London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Mar 09, 2026

Fancy a pint? in UK you might need an app for that

Fancy a pint? in UK you might need an app for that

Fancy a pint in the pub? From 4 July, you can have one - or indeed a mojito or an orange juice - in England



But you probably won't be able to stroll up to the bar and order what you fancy.

And in many places, you may find you need an app for that.

The government has published a lengthy document, giving guidance to restaurants, pubs and takeaways on all the measures they will need to take to operate safely.


Data-protection legislation

One paragraph stands out: "The opening up of the economy following the Covid-19 outbreak is being supported by NHS Test and Trace. You should assist this service by keeping a temporary record of your customers and visitors for 21 days, in a way that is manageable for your business, and assist NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed."

Just what customer details should be kept - and how - is unclear.

But the government promises to work with the industry "to design this system in line with data-protection legislation and set out details shortly".

For restaurants and the posher sort of pub where you can book a table for a meal, this should not pose too much of a problem.


Old-fashioned boozers

They are likely to have a system already in place to record customer details.

They will simply have to tinker with it to make sure it collects everybody's name, not just that of the person paying.

But for thousands of old-fashioned boozers - the kind you wander into for a quick pint - it is going to be a lot harder.

They may struggle to set up a reliable process to log their customers.

And the result could be a major shift in pub culture.


Casual drinker

Seeing an opportunity, dozens of app developers and payment platforms are rushing to offer services to pubs and restaurants as they prepare to open up.

And I have asked three of them to imagine how their systems would work for a casual drinker dropping by on a whim.

William Wright's app, YoCa, incorporates Apple Pay, Google Pay and a pre-ordering system.

It has already been helping dozens of cafes keep going during the lockdown by offering takeaway services.

He is now adapting the app to pubs.

But it became clear during our discussion it would involve customers ordering in advance and identify only the person paying, not the others who might have been stood a round.


Extra names

Max Mallows has been helping art galleries handle customers via a service called ArtsVP.

And he is now adapting it for pubs, as PubsVP.

Again, it envisages a world where you book in advance to visit a pub.

But it is flexible enough to add extra names into the system if you bring along a couple of friends.

And you do not have to download the app.

You can just visit a website to enter details.

But what about data protection, which the information commissioner has warned will need to be considered by pubs and restaurants storing customer details?

Mr Mallows admits it is going to be complicated, with some data held by both the pub and his company.

But he aims to give customers a guarantee data will be deleted after 21 days.


Marketing messages

The simplest approach I came across was from a company called Eagle Eye.

And it depended on QR codes, a method already adopted in New Zealand.

Chief sales officer Al Henderson tells me what my customer "journey" would look like.

"You turn up at the Dog and Duck, scan a QR code at the venue, which takes you to a website where you complete your details, first name, last name, phone number, email address," he says.

Then, I receive my own QR code via phone, SMS or email - and use it when I pay.

Pubs will have more data on customers who agree to receive marketing messages.

But a close eye will be kept to ensure those who don't want to be contacted have their details wiped after 21 days.

Landlord Peter Dunn says Ye Old Vaults, a city centre pub in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, used to thrive on Sky Sports events and live music, "neither of which we can have now".

And he can't see some of his regulars being willing to fill in a form.

But Mr Dunn, who also does a bit of web development, does have an idea of what would work - the government's contact tracing app that was shelved last week.

"Licensees do enough work for the government, policing the under-age drinking and stuff like that, without loading us up with that as well," he says.

"So that's a job that an app could do far better than getting landlords to take personal information off their customers."

If the NHS-branded Covid-19 app had been rolled out by now and landlords had demanded drinkers proved they were using it before they were allowed in, you can imagine there would have been quite a row over privacy.

But instead, the technology of contact tracing is effectively being privatised and made the responsibility of the publicans.

And you can understand why they're not raising a glass to that.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Declines UK Offer to Deploy Aircraft Carriers to Middle East Amid Iran Conflict
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Return to Australia After Seven Years for Philanthropic and Business Engagements
UK Government Signals Independence From Washington as Cooper Says Britain Does Not Agree With Trump on Every Issue
UK Experts Warn AI Chatbots Are Fueling Surge in Claims of Organised ‘Satanic’ Ritual Abuse
UK Political Parties Divided Over Strategy as Iran Conflict Reshapes Foreign Policy Debate
Britain Discloses Secret Military Repair Hubs Operating Inside Ukraine
Trump Says US No Longer Needs UK Carrier Support After Delayed Offer Amid Iran Conflict
Why Britain Has Become Involved in the US-Israel Military Campaign Against Iran
UK Gas Storage Falls to Under Two Days as Iran Conflict Jolts Global Energy Markets
UK Warned to Brace for Economic Shock as Iran War Drives Global Energy Price Surge
Starmer and Trump Hold First Call After Public Dispute Over Iran Conflict
UK Dentists Returned £1.3 Billion to Government as Shift Toward Private Care Accelerates
Expert Warns UK Must Build Emergency Food Stockpiles to Prepare for Climate Shocks or War
UK Plans Charter Flight to Evacuate British Nationals from Gulf as Regional Conflict Disrupts Air Travel
Families of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Fighters Call on Britain to Help Locate Skulls Taken During Colonial War
Iran’s Ambassador Warns Britain to ‘Be Very Careful’ Over Deeper Role in Expanding Middle East War
UK Military Leadership Defends Britain’s Defensive Role in Expanding Middle East Conflict
Four U.S. Strategic Bombers Arrive in Britain as Iran War Intensifies
Soham Murderer Ian Huntley Dies After Violent Attack in High-Security Prison
UK Lawmakers and Experts Condemn Scale of Overseas Human Remains Held in British Museums
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Placed on Standby for Potential Deployment
United Kingdom Confirms U.S. Military Using British Bases for Operations Targeting Iranian Missile Sites
Starmer Defends UK Role in Iran Conflict After Renewed Criticism from President Trump
Blue Owl Reveals £36 Million Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender Serving Wealthy Clients
UK Asylum Reform Plan Triggers Fierce Debate Over Border Control and Humanitarian Impact
US Stealth Bombers Head to UK Base as Trump Issues Stark Warning to Iran
UK Deputy Prime Minister Says Legal Case Could Exist for British Strikes on Iranian Missile Sites
Investigators Link Mysterious Parcel Fires Across Europe to Russian Intelligence Operation
Debate Intensifies Over Britain’s Legal Justification for US Military Operations Launched From UK Bases
Britain Faces Heightened Energy Price Risks as Iran-Linked Tensions Threaten Global Oil and Gas Supplies
British Counter-Terror Police Arrest Four Suspected of Spying on Jewish Community for Iran
Axel Springer Agrees $770 Million Deal to Acquire Britain’s Daily Telegraph
Iceland Supermarket Drops Trademark Challenge Against Icelandic Government in Long-Running Naming Dispute
UK Defence Secretary Visits Cyprus Following Scrutiny of Britain’s Response to Drone Attacks
Questions Grow Over Britain’s Military Readiness as Response to Iran Conflict Draws Scrutiny
UK Offers Failed Asylum Seeker Families Up to Forty Thousand Pounds to Leave Voluntarily
Saharan Dust Could Bring ‘Blood Rain’ to Parts of the UK as Weather Systems Shift
UK Deploys Additional Typhoon Fighter Jets to Qatar and Helicopters to Cyprus Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
Experts Urge Britain to Accelerate Renewable Energy Push as Global Conflicts Drive Up Costs
British Public Shows Strong Reluctance to Join Wider War in Iran
First UK Evacuation Flight Departs Middle East After Lengthy Delay
United Kingdom Imposes New Visa Requirements on Travelers from St. Lucia and Nicaragua
Iran Conflict Strains U.S.–U.K. Alliance as Trump and Starmer Clash Over Military Strategy
UK Interest Rates Could Rise Above Four Percent Again if Energy Shock Continues, Think Tank Warns
Starmer Defends Britain’s Iran Strategy as Badenoch Urges Stronger Military Support
Labour MP Says She Saw No Sign Husband Broke Law After Arrest in China Espionage Investigation
UK Jobless Rate Overtakes Italy’s for First Time in Years as Labour Market Weakens
United Kingdom Suspends Student Visas for Four Countries in Unprecedented Immigration Move
Campaigners Warn UK Student Visa Ban Could Push Migrants Toward Dangerous Channel Crossings
First U.K. Charter Flight for Stranded Nationals Set to Depart Oman Amid Middle East Crisis
×