Pubco goes head-to-head with off-trade discounting

A pubco boss is to meet cheap off-trade drink prices head-on with a Christmas promotion that will undercut supermarket rates.

A newly-launched voucher scheme will enable customers at the Head of Steam Group to buy festive drink at 50% of retail bar prices. Drinkers will get a £1 voucher for every £2 spent over the bar at all five of the company's venues until 3 December.

The scheme will see a double pack of 40 284ml bottles of Stella on sale for just £16, with Camerons Roaring Lion ale available for just 99p a pint.

Managing director Tony Brookes said he was fed up with seeing supermarkets selling cheaper and cheaper alcohol. "Rock bottom prices are encouraging more people to drink at home instead of the pub so we have decided to meet the off-trade head-on.

"Heavily discounted alcohol is a large part of the reason sales in the on-trade are down about 5% year-on-year.

"We plan to beat the supermarkets at their own game because our Christmas take-home prices will undercut them," he claimed.

The vouchers are redeemable against beer, lager, wine and other packaged products and includes polypins of draught ale and lagers.

"Pubs have virtually no take-home trade so any extra profit they make on low margin lines will add directly to the bottom line - a place that needs beefing up in our industry," Brookes added.

Head of Steam runs three pubs in Newcastle, a flagship venue sited at Liverpool's

Lime Street Station and an-other outlet in Huddersfield.