'Fancy a two-thirds'? Shrinking pints could boost nation's health, trial suggests

Researchers found the amount of beer sold by the venues taking part had fallen by 10%, as ITV News' Kelly Foran reports

Words by Olivia Mustafa, ITV News Producer

How would you feel if you ordered and pint - and it turned out to be two thirds smaller than you were expecting?

A study has suggested shrinking the much-loved British pint could improve the health of the nation.

The trial saw a dozen pubs, bars and restaurants swap their regular pint glasses with a smaller measure, just two thirds of the original size.

By the end of the study, researchers found the amount of beer sold by the venues taking part had fallen by 10%.

The team believe a drop in beer sales could lessen the impact of alcohol-related harm, which claims thousands of lives in Britain each year.

"It's hard to imagine people saying, 'would you like to come for a two-thirds?', instead of 'would you like to come for a pint?'," said Professor Dame Theresa Marteau, study leader and director of the behaviour and health research unit at the University of Cambridge.

"But increasingly, different beers are sold in different sizes and it may just be one of those things that the British population can get used to."

Professor Dame Theresa Marteau believes the tactic could "definitely" contribute to the health of the population.

The research says reducing the amount of alcohol we drink is a global public health priority. According to a 2022 study, drinking even within the NHS guidelines of 14 units of alcohol a week for women can still increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

The team were looking into whether people would be tempted to order more beer to compensate for smaller glass size - but found the measure resulted in people drinking less.

The study invited around 1,700 venues to take part - but in the end, only 13 agreed. They were offered compensation to account for any drop in income from selling smaller pints.

Professor Dame Marteau said that was more than they were expecting, as none volunteered to join the study when it was first attempted in 2019.

Instead, the 2019 study offered the two thirds-size glass as an option, alongside the regular pint. Unlike this year's study, this was not found to reduce the amount of beer consumed.

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She acknowledged there may well be a measure of resistance from pub landlords and venue owners, who would have little incentive to start serving smaller pints.

"The earnings dropped by around 5%. At the end of the study, all the participating pubs had reintroduced the pint serving size and none of them chose to remove it again," Professor Dame Marteau said.

"Unless this becomes part of licensing regulation, this isn't something pubs and bars are going to adopt on their own."

The study appears to support a wealth of other research, Professor Dame Marteau said, into how portion sizes can affect how we eat and drink.

"The smaller the portion, the less you will consume," she said.

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