Fizz will return to the local as home workers nip in for pint

HOME working could be good news for the local pub, as colleagues go for a quick drink near home after work instead of socialising near their offices.

The head of Budweiser said that pub culture after lockdown could change according to working practices. Pubs can reopen from July 4 as long as they follow a series of rules, including limits on capacity and table service only.

Paula Lindenberg, the UK president of Budweiser Brewing Group, said: “On July 4 pubs are going to look different and consumption is going to look different from what we are used to.

“Some of the expectation we have is that pubs located closer to where people live are the ones that will do better, rather than those concentrated closer to where people work. Those are going to have a lot of demand.”

She predicted that pub culture would recover in the long run, but initially people would choose to drink at home. Sales of alcohol in supermarkets have increased by 43 per cent in the four weeks to June 14, according to figures from market analysts Kantar.

Ms Lindenberg said: “Pubs will survive. They are a key part of the culture in the UK, but we do believe it’s going to take some time to get back to what it was before Covid.

“While that happens, a part of the demand that you would see in the pubs will shift to the supermarket. We believe in the second half [of the year] the demand in supermarkets will continue to be higher than it was before.”

A poll for The Sunday Telegraph by ORB International found 44 per cent are worried about going back to the pub when they reopen next weekend.

Budweiser organised vouchers to support local pubs during the shutdown, selling 19,752 for 1,600 pubs and matching the amount raised. In total, £1,167,455 was raised. The vouchers can be used post-reopening.

It is helping to organise outdoor bar equipment to allow pubs to serve in gardens and providing an app which will allow customers to order drinks.

Research by the firm found that just over a third planning to go to the pub within a week of reopening. But 40 per cent said they would feel more comfortable if staff were made to wear face masks and 36 per cent want to see protective screens at the bar.