A new month-long scheme has been launched at pubs across England and Wales - which offers free drinks to customers throughout October.

The initiative offers a variety of drinks - ranging from beer, wine and cider to soft drinks like Pepsi and J2O.

What is the scheme?

The ‘Here’s To The Pub’ scheme looks to encourage people to return to their favourite pubs that they might have missed over lockdown.

More than 1,250 pubs across the country are taking part in the initiative, which offers customers a free drink every week in October.

All the pubs taking part are part of Ei Publican Partnerships, and the scheme runs from October 1 to 29, so unfortunately Halloween isn’t included.

What have those behind the scheme said?

Nick Light, managing director for EI Publican Partnerships, said: “It’s more important than ever that we support our local pubs in the new “normal” to help the industry get back on its feet.

“There have been many missed moments over the last few months that would have been spent in the pub, from birthdays and anniversaries to first dates and bank holidays.

“With the curfew and clear guidance on table service and PPE in place, publicans and their teams are continuing to work tirelessly to create safe and sustainable environments so we can get back to enjoying these moments in the pub.

“To encourage people back in, we’re running our largest ever initiative and offering pub goers their first drink for free every week in October.”

If you want to claim some free drinks, remember to abide by social distancing guidelines and that pubs and restaurants are currently under a 10pm curfew.

Which drinks can be claimed as part of the scheme?

This is the full list of drinks available to claim:

  • Corona Extra
  • Stella Artois
  • Budweiser
  • Orchard Pig Reveller
  • Becks Blue
  • Britvic/J2O (all flavours)
  • Pepsi Max
  • Guinness
  • Hop House 13
  • Gordons Dry London
  • Gordons Pink Gin
  • Gordons Lemon Gin
  • Heineken
  • Kronenbourg 1664
  • Amstel
  • Fosters
  • Bulmers
  • Strongbow
  • Stronbow Dark Fruit
  • John Smiths Extra Smooth
  • Heineken (alcohol free)
  • Coors Light
  • Carling
  • Rekorderlig Strawberry and lime (alcohol free)
  • Rekorderlig (all alcoholic flavours)
  • Sharp’s Doom Bar
  • Out Mout (alcohol free)
  • Jack Rabbit Pinot Grigio
  • Jack Rabbit White Zinfandel
  • Jack Rabbit Sauvignon Blanc
  • Jack Rabbit Merlot

How to claim a free drink

To claim your free drinks, first you’ll need to head to the Great British Pubs website to register your details.

It’ll begin by asking for your date of birth, as of course the scheme is only open to those over 18. Then you’ll need to provide other details, like your name and email address.

You can then use the pub finder tool to find your nearest participating pub by entering your postcode.

Then choose the pub that you’d like to use your voucher in, and you’ll then get to see what drink options are available.

Once you’ve chosen your drink, you’ll see a prompt that says: “Wait. Don’t go any further until your server is at the table.”

Once your server is with you, click next and you’ll see a button which says “redeem.” Tap that to redeem your free drink.

You’ll need to have your voucher on your phone, or tablet. You can’t print out the voucher at home and bring it into the pub with you.

What are the terms and conditions of the scheme?

As with all large scale promotions like this, there are some terms and conditions you should be aware of before participating:

  • The voucher entitles the bearer to one free drink per week, Thursday to Wednesday between October 1 to 29, while stocks last.
  • The voucher can only be redeemed at the named pub you have selected on the Free Drinks website app.
  • The drinks are subject to availability.
  • There is a maximum of 100 free drinks in each participating pub, which are available on a first come, first served basis.
  • The voucher cannot be used with any other offer or discount.
  • The offer is only open to customers who are residents of the UK (excluding Scotland Northern Ireland) who are aged 18 or over.
  • A participating pub can refuse a voucher at its discretion.