Free house
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- For the thoroughbred race horse please see Free House (horse)
A free house is a British pub that is owned independently of the brewery (or breweries) that supply it. As a result, a free house can stock whichever beer brands it chooses from whichever breweries it chooses. This is in contrast to a tied house, to which the opposite applies.
Free houses were at one time wrongly perceived to be more expensive than tied houses. Indeed, because of their independent ownership and ability to source from many different breweries, free houses were able to source beer cheaper than tied houses. A wider access to beer brands (and spirits) coupled with the ability to bargain with breweries ensures that free houses operate in a free market for their supplies.
Many pub chains (such as J.D. Wetherspoon) fall into the category of free houses.
