Two-third pint measure considered

Pubs could soon offer drinkers two-thirds of a pint if measures are changed after a consultation exercise.

The National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) is considering new food and drink measures to give consumers more choice.

The NWML will look at introducing two-thirds of a pint alongside current measures like half or full pints.

The licensed trade had called for more choice when serving drinks, especially those with more alcohol, the NWML said.

The alcohol proposals are separate to EU regulations that will relax rules on the sizes of pre-packaged goods from April next year.

Other proposals being considered by the NWML include allowing pubs and bars to serve wine measures of less than 75ml (0.16 pint) for tasting and sampling.

A third of a pint is already a legal measure, but it has fallen out of common usage.

Consumer choice

And because food measures will be included in the consultation, unwrapped bread could also be sold in any size to give producers and consumers more choice.

An NWML spokesman said on Thursday: "The proposals on food packaging published for consultation today are aimed at boosting consumer choice while giving more freedom to UK businesses to both respond to the demands of customers and compete on a level playing field.

"We are also consulting over specific proposals from the pub and restaurant industries on the introduction of new measures for alcohol including smaller measures of wine for sampling and tasting and a new imperial measure for draught beer and cider of two thirds of a pint."

The consultation will run until January.

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