A WELSH pub has hit the headlines with an ingenious scheme to encourage more foodbank donations in the period running up to Christmas.
Le Pub in Newport, is offering customers free takeaway pint of beer, lager or cider in exchange for a donation of two essential food items.
Patrons feeling particularly generous can make use of the offer up to a maximum of eight pints per person.
A community-owned pub, the bar’s management came up with the scheme as a way of getting rid of its unsold alcohol stocks that would have otherwise gone to waste.
"Hundreds of families in Newport are struggling this Christmas," they wrote on Facebook. "We want to help."
All donations are going to Feed Newport - a local foodbank charity.
"Let’s round it off by doing amazing things for our communities."
Pubs across Ireland have been forced to pour tens of thousands of pints of unsold beer down the drain over the past few months as a result of the various lockdowns introduced to combat Covid-19.
They could now look to follow the example set by Le Pub, with the scheme ensuring all those lovely pints don’t go to waste during the festive season while doing something for a hugely important cause.
Under the strict regulations in place in Wales, pubs are required to close by 6pm every day and are prohibited from serving alcohol for consumption on the premises.
Drinks can still be purchased, along with food, on a takeaway basis.
While pubs serving food have reopened in Ireland, many are still likely to be facing a significant drop-off in sales while those who do not serve a “substantial meal” have remained closed.
With thousands of gallons of alcohol in danger of going to waste, Le Pub’s scheme shows a way forward for many to take something positive out of a difficult situation.
