Comedians ‘Thinking Drinkers’ to visit Exeter pubs on gruelling adventure to save British boozers

'Thinking Drinkers' Tom Sandham and Ben McFarland are visiting Exeter’s pubs on a gruelling 1,000-mile plus, two-week journey on a tandem bike to toast the great British pub and highlight the industry’s crisis. 

The pair are cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats and showcasing how wonderful and versatile pubs can be by ONLY eating, drinking, sleeping and stopping in British boozers, including Mill On The Exe and Thorveton Arms in Exeter.

“If we don’t use pubs, we’ll lose them – so that’s what we’re doing, relying entirely on lovely ‘locals’ during our nationwide ride,” said Sandham. “No shops. No restaurants. No coffee chains or cafes. No petrol stations. Not even a Greggs.”

McFarland added: “We’ve never ridden a tandem, it’s a frighteningly long way and rather than a gentle pootle around some pretty pubs, it’s going to be a brutal bike ride on behalf of the beleaguered British boozer - but it’s nothing compared to the daily struggles facing pubs up and down the country.

“The costs for pubs to simply do business are far too high – no other business sector in the economy is taxed so heavily and unjustly and this has pushed the price of a pint above the £5 barrier. 

“With even really busy pubs currently struggling to survive and the average publican making just 12p profit on a pint, we’re calling for a reduction in business rates to give them a much-needed lifeline.”

As well as being two halves of comedy duo Thinking Drinkers, Tom and Ben are known for their writing and alcohol industry expertise, and presenting drinks segments on ITV’s This Morning. They have received wholehearted, widespread industry support from pub companies, brewers, drinks firms and the online resource ‘Stay In A Pub’ for their bike ride.  

“Pubs like the ones we’re visiting in Exeter are much more than just a place to drink,” said Sandham. “They are unique, historical national institutions, the cornerstones of our communities, the heartbeat of our high streets and proven antidotes to loneliness.

“Please come and meet us at one of them on our journey,” said Sandham.  “We want to encourage the public to get off their sofas and support their locals – because if we don’t, we’ll seriously miss them when they’re gone.”

Tom and Ben’s Exeter’s itinerary: 

Saturday 21st June

• Mill On The Exe, Exeter, EX4 3AB

Sunday 22nd June

• Thorveton Arms, Exeter, EX5 5NS

The award-winning duo will also be documenting every mile of their epic pub pilgrimage on their Thinking Drinkers YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@TheThinkingDrinkers), and they’re urging pub-goers in Exeter to subscribe, like and get behind the campaign to raise awareness of the issues facing pubs.