That said, there are limits. If you’re in a larger group, it’s OK to skip a round – you can feel pressured to drink more than is good for you, and no one wants that. And if you’re leaving early, just say as much. Your British pub experience should smell of hoppy beer, not regret.
“Round-buying is really sociable and helps solidify a group of friends or colleagues you’re hanging out with,” says Morgan Schondelmeier of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA). “There’s an element of helping each other out. It also works as a leveler, as it becomes apparent who never reciprocates and you can quickly get shamed.”
Rule #4: Don’t expect tipping to get you faster service
British pubs don’t work like bars in many other parts of the world, where everyone is vying to catch the bartender’s eye, credit card at the ready.
In the UK, tipping culture is for restaurants only. In most pubs, you order and pay immediately and there is no expectation that flashing cash or tipping will speed things up. Waving money or a credit card is a strict no-no – smacking of desperation – and asking to “start a tab” in many traditional pubs may earn you a blank look.
That doesn’t mean tips never happen. There’s a gentle, good-natured buzz when drinks are rounded up (“keep the change”) or bartenders are bought a drink (say: “and one for yourself” after you place your order). But this is low-key, not mandatory and not the main event.
Hough puts it simply: “Unlike restaurants you’ll almost never be asked to tip. But with many pubs and bar staff struggling financially, they will always appreciate [one].”
In Britain, the pub is often as much a communal living room as a place to drink
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