12 February 2021

Former bar manager delivers pints and ‘pub culture’ to thirsty Londoners

12 February 2021

A former bar manager has found a way to keep drinks flowing for thirsty Londoners by creating a pub on wheels.

George Dean, 25, says he wants to bring back the “experience of a pub” to make the coronavirus lockdown more bearable.

Mr Dean and his business partner Finn Bruce, 28, started Pub To Your Door, a service delivering pints of beer and glasses of Prosecco straight to people’s doorstep, at the end of January.

Drinks are driven around and poured from a refitted van, with the beer provided by Camden brewery.

The pair have plans to serve two alternating cocktail options, also on tap.

Operations began three weeks ago but Mr Dean says he and his “co-pilot” James Mair have already poured almost 600 pints for eager punters in south west London.

He said that the idea for the business had come from his own bad experience of delivered alcohol.

George Dean, a former bar manager pours a pint with his Pub-on-wheels in Clapham, south London (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

“I ordered some delivery pints from Deliveroo and it was absolutely shocking,” he said.

“This pint came, it was flat, it spilled everywhere, it was covered in clingfilm and I thought to myself ‘that’s not where hospitality should be, even if everywhere is closed’.”

After researching licensing online and buying the van Mr Dean had it fitted with a back bar and taps.

“One of my friends is a carpenter so he did the carpentry work in the back and I’ve worked with Camden for years.

“They helped me set up the bar itself,” he said.

“Me and my business partner got the ball rolling by starting an Instagram page and suddenly followers started to come in.”

Mr Dean hands a pint to a friend (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

Mr Dean holds both a premises licence and a personal licence for selling alcohol and is able to provide the service as it is a delivery rather than a takeaway.

He added the business aimed to “bring people together and make them smile” by recreating “the whole culture of a pub”, adding that he had been surprised by the pickup it had received.

“The concept of delivering pints isn’t what I was after, I was after giving them the experience that everyone has missed, of standing at a bar,” he said.

“Being able to go up, grab your drink, have a bit of pitter-patter and then walk off.

“It’s been amazing, I didn’t expect it to be so big and from that it’s really flown.

“All these bubbles and households that I’ve gone to see they’re dead happy to see a face and have a laugh and have a pint.

Mr Dean and Mr Bruce deliver pints of beer to locked down customers (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

“It’s just really nice to cheer up everyone’s lockdown.

Mr Dean says that once pubs are allowed to reopen he plans to make the business more events-based, providing drinks for street parties, birthdays and weddings.

“It’s about the whole culture of a pub, bringing people together and making them smile that’s what’s key,” he said.

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