Undercover critic picks five finalists going for our spy prize

Jane Barrie Pubs are enjoying one of their best years in more than a decade – thanks to a cocktail of good weather, minimum pricing and drink selfies.

Industry experts believe bars across the country are enjoying a boom after a difficult spell following the smoking ban and recession.

Minimum pricing has not helped supermarkets, which have become the main competition to bars, clubs and hotels.

Laws stopping cheap offers have given pubs a muchneeded boost.

The licensed trade has also been helped by the t rend for post ing cocktails and food on social media and the hot weather has also contributed to a mini boom this year.

That’s ref lected in a massive 3000 entries to the 2018 Scottish Bar and Pub Awards – up more than 50 per cent from last year.

Susan Young, the editor of DRAM, the hospitality industry bible which organises the awards, said: “It has been a good year and there is a lot of optimism around.

“It would be wrong to say that minimum pricing has had a huge effect but it certainly hasn’t done any harm. “The weather has certainly been good for pubs and the social media thing is great. “It keeps everyone competitive and more people see going to a bar as a big night out. “The number of entries we have had so far this year has been astonishing.” The winners in all of the categories will be honoured at a gala ceremony in Glasgow’s Hilton Hotel on August 21. One of the most competitive will be the Sunday Mail Pub Spy Pub of the Year award in which we honour the best of the venues visited by our acerbic undercover