St George's Day: Enter the dragon!

Time to put the flags out - St George's Day is only a week or so away, and pubs looking to make it a profitable occasion should have little problem finding a supplier to support their activities.

Wells & Young's flagship ale Bombardier, which for several years has worked hard to establish itself as the official beer of St George's Day, is gearing up for its biggest ever celebration, with a record 4,500 promotional kits being sent out.

Each kit is worth more than £500, with the assortment of premium merchandise including hats, flags, bunting and a book of two-for-one tickets to English Heritage sites.

"There is no doubt that Wells Bombardier will own St George's Day," says Chris Lewis, director of marketing at the brewer - although rival Greene King might have something to say about that. Its Abbot Ale is vying to spearhead celebrations too.

"We want pubs and their customers to have a great time on St George's with a fellow English icon," says Greene King Brewing Company marketing director Fiona Hope. Abbot's ideas include:

• Raise a pint to St George - drinkers can claim Abbot Ale branded tankards on purchasing six pints of Abbot. Point-of-sale material in participating pubs will promote the offer, drive sales and introduce new drinkers to the brand.

• Premium pints and pies - Greene King is urging licensees to offer an array of English dishes and has teamed up with Michelin-starred pub chef Tom Kerridge to make some recommendations to match Abbot Ale. He suggests mature English cheeses such as cheddar and dishes such as steak & kidney pie - and also tips Abbot Ale as a 'secret' ingredient of the gravy in the roast dinner.

• Flying the flag - pubs can capture the heritage and patriotism of the day by bringing out the bunting and decorating the bar and beer garden with St George's flags. Licensees can even encourage families to deck themselves in red and white. Then you can party to a soundtrack by English greats from The Beatles and Queen to The Rolling Stones and Oasis.

And as a finale you can encourage customers to join in a verse of the national anthem before raising a pint of Abbot to the Queen. Traditional English games such as darts and dominoes will also be in order, and to complete the Englishness of the day you can invite families to a performance by morris dancers in your pub garden.