Free beers firing imagination of post-lockdown partygoers
ACONVERTED fire truck is bringing some cheer to lockdown by serving up free beer around the neighbourhood.
As part of a new Beer & Bait venture, pub boss Chris Joyce and his business partner Connor Robinson are taking to the road to surprise local residents with a free pint.
“We randomly turn up to people’s doors and stuff just to give out free beer,” said Chris. And once the householders realise there’s no catch they couldn’t be happier.
The idea is to ignite interest in hiring the quirky mobile pub for family gettogethers and birthday parties – as soon as pandemic restrictions allow.
And, following Boris Johnson’s announcement of the road map out of lockdown, it seems that the standout attraction will do the job in firing the imagination.
Bookings open today to have the vehicle turn up to dispense pints on people’s driveways – complete with flashing lights.
Chris and Connor bought the former fire and rescue truck from a classic car website and converted it into a bar.
The Land Rover Defender is now kitted out with beer kegs and pumps and serves premium lagers and beers Moretti, Beavertown IPA and Guinness as well as Dark Fruits Cider. The aim next will be to introduce the ‘bait’ to create a one-stop party.
Chris, who runs The Mill House in Springwell Village near Gateshead – which he took over following the 2018 fire that gutted the rear of the pub – plans to have the Beer & Bait firetruck bar there as an added attraction for customers when the renovated pub reopens from lockdown on April 12.
And, with hundreds of customers already booking the pub’s outdoor space in the wake of the the Prime Minister’s road map timetable, it is certainly set to be a talking point.
But the main aim is to hire it out for private bookings which is why the pair have been livening up lockdown with drives around the area to hand out drinks at random.
Chris says the response from people to the free beer shows that the gesture made their day.
“We will be giving out free beer randomly until lockdown is over,” he added.
There are also plans to turn up in Newcastle to help spread the word.
“We could go any time really so people
would have to follow us on Instagram to see what’s happening or where we are going, as we do the free stuff at the drop of a hat,” he said.
The Bait & Beer mobile pub can be booked online and the normal price for a pint will be £4.50.
The minimum order is £50 and the minimum time slot allocated will be an hour and a half.
We randomly turn up to people’s doors and stuff just to give out free beer Chris Joyce