A Wiltshire pub is offering customers free food once a month in a bid to boost trade.
License David Barrone of the Fuller's owned Roebuck Inn in Marlborough is offering to pay the bill of his diners once every month.
The date of each "Eat and Drink Free Night" is drawn at random at the end of the previous month and kept a closely guarded secret. Provided the thirty eight-seat restaurant is more than two thirds full an announcement is made at 9.30pm and all customers lucky enough to be dining that night have their whole bill, up to that point, on the house. If the 26 cover quota isn't reached, then the offer rolls over to the next nearest night when it does.
"Every pub and restaurant is running offers because of the economic climate, but as far as we know we are the only place in the country doing this," said Barrone. "Fullers have been very supportive of the initiative.
He added: "We set a minimum diner level because we expected to receive a lot of coverage and didn't want it to appear as just a cheap giveaway.
"Eat and Drink free Night will happen at least once a month but to encourage customers to keep coming in once the night has happened, we might throw more than one into a calendar month."
Barrone said the offer had gained a lot of publicity and attracted new customers intrigued by the offer as well as helping to boost his customer database for marketing purposes.