Northampton ale house launches takeaway cask ale and cider service

A Northampton ale house is now offering a three-day beer and cider takeaway service after the watering hole was shut for ten weeks.

Bosses at St Giles Ale House opened their doors again on Thursday to customers for a collection-only service where drinkers can order 4 or 8 pint containers to takeaway.

The pub is open Thursday to Friday, from 4pm to 8pm, and on Saturday 12 noon to 8pm with two cask beers, two keg beers and two ciders on offer, which will be poured from the pumps to take home.

To adhere to social distancing measures, owner Terry Steers has a board up for customers to select their drinks on arrival, a hand sanitising station at the front door and he is only allowing queuing customers in who are wearing face masks.

Beer choices include cask and keg ale from Framework Brewery in Leicester and Harefields Craft Cider from Towcester.

Terry said: "Customers have loved it. One of the posts we put on Facebook to say we were going to be opening up with social distancing rules in place organically reached 4,500 people. So far, everyone has really stuck to the rules, a lot of people are coming in wearing their own masks and they are stopping at the door and waiting until we shout them in and they are sanitising their hands.

"Since opening on Thursday, I've sold approximately 40 gallons of beer and 40 litres of cider so it really surprised me. I had to drive to Leicester again on Monday to pick a load more up.

"So far the response has been really good and way better than I expected."

The pub - which was was Terry’s life-long dream - opened in 2016 and has never played music but instead endorses the 'art of conversation'.

When Boris Johnson announced on March 23 that the country would be going into lockdown he said his heart sank but his landlords have been kind to him.

"I was absolutely devastated," Terry added. "After four years of absolute blood, sweat and tears into that place it felt like it would be the end. We had a last song as it were with the 'Ale House Family' I call them, who are all my regulars and my friends who are always in.

"We finished off in there and closed up at 9pm before going round the corner to the Market Tavern where we had a drink and we all got quite emotional about it. Someone like me who is independent I didn't know if we would be able to open again.

"The takeaway service is a lifeline for the ale house at the moment. It's been fantastic seeing the old faces coming back in and even some new faces and we can't wait to get back to normal."