Birmingham has long been celebrated as one of the UK’s great drinking cities. But according to pub expert and YouTuber Dale Harvey, the city’s pub scene is now “in distress”.
Harvey, who runs The Great British Pub Crawl channel, visits pubs across the country, highlighting both the challenges and the successes within the trade. Speaking during the Great British Beer Festival, he warned that a spate of closures has left Birmingham’s pub culture under threat.
Closures Sending Shockwaves
The city has recently lost several well-known venues, including The Post Office Vaults, Wildcat, Tilt and The Anchor.
“The Post Office Vaults was the headline closure,” Harvey said. “Birmingham can’t lose that. There were three or four closures in a week. The Anchor being saved is a saving grace.”
A City He Still Loves
Despite his warning, Harvey was keen to stress his affection for Birmingham.
“I absolutely love Birmingham as a drinking city, it’s one of my favourite places to visit. What I would say is don’t just stick to the city centre. Get out and see the surrounding areas. You’ve got Kings Heath, Moseley, Edgbaston… I could go on. Have a drink in those pubs and keep them alive.”
Pub Culture at Risk
Harvey’s comments highlight the fragile state of pubs in major cities, where rising costs, closures, and shifting drinking habits are leaving gaps in communities. Yet his message also offers hope: that support for neighbourhood pubs in areas like Kings Heath and Moseley can keep Birmingham’s drinking culture alive.
