Preston pub sells meals for 1p to stay open under tier three restrictions

Lancashire's in tier three which means pubs and bars can only stay open if they sell meals.

Andy Mac, owner of the Ships and Giggles pub
Author: Hannah MakepeacePublished 22nd Oct 2020

The Ships and Giggles pub in Preston is selling meals for a penny so they can keep their doors open because of the latest lockdown restrictions.

The tier three restrictions in Lancashire mean that pubs and bars can only stay open if they sell meals.

Originally, pub owner Andy Mac sold the food for free, but Preston council later contacted him and said that food must be paid for in order to meet the rule requirements.

The food is being sold at 1p but he says people can pay "whatever they want."

The Ships and Giggles pub in Preston

He also wants to use it as a way to highlight the plight of the hospitality industry: "Desperate times call for desperate measures, so we're doing all we can to raise awareness of this.

"It's so much more than free food, it's the bigger picture now. We're representing something bigger and greater.

"We're here and we're making a stand for all the DJs, all the musicians, everyone in the industry that's almost been forgotten about or told to get another job.

"How dare the patronising government waste time and effort putting on their website 'we can help you find a new job'...we love our jobs, it's not about that, we've worked tirelessly in this dog eat dog industry to get to where we are.

"If anyone like the council or government doesn't like what we're doing then close us down, close the industry down and help us all, don't pick and choose who you're helping."