Milk vending machine a great hit at pub

A licensee in Staffordshire has installed a vending machine outside his pub after the local council refused him permission to open a shop on the premises.

Peter Wilkinson, of the Raddle Inn in Hollington, believes that "pubs need to diversify" to survive cheap alcohol deals in supermarkets and attract younger customers back in.

The vending machine, which is monitored by CCTV, serves bread, milk, eggs, bacon and butter. Wilkinson told the Publican's Morning Advertiser it is currently selling 40 gallons of milk per week.

"Pubs need to offer something different with supermarkets selling cheap drink", said Wilkinson.

He added: "A lot of young people don't see the pub as a meeting place anymore because they can contact each other using their mobile phones."

Wilkinson was refused planning permission for a shop, reception area, gym and a range of wig-wam style accomodation at his premises which already houses a number of log cabins for tourists looking to visit nearby Alton Towers.

WIlkinson said: "The council told me it was not closely associated with an existing tourist development, but I already have the log cabins so I don't understand. They also said it was in a special landscape area and not well supported by a road or transport.

"I could have taken the pub to another level and thought I had found another niche market. There has not been a shop in the town for 20 years and the nearest one is three and a half miles away."