Over a third of Brits have “borrowed” a pint glass from a pub, according to new research from Simply Business. And while it may seem like harmless fun for punters, the scale adds up, costing pub landlords an estimated total of up to £133 million last year alone.
The British Beer and Pub Association estimated that one pub would close every day in 2025. And this fresh insight shines a light on yet another challenge pubs face when it comes to fighting soaring operational costs to stay open.
Britain’s most wanted pint glasses*
The trend for pint glass fans to collect the most iconic glassware is made clear in a survey of over 2,000 adults in the UK. For those who admitted to taking a coveted goblet, Stella Artois came top for the best glass to swipe, closely followed by the Guinness glass. Meanwhile Carling and Peroni battled it out for third place.
- Stella Artois™ (20%)
- Guinness™ (19%)
- Carling™ (13%)
- Peroni™ (13%)
- San Miguel™ (11%)
- Heineken™ (10%)
- Foster’s™ (10%)
- Carlsberg™ (9%)
- Birra Moretti™ (9%)
- Corona™ (9%)
Which cities are the worst culprits?
People in Cardiff are leading the way with 45% admitting to stealing a pint glass. This is closely followed by punters in Belfast (44%) Glasgow (41%), and Manchester (40%). The London population showed the most restraint, with only 31% saying they’ve nabbed a glass.
Among those who’ve taken glasses, there’s some clear preferences for specific brands. It’s unsurprising Carling is the preferred choice for the West Midlands (24%) – the home of its brewery. Scots appear to have a soft spot for a Birra Moretti chalice (23%), while Londoners favour Guinness (30%), Heineken (24%), and Stella Artois (20%).
‘Let’s call time on the great pint glass heist’
Julie Fisher, UK CEO at Simply Business, said: “Pubs play a unique role in society, contributing enormously to the strength of both our local communities and economy, and we’re proud to provide insurance for over 1,000 across the UK. Yet they’re under threat, with a cocktail of serious headwinds resulting in an alarming rate of closures.
“With costs spiralling for small businesses across the board, the last thing pub landlords need is another bill – yet our research has revealed the estimated up to £133m hit they face each year due to stolen pint glasses.
“While for some this may seem like a minor offence, we’d urge punters to think twice. Let’s call time on the great pint glass heist – show appreciation for your favourite glassware, and your local landlord, by leaving empty handed next time you visit.”
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*Disclaimer: The use of the following brands is for informational purposes only. Simply Business is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by the following brands. All trademarks, logos and brand names are the properties of their respective owners.
Insight compiled from a survey of 2,001 UK adults (nationally representative) conducted by Censuswide for Simply Business from 11th February 2026 – 13th February 2026.
Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.
Simply Business used ONS mid‑year population data for UK adults aged 18+ (55,022,253). Censuswide’s survey found that 35% of adults have taken a pint glass in the past year – an estimated 19.26 million. The survey also revealed an average of 2.08 glasses across those who have ever taken glassware from a pub or bar.
This suggests around 38.1 million pint glasses are taken from UK pubs each year. There is no standardised cost for pint glassware in the UK, as prices vary by branding, supplier and specification, and some glassware is supplied free of charge by breweries on a promotional basis. Industry sources commonly reference replacement costs ranging from £1 to £6 per glass. To provide a cautious and representative estimate, Simply Business applied a conservative industry‑average replacement cost of £3.50 per glass.