As the nation awaits the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Great British pub is readying itself for a bumper weekend as people look to celebrate the royal wedding in true British fashion – at their local.

With licensing hours for Friday 18th May and Saturday 19 May extended by two hours from 11pm to 1am for the royal wedding, along with the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United taking place on Saturday evening, an extra £20 million is expected to be spent in pubs across Great Britain, which many are billing as ‘Super Saturday’.

Beer and food are expected to benefit most from the royal wedding fever and FA Cup final, with food sales predicted to increase by 8%, closely followed by beer at 5%. During the weekend, over 100 million pints are expected to be sold.

To celebrate the occasion, hundreds of pubs from across the country have come up with creative and quirky ways to ensure that royal wedding revelers get the very best experience from the day. For example, pubs like The Swan, located in Hyde Park, will be hosting a wedding high tea with cupcakes, chocolates and a photo shoot from the balcony. For those in the Stockport, the aptly named Windsor Castle will be opening its doors to the public for a royal weekend of events, including a raffle, afternoon tea and a ‘Royal Curry’.

Beer connoisseurs will also be spoilt for choice over the weekend with a wide range of tailor made beers on offer, which have been brewed to give Harry and Meghan a proper ‘cheers’ to their marriage:

• Surrey brewery Hogs Back has brewed ‘Hoppy ever after’, a golden beer with refreshing citrus notes made with the perfect marriage of American centennial and English cascade hops
• Oxford’s Brakspear Brewery has brewed ‘Hooray Harry’, a limited edition 4.1% ABV ale, made from a blend of British and American hops, which has proved so popular it has already sold out!
• The Channel Islands’ Liberation Brewery has launched ‘Meghan’s Sparkle’, a 4% ABV session ale created from the marriage of British and American hops, with a hint of ginger
• Fans of TV series Suits may want to try Wadworth’s ‘Suits You Sir’, a ‘ginger’ hued ale with American hops and British malt creating a light and refreshing ale
• McMullen’s has also brewed ‘Best of Both Worlds’ to celebrate the day, which will be exclusively available at The Duchess of Cambridge pub in Windsor

BBPA Chief Executive, Brigid Simmonds OBE commented, “A royal wedding is a fantastic celebration and the perfect opportunity for both the nation and tourists to get together in the Great British pub. With extended hours, promising weather and plenty of pubs putting on events to make the most of the wedding, what better place is there to celebrate than at the Great British pub?”

(source: BBPA)