I’m the owner of UK’s ‘cheapest’ pub with £1.80 pints – punters down drinks at record speed when they see their receipt
THE landlady at Britain’s ‘cheapest’ pub has revealed how punters down their drinks at record speed when their tab is called at the end of the night.
Lynn Howard, who owns The Ardwick in Blackpool, told how pals who think they’ve been “undercharged” will stumble out of the boozer in a hurry because of the pub’s shockingly low asking prices.
As tight-fisted Brits think twice before pulling out their wallet for soaring prices on booze, the Lancashire watering hole prides itself on its affordability.
“I get people coming in here year in, year out, and they love the price of the drinks,” Lynn, 64, told The Sun Online.
“Sometimes if a group comes in and they are buying rounds, you can hear them saying to their mates ‘hurry up and drink them, we’ve been undercharged’, but they haven’t.
“It’s quite funny to watch people thinking they have got away with being undercharged.”
The Lancashire public house prides itself on its 1997 asking prices for booze.
And beyond bustling weekends, the pub has built up a steady stream of loyal local customers and holidaymakers during the week.
Barmaid Emma Berry, 28, has worked at The Ardwick for two years after making the move from Birmingham.
“I was born in 1996, so I was just one when the price of a pint was this cheap,” she chuckled.
“I love working here and I love seeing the shock on people’s faces when they learn how much the drinks are.
“They sometimes think I’ve charged them for just one pint if they order a couple.”
CHELTENHAM’S BANK-BREAKING BOOZE PRICES
The cheap and cheerful prices at The Ardwick are a far cry from the eye-watering price for a pint at the Cheltenham Festival, which kicked off on Tuesday.
Punters poured in to watch the 2024 edition kick things off with a seven-race schedule, but many were more interested in the staggering drinks prices.
And social media began to react to the extortionate bar menu as they prepared for day two.
Draught Guinness, Madri Lager, Aspall Suffolk Cyder and Atlantic Pale Ale are all selling for an extortionate £7.50.
Bottles of lager, bitter and cider range from £7.40-£7.65, while all 187ml wines are a huge £9.70.
Single spirits will set you back between £7 and £7.60, with 330ml cans of soft drink even coming in at £3.
Sometimes if a group comes in and they are buying rounds, you can hear them saying to their mates ‘hurry up and drink them, we’ve been undercharged’, but they haven’t
Lynn Howard
And if you really want to break the bank while taking in the racing, a 750ml bottle of Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne will cost you £110.
House Champagne and rose Champagne also come in at £75 and £48 respectively.
Compare that with another huge British sporting event, Wimbledon, and Cheltenham Festival‘s prices are even more unjustified.
The All England Club’s price of a pint of lager – Stella Artois – may be 5p more expensive at £7.55, but almost everything else is cheaper.
Guinness and all ales are 30p cheaper at £7.20, while they also offer a host of bottled beers for under £7.
Single spirits with a mixer come to £6.90 at Wimbledon – cheaper than the lowest value option at Cheltenham.
Wine is exactly the same price at £9.70, but soft drinks are also less expensive with Coca Cola Zero and Sprite Zero sold at £2.25.
And the prices have left fans utterly beside themselves.
One said: “Anybody that goes to Cheltenham and pays 7.50 a pint needs to give their head a shake.”
Another added: “Poor from Cheltenham.”