A new pub in London is introducing a system whereby punters will pay for their pint based on how much money they earn.
The pub – called The Fair Pour – is being opened by Oxfam with the aim of drawing attention to the Davos World Economic Forum which will be taking place next week.
The Fair Pour will open for one day only on 21 January in Holborn, Central London. Oxfam will be taking over The Queen’s Head at 64 Theobalds Road from midday until 9pm.
When you get to the bar and order your drink, the bar staff will simply ask you how much you’d like to pay for your beverage and will accept whatever amount you choose to hand over.
Fortunately for those in the midst of Dry January, it’s a non-alcoholic pub – serving a range of booze-free pints, wines and mocktails.
The aptly-named mocktails include the “Old Money Fashioned” and “The Billionaire’s Breeze”.
There will also be a pub quiz running from 7pm to 8pm with no booking required.
According to the London Evening Standard, the unique initiative aims to ‘highlight the growing inequality gap between the super-rich and the rest of the world’.
Speaking about the event, Senior Campaigns Manager at Oxfam, Kelly Mundy, said: “Wealth inequality is the shocking reality of our society, and a reality that’s worsening every year. It’s time for bold solutions like progressive taxation and investment in public services to create a more equal playing field.
“The Fair Pour pub highlights the urgent need for action to create a fairer world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. We hope it encourages people to think about how a fairer tax system could create a more just society for everyone.”
The premise will only work if people are completely honest. It’ll be no good if a high-earner pays a quid for their drink while someone in a low-paying job forks out a tenner for a mocktail.
With the price of a pint rising towards £8 in some London establishments, it’ll be interesting to see whether people exploit the pay-as-you-like element or pay what they deem to be fair.
Oxfam’s experiment comes two months after O’Neills in Soho made headlines by introducing “dynamic pricing” during peak times.
This means that punters enjoying a drink in the the establishment after 10pm will have to pay £2 more for the pleasure.
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