Lidl is breaking new ground: the discounter is building its first pub in Northern Ireland – right next to the supermarket. Shopping and drinking beer in one place? Sounds crazy, but it could work.
April 11, 2026, 1:21 p.mApril 11, 2026, 1:21 p.m
Kathrin Martens / watson.de
Discounter goes pub: The German food giant Lidl is currently causing a stir – not with new low prices, but with a rather unusual project. The discounter is currently building its very first pub in Northern Ireland.
Have a cozy after-work beer at Lidl? This should soon be possible in Northern Ireland.Image: keystone
The pub is due to open this summer and is located in the east Belfast suburb of Dundonald – right next to an existing Lidl branch. So you can reward yourself with a beer straight after shopping. It probably doesn’t get any more efficient.
Lidl is building a pub: the idea has an interesting reason
According to the company, the pub will have space for around 60 guests and will be around 60 square meters in size. The full Lidl program is on the drinks menu. So wines, beers, ciders, spirits and liqueurs – all from the discounter’s well-known range.
The idea doesn’t come out of nowhere. According to Lidl manager Gordon Cruikshanks, the region has experienced a significant increase in population in recent years – over 20 percent more people. At the same time, there has so far been no possibility locally to offer Lidl’s complete alcohol range, he quotes CNN.
In Northern Ireland, supermarkets have to overcome two hurdles before they can sell alcohol. First, they have to acquire a license that was “given away” by another business – for example, by a pub that is closing. This so-called “surrender principle” acts as a strict upper limit on the number of establishments that can sell alcohol, reports BBC.
Lidl therefore first had to acquire such a license.
Lidl-Pub wanted to prevent competition
However, the path to get there was anything but easy, because before the first tap could be installed, Lidl first had to go through a lengthy legal dispute. Competitors from the drinks sector had sued the project, arguing that the location was unsuitable and that the pub would not attract enough customers anyway.
The decision came in January 2025: a court dismissed the lawsuit. A pub right next to the supermarket is certainly a new concept – but it is not forbidden. This meant Lidl was able to buy a pub license and construction could begin.
If everything goes according to plan, Lidl could soon not only be known for cheap food, but also for after-work drinks. It remains to be seen whether the concept will prevail. But the combination of discount store and pub sounds like an experiment that could be worth it.