Following the success of Stone Food and Drink 2009 - where several local pubs and bars rather unexpectedly stocked our beers during the festival week – we decided to encourage trade with a new promotion for Stone Food and Drink 2010 and in July, all Stone town centre licensee’s were offered the chance to participate in Stepping Stones 2010.

The promotion – essentially a good old fashioned pub crawl round a great drinking town - has seen thirteen of the towns sixteen licensed premises stock our beers during the festival. Following an initial visit, each participating pub received a set of rules, a poster, collecting cards and an individually coloured stamper. Drinkers gained a stamp for each half of Lymestone beer purchased and a full card of twenty four stamps could be exchanged for an exclusive Stepping Stones 2010 T shirt. To encourage participants to drink responsibly, the promotion was held over two full weeks and groups of drinkers could cross stamp each other’s cards to increase the opportunity for obtaining a shirt. Drinkers were encouraged to collect different coloured stamps from different pubs. Indeed, a card was not valid if it only had one colour stamp. All of the cards we received back for exchange showed a willingness from participants to spend time in different establishments with many cards having four or more coloured stamps. Many successful collectors told of their journeys to pubs they had never previously visited and of their joy at discovering a new watering hole within the town.

If the object of the exercise was to open accounts and sell more beer, it worked. Six new accounts have taken stock, all of which have re ordered despite the promotion coming to a close. Of the participating drinkers we have spoken to, most have been very enthusiastic and given very positive feedback, however some difficulties were experience by some collectors where bar staff misunderstood the promotion. Several pubs were stamping cards for ANY purchase – even Coke (!) which gave rise to confusion – which was suitably and properly conveyed. Although such negative feedback was rare, it is of paramount importance to us and we are grateful for it. If anyone has any further comments to make I would be happy to hear your views. I can be contacted at the Brewery on 01785 817796.