Greene King offer marks new era

Greene King is marking the new era of smoke-free pubs from 1 July with a national advertising campaign offering consumers money-off food vouchers.

The company will be advertising in both The Times and The Sun, offering £5-off food vouchers as part of a campaign which also features the "Sign of a great pub" copyline. The ads will appear during the first week of the ban.

Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand said: "There is no doubt the landscape of pubs will change once the English smoking ban comes in. Our own research shows that pubs will now attract a new breed of customer, especially women and families who may have stayed away in the past.

"While we have invested heavily in facilities to ensure those people who still want to light up can do so in new outside areas, we have also increased our food ranges to ensure we cater for a lot more tastes. These vouchers are our invitation to the public to come and try it."

The vouchers are valid for any two adults spending more than £10 on food only, and will be redeemable in more than 1,000 Greene King pubs. Vouchers will direct consumers to a website to check locations.

JD Wetherspoon is also launching a number of special food and drink offers to counter the effects of the ban.

The initiative will run for a three-month period starting on 1 July. The 42 offers, in the form of vouchers, are contained in a 16-page leaflet being delivered to residential properties by the Post Office.

On the food side, the vouchers entitle customers to fish and chips for £2.99, traditional breakfast with coffee or tea for £1.99 and two curry meals for £5.99.