According to a study reported by The Guardian, more than two-thirds of beer and wine sold in UK pubs and bars are short-measured, costing the average consumer approximately £115 annually. Trading standards officers, who visited 77 venues and conducted 137 test purchases, found 70% had less drink than declared. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) noted that this was the first national snapshot, highlighting a need for broader research across various consumer goods.
Short measures, defined by the Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988, were found in both beer and wine, with 41 drinks (29%) having a deficit of 5% or more. The average deficit was 4% for beer and 5% for wine, translating to annual losses of £88.40 for beer drinkers and £114.40 for wine drinkers.
The CTSI’s research, which included eight local authorities, revealed that many councils lacked the necessary equipment to measure beer and wine accurately. This underscores the financial pressures on local authorities, further complicating enforcement of fair trading standards.
