A globe-trotting YouTuber has identified six unwritten rules that holidaymakers should observe if they ever venture into a British pub. Correct pub etiquette may seem instinctive to Brits, but the unspoken customs of the local aren’t universal – and the UK has its own that could potentially surprise overseas guests.
Mark Wolters is one such guest who’s noticed this. With visits to more than 80 countries under his belt, however, he’s evidently no stranger to navigating the cultural differences that accompany travelling. A recognisable presence on YouTube, Mark offered some guidance on how to approach British pubs to his 1.17m subscribers, specifically six recommendations that holidaymakers should be mindful of if they ever visit Blighty.
1. Order at the bar
For his first rule, Mark cautioned prospective patrons watching his video on Wolters World that pub staff are “not coming” to their tables, emphasising that they need to go up to the bar to order.
He said: “And whether you’re going to be ordering your pints or you’re going to order your food or you’re getting your snacks and your crisps, you order there. Also, when you go up and order, that’s when you pay.
“It is not one of the things like in the US where you do all your drinking, you do all your eating, then you pay at the end. You’re paying each time you go up there. “
2. Respect the queue
Mark observed that people should “respect the queue” when they visit the UK, but highlighted that there may not be a single obvious queue at the bar. As we all know, people tend to congregate at various spots.
However, Mark stated everyone “kind of knows” who arrived before them and will make certain they’re served first.
3. Order in rounds
Mark explained: “Now the third unwritten rule of going to the pub is that they order in rounds. So if we’re going with friends, we’re not all going up to the bar to order.
“We will go in rounds. It’s like I’ll go up first, ask everybody what they want, and then I’ll go and I’ll pay the first round. Then the next time up, my friend will go up and take the orders, and they’ll order and get a round for everybody. And everybody needs to pay for a round.”
He went on to warn people not to “skip your round” and “don’t leave early” to avoid getting one, as “people remember that”.
4. Not all pubs sell good pub food
Mark pointed out that not every pub serving traditional food actually provides “good” British cuisine. He mentioned that you can sometimes get “phenomenal” food such as Scotch eggs and bangers and mash.
However, if an establishment offers food and nobody is consuming it when you enter, this should be a “red flag”.
5. Watch out for stairs
Something that he suggests becomes “more precarious” as your evening progresses, Mark says that pub toilets will “undoubtedly” be down a “very narrow and steep” flight of stairs.
He advised people with accessibility issues to research the pub beforehand, as visitors may be be presented by what he described as “little stairwells”.
6. Don’t linger past closing time
Finally, Mark stressed the importance of not lingering past closing time and how, generally, bars don’t really stay open “super late”, adding that staff like to “wrap things up really quickly.”
He advised people to be “respectful” and do the same for those in the local community by being quiet when you leave.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
