Pub gift voucher scheme extends to Scotland

A pub gift voucher company has launched its scheme in Scotland at around 100 Belhaven pubs.

Pub Tokens is the idea of former Scottish & Newcastle director Andrew Stevenson and Dominic Lavan. People can log into the company's website and buy £10 and £20 vouchers that can be redeemed against food, drink or accommodation at participating pubs.

The scheme started in November 2009 and, so far, around 1,100 outlets in England and Wales have signed up.

However, the launch has provoked criticisim from health campaigners who expressed fears over whether the vouchers would encourage excessive drinking because they did not give change to customers.

"A lot of gift vouchers don't give change. Also, you can get gift tokens for most supermarkets and they don't say you can buy alcoholic drinks with them," said Lavan.

Paul Waterson, chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said: "Generally, we are supportive of the scheme — it is a good idea and helps pubs. There are so many problems associated with off-sales and drinking at home, so it is very short-sighted to blame pubs for the problem of binge drinking."

Waterson said the possibility of binge drinking as a result of the voucher scheme was slight because most licensees acted responsibly.

Lavan said Pub Tokens hoped to have 3,000 pubs registered by the end of the year and will also shortly be introducing £5 vouchers.