Tom Sandham and Ben McFarland, known as the Thinking Drinkers, hit the road on The Great British Pub Ride, on a 20-year-old tandem bike, to highlight the plight of the British pub.
They biked over 1,000 miles in 14 days from Lands End to John O’ Groats visiting and staying in pubs while calling for more support for them from the Government as a “matter of urgency.”
Inspiring trip
“It’s been exhausting yet hugely inspiring - and a privilege meeting the wonderful people running pubs at a time when they’re facing so many challenges,” Thinking Drinker Ben McFarland told The Morning Advertiser.
“Whether it’s business rates, escalating energy prices, VAT, the hike in national insurance and minimum wage – the sheer cost of simply doing business for pubs up and down the country needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Governments talk a good game but they need to recognise how important these ‘third spaces’ are."
He added: “Pubs are so much more than just a place to get a pint – we have witnessed first-hand how crucial they are for their communities and our wider mental and physical well-being.”
Get down the local
McFarland said it had been “the most amazing experience” for the two of them. The Great British Pub Ride also seen coverage in national, regional and local press and they hoped the ride had inspired more people “to get off their phones and their sofas, get down the local and use them.”
He added: “There are some amazing stories out there – inspiring individuals running pubs for people not profit, whether that’s cracking wet-led community pubs providing warmth for elderly regulars who can’t afford to heat their homes, neighbourhood locals running cat psychology courses or remote Scottish pubs in the Highlands offering pints and prayers. Pubs are wonderful places.”
They will be releasing more episodes of the journey on their YouTube channel.
