Licensee defends all-you-can-drink promotion
A licensee has been forced to defend his decision to lay on £40 all-you-can-drink with breakfast promotion at his bar during the British Lions tour. Steve Dew, licensee at Dewi's, in Cardiff, has faced a wave criticism in the national press for the offer which will operate for all three of the test matches.
The bar will open at 7.30am for the events and as well as a "complimentary" bar, the deal will include champagne, an English breakfast and two-course Thai lunch.
But Mr Dew claims the offer is designed to discourage binge-drinkers.
"Part of the reason I've done it is to stop a load of beer monsters coming down from the valleys to watch it," he said. "I've just spent half-a-million pounds on refurbishing the place."
He added he did not believe there would be the same uproar if the offer was available at a hotel.
"It's only because of all the bad press pubs are getting over binge-drinking that people latched onto this," Mr Drew said.
Around 200 fans have already bought tickets to see the matches at the pub, which is part-owned by former England cricketer Andy Caddick.
Cardiff police commander, chief superintendent Bob Evans, said: "Our view has always been to encourage sensible drinking and these promotions do not always promote that message."
Pictured: The Lions in action.
