Love My Local has been launched by the Danish brewer’s UK arm to enable pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés across the country to sell takeaway food and drink to their local community.
In addition, regulars can also use the platform to donate vital funds to a venue online or purchase future experiences for when their local pub reopens when lockdown restrictions are lifted.
The website also provides free resources to publicans, including online video tutorials instructing operators on how to begin lockdown trading as quickly as possible, alongside social media and communications tool kits, which can be tailored to individual sites and used to promote online offers via existing channels.
“Local pubs are at the heart of our communities in the UK and play a huge role, be that socially, culturally or economically,” Carlsberg UK vice-president of on-trade Alistair Gaunt said. “Without further ongoing support from the Government and wider industry, many pubs and hospitality businesses are in jeopardy of being lost, alongside jobs.
“Love My Local is our small way of showing support for pubs, bars and restaurants. We’ve developed the site to be totally free to use by any hospitality business and the initial reaction has been positive. We’re particularly thankful to the British Beer & Pub Association and British Institute of Innkeeping for their support by sharing the platform with members.
“We also welcome any wider hospitality businesses or associations to get involved with Love My Local to help it grow and benefit even more business owners or employees.”
Carlsberg’s on-trade launch sees it throw its hat into the digital ring alongside the likes of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, which have both created online resources to help pubs during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As reported by The Morning Advertiser (MA), Budweiser Brewing Group, part of AB InBev, launched Save Pub Life on 27 March with the intention of pouring £1m into Britain’s pubs via gift cards.
What’s more, mypubshop.com – which launched on 1 April in partnership with Brakes, Coca-Cola European Partners and Use Your Local – has enabled publicans to host a tailor-made online shop, provide an online payment service and operate a collection service from their site.
On launch, mypubshop initially provided more than 2,000 pubs across Admiral, St Austell and Greene King’s collective portfolio the digital tools to sell staple groceries to their local communities during Covid-19 lockdown.