01-08-2025
Beer giant is giving out FREE pints this weekend at pubs across the UK – is your local one of them?
STELLA Artois is handing out free pints in boozers across the country to celebrate International Beer Day
The larger legend is making the bold move to give a little lift to pubs struggling to stay afloat after nearly 300 closed their doors last year.
1
If you're thirsty for a free bevvy, Stella just needs one thing from you: a beer bottle cap.
Bring your top into your participating local and swap it for a perfectly poured pint.
The Perfect Trade initiative will run all weekend long, including Saturday, 3 August, with participating pubs lined up across North London, Soho, Southwark, and Manchester's Northern Quarter.
Behind the bar is Anheuser-Busch InBev, the brewing powerhouse behind Stella, which says the pint-for-a-cap idea isn't just about beer – it's about backing local pubs that are fighting to stay afloat.
And with hundreds of UK pubs calling last orders for good in 2024, it couldn't come at a better time.
'The perfect serve of Stella Artois is enjoyed in a chalice at bars and pubs – it's where the brand was built, and where real connections begin,' said Jessica McGeorge-Stevens, AB InBev's Europe global brands marketing director.
'Bring a beer cap, get a pint on us, and raise a glass to your local pub.'
And it's not stopping there.
Stella's also rolling out the 'Perfect Trade Machine' – a quirky beer cap-activated device popping up in London and Manchester.
Drop in a cap, and out pops a voucher for a free pint.
The End of Jaspels: Popular Welsh Cider Brand Closes After 8 Years
It's all part of Stella's push to celebrate the 'Perfect Serve' – their signature way of pouring a pint, right down to the branded chalice facing forward.
Pubs in the UK, once the heart of communities and a symbol of British social life, have been closing at an alarming rate over the past decade.
While the pandemic intensified many of the pressures, the decline began well before COVID-19.
A complex mix of economic, social, and cultural factors has made it increasingly difficult for pubs—especially independents and rural establishments—to survive.
One of the key reasons is rising operational costs. From soaring energy prices to increased alcohol duty and business rates, running a pub has become financially unsustainable for many owners.
At the same time, the price gap between supermarket alcohol and pub prices has widened dramatically, encouraging people to drink at home rather than pay a premium for a pint at the local.
Younger generations are also drinking less alcohol overall, and the traditional model of the local pub as a daily or weekly gathering spot is no longer as culturally relevant.
People's social lives are more fragmented and increasingly online, while the dominance of chain pubs and bars in urban areas has edged out the characterful but less financially robust independents.
There's also the impact of property development. Many struggling pubs have been sold off to developers and converted into flats, convenience stores, or office space—often with little resistance due to weak planning protections.
Once a pub closes, it's rarely replaced. The loss is not just economic, but social; in many communities, the pub is one of the last remaining communal spaces.
BrewDog closed nine of its iconic pubs last week - including its flagship branch in Aberdeen.
CEO James Taylor blamed "rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures" for the closures.
What is happening to the hospitality industry?
By Laura McGuire, consumer reporter
MANY Food and drink chains have been struggling in recently as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny's closing branches.
Some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Pizza giant, Papa Johns is shutting down 43 of its stores soon.
Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans
