Supermarket chain Lidl reveals name and image of its first-ever pub - located at an east Belfast store
Lidl has chosen a name for its ground-breaking new pub in east Belfast.
The German grocery giant has decided to call the soon-to-open pub attached to its Dundonald store ‘The Middle Ale’.
It is a reference to Lidl’s middle aisle, which contains a rather random and frequently-changing collection of household items.
The firm has also released an image of the new pub, in Lidl colours.
It said that the pub / off licence (which can only be accessed from the car park, not from within the supermarket itself) will open next month.
It is the first one ever built by the supermarket chain.
Lidl says the pub is an “investment of more than £500,000 into the local community” and adds eight jobs to the existing 27 at the site.
Construction began in April.
It was designed by Gordon Devenney of the O'Donnell O'Neill design company, who also worked on The Foundry and The Linen Hall Bar in Belfast.
It has a floor space of 60 sq m (645 sq ft), and seated capacity of up to 60.
In a statement, Gordon Cruikshanks, regional managing director for Lidl Northern Ireland, said: “We are pleased to confirm that our new public house at Dundonald is nearing completion and will open next month as 'The Middle Ale' in homage to our infamous middle aisle which our customers know and love.
"With a wide selection of premium quality drinks across beers, wines and spirits, we're excited to bring our full range to customers in a novel new pub setting.”
Colin Neill, the chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, has previously described the pub as a “husband creche” for shopping wives.
The pub had overcome a years-long legal challenge from the off licence chain Russell’s, which had argued that Lidl had not met the legal criteria for building it by demonstrating there was enough demand.