Cheers! Pub landlords are happier

Pub landlords are more upbeat about their prospects as increasing numbers of people go to their local rather than a restaurant for a meal, according to a new report.

The 2013 Good Pub Guide lists 4,700 pubs, including more than 250 new entries despite years of closures amid the increasing price of a pint.

The new guide said there were clear signs of a turn-around.

Co-editor Fiona Stapley said: "Most strikingly, the mood among publicans themselves is changing.

"Although it is extremely hard work, for the first time in over 10 years most landlords and landladies have been more upbeat.

"People are choosing to spend weekends away in country pubs and customers like to eat out in pubs as opposed to restaurants because the atmosphere is more informal - and the food is just as good, if not better."

The report's authors said they received fewer complaints about service in pubs, adding that in their anonymous inspections they found an "unfailingly good" welcome.

The price of a pint varied from £3.50 in London and £3 in the Midlands and the North to £2.56 in Staffordshire, according to the guide.

It named The Cock in Hemingford Grey, Cambridgeshire, as its pub of the year, saying it received rave reviews from regulars.