Covid Lockdown England: Pub landlord renames ale "Substantial Meal"

A pub host jokingly renamed an ale "Substantial Meal" to circumvent the new Covid-19 restrictions.

Brett Mendoza, 40, who owns the Caxton Arms in Brighton, East Sussex, got the idea while discussing what constitutes an essential meal with another landlord after the latest moves were announced last week.

An image of the fake beer pump clip, taken from the "fictional brewery" and described as "hearty, filling and tasty," was posted on social media last Wednesday titled "Bring on Tier 2".

It comes before Brighton and Hove, which will be subject to Tier 2 restrictions tomorrow, which means that guests in England are no longer allowed to linger or order more alcohol after dinner.

Brett Mendoza (right), 40, who owns the Caxton Arms in Brighton, came up with the idea (left) as a joke while discussing with another landlord what constitutes an essential meal

Brighton and Hove will be ranked Tier 2 tomorrow, which means guests in England are no longer allowed to linger or order more alcohol after they have eaten (Image: Caxton Arms).

The post garnered over 1,600 likes and 200+ shares, with one social media user commenting: "Along with a bag of chips and a pickled egg, enough for everyone."

Another simply tweeted, "Brilliant," while a third added, "I love this".

Good morning The Brit Ben Shephard also retweeted the picture and wrote: & # 39; Genius & # 39 ;.

Mr Mendoza said to The Brighton Argus yesterday: “It is a ridiculous situation. Nobody knows what an essential meal is.

"It's only a few days before the rule goes into effect and people still don't know."

The host added that he invented the beer as part of a joke and that it wasn't a real brand, even though customers were already trying to order the alcohol.

However, Triple Point Brewing, a brewery and bar in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, is promoting 440 ml cans of an IPA called Substantial Meal, with £ 1 per can donated to Work for Good to help fight food poverty.

On its website, the description of the beer reads: "Who needs a substantial meal?" Unfortunately, we wanted more of our pub customers to serve large meals so we could sell more beer.

The post has collected over 1,600 likes and more than 200 shares, with one social media user writing: "Together with a bag of chips and a pickled egg, a meal that is sufficient for everyone."

“Then we realized that we are actually doing pretty well and the people who really need a big meal are the children who are starving. So this new brew, our Substantial Meal IPA, is for them.

“Not literally, of course, it's 4.6 percent ABV! But for every can sold, £ 1 is spent on combating food poverty through Work For Good. & # 39;

Landlords who are subject to Tier 2 restrictions are expected to encourage their customers to leave – or face heavy fines for violating government Covid-19 legislation.

When asked how long drinkers can stay in the pub after buying groceries, the Prime Minister's spokesman said last Friday: “We noticed that in Tier 2 I think you need a substantial meal if you do Order alcohol, and this remains the case that the instructions say that once the meal is finished, it is at that point. & # 39;

The landlord (right) said he made up the name of the beer as part of a joke and that it wasn't a real brand, even though customers were already trying to order the alcohol

Tier 2 pubs can only serve alcohol if they are bought with a “substantial meal”, so pubs with drinks ponder whether the trade is even economically viable.

The pubs offer so-called Boris menus with cheap tapas plates that drinkers can order all day long so they can enjoy a drink with family or friends after December 2nd.

A large meal is defined by the government as a "full breakfast, main lunch or dinner". Community Secretary Robert Jenrick claims a pate alone doesn't count, but when served with chips and salad, it does count.

Boris Johnson imposed Tier 2 and 3 rules on 99 percent of England on Thursday. The higher category bans all hospitality, while the other category only leaves pubs open when they are serving food and the household can only mingle with a hearty meal outdoors.

All Tier 3 restaurants and bars can now rely on takeout orders.

More than 50 pubs and breweries, including Greene King, Heineken and Budweiser, have asked the government for assistance in preventing thousands of local venues from going bankrupt.

In a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, they said: “It would be nothing short of heartbreaking if the pubs are on the verge of ruin after the past nine months and the end of the pandemic is in sight.

“The support the government has given us up to this point would be a colossal waste of resources, all for nothing. The impending disaster can be avoided, but only if you act now. & # 39;

Over 38,000 pubs, restaurants, bars and hotels in England will be closed in Tier 3, excluding food stalls, which will affect 38,000 workers.

Around 120,000 event locations with 1.5 million employees will be included in the second stage. The bosses warn that three quarters of the hotel operations will suffer losses under these restrictions, since mixing households are prohibited and they can only serve alcohol with a "substantial meal". .

A government spokesman previously said: "The duration of exposure is one of the main factors in the spread of the virus, which is why alcohol can only be served as part of a main meal and not when the meal is finished.

"There is no prescribed limit to how long you can eat a meal. However, we expect people to act sensibly and use good judgment."