By Ian Neubauer
A British pub is allowing patrons to consume take-away liquor on Saturday Nights to counter a trend that is seeing millions of Britons forfeiting a night out and staying at home as a result of the economic slowdown.
Bip Wetherell, licensee of The Venue in the county of Northamptonshire, said the promotion was meant to take on supermarkets that sell Britain’s cheapest liquor, Deutche Presse Agentur reported.
"Our trade’s down and I decided to reverse it on the supermarkets and use their low prices. We had people queuing up with their supermarket bags and it was a great night," Wetherell said, adding that patrons were charged a £5 cover charge.
British pubs have been hit hard by the global economic slowdown, with hundreds of venues closing or converted into homes and other businesses.
On-premise beer sales dropped 10 per cent in the final quarter of 2008, equating to 1.4 million fewer pints sold every day, according to the British Bar and Pub Association (BBPA).
“These figures highlight the extreme economic pressures hitting Britain’s beer and pub sector, said BBPA chief executive, Rob Hayward. “Beer sales are sinking and many pubs are struggling to survive. Pub closures have escalated to nearly six a day.”
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