British pubs: Nottingham couple want to save boozers by having a drink in every one

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This couple want to support British pubs - by having a drink in every single one of them

Meet the couple on a mission to 'raise the profile of the great British pub' - by having a drink in every single one.

Dale Harvey, 37, and Holly Booth, 31, started the mammoth task in March last year - and have already spent £22,000 on alcohol. They've had a half pint or a spirit and mixer in 2,192 pubs so far - around five per cent of Britain's total number of boozers.

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Dale and Holly's record is 27 pubs in a day - more than one an hour. The pair, from Nottingham, started their drinking journey after growing tired of seeing the nation's watering holes shutting.

Dale Harvey and Holly Booth at the Tap & Growler - part of their mission to go to every British pub Dale Harvey and Holly Booth at the Tap & Growler - part of their mission to go to every British pub
Dale Harvey and Holly Booth at the Tap & Growler - part of their mission to go to every British pub | Dale Harvey / SWNS

Dale, a business owner, said: "We have been going for 590 days. We love it. We have a half or a spirit and a mixer in every pub. The record we have done is 27 in one day. We were fed up of seeing beautiful pub buildings closing down. We thought we would do anything we can do to raise the profile of the great British pub."

Holly, a council worker added: "I enjoy travelling to different places and experiencing new pubs every weekend. I enjoy meeting new people along the way and having them sometimes join us. My favourite pub is a tough one, there are so many good pubs for different reasons but one that springs to mind is The Holy Bush Inn in Makeney. It is a beautiful 17th-century village pub with stunning original features, quite the history, great beer and great pork pies."

Dale, who ran a pub of his own for 10 years, set himself the challenge in 2022 - and brought Holly along for the ride. Their number one boozer is one of their locals - the Dog and Parrot in Nottingham. And the worst pub they have been to is also nearby - although Dale wouldn't say the name.

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He simply described it as "what a crack den would look like at 4am".

The cheapest pint they've found is in Wetherspoons, where Shipyard will set you back £2.50. The most expensive pint belongs to the Dublin Castle in Camden, north London - where a pint of lager will cost you £7.

Dale and Holly at The Six ChimneysDale and Holly at The Six Chimneys
Dale and Holly at The Six Chimneys | Dale Harvey / SWNS

Dale said: "I will try anything, the amount of different drinks I have tried is insane. I used to be a lager man and think it was the only thing I wanted to drink but I am really loving craft beer. I have become one of those craft beer w*nkers."

Dale said he has always been a pub enthusiast so his friends and family didn't question his mission. He said: "The best part of doing this is seeing these parts of the UK. Stanford is the most beautiful town I have ever been to.

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"So far we have visited London, Manchester, Nottingham, Warwickshire, Leicester, Nottingham, Derbyshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Staffordshire."

Dale's favourite pubs

1 - Dog and Parrot, Eastwood, Nottingham 2 - Brew, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire 3 - Pharmacie Arms, Syston, Leicestershire 4 - Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham 5 - Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, St Albans, Hertfordshire 6 - Paten & Co, Stanford, Lincolnshire 7 - The Ned Ludd, Nottingham 8 - Bunny Jackson's, Manchester 9 - The Ten Bells, Spitalfields, London 10 - The Blind Beggar, Whitechapel, London

Dale said they will continue the challenge for as long they are able to, with a four-day pub excursion planned for Holly's birthday this weekend. He said: "We love travelling around the country and meeting so many great people. We have been to parts of the country we never even heard of. It has taken over our lives but we love it. We have met so many friendly people. People want to come to the pub with us, we have friends all over the country. Because of us, people are going out and trying their pubs. If it can help any pub survive and stay open that is the aim."

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