Bids flowing in for Cheltenham's 'Very First' auction of hospitality experiences
'The Very First' auction launched last week offering experiences you won't find on the menu
Hospitality venues in Cheltenham are preparing to welcome lucky auction winners ahead of re-opening on Monday April 12.
'The Very First' auction launched just under a week ago where people can bid on money-can't-buy experiences.
To celebrate the end of Lockdown 3.0, members of TURF - a group of over 30 independent hospitality businesses in Cheltenham - grouped together to offer over 60 unique experiences.
The experiences are as individual as the businesses promoting them, but they all unite in offering “The Very Very First” opportunities.
They range from pulling the very first pint at The Exmouth Arms to getting a table at the very first jazz gig of 2021 at Smokey Joe's.
Rob Metz, owner of Cafe Boho, said:
“I got the idea from a friend of mine back in Holland. He told me about a group of businesses that got together to see how they could get their customers back into their venues once lockdown was over.
"They wanted this to be something different, something special and very unique and so the Auction was created. As a member of TURF Cheltenham I just knew we could do this as well.
"After presenting the idea to the group, we formed a small core team and, well, the rest is history I suppose.”
Bids have already begun flowing in since it launched at midday on April 31. Some of the money raised in the auction will go straight back into the pockets of the venues providing the experiences.
TURF will also be supporting local charity National Star through the auction too with 5 pence of every one pound bid being donated to help the charity with their work.
Mike Huysinga, Owner of The Royal and The Exmouth Arms, said:
"The reason I love this auction is because we want to give our customers a great welcome back to our fantastic venues.
"They have had a tough time and we want to show them what they have missed. Collaborating with the other TURF members just makes it even more special and unique.
"It provides all our customers the opportunity to experience their favourite places once again and maybe even try some they have never been to before.”
A full list of the lots in the auction go to www.turfcheltenham.co.uk/auctions/