Hotel to open three 'micropubs' with a difference
David Graham, manager at Dunston Hall in Norwich, with one of the new Guinness drinking pods. - Credit: Ella Wilkinson
The manager of a Norwich hotel is getting ready for reopening with the arrival of three mini 'pubs'.
Three 'bars', resembling a typical Irish-themed pub, arrived at Dunston Hall in readiness for the next tranche of lockdown easing. The mini pubs are individual wooden structures with a bench for drinkers - and they have a roof to help cope with the traditional British summer.
The mini bars are heated and come with an outdoor light, pub sign and even a window complete with a plant.
The pods were created by Guinness and given to establishments across the UK as part of a £12m 'Raising the Bar' campaign to get people out drinking again come May 17.
Most of Dunston Hall remains closed until then for regular customers including the main terrace where the new individual drinking booths will be available.
Currently only the hotel's golf course and its outdoor area is open.
However, from May 17, it plans to reopen hotel rooms, its brasserie for dining and its main outdoor terrace.
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Dunston Hall manager David Graham said: "We are ready and raring to go for May 17. The Guinness pods are a welcome addition and we hope they will be very popular.
"The golf course and leisure club are open as well as the Bunkers Bar outdoor terrace for alfresco dining. The hotel remains open only for key and essential workers until May 17 when we can welcome leisure guests back.
"We are looking forward to a very busy summer with huge pent-up demand anticipated. It will also be a relief for our wedding couples who can finally get married, all be it with limited numbers until June 21."
He said Guinness had donated the pods to various hotels in the Almarose chain.
The firm's campaign aims to encourage people to venture out to pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants again from May 17.
In London, Guinness created extra large pods with brightly coloured seating so they complied with regulations for outdoor venues, opening them at one of their large bars.