UCLU Bars' £1 Drink Deal Comes To An End
UCLU IS PUTTING AN END TO ONE OF THE BEST DRINKS DEALS ON CAMPUS
Students will be gutted to learn that UCLU is putting an end to what is arguably the best student drinks deal in London. The deal, which can be found at any UCLU bar every Monday, called “Mondays Big Ones”, offers select bottles of beer, glasses of wine, and single vodka mixers all for the low, low, price of £1 each. A source within UCLU has confirmed that Monday, 31 October will be the last night that the deal is offered.
When asked for a reason behind the decision to stop the deal UCLU Food and Beverage Manager, Martin McCollam, stated “The current purchasing deals that we receive from our supplier through the Licenced Trade Plus programme have changed significantly compared to previous years and has resulted in a higher cost price for their promoted products. This has been an ongoing issue, since the ‘Big Ones’ deal was introduced in October 2010, as suppliers increase their prices slightly each year.”
UCLU gets alcohol through the Licenced Trade Plus programme, a deal between student’s unions and alcohol suppliers organised by the NUS. The NUS has been altering the terms of the deal over the years based on feedback from unions across the country. Apparently the feedback has caused the NUS to include more high end products in the deal and exclude cheap student favourites like Strongbow and Becks. The inclusion of more and more high end booze has caused a wholesale price increase that has made “Mondays Big Ones” unsustainable.
Martin McCollam assured us that UCLU is looking into replacing the deal with something else stating “We are currently reviewing the Mondays promotion and hope to come up with something that will be as equally attractive. ‘Big Ones’ will continue in its current format until a decision has been made”.
Students have reacted poorly to the news. Luke, a fourth year Italian with Management student who is active within many societies, commented “I am fucking disgusted by the abolition of the £2 round. This is an infringement on student rights the like of which we have never known”.
Will, third year Physics student and UCLU Music Society Social Secretary made some less inflammatory comments, stating “The important thing to remember is that we live in the most expensive place in the U.K. when it comes to rent, travel and alcohol.”
“… Drinking at bars is a big part of socialising at uni, so making it more expensive means less people we will be drinking/socialising. I think ridding the £1 drinks takes away yet another good thing that UCL students have and, considering the student satisfaction ratings as they are, won’t make student life a better experience.”
Will ended on a lighter note. “…Speaking as an arts society social secretary, the arts could do with some compensation for the lack of a Bloomsbury [theatre] … I’m not saying £1 drinks solves that issue but it certainly helps soften the blow.”