With warmer months ahead of us, what better way to soak up some sun than with a crisp pint or cold soft drink in hand? With beer gardens being a true British institution, especially during this time of year, it’s easy to wonder which city is the best for pub garden trips.
To find out, credit card brand Aqua conducted new research, comparing some of the most populated cities in the UK on factors including the price of drinks, average temperatures, amount of sunshine and rainfall, as well as the number of beer gardens.
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 in the UK for a beer garden trip
Taking the top spot is Southend-on-Sea, which stands out with the highest average sunshine hours among the locations analysed (241), alongside the second-lowest average rainfall at just 41.55mm, cementing its place as the best spot to soak up the sunshine. Drinks there will set you back under £5 for a pint and only £1.40 for a soft drink.
Portsmouth follows closely, with average May temperatures among the warmest in the ranking (12.8°C), relatively low average rainfall (43.26mm), and a pint costing under £5.
Blackpool rounds off the top three, with average sunshine hours among the highest in May (218), the second-cheapest pint (£3.50), and the second-highest number of beer gardens to choose from, at 43 per 100,000 people.
| Rank | City | Average price of a pint (£) | Average price of a soft drink (£) | Average temperature in May (ºC) | Average sunshine hours in May | Average rainfall in May (mm) | Number of beer gardens per city per 100,000 people |
| 1 | Southend-on-Sea | £4.75 | £1.40 | 12 | 241 | 42 | 15 |
| 2 | Portsmouth | £4.70 | £2.04 | 13 | 222 | 43 | 35 |
| 3 | Blackpool | £3.50 | £1.88 | 12 | 218 | 54 | 43 |
| 4 | Dudley | £4.75 | £1.50 | 12 | 200 | 57 | 57 |
| 5 | Kingston upon Hull | £3.25 | £1.50 | 12 | 200 | 48 | 15 |
Bradford and Hull boast the cheapest pint in the UK, averaging £3.25 for a beer
Bradford and Hull tie for the top spot on the cheapest pint with beers there costing £3.25 on average. Sunderland and Blackpool follow close behind in second place, with pints averaging £3.50. Rounding off the top three is Preston, where a pint will set you back £4.
| Rank | City | Average price of a pint (£) |
| 1 | Bradford | £3.25 |
| Kingston upon Hull | ||
| 2 | Sunderland | £3.50 |
| Blackpool | ||
| 3 | Preston | £4.00 |
| 4 | Northampton | £4.25 |
| 5 | Swansea | £4.50 |
| Nottingham | ||
| Coventry | ||
| Luton |
On the other hand, the most expensive pints can be found in London and Reading, with beers costing £6.50 on average, double the price of the cheapest cities.
Dudley offers the most beer garden options relative to population
Topping the list on beer gardens per capita is Dudley, boasting the highest number of beer gardens, with 57 per 100,000 people. Overall, people there can choose from 113 pub gardens to enjoy a drink in the sun.
Blackpool takes second place, home to 43 beer garden options per 100,000 people, with a total of 63 across the city. Portsmouth comes in third place with 35 beer gardens per 100,000 people. Despite an overall number of 88 beer gardens, its more significant population of 248,748 residents brings the number per person down.
| Rank | City | Population | Number of beer gardens per city | Number of beer gardens per city per 100,000 people |
| 1 | Dudley | 199,059 | 113 | 57 |
| 2 | Blackpool | 145,007 | 63 | 43 |
| 3 | Portsmouth | 248,748 | 88 | 35 |
| 4 | Wolverhampton | 221,754 | 76 | 34 |
| Northampton | 215,963 | 73 | 34 | |
| 5 | Swindon | 185,609 | 61 | 33 |
Scott Yule, Commercial Director at Aqua, comments: “As the weather gets better, Brits tend to make more plans to see friends and family, and to enjoy the variety of events and places the UK has to offer. But more plans can also mean more spending, and without a clear budget in place and open communication with the people around you, it can be easy to overspend and stress about money. Creating a summer fund and automating your savings on payday may be a good way to head into the warmer months with a little extra money and less financial stress. Even a small amount each month can add up quickly, and you’ll be able to build a nice pot to spend on dinners out, festivals, or any summer plans that bring you joy.”
Photo by Helena Lopes: https://www.pexels.com/photo/casual-outdoor-cheers-with-friends-and-beer-27177212/
