WITH more than 500 in the UK - including one in Colchester - micropubs are both traditional and innovative, adapting, perhaps, to testing times. 

In addition to being categorised by being small, micropubs' main draw is their "sense of community", something Colchester's The Magnet has in abundance. 

The city's first micropub 'has many secret ingredients' to its success, something which I experienced first hand when I visited back in November.

Oozing charm, company, and warmth, it was not hard to see why the pull of a micropub compared to a more standard-sized watering hole can be so strong.

So impressed with my experience, I was eager to learn more, so reached out to enthusiast Adam Thompson, who reviews micropubs across the country for UK Micropubs.

He believes micropubs often prove a popular choice due to their natural quirkiness, often themed interiors, and them being the perfect place to make friends. 

When I visited The Magnet, for example, I had extremely enjoyable conversations, partly due to the venue’s small size and encountering two friendly couples.

“One of the things I have witnessed, you do get chatted to by random people out of the blue," added Adam.

Adam also feels the lure of a micropub is heavily engrained in their independent-streak, made possible by most of them being ‘free alehouses’, meaning they have “free reign" over what they sell. 

Gazette: Themed - The Magnet Pub in Colchester is named after the famous William Gilbert who argued firstly and correctly that the earth's core was ironThemed - The Magnet Pub in Colchester is named after the famous William Gilbert who argued firstly and correctly that the earth's core was iron (Image: Newsquest)
Gazette: Reasonable - Inside a pint of draught 'Punk' IPA costs £5.50Reasonable - Inside a pint of draught 'Punk' IPA costs £5.50 (Image: Public)
Despite the attraction of a micropub, not all are doing as well as The Magnet.

One micropub in Derbyshire, for example, is closing despite being previously very successful due to the cost-of-living crisis. 

When asked about micropubs being cheaper to run than standard-sized watering holes, Adam stressed how each case was unique.

He said: "In some ways you could argue that the bigger pubs have more of an advantage – more money to play with. Whereas with micropubs its far more difficult."

Gazette: Small - The Pothole in Derby is a single-room micropubSmall - The Pothole in Derby is a single-room micropub (Image: UK Micropubs)

Its not all doom and gloom, however.

Adam believes one possibility for “future-proofing” micropubs would be for them to diversify from their “core aim of selling real ale and snacks”.

Some micropubs have gained an additional income stream by offering street food events, for example, where people are “invited to do hot meals on a particular night”. 

He added: "You get more of a community and a togetherness feel compared to the bigger more traditional pubs.

"From a personal point of view, the future is bright and positive, despite stories of closing, new ones are opening all the time. Overall, I think it is positive."