Bob Senior, owner of the Durham Live Lounge is planning the scheme in a bid to “discourage pre-loading”, and hopes the move — believed to be a first in Britain — will help boost the late-night sector, which has been impacted by people preferring to stay at home to drink.
The scheme, which is to be trialled on Fridays and Mondays at the club, will see people charged £7 on the door, with the venue providing glasses, ice and straws.
However, it has caused concern in some trade bodies.
Durham Pubwatch chair Martin Nixon said that the nights would be hard to supervise. “I don’t think it is a very good idea because I don’t know how they are going to monitor it,” he said. “I think it is irresponsible.”
Durham’s Alcohol Harm Reduction Group on the Safe Durham Partnership added that it “is a step backwards”, and the group would “reconsider” the premise’s Best Bar None accreditation.
Andrew Hughes of the Angel Inn, Durham, added: “The guy’s a good operator, but this is a a publicity stunt. It is a daft idea. I think he’s set himself up for criticism.”
However, the British Beer and Pub Association’s northern secretary Lee Le Clerq praised the idea.
He said: “Conducting a trial is a responsibly cautious move by this very experienced northeast operator and it is disappointing that it is not being fully supported by the Harm Reduction Partnership.
“This is not about increasing alcohol consumption, it’s about managing it and the trade, police, council and public health should all be pul-ling in the same direction.”
Senior said that doorstaff will monitor the amount of alcohol that customers bring into the venue.
“I don’t know if it will work,” he added. “But we do have our expectations as to how people should be behaving — and that’s not carrying them out on stretchers. If we thought that it was irresponsible then we would stop doing it.”