There seems to be a great deal of activity by Trading Standards officials of late to make sure you get your 'full pint'.

The current position is that under guidelines issued in 2002 by the British Beer and Pubs Association and supported by the government, you may be *served* with a pint glass containing not less than 95% liquid beer (not 'head'). You are then entitled to ask for a 'top-up' to the rim of the glass, i.e. to 100% of a pint, most pint glasses apparently being a full pint to the lip of the glass.

Despite this, according to an article in 'Pints of View' (a Hertfordshire pub magazine), the latest survey shows that 89.4% of pints served are below 100% fluid and as many as 27.7% are below the 95% level.

The article: "Short Pint Rip-off Condemned Again" in the magazine was accompanied by an ad *paid for* by Hertfordshire Trading Standards. It said:

"WANT TO COMPLAIN? Local Trading Standards exist to protect the interests of customers. If you are experiencing short measure after politely asking for a top-up, if you find pubs do not show an accurate price list or if you feel a pub is deliberately ripping you off, Trading Standards will investigate" - Trading Standards Department, St. Albans.



It does seem amazing that you should have to 'negotiate' a top-up and the obvious long-term solution is to have slightly bigger glasses with a clear 'pint' line to show when one has a 100% liquid pint

Trading Standards Campaigns on the Full Pint
July 21 2004 at 11:48 PM Tony Bennett


The article: "Short Pint Rip-off Condemned Again" in the magazine was accompanied by an ad *paid for* by Hertfordshire Trading Standards. It said:

"WANT TO COMPLAIN? Local Trading Standards exist to protect the interests of customers. If you are experiencing short measure after politely asking for a top-up, if you find pubs do not show an accurate price list or if you feel a pub is deliberately ripping you off, Trading Standards will investigate" - Trading Standards Department, St. Albans.

metre:
Isn't it amazing how quickly the man condemming enforcement of metric measures jumps to the defence of the legal pint. He obviously suffers from the same malaise as Bud, who insists that petrol sold in litres is inferior. Maybe you, and your fellow travellers believe the same will happen with beer sold in litres. How could you otherwise object about the quantity its sold in?

So if you agree that trading standards must be there to ensure the public are not getting ripped off, you will understand why there is a need for ONE standard set of measurements

[Hops and skips over the guff]

<<the obvious long-term solution is to have slightly bigger glasses with a clear 'pint' line to show when one has a 100% liquid pint >>

As do some pubs already.