THE landlord of an inflation-busting boozer is flogging beers for just £1.70 – and locals just can’t get enough.
Punters are quick to flock to The Ardwick for their cost-cutting deals which include three pints of Fosters for just £5.10.
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Prices are so good at the Blackpool boozer, customers are convinced they’re being undercharged.
Many have dubbed family-run The Ardwick “Britain’s cheapest pub” for it’s purse-friendly deals.
Landlady Lynn Haworth serves up John Smiths, Strongbow cider and Murphy’s stout for the same bargain sum.
Lynn, 63, said: “I’ve been here 12 years and the prices are cheaper now than back then.
“Our secret is volume – selling loads of pints at £1.70 is better than selling none at a fiver.
“The other week we ploughed through 42 barrels of 22 gallons of Fosters – that’s almost 8,000 pints of beer.
“People think that because we’re selling the cheapest pints in Britain, we must be a dive.
“But it’s not the case at all. As soon as people walk through the door, they’re impressed by how clean it is.”
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An average pint in the UK was £2.30 in 2008 but averaged £3.95 in 2022.
A pint in London now costs a wallet-breaking £5.50 – with soaring brewing costs set to push prices higher.
At The Ardwick, locals are able to guzzle six pints for £10.20 – but Lynn takes no nonsense from those who take it too far.
She said: “I’ve lasted this long in the trade because I don’t put up with idiots.
“We’re a properly run boozer. We look after our customers.
“If you’re going to come here and get bladdered and cause trouble, there’s no place for it.
“If someone’s had a bit too much to drink, we’ll make sure they’ve got water. We’ll look after them.”
The Ardwick sells Fosters, John Smiths, Strongbow and Murphy’s for £1.70.
Premium beers like Birri Moretti are just £3.50 and a pint of Guinness is £3.30.
Lynn’s daughter Michaela, 31 – who pulls pints in the family businesses – added: “People can’t believe it when they order their drinks and we tell them the total.
SUPS AND DOWNS
“They think we’ve made a mistake on the till. Sometimes they hurry away thinking that we’ve undercharged them – but we haven’t.
“It’s nice to be able to let people keep some change in their pockets, especially when the cost of everything else is going through the roof.”
The pub, which shows Premier League footie, is packed at weekends and for its weekly afternoon bingo session.
John Ferns, 54, has been coming to The Ardwick with pal Graham Goodhill, 54, for years.
He said: “I’m from Manchester and you can’t get a pint in the city centre for less than a fiver.
“I can get three pints for that here.
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“The prices went up by about 5p this year and there was uproar. You had to laugh about it really.
“I think anywhere else cheap pints like this could be a nightmare. But Lynn, the landlady, is really good so there’s never any trouble.”
Carer John, who was supping a £2.45 pint of Amstel, added: “There are pubs around here selling crap beer for £5.20.
“You can stay here all afternoon and still have change in your pocket for some food.”
Leeds couple Richard and Michelle Jones return to the Ardwick every year for their annual holiday in the seaside town.
Richard, 68, said: “We always make the effort to come here because it’s a good pub with good beer.
“You can go to another pub down the road and it’s £3 more for the same pint.
“Why would you bother?”
Retired wagon driver Michael Cain, 73, added: “The landlady must be a magician to pull pints that are this cheap.
“My girlfriend thinks I live here – and she’s probably right.
“Other pubs should have a mask and a gun behind the bar for how much they charge.”
Neil Christy, 61, praised The Ardwick’s beers as “the best in Blackpool” as he necked a bargain pint of Fosters.
He said: “For £1.70 you might be wondering what you’re getting. But this is as good as it gets.
CHEAP AND CHEERS-FUL
“The beer’s looked after and it tastes great.
“To be honest I hope it stays a bit of a secret because I don’t want to be queuing out of the door the next time I come.”
Pauline Brown, 49, from Dundee in Scotland, is a repeat customer with husband Dougie, 69.
She said: “We’ve been coming here for years and the prices have never really changed.
“We’ve got to know the regulars over the years and it’s lovely to be recognised when we come back each year.”
Earlier this month, analysis by comparison site Finder, shared exclusively with The Sun found the top twenty cheapest cities for buying a pint.
Derby and Inverness came top of the list, where a beer at the pub will cost you just £3.00 on average – nearly double what Lynn is charging.
While punters think the Ardwick is the cheapest independent boozer, Wetherspoons beats them out.
The Walnut Tree, a Wetherspoons in Leytonstone, East London, sells pints for just £1.49.
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