Ask the Experts Last weekend I was having lunch in a pub with friends after a long country walk. After ordering our food and drinks, we asked for glasses of tap water. But the bar staff refused and insisted on selling us expensive bottled mineral water which was quite expensive. Could we legally have demanded free tap water?
Fenton Bresler replies: I'm afraid not. Many people think this right exists but it is a major public misconception. Neither public houses nor restaurants are legally obliged to serve free tap water - although, of course, most of them do. There is an interesting difference between the two types of establishment: the Restaurant Association says that it would expect all its members to serve tap water free of charge but the British Institute of Innkeeping leaves it to the discretion of individual licensees. In either event, the choice is theirs - not yours.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2004-07-12 09:12 am (UTC)Ask the Experts
Last weekend I was having lunch in a pub with friends after a long country walk. After ordering our food and drinks, we asked for glasses of tap water. But the bar staff refused and insisted on selling us expensive bottled mineral water which was quite expensive. Could we legally have demanded free tap water?
Fenton Bresler replies: I'm afraid not. Many people think this right exists but it is a major public misconception. Neither public houses nor restaurants are legally obliged to serve free tap water - although, of course, most of them do. There is an interesting difference between the two types of establishment: the Restaurant Association says that it would expect all its members to serve tap water free of charge but the British Institute of Innkeeping leaves it to the discretion of individual licensees. In either event, the choice is theirs - not yours.