Brighton pub brings beer to people's doorsteps in lockdown

Riding a butcher’s bike, Jennifer Left, landlady at the Hand in Hand in Upper St James’s Street in Kemptown, Brighton spends her day fulfilling delivery orders.

The 36-year-old delivers boxes of canned or bottled beer, along with chocolate stout cupcakes and household necessities in an aim to bring the pub to people’s doorsteps.

The bike is complete with a replica of the Hand in Hand

After toying around with the idea of buying a milk float or an ice cream van to take her goods around the city, Jen eventually settled on the idea of creating a replica of her pub to attach to the back of her bike.

She said: “I just thought ‘why don’t we build these two mini versions of the pub’, like doll’s houses on the back of the trailer and then basically people will recognise it.

“It’s got lights on it and cat in the window and paperchains we have in the pub windows. It’s a proper replica of the Hand.

Jen said the model is an accurate replica of the Hand in Hand

“It just keeps the pub in people’s minds for when we do reopen, and I do like cheering people up.”

The bike is complete with fairy lights and a fully working sound system, which Jen uses to play songs her customers have requested for when their beer delivery arrives.

She has even made herself a cape, with “Hand in Hand landlady” embroidered on the back.

Jen said she loves to bring beer and "cheer" to the people of Brighton

Jen said: “I’ve been cycling around Hanover, turning up to people’s houses with Stevie Wonder playing out the back, to give people their beer or chocolate stout cupcakes.

“The best thing about it is that when I am cycling and I have my red beret on and a sequined cape and people see The Hand, people shout and show their kids.

“Kids think it’s a doll’s house, but adults know it’s a beer house, it’s kind of sweet really. People stop and take photographs and I think it just cheers people up.”

Jen said that she has been “overwhelmed” by the response and has relished being able to surprise people with a doorstep visit.

She said: “What it’s turned into now is if people can’t celebrate their birthday down the pub, people have been gifting their friends a pint for the pub to come to them.

“People don’t expect me 90 per cent of the time when I turn up.

“Some people have order it as a way of cheering up a friend who is isolated and alone, it’s turned into a lot more than me just turning up with a delivery.”

To find out more, email Jen@handbrewpub.com or visit www.handbrewco.shop

**All photos by Brighton Pictures**