All it is advisable to know as Lidl builds its first ever pub in UK after successful court docket battle

Need to know

The boozer in east Belfast will feature a seating area with cosy booths and an off-licence area for takeaway alcohol. Building has now started after Lidl saw off a legal battle from rivals

Need to Know: Lidl’s Boozy Bargain – Supermarket Chain to Open Pub in Belfast

• Budget supermarket Lidl is building a boozer next to one of its Belfast stores in a cheeky move to get around strict licensing laws.
• The German retail giant has started work on the 60-capacity pub in Dundonald, East Belfast, complete with cosy booths and takeaway booze sales. It will operate as a separate premises right next door to the Lidl store when it opens this summer.
• Gordon Cruikshanks, Lidl’s managing director for Northern Ireland, said: “After six years in the planning process, we’re delighted to today confirm the development of a brand new public house and associated off-sales located adjacent to our Dundonald store.”
• The crafty supermarket couldn’t get a standard off-licence because of Northern Ireland’s tough licensing laws, which require businesses to prove there aren’t enough boozers in the area. But they managed to swing a pub licence after two nearby bars had closed down.
• Lidl fought off a High Court challenge from rivals who claimed they were using dodgy loopholes to flog alcohol. Mr Justice Colton backed the supermarket’s “innovative approach” and said there was “no good reason for refusing the application.”
• The pub will serve selected booze from Lidl’s range and focus on promoting local suppliers when it opens this summer.
• READ THE FULL STORY: Lidl to open its first ever pub in UK after winning court battle