Budweiser Brewing Group programme to plough £1m into Britain’s pubs

Under its new Save Pub Life​ scheme, the beer behemoth is offering pubgoers in England, Scotland and Wales the chance to support approximately 40,000 pub businesses threatened by the spread of coronavirus. 

The programme encourages pubgoers to purchase gift cards – ranging from £10 to £100 and capped at £1,000 – to be used in their local when it reopens, with Budweiser Brewing Group pledging to match the value of the card up to a combined total of £1m, with the full matched amount to go directly to businesses within a fortnight.

What’s more, Budweiser Brewing Group will be provide marketing materials and social media templates to pubs in order to help them communicate with regulars.

“Pubs are a beloved part of our national culture and sit at the heart of our local communities,” Budweiser Brewing Group’s president Paula Lindenberg explained. “Yet, along with many businesses, the pub industry is facing an incredibly difficult period. 

“Although it’s absolutely the right thing to do at this time, closing doors to consumers for weeks or months will see many pubs struggle to survive, risking lasting damage to the industry and those who work within it. 

“We know that Brits are passionate about pubs, so we have launched our Save Pub Life​ programme to help them support their local during this time. 

“As a champion of Britain’s iconic beer culture, Budweiser Brewing Group is proud to match the funds for the pub, providing an even greater level of support for the trade. 

“We hope that pubs and pubgoers throughout the country get involved to help secure the future of the industry.” 

Regulars lending a helping hand 

For pubs that are not yet signed up to Save Pub Life​, Budweiser Brewing Group has pledged to build an online option allowing pubgoers to email their local to suggest they join.

“The coming months will be challenging for us, and for pub and bar owners all over the country,” according to Lee Kelly, director at the Tavern in Widnes, Cheshire.

“We welcome the Save Pub Life​ initiative – which gives our regulars the chance to lend a helping hand during this uncertain time – as well as Budweiser Brewing Group’s pledge to match contributions.

“We are all unsure what the future holds, but immediate support like this is a breath of fresh air, and will be a huge help to operators like myself once we can reopen our businesses.”