On a mission to highlight the versatility of Britain’s under-pressure pubs, comedy duo The Thinking Drinkers are about to get on their bike and visit 60+ licensed establishments in a two-week, 1000-mile odyssey around the UK.
The duo, Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, have a background in drinks journalism, having first met on ‘a leading pub trade newspaper’ back in 2004.
McFarland has been the British Guild of Beer Writers writer of the year three times, while cocktail expert Sandham was awarded spirits communicator of the year by the International Wine and Spirits Competition, and is recognised as a Keeper of the Quaich by the Scotch Whisky industry.
Since teaming up to pursue a comedy career, they’ve continued to be staunch advocates for the licensed trade, touring a show that mixes some in-depth drinks education in with the laughs, and releasing several books exploring British pub culture and history.
Inevitably then, they are painfully aware that in the last forty years or so, the UK has lost a quarter of its pubs, and thousands more are facing an uncertain future.
“Something needs to be done,” said the Thinking Drinkers.
“So, we are going to be cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats and we will only be eating, drinking, sleeping and stopping in British pubs – to showcase and remind everyone how flipping brilliant they can be.”
During this gruelling 1000+ mile pub pilgrimage, the duo have pledged that there will be ‘no shops, no restaurants, no coffee chains or cafes, no petrol stations – not even a Londis or a Greggs’.
“If we don’t use pubs, we’ll lose them. So that’s what we’re doing, relying entirely on lovely ‘locals’ for our two-week ride.”
McFarland and Sandham have also committed to completing this journey on a tandem bike. “Until recently, we’ve never ridden a tandem bike,” the admitted. “But we’ve got one now, having borrowed one off a fella we met down the pub – the same pub, in fact, where we came up with this idea.
“It’s a frighteningly long way. Far from a gentle pootle around some pretty pubs, it’s going to be a brutal bike ride on behalf of the beleaguered British boozer. But it’s nothing compared to the daily struggles and strife facing pubs up and down the country.
“The grim reality facing pubs is that the costs of simply doing business are far, far too high. No other business sector in the economy is taxed so heavily and so unjustly,” they said.
“Even really busy pubs currently are struggling to survive and, for the average publican, the profit on a £5 pint is just 12p! Twelve. Pence.
“It’s simply not sustainable. How can you help? Well, apart from going down the pub, which will really help, here’s how we can win. By making a lot of noise we will make things happen!”
Every mile of the Thinking Drinkers pub odyssey will be documented on their YouTube channel and they suggest that subscribing and sharing those videos to friends, family and local pub landlords will help raise awareness of the issues facing pubs up and down the country.
They are campaigning in partnership with the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) which has been calling for a ‘drastic reduction in the unjust catalogue of costs’ that prevent pubs operating as viable businesses.
“Pubs today are much more than just a place to drink. They are unique, historical national institutions, the cornerstones of our communities, the heartbeat of our high streets and proven antidotes to loneliness.
“They are essential in bringing communities together and do so much to improve our collective mental well-being. They provide crucial social respite to the people who live around them – from coffee mornings for new parents and pensioners; to live music, comedy nights, kids’ parties, pilates, hot-desking workspaces and, hopefully, somewhere safe to apply anti-chafing cream to our battered backsides.
“We are going to set-off from Land’s End on Friday 20th June and plan to arrive at John O’Groats on Thursday 3rd July. We will be visiting four pubs every day – a total of more than 60 pubs over the two weeks.
“We will be publicising our provisional route, complete with pub stops, very shortly! We would absolutely love it if you can come and meet us for a beer (or a soft drink/coffee/packet of crisps/nourishing salad) and support us in our two-wheeled mission to celebrate the pub.
“We need to get off sofas and phones and support our locals – because if we don’t, we’ll seriously miss them when they’re gone.”
