Summer is nearly upon us, and whether we’re sipping our favourite pint, enjoying a fruity Pimms, or quenching our thirst with an icy soft drink, there’s nothing Brits enjoy more than soaking up the sun in a beer garden.
With this in mind, the team at credit card brand Aqua has conducted new research to determine which UK city is the best for beer garden lovers. The research analysed factors such as the price of drinks, average temperatures, amount of sunshine, amount of rainfall, and the number of beer gardens in the different cities.
The full research can be found here: https://www.aquacard.co.uk/building-better-credit/great-british-beer-garden
Southend-on-Sea is the best city for a beer garden trip
Boasting the most sunshine of any city in the UK, with 241 average sunshine hours in May, plus the second-least amount of rainfall at just 41.6mm on average, Southend-on-Sea has been crowned the best city for a beer garden trip. An average pint here will set you back just £4, with cocktails (£8.00) and soft drinks (£1.12) also being relatively cheap compared with other cities.
Portsmouth comes in as the second best destination for a beer garden trip, with an average temperature in May of 12.8°C, one of the warmest of all locations, minimal rainfall, and a pint costing £5.
In third place, we have Crawley thanks to its impressive 2,312 beer gardens per 100,000 people, the highest of any location in the analysis. Not only this, but the town boasts an impressive 206 hours of sunshine in May on average.
| Rank | Location | Avg. price of a pint | Avg. price of a soft drink | Avg. temperature in May (°C) | Avg. sunshine hours in May | Avg. rainfall in May (mm) | No. of beer gardens per 100,000 people |
| 1 | Southend-on-Sea | £4.00 | £1.12 | 12.47 | 241 | 42 | 821 |
| 2 | Portsmouth | £5.00 | £1.60 | 12.80 | 222 | 43 | 682 |
| 3 | Crawley | £4.50 | £1.66 | 12.43 | 206 | 55 | 2,312 |
| 4 | Northampton | £3.50 | £1.51 | 11.98 | 197 | 54 | 860 |
| 5 | Luton | £4.00 | £1.66 | 11.92 | 203 | 51 | 1,616 |
Blackpool boasts the cheapest pint in the UK, with beers costing on average just £3.25
Blackpool takes the crown as the city with the cheapest pint, with an average price of just £3.25. Close behind is Northampton, where a pint will set you back £3.50, followed by Derby at £3.60, making these great spots for a night out without breaking the bank.
Unsurprisingly, London and Belfast, both capital cities, top the list as the most expensive places for a pint, with an average price of £6.00. This is followed closely by Bristol, where a pint costs £5.60, then Reading (£5.50).
| Location | Avg. price of a pint |
| Blackpool | £3.25 |
| Northampton | £3.50 |
| Derby | £3.60 |
| Swindon | £3.85 |
| Aberdeen | £4.00 |
Crawley has the most beer gardens relative to the population, with 2,312 beer gardens per 100,000 people
Topping the list is Crawley, which boasts 2,312 beer gardens for every 100,000 people. Overall, the city has a huge 4,173 beer gardens despite its relatively low population of 180,508.
In second place is Luton, with the city offering 1,616 beer gardens per every 100,000 people. In third place is Dudley, which is home to 1,257 beer gardens per 100,000 people and just 199,059 residents.
| Location | No. of beer gardens per 100,000 people |
| Crawley | 2,312 |
| Luton | 1,616 |
| Dudley | 1,257 |
| Bradford | 1,115 |
| Derby | 1,066 |
Sharvan Selvam, Commercial Director for Aqua says, “When faced with lots of social plans, or even just the lure of long afternoons enjoying the sunshine with friends and family, it’s easy to spend more than you had planned. Putting a budget in place is the first step in helping you stay in control of your money. If you feel pressured to overspend, communicate your goals with friends and family and look for budget friendly alternatives. Everyone’s financial situation is different, so it’s important to do what’s best for you and your future.”
