Liverpool bars and restaurants “serve too large glasses of wine”

In one of the more curious bits of news we’ve read this week, today it’s been confirmed that Liverpool is drinking too much wine. And it’s not our fault: it’s the bars and restaurants.

An undercover operation by Liverpool Trading Standards (that glasses and moustache combo ain’t fooling anyone, guys) says bars and restaurants in the city aren’t following recent legislation regarding booze consumption. It states that consumers are entitled to a 125ml measure of wine, and licensed premises have to advertise the fact it’s available.

But when the Trading Standards gang visited 45 of the city’s bars and restaurants (on expenses, too? Why can’t we have a job like that?), only five places supplied the 125ml measure when they ordered a ‘small’. The majority of wine glasses supplied were much larger, ranging between 140ml and 220ml.

On top of that, 27 places were unaware of the mandatory licence requirement to make available a 125ml if requested, and only 22 actually had the proper glasses for the measures.

The ‘small’ wine is 1.5 units, so two glasses is effectively the top limit for women, and not far off the limit for men. In some of the restaurants visited the two glasses of wine served would be almost twice the maximum recommended daily unit intake. Which is obviously great if you love wine, but not so great if you’re driving or watching what you’re drinking.

Since their visits, Trading Standards have advised all the offending bars and restaurants about the new legislation.