Londoners who aren’t observing Sober October this year are being encouraged to take a break from working overtime by enjoying a free pint.
Although you never need a reason to share a cold after-work pint, Meantime Brewing Company has launched a campaign of free beers after discovering that people in the city are working too much.
According to research shared by brewers, less than half of UK employees use all of their annual leave, while 70% of survey respondents skip their lunch breaks to fit in as much work as possible.
In London, the findings were even more alarming: the average city worker works up to 100 hours extra per year compared to staff in other parts of the country, as they try to squeeze work into their lives.
The brand’s research found that 73% of Londoners worked outside of their contracted hours, which was the highest rate among respondents nationwide. What’s more, 37% of Londoners also try to get work done during their commute, with 16 to 24-year-olds being the most likely to do so.
To make up for all this lost free time and to remind Londoners about the importance of downtime, the people behind the Greenwich-based brewery are offering city workers a free pint at selected venues.
Read on to find out how to claim your free pint
meantime
Dubbed the London Bunk Holiday, Meantime is trying to help Londoners hit pause on their busy working schedule by enjoying a pint instead.
“Londoners aren’t just burning the candle at both ends, we’ve melted through the desk it was sitting on. Back-to-back meetings, back-to-back-to-back emails, and somehow we’re still expected to ‘circle back’? No thanks. The London Bunk Holiday is about reclaiming that sacred time. It’s not slacking off, it’s strategic downtime,” said comedian and ambassador Jake Lambert.
So how do you get a free pint?
How to get a free pint in London
Every Thursday late afternoon throughout October, selected Meantime pubs will be pouring a free pint for everyone who has signed up to take part in the ‘Bunk Holiday’ movement.
Then, head down to one of the many participating pubs across central London between 3pm and 5pm to claim your freebie.
The free pints you can enjoy include: Anytime IPA, Dial Lager, Greenwich Lager, Cutty Haze, Meantopia and Prime Pale.
What’s more, if you take part in all four ‘free pint’ Thursdays, you may even be in with a chance of winning a VIP experience at the end of it that includes a £200 bar tab and ‘unlimited’ chicken wings.
“We were born in Greenwich – the Home of Time – so we know just how precious time is,” said Richard Witty, Brand Director at Meantime Brewing Company.
“Londoners work harder and longer on average, and we want to give some of that time back. The London Bunk Holiday is our way of encouraging the city to pause, reset, and Live in the Meantime.”
You really do get a free pint when you register with your email address through the Meantime Brewery website. But, it also means you agree to receiving promotional emails during this time.
According to the terms & conditions, registrants are only eligible for one free pint per Thursday, subject to availability. Or, a total of four pints across the promotional month.
What’s more, even though the promotion takes place during typical working hours, “participants must not breach professional obligations or workplace policies.”
Meantime has revealed a list of participating pubs where you can join in:
- Fence Cowcross Street – 67-69 Cowcross St, London EC1M 6BP
- Astronomer EC1 – 125-129 Middlesex St, London E1 7JF
- The 1 Bar – 18 Appold St, London EC2A 2AS
- The Calthorpe Arms – 252 Grays Inn Rd, London WC1X 8JR
- George & Vulture N1 – 63 Pitfield St, London N1 6BU
- Trinity SE1 – 202-206 Borough High St, London SE1 1JX
- London Bridge Rooftop – Colechurch House, Bridge Walk, London SE1 2SX
- Banker EC4 – Cousin Ln, London EC4R 3TE
- Conductor EC4 – 1 Fleet Pl, London EC4M 7RA
- Counting House Cornhill – 50 Cornhill, London EC3V 3PD
- Great Central Pub by Matt Fletcher – 222 Marylebone Rd, London NW1 6JQ
- City Pride EC1 – 28 Farringdon Ln, London EC1R 3AN
- Marketplace St Paul’s – 150 Cheapside, London EC2V 6ET
- The Thirsty Bear – 62 Stamford Street, London
- Jack Horner W1 – 234-236 Tottenham Ct Rd, London W1T 7QN