Dale Harvey, a man on a years-long mission to visit every pub in the UK, marked his 10,000th milestone at Teuchters in Edinburgh on Monday, expressing determination to see his quest through despite feeling tired.
Surreal Milestone in Edinburgh
Harvey, who began the Great British Pub Crawl in March 2022 as a hobby to visit every pub in Nottinghamshire, saw his challenge evolve into a nationwide endeavor. He celebrated at Teuchters in Edinburgh's west end, buying a pint of Pilot beer to mark the occasion. The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) national executive member thanked staff and owner Peter Knight.
Speaking to the Press Association, Harvey described the milestone as “surreal,” noting he never expected to reach 10,000 pubs when he started four years and three months ago. He praised Teuchters as “amazing” and expressed love for Scotland's pubs, culture, and people.
Determined to Continue
Harvey admitted he is “tired” and plans a holiday to Fuerteventura to relax. However, he said, “As soon as I get back, I’ll be straight back out on the road and doing it again.” When asked if he will complete the crawl, he said, “Absolutely, 100% determined. Because my wife told me I’d never do it. And any time my wife tells me I’ll never do something, that makes me 10 times more determined.”
His journeys across England, Scotland, and Wales have generated millions of views on social media. Harvey noted that Google research indicates around 35,000 pubs across the UK, though some may close during his journey.
Highlighting Pressures on Pubs
Harvey has also used his crawl to publicize the challenges faced by licensed businesses, citing “ever-rising costs” pushing many to the brink. Raising his pint, he said, “Here’s to the next 10,000. I’m certainly not going to stop. I’m not going to slow down. I’m going to carry on – while there are issues to highlight, I’ll be out there doing this.”
