Independent alcohol-free beer brand Lucky Saint will become the first alcohol-free beer brand to open a permanent pub, The Lucky Saint, in Marylebone, London, in March.
The brand will honour the centuries-old traditions of the British pub, with a food, drink, and events offering, creating a ‘pub for our times’. Findings will be shared with the wider hospitality sector in the form of a free sector analysis report, offering advice and recommendations to support servicing consumers’ changing attitudes towards alcohol.
The Lucky Saint opening follows a bumper few years for the no and low sector, with demand soaring for alcohol-free beer. The no and low sector’s revenue is expected to be worth £410 million in 2023. The brand also recently announced a £10m+ Series A investment round.
The pub will become the brand’s new headquarters, with upper levels acting as offices and event spaces. It will also introduce a wide range of initiatives championing alcohol-free, including a training cellar. This will host workshops for staff looking after alcohol-free beer on draught, and will host regular tastings to improve knowledge and service of no and low drinks.
Lucky Saint will also create a staff training programme in partnership with mindful drinking business Club Soda, aiming to evolve service in pubs away from being alcohol led.
The drinks menu at The Lucky Saint will feature the best of both alcohol-free and alcoholic drinks, creating an inclusive offer that caters for all. Bar staff will also be trained in mental health first aid, as part of apartnership with Mental Health First Aid England.
“Pubs have been at the heart of communities, and alcohol has been at the heart of pubs, for centuries,” said Luke Boase, founder of Lucky Saint. “As attitudes towards alcohol change, it’s an opportunity for pubs to evolve. Our aim is to keep pubs cemented as the place for social connection whilst building on our mission to inspire the world to drink better.”
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, of which Lucky Saint became the first alcohol-free beer member in 2020, said of the opening: “Lucky Saint are a business full of brilliant ideas, with a passion for people, so it’s a natural fit for them to invest in and support the pub industry. It’s great to see the old institution, The Mason’s Arms, given a new lease of life as The Lucky Saint.”
Formerly known as The Masons Arms on Devonshire Street, and having laid vacant for three years, Lucky Saint has restored the pub over a five-month period, partnering with Orla Read Interior Design and Hipgrave Construction.
The pub has been a watering hole for broadcasters for decades, positioned around the corner from the BBC. It will honour its broadcasting roots with a bookable podcast studio.
