Spend Dry January with us, say pubs and bars

Ben Pike, assistant manager of Crowd of Favours in Leeds, said non-alcoholic beers were increasingly popular

After indulging at Christmas, many drinkers take up the Dry January challenge to take a break from the booze and make a healthy start to the new year. But pubs and bars across Yorkshire are urging customers not to stay away during what can be a challenging month for the hospitality sector.

It was a stark warning - a pub in a North Yorkshire village took to social media to urge people to continue to use their locals in January or risk losing them altogether.

In a post on Facebook, the Galphay Inn near Ripon said: "Dry January, it’s a great idea.

"But small pubs in the local villages also sell 0% drinks, beer, lager, gin and wine plus of course the 'usual' soft drinks.

"If you don’t support us through the hard months of trading, you will have dry villages. All year round."

Anastasia Granenko, at Roland's bar in Leeds, said it offered non-alcoholic versions of most cocktails

Dry January challenges participants to take a month off drinking alcohol.

It first ran in 2013 and more than 175,000 people signed up to take part last year, according to Alcohol Change UK, the charity behind the initiative.

But critics have expressed concerns about its impact on hospitality businesses during what can be a difficult month.

It even spawned a counter-campaign called Tryanuary, which encouraged people to try out new beers or pubs.

More alcohol-free options

At Roland's bar in Leeds, which offers a non-alcoholic cocktail menu, bartender Anastasia Granenko said the first few days of January had been "painfully, boringly quiet".

However, she said, "come the weekend" people realised they wanted to go out again and things got back to normal.

She said people drinking the alcohol-free alternatives tended to spend almost as much as anyone else.

She said: "It's quieter than it was in December but we are in no way struggling."

At another bar, Crowd of Favours, assistant manager Ben Pike said the previous January had been really busy.

He said: "For every person on Dry January, 10 others aren't."

He said non-alcoholic beers were increasingly popular and had improved so much in recent years.

He added: "A gentleman came today to offer me some samples and if he hadn't told me it was alcohol-free, I would never have guessed."

Sean Driver, a customer of the Duck and Drake in Leeds, was attempting Dry January

At a nearby traditional pub, the Duck and Drake, regular customer Sean Driver was one of those attempting Dry January, saying he wanted to "save money and have a rest".

He said: "Me and a couple of mates say we will do it every January, but we fail."

Sitting at the bar with a blackcurrant and lemonade, he said this year was his "first proper attempt" and was going well, barring a lapse the previous Friday.

Mr Driver said it was not stopping him from going to the pub to enjoy the atmosphere and live music.

He said: "I was in here last night and I was in here the night before."

David Houlbrook, of the Duck and Drake in Leeds, said January was proving steady

Barman David Houlbrook said people tended to "drink too much and spend up" over Christmas so January could be a little quieter.

But he said Dry January did not affect his pub too much, suggesting bigger chains may feel the effects more.

Alcohol Change UK has encouraged participants in this year's challenge to continue heading out to pubs and restaurants.

It lent its support to a campaign by alcohol-free brewers Lucky Saint and pub chain Mitchells and Butlers called Thou Shalt Go to the Pub.

'Notoriously quiet'

The charity, which formed from a merger of Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research UK, said taking part in Dry January did not mean people "have to stay in".

A spokesperson said: "With the month a notoriously quiet time in hospitality, it’s important to remember that pubs are a place for social connection for many people."

They said gone were the days "when your only alcohol-free options are lemonade, cola or a glass of water".

The Yorkshire and Humber region lost nearly 300 of its pubs and clubs in the decade to March 2023, a fall of 6%, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Licensed clubs accounted for most of these closures, with pub numbers seeing a smaller decline.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].