alcohol

Tim Martin has spoken out after Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary claimed drinking booze at UK airports, such as London Heathrow, should be banned before a certain time

The boss of JD Wetherspoons has hit back at the Ryanair CEO’s claims alcohol shouldn’t be served at UK airports in the early hours of the morning.

Tim Martin, who founded his pub chain in 1979, said Michael O’Leary’s suggestion would require passengers being breathalysed at airports. He described the plan as “an overreaction”.

But Mr O’Leary, boss of the budget airline, had claimed an average of nearly one flight every day is diverted due to disruptive passengers fuelled by booze. The 65-year-old businessman said these tourists often drink in bars at airports for hours before they board their planes, and called on a ban on serving booze at airport bars in the early hours of the morning and a two-drink limit thereafter.

Mr Martin, though, has said: “A two-drink limit would be extraordinarily difficult to implement, short of breathalysing passengers, and would, in our opinion, be an overreaction — especially since many of the problems stem from incoming flights. It is in everyone’s interests to have good behaviour at airports and on flights.”

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Mr Martin, 71, also told The Times it had “never been suggested” its customers cause disruption on flights. JD Wetherspoon told the newspaper that pubs in airports were “highly supervised” with strict policies preventing excessive alcohol consumption.

Airside bars in the UK are not required to follow restrictions on opening hours which apply to other venues selling alcohol. Being drunk on a plane is a criminal offence in the UK and can be punished by a fine of up to £5,000 and two years’ imprisonment.

But alcohol can be served on flights, including those of Ryanair, and there have been no calls on this practice. This, coupled with alcohol consumption at airports, has led to a number of incidents of disruption recently.

A man was, for instance, jailed for becoming abusive, causing widespread alarm throughout the Ryanair aircraft on which he was travelling from Poland to Bristol.

And, on Thursday, Ryanair welcomed the decision by a court in France which it said found two passengers guilty of causing disruption onboard a flight from Stansted to Ibiza that was diverted to Toulouse in May last year. The pair received a combined penalty of more than 10,000 euros (£8,640) and received suspended prison sentences of up to 10 months, according to the airline.

Speaking earlier this week, Mr O’Leary shared his plans. The father of four had said: “I fail to understand why anybody in airport bars is serving people at five or six o’clock in the morning. Who needs to be drinking beer at that time? There should be no alcohol served at airports outside [those] licensing hours.”

THE BOSS of Wetherspoons has hit back at Ryanair after the airline proposed to scrap the beloved airport breakfast pint.

Sir Tim Martin, 71, boss slammed the idea to ban the sale of alcohol before early morning flights as a “Big Brother” approach.

Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary, recently called for a ban after saying the rise in badly behaved passengers is causing huge problems for the airline.

He said it had become a “real challenge for all airlines” and questioned why punters needed a pint in the early hours of the morning.

O’Leary has also previously suggested a two-drink cap, something he says the airline tends to follow onboard, in an effort to clamp down on bad behaviour by passengers.

But JD Wetherspoon chief Martin said it could lead to passengers being breathalysed and added that any drinks limit would be hard to manage, The Times reports.

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He told the outlet: “It is in everyone’s interests to have good behaviour at airports and on flights.

“A two-drink limit would be extraordinarily difficult to implement, short of breathalysing passengers, and would, in our opinion, be an overreaction — especially since many of the problems stem from incoming flights.”

Wetherspoon also claimed that the majority of its airport sales were not alcohol and any ban would result in passengers buying alcohol elsewhere prior to arriving at the airport.

But O’Leary said the problem with passengers is getting worse – previously the airline would have around one flight diversion a week, which has since increased to “one diversion a day”.

Current rules allow pubs and restaurants in airports to serve alcohol at any time as they do not have to follow the same licensing rules elsewhere in the country.

Passengers drunk on a plane can face being jailed for up to two years, and huge fines if they force a plane to divert of up to £80,000.

RYANAIR boss Michael O’Leary has made the headlines today, calling for an early-morning ban on airports serving alcohol to passengers.

He’s calling for the big change following a rise in badly behaved passengers that have caused flights forced to divert.

He told The Times: “It’s becoming a real challenge for all airlines

“I fail to understand why anybody in airports bars is serving people at five or six o’clock in the morning. Who needs to be drinking beer at that time?

“There should be no alcohol served at airports outside [those] licensing hours,” he said. “We have been calling for many years for a limit of two drinks per person per airport, why don’t you limit people by boarding pass?”

So should we be banning morning beers at UK airports? Our travel experts go head to head…

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AIRPORT breakfast beers are one of those quirky British traditions, much like the Wetherspoons table number game and the dirty birthday pint.

It is pretty much guaranteed that you will see a number of sleepy-eyed Brits sinking a lager at the airport pub, no matter what time of day you arrive.

While I personally can’t stomach a drink before midday, I’m also not a fan of telling hard-working Brits how they can spend their precious seven days of holiday that they’ve been saving for all year.

Michael O’Leary has long called for there to be a two-drink limit on people drinking at airports and that is something that feels like a reasonable compromise to me.

But to ban airport bars from serving any booze outside of normal UK licensing hours – typically from around 10 or 11am – seems pretty unfair when passengers can still buy a drink on the actual Ryanair flight.

Pubs are under a huge amount of financial stress these days, thanks to a raft of anti-hospitality measures introduced by our current chancellor, Rachel Reeves.

Around two pubs are closing in the UK each day – more than 2,000 since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, should we really be penalising them any further?

Add to this the fact that pubs pay an extremely high rent for their airport locations, do we want to see boozers also disappearing from here too?

I’m not sure that cutting out morning drinking will see the solution to the problem that airlines are clearly having such a huge issue with, because it won’t have any effect on the thousands of flights that fly out of the UK post-midday.

I’ve been on more late-evening Ryanair flights to Ibiza than I care to remember, when I have deep sympathy for the cabin crew serving very rowdy passengers.

Mr O’Leary has been in the industry for a long time, in fact he’s one of the most experienced airline bosses in the business, and we should be listening when he says it’s a huge problem that needs sorting.

The measures he has taken in recent years to hold disruptive passengers to account with huge court fines is clearly a huge step in the right direction, although I appreciate this is a time-consuming and costly process.

But banning the small joy of a breakfast beer in these stressful modern times, with everything that’s going on in the world? Please no.

‘More drastic measures are needed’ says Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor

LOOK, I get it – you finally got that time off work, and you’re ready for a week of sunshine and relaxing.

But it has forever baffled me as to how that translates to a pint of beer or glass of champagne at 6am when normally you wouldn’t even be awake.

I can’t think of anything worse than sinking a Guinness when I’m waiting for my flight, and certainly don’t want that sloshing around in my stomach before a long journey.

If people could restrain themselves then a ban wouldn’t be needed but sadly, without airports willing to put a cap in place, it seems more drastic measures are needed.

Haven’t we all been on that awful flight where rowdy passengers just make it worse for everyone?

With Ryanair saying that as many as a flight a day are being diverted, those costs are likely to be passed onto the passenger too.

So those drunken idiots are essentially going to make your flight more expensive.

Maybe a full ban is too far, but I would say that a drink limit is definitely needed. 

I’d back airports being required to scan boarding passes, with a cap on 1-2 boozy beverages before you get on a plane.

Lets save it for the all-inclusive pool bar, guys.

YOU might have thought going on a barge break would be relaxing, quiet and peaceful being surrounded by nothing but nature and water.

That’s what I thought too, before I moored up on what was one of the biggest party spots in the Midlands.

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Birmingham’s Gas Street basin is one of the most iconic stretches of canal in the world. So when we found a free mooring spot right there in the city centre we were delighted.

We tied up our rented barge to the metal posts and went out for dinner and a couple of drinks.

It was only when we returned to spend the evening on board that we realised it was going to be somewhat noisier than a few passing dog walkers or nesting geese at 5pm had initially made us realise.

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Because by 9pm, it felt like we were moored on the party strip in Ayia Napa. 

There were disco boats with banging music passing on one side, and large groups of boisterous pedestrians on the other – passing very loudly between one bar or club and another. 

We had inadvertently plonked ourselves right in the very party heart of the Midlands. 

One year-round barge user told me that he has moored in this very spot before only to wake up adrift – one of those boisterous party people had untied him in the middle of the night as a prank.

It wasn’t until after two in the morning when the last of the last orders were called that it began to quieten down – and we started to hear the sound of geese again rather than dance music.

Thankfully we were still tied to those posts though. 

So the next morning, after coffee, we moved the boat another half a mile to a quieter spot where we would spend our second night in Brum. 

It was the only blip on what was to be a terrific long weekend in the Second City.

Because although I’d been to Birmingham several times before I’d never really devoted any time to the place – just headed straight to whatever job I had and then gone off again.

This trip was an attempt to redress this miss. And it was great fun – Birmingham was a blast. 

We aren’t the first people to realise this. The city has had a lot of money spent on it and tourism here has had a shot in the arm – not least from the success of Peaky Blinders, which is celebrated across the centre. You can’t miss the many references. 

Thanks to our very central location, it was also extremely navigable: that meal we had, at Indian street food restaurant Indico Mailbox, was barely a five minute walk from our bed. 

And, as Londoners, it felt very cheap. Very cheap indeed.

At one point I confidently told a bar worker that she had only charged us for one of our two drinks. She hadn’t, it really was £5.25 for a pint and a glass of wine. 

That was the cheapest round of quite a few – we found, as we often do, that a good way to see the sights was by turning our day there into a pub crawl.

So although we did get into some set piece tourism spots – the very good city gallery, the cathedral with its spectacular stained glass windows etc – it was while walking from one pub to another.

And goodness, does Birmingham have a vibrant pub scene. 

The standouts were: The Wellington, with its incredible array of real ales and ciders, The Craven Arms, The Spotted Dog and the Woodman.

The latter is currently isolated in the middle of vast building works next door to one of the oldest stations in the world, Curzon Street, which will also become one of the newest when HS2 finally opens.

Remarkably it still functions as a top, top boozer despite this. So that was our time in the city – now onto how we got there.

And this was what they call a life hack: we realised that for the same money it would cost to spend two nights in a city centre hotel and eat out for every meal, we could hire a barge and do (most of) our own cooking, as well as picking our own berth (see above for the pitfalls in this aspect of the plan).

We went as a single couple but two couples sharing could do this even more affordably – most boats have two double rooms.

We picked up our boat from – and returned it to – the marina at Alvechurch, some 11 miles south of the city centre.

It’s an interesting journey into the city for two main reasons.

Firstly you get to travel through – and if you like, you can tie up to explore – the famous Bournville suburb, where the Cadbury brothers, real-life Willy Wonkas, built a model Victorian neighbourhood for their chocolate factory workers – and it remains largely unchanged. 

Then there’s the dramatic Wast Hill tunnel, at 1.5 miles one of the longest in Britain’s entire 3000 mile canal network, which takes longer to navigate by slow moving barge than the train journey through the Channel Tunnel.

It has an extraordinary and slightly ghostly atmosphere within: complete darkness except for that distant pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel. 

But the great advantage of this short trip is that there are no locks! Just a five-hour each way tour followed by one single, easy-to-perform U-turn at the end before your return leg. 

It is without doubt the least demanding, most relaxing canal trip I have ever done. 

The only thing that could have improved it would have been if I were still young enough to have taken advantage of all that nightlife on our doorstep – or rather barge step.

In response, Spanish authorities have imposed a crackdown on tourists and excessive alcohol consumption, particularly around the areas of Magaluf and San Antonio

Spanish holidaymakers could fall foul of the six-drink rule this summer, a travel expert has warned.

Tourists heading to the Balearic Islands may find themselves slapped with heavy fines, as Spanish authorities move to crack down on excessive partying as the holiday season gets underway.

Over 3.5 million Brits visit the Balearic Islands of Majorca, Ibiza, Menorca, and Formentera last year, jetting off in search of vitamin D and cheaper pints. However, amid a surge in unruly tourists and their booze-fuelled benders locals have begun to organise anti-tourism demonstrations, demanding action against rowdy behaviour, soaring rental prices, and overrun beaches in recent years.

In response, Spanish authorities have imposed a crackdown on tourists and excessive alcohol consumption, particularly around the areas of Magaluf and San Antonio. Under the 2024 ‘Decree for Responsible Tourism’, it’s now illegal to consume alcohol on the streets. Breaking these rules will land tourists a sizeable fine, ranging anywhere from €500 up to €3,000, depending on the severity of the violation.

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Executive director of John Mason International, Simon Hood, has issued a warning to Brits jetting off to the party destinations of Majorca and Ibiza in the coming months. The travel expert has said that holidaymakers should avoid public drinking and excessive noise at night if they want to avoid facing penalties, with authorities planning stronger enforcement of key laws throughout the summer.

Simon has warned that anti-social behaviour from tourists will not be tolerated by the local authorities in the coming months, as they enforce stricter measures and potentially hand out sizeable fines to offenders.

Simon explains: “In response to recent overtourism protests, the islands of Majorca and Ibiza have implemented Responsible Tourism rules following some understandable concern from local residents.

“These laws were first introduced in 2024, however, new amendments have recently been proposed that many Brits are unaware of. Be careful you’re not caught out taking alcoholic drinks onto the street and spilling them. Being overly loud and drawing attention to yourself will also land you in trouble quicker.”

“Holiday-goers planning on booking all-inclusive packages or bar crawls are also affected by these laws. For example, limits on all-inclusive drinks have been introduced in the party resorts of Magaluf, Playa de Palma, and San Antonio.

“If you have booked an all-inclusive package, you’re only allowed a maximum of six alcoholic drinks per day, and these must be split between your lunch and evening meal. Make sure you’re not going over your allowance and trying to cheat hotel staff. Hotels are allowed to charge you more money for breaking all-inclusive rules.”

Gone are the days of two-for-one cocktails and happy hours, as the islands have tightened control on public drinking and alcohol promotions in bars and pubs. The Balearic law now forbids tourists from drinking alcohol on the streets and beaches, with penalties ranging from €750 (£650) to €3,000 (£2,600) for violations.

Off-licence alcohol sales have also been clamped down on, with sales prohibited between 9.30pm and 8am in specific areas in a further attempt to limit street drinking and curb anti-social behaviour.

Simon says: “At John Mason International, we always advise our clients to remain cautious and respect local rules and regulations. This Act hopes to crack down on excessive binge drinking, but it doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy a few pina coladas by the pool and have a great vacation – it just means you need to be cautious of your surroundings.

“These rules may seem strict, but they’re trying to promote harmony between local residents who want to go about their lives and tourists enjoying their holidays. If I can provide one piece of advice, it’s have fun.”

AS I strolled through the vineyards with a glass of bubbles in my hand, I imagined myself in the South of France.

Yet I was just a one-hour train ride from my home in Kent – one of the most established regions for producing English sparkling wine.

While it may not boast the same sunshine levels as France’s Bordeaux, the soil here is very similar to the Champagne region, offering optimal growing conditions.

And it produces some excellent wines.

I’d been touring one of Kent’s most famous vineyards – Chapel Down, in the village of Small Hythe, near Tenterden.

Visitors can book a three-hour Wine And Dine experience, starting in the vines on the beautiful 22-acre estate, which was founded in 1977.

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It has immaculate rows of grape varieties that include Bacchus, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc.

Following a stroll among the vines, we were taken into the barn to learn about the art of riddling. The process was made famous by France’s Grand Dame of Champagne – Madame Clicquot, who invented the first riddling table in 1816.

It sees each bottle periodically turned to loosen the sediment and achieve a crystal-clear wine.

Sitting among oak barrels in the barn, it gave us a taste of the generations of wine wisdom in every glass.

But it’s not all about wine. Guests can enjoy a taste of Shakespeare, too from £18pp. Sussex-based company This Is My Theatre will bring William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Chapel Down, and visitors can bring a blanket and pick up a bottle of English sparkling wine to toast a night of magical comedy among the vines on June 12.

If you are not a Shakespeare fan, Chapel Down will also host a summer series of music including the Bacchus Wind Orchestra and an evening of jazz playing on July 5. Tickets are from £20pp.

Instead of the gym, why not book a spot for sunset yoga at the vineyard followed by a one-hour tasting of five wines?

These sessions will take place among the vines (weather permitting) on selected dates in May, June and August for £35pp.

Following my history lesson, it was time to put my knowledge to the test with a tasting session.

The best-selling bottle here is the £30 Brut, which has notes of fresh citrus and strawberry. But my favourite was the Chapel Down Grand Reserve 2019, which matures for five years to create a rich, toasted taste.

Then it was time for lunch at The Swan restaurant. Dishes included beetroot and vodka cured trout, which pairs well with a crisp glass of Chapel Down Bacchus.

Those visiting on a Sunday should try the roasted pork loin served with a tart apple sauce.

Then grab a tipple to take home from the on-site shop. I picked up a bottle of the Grand Reserve for £45.

After all, every day should be toasted with the best.

A FREE-to-visit wine festival is set to return to the UK this summer.

Battersea Power Station in London has confirmed The Wine Circuit will return from June 12 to 14 with everything from a markets to street food and bar pop ups.

Wine Merchant Stalls at the festival will be open from 11am to 8pm on June 13 and between 11am and 6pm on June 14 and include popular brands such as Vagabond Wines.

There’s also an Artisan Market on June 12 and 13 between 10am and 8pm and again on June 14 between 11am and 6pm where you can shop handmade wine glass and wine-themed gifts.

Alternatively, you could buy a ticket to one of the panel talks at the festival, or The Wine Cup, where you can try different tasters of wine.

The Wine Cup allows visitors to enjoy up to 10 wines from around the world and then vote for the ‘Best in Show’, as well as ‘Highly Commended’.

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Tickets are split into the different types of wine including red, white, rose and sparkling and range from £37.90 to £41.10 per person – and even includes a tote bag and cup.

Events already confirmed for this year include Drag Wine Tasting on June 13 between 7pm and 9pm.

While little details have been released about the wine festival this year, last year the festival hosted sessions about wine making, drinking trends and insider tips from experts.

There were also live music, talks on topics such as natural wine and alcohol-free wine, and for pub quiz lovers, even a wine quiz with blind tastings

As for the wine market, stalls sold wine-related gifts such as bottle stoppers and decanters while food pop-ups included Ashes BBQ and Masa Tacos.

The Power Station already has a number of wine destinations for visitors to explore including Vagabond Wines and Searcys Champagne Bar.

Turkey is one of the most popular destination for British holidaymakers

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is continuing to warn travellers heading to Turkey following the deaths of several British holidaymakers. The FCDO is responsible for issuing regular travel advice covering approximately 226 overseas countries and territories.

FCDO updates include guidance on safety and security, regional risks, health, and much more. Part of its advice for Turkey highlights popular holiday activities that have left people dead or seriously hurt, with the Foreign Office stating: “British nationals have been injured and killed doing extreme sports.

“Only use reputable operators. Make sure you are given full instructions and training before your activity. Make sure your travel insurance covers you for all activities you do. Always read the details of your insurance cover, especially the small print and exclusions on your policy.

“Paragliding is an extreme sport and carries the risk of serious injury or death. British nationals have died or been seriously injured whilst paragliding in Turkey. Make sure you are given full instructions and training before your activity.

“If you are near where paragliding activities take place, be aware that the landing area may be in a public area. Keep a reasonable distance from potential landing zones for your personal safety.”

The guidance further warns that quad biking carries comparable dangers, while jeep safaris have been involved in “a number of reported accidents in recent years”. Turkey remains a firm favourite amongst British holidaymakers, and current guidance advises that you should only purchase alcoholic drinks from licensed shops, bars and hotels, steer clear of homemade spirits, ensure bottle seals are unbroken, and scrutinise labels for poor print quality or spelling mistakes.

Should you or anyone in your travel party fall ill after consuming alcohol, seek emergency medical assistance immediately. FCDO advice reads: “There has been an increase in cases of serious illness caused by alcoholic drinks containing methanol in popular travel destinations around the world. In Turkey, including Ankara and Istanbul, people have died or suffered serious illness after drinking illegally produced local spirits and counterfeit bottles of branded alcohol.

“Even small amounts of methanol can kill. It is not possible to identify methanol in alcoholic drinks by taste or smell. Seek urgent medical attention if you or someone you are travelling with show the signs of methanol poisoning after drinking.”

Visitors to Turkey are also cautioned about the dangers of swimming. The FCDO states: “Every year, people drown in the sea and in swimming pools in Turkey. Always supervise children, even if they can swim or there is a lifeguard present.

“Take care when swimming in the sea. Some beaches may have strong undercurrents. Hidden rocks or shallow depths can cause serious injury or death. Do not dive into unknown water.”

THERE’S bad news for Brits heading to Spain this summer as they might not be able to enjoy a drink in the sun on an outdoor terrace.

Under new rules, terraces in Spain will be forced to close when the weather gets too hot.

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The rules – that were campaigned for by hospitality unions – will apply when the State of Meteorological Agency (AEMET) issue an orange or red alert.

AEMET’s orange alert means there is a major risk such as severe storms, heavy snow or intense heat and then for a red alert, it is an extreme risk and includes extreme rainfall, life-threatening storms and dangerously high temperatures.

In the case of exceptionally hot weather, restaurants, bars and cafes have to close their terraces if there is not enough shade or cooling systems for staff.

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The rules are likely to apply during the hottest hours of the day.

Areas across Spain reach high temperatures, especially during July and August, with some destinations reaching over 40C.

Even though closure of outdoor spaces is a last resort measure, if a bar, restaurant or cafe does not follow the new rules then it could face a fine of more than €50,000 (£43,326) in extreme cases.

For tourists, this could mean when temperatures reach high levels they won’t be able to grab a cold drink and sit on a restaurant’s terrace.

If you do want a drink though, you can still head inside as this is a shaded area.

As a result of the new rules, businesses across Spain are being encouraged to create different schedules for staff, with more breaks so they can stay hydrated.

One Australian traveller was left stunned when she turned up to Gatwick airport at 4am and look over at the Wetherspoons pub there. Her video has now gone viral online

Most of us have bagged ourselves an early flight to try and save on fees before. However, that does involve getting up at the crack of dawn to make it to the airport on time. Luckily, most major airports usually have somewhere open to get a coffee, grab and snack or have the ‘airport beer‘ many Brits enjoy before heading on your flight – no matter what the time.

One of the most popular places for many Brits to head to before they catch their flight is Wetherspoons if there’s one there. Most of us know that airports can be expensive, so the budget pub brand is the perfect place to have a breakfast, meal or drink that isn’t going to break the bank.

However, one Australian traveller was left stunned when she turned up to Gatwick Airport and saw that the Wetherspoons there was completely packed – despite it being 4am.

The travel influencer, Kiaya, who boasts 14,900 followers online on her @kiaya.travels account, shared a video the showed people queuing to get into the pub. Another take from inside then showed the inside which was rammed with people, with some already enjoying an alcoholic beverage.

Overlay text read, ‘Every table full at 4am in the airport, oh to be British.’

The caption for the post, which was shared on the official Wetherspoon Instagram account, wrote: “Nothing like a ‘Spoons breakfast before my flight!”

People were loving the post, as it went viral and racked up more than 122,000 likes.

One person exclaimed: “Nothing slaps harder than a pre-flight ‘Spoons breakfast and a pint to be honest,” while another added: “What more could you want a 4am! I’m here for it.”

A third chimed in: “We love Wetherspoons,” while another branded it their “favourite spot”.

Wetherspoon pubs at Gatwick Airport are typically open between 3AM and 5AM and close between 9PM and 11PM daily. There is one branch in the North Terminal (after security) and two in the South Terminal (one before and one after security).

Despite a pre-flight pint being a tradition amongst many Brits, travel insiders previously shared why it might not be the best idea. Chatting with experts at global travel booking giant Omio, flight attendant Dashiell Horowitz of Air Transat gave his advice to anyone planning to board a plane.

He recommended eating a big meal to ‘make sure you’re tired and get some rest on the flight’, however, he wasn’t as keen on airport beers.

Dashiell said: “There isn’t much I would avoid if flying as a passenger except for anything that you know will upset your stomach!

“The one thing I would truly avoid is any alcohol before a flight. Most people don’t know it affects you twice as much whilst in the air, so you’re more likely to feel the effects than on the ground.”