile, wine drinkers stand to lose more money, with the average glass being under-poured by about 5 percent. This means you would be losing £2.20 per week and £114.40 per year on your drinks.
Advert
The research comes amid the rising cost of alcohol in pubs, with the average cost for a pint of larger £4.70, while a medium glass of wine will most likely set you back £5.05.
"Consumers shouldn’t have to feel short changed when they support their favourite pubs, social clubs, and taprooms," CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona added.
"The idea that 70 percent of all beer bought at the bar is being short measured in the UK is extremely concerning."
Topics: Food And Drink, UK News, Cost of Living