Pub offers free beer as 25p pint promotion vetoed

A pub which was told selling a pint of beer for 25p during a promotion was "irresponsible" and a breach of its licence has instead begun giving them away.

Leeds city centre pub Whitelocks offered customers their first pint of revived 1970s pale ale brand Double Diamond at the retro price as part of the four-day scheme, which began on Thursday.

However publican Edward Mason said the council pulled the plug on the offer later the same day, saying it was in breach of mandatory licence conditions on minimum alcohol pricing.

After seeking legal advice and discussing it with the local authority on Friday, the pub then commenced offering the initial pint for nothing.

Unlike Scotland or Wales, England does not have a defined minimum price for alcohol.

Instead, since 2014 the law states that it cannot be sold below cost price, which is comprised of the cost of duty plus VAT.

Mason said he was contacted by the council on Thursday who told him there had been a complaint and that selling it at 25p per pint was "an irresponsible promotion and would be below cost price".

He explained to the local authority that they would offer a pint of the 3.8% ale for free, to thank customers at the historical boozer for their loyalty.

"They still insisted that we were not allowed to do that, and instructed us to cease the promotion in any form," he said.

However, after seeking advice from a licensing lawyer, they were advised that the free offer was "completely legal and would not be a breach of our licence conditions".

He added: "We therefore spoke with the council licensing department this morning and they changed their mind and agreed we would be permitted to resume the offer."

Asked why it was deemed irresponsible to charge 25p for a pint but not to give it away for free, a council spokesperson said: "The proposed 25p pint promotion would breach mandatory licence conditions on minimum alcohol pricing and irresponsible drinks promotions.

"The operator has since confirmed that the 25p offer will not go ahead and we will continue to work with them."

The NHS recommends that adults should not drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.

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