Ealing lost 25 pubs in the last 10 years, but welcomed 148 new cafes, in keeping with a national trend for drinking less alcohol and the rise of cafe culture.

Information obtained by a Freedom of Information request by Ealing Times shows that in 2008 there were 132 pubs and 455 cafes in the borough, but this year the number of pubs fell to 107, while cafes have increased to 603.

This amounts to a 19% loss for pubs, but an increase of almost a third (32.5%) for cafes. The changes have been blamed on the price of food and drink going up, coupled with the recession meaning that people cut down on leisurely spending.

Roy Tunstall, chair of the West Middlesex branch of the CAMRA, said: “Off licenses and supermarkets have driven away lots of those who used to go to the pub, because it’s just so expensive now.

“You pay £4.25 for a pint in most of the pubs in Ealing, but at the supermarket you can get four beers for basically the same price.”

A study by the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) showed that the affordability of beer in supermarkets and off-licences has risen by 188% since 1987.

Meanwhile, cafes have been steadily on the rise, as people look to save both time and money. Longer working days and commutes have meant people are now opting to meet for a daytime coffee rather than an evening drink.

The spread of laptops and WiFi in the past decade has also meant that coffee shops can keep customers satisfied for hours, as they have become go-to spaces for people looking to work, as well as socialise.

Ealing Times:

Last year, the law was changed so that pubs can no longer automatically be converted into retail premises without planning permission, meaning developers must put plans before a local authority first.

However, Mr Tunstall explained that pubs can still be converted into restaurants without any planning permission at all.

The Freedom of Information figures from Ealing Council do not count pubs that have been converted into restaurants as lost, as they still technically operating and serving alcohol.

If these new restaurants are included, as data from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) shows, then Ealing has lost 44 pubs since 2008 – or 33%.

Mr Tunstall added: “The main problem in London is that the property prices are so expensive.

“A single pub could be worth three or four million pounds. It makes sense for the owners to release that equity, because it’s gong to take a lot of time to make three million pounds through cash at the bar.

“It’s far more use to them to sell it to developers to convert into flats.

To reverse the trend we need stricter planning laws, and the community needs to have more of a say.”

Ealing is not alone - according to the British Beer & Pub Association, the number of pubs in the UK has fallen by 17% since 2000.

According to a report released last year by the Office for National Statistics, the proportion of adults who said they drink alcohol is at its lowest level since 2005.

However, there is no shortage of people in Ealing who want to drink alcohol in a social setting, with 10,000 visitors expected at CAMRA’s Ealing Beer Festival in Walpole Park next week.