With pints in some parts of the country now regularly topping £7, it’s infuriating watching a bartender slide over a drink that’s visibly short on liquid.
When you’re parting with that kind of hard-earned cash, seeing an oversized frothy head or a clear gap at the top of the glass feels like a bit of a kick in the teeth. If you’ve ever felt too awkward to speak up, worried about holding up a busy queue or seeming like a difficult customer, you’ll be glad to know you don’t just have to swallow the loss.
Official pub guidance and trading rules state that you’re well within your rights to ask for a top-up, and staff should be happy to oblige. Here’s what counts as a proper measure, and the easiest way to get your glass filled without any friction at the bar.
What do the rules say about pint measures?
The British Beer and Pub Association set out its own guidelines back in 1993, which were backed by the Department for Trade and Industry at the time. Under these rules, you’re entitled to a pint filled right to the brim, or up to the marked line if your glass has one.
In practice, this means you should be getting at least 95 per cent liquid in your glass. If more than 5% of your pint ends up as head, you’re within your rights to ask for a top-up. Crucially, the guidelines also state that bar staff should handle this request with good grace, meaning it shouldn’t be treated as an inconvenience or a fuss.
It’s worth speaking up, even if it feels awkward.
It can understandably feel a bit uncomfortable asking for a top-up at the bar, but experts say it’s worth doing to make sure you’re actually getting what you paid for. According to a money saving expert, if your pint doesn’t measure up, the simplest approach is to head straight back to the bar before taking a sip, and politely ask for your glass to be topped up.
Since the official guidelines already state that pubs should be happy to fill your glass properly, there’s no need to worry about bar staff seeing it as a complaint. You’re simply asking for exactly what you’ve already paid for.
You can get creative about asking for a top-up.
One regular pub-goer described her own experience of routinely checking her pint before drinking it. After ordering two pints with a colleague after work one evening, she noticed a good inch and a half missing from both glasses once she turned to collect them, something she says isn’t the first time it’s happened to her.
Knowing she’s entitled to a top-up under consumer rules, she says she always asks politely, using a simple phrase like “can I get that topped up please?” While she admitted feeling slightly guilty about asking, given how much financial pressure many pubs are currently under from rising taxes and operating costs, the bartender on this occasion was happy to top her drink up without any issue.
What to do if you’re refused a top-up
If a member of staff does dig their heels in and flatly refuses to top up your glass, you don’t simply have to accept the short measure and walk away out of pocket. Official industry guidance from the British Beer and Pub Association suggests taking the issue straight to the shift supervisor or duty manager. Handled with a calm, polite approach, speaking to senior staff allows you to flag the problem and sort it out on the spot, whether that means pulling another splash of beer to bring it level or pouring a fresh pint altogether.
Short measures are apparently far more common than you’d think.
This isn’t just an occasional issue either. Pubs were criticised by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute back in 2024 over widespread short-measuring of drinks. The watchdog found that more than 70 per cent of beer served in pubs and bars across Britain was short measured to some degree.
The Campaign for Real Ale described the findings as extremely concerning at the time, and actively encouraged customers to request a top-up whenever their pint falls short. According to the campaign group, customers are well within their rights to make this request, and staff should comply without any pushback. If you do experience a negative reaction after asking, it’s recommended you report the incident to Trading Standards.
Given how common short measures appear to be, you’ll want to have a quick look at your pint before you start drinking, and speaking up if it doesn’t quite reach the mark. After all, you’re only asking for what you’ve already paid for.
