Publican erects sign to discourage people from drinking half-pints of Guinness

A sign erected at a popular Belfast pub which claims half-pints of Guinness will no longer be sold on the premises is using a “tongue in cheek message” to make a serious point, the owner has revealed.

The sign at Bittles Bar in the city centre has gone viral on social media, after it stated: “Half pints notice. Due to Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol we are no longer able to sell 1/2 pints of Gunness [sic]”.

Many have questioned online whether it was serious, also pointing to the misspelling of Guinness on the sign.

However, landlord John Bittles said the bar is trying to make a serious point about the amount of time it takes to make the perfect pint of the black stuff and said the pub is “too busy” to be selling half-pints.

He also revealed the man who makes the signs is dyslexic and said most people who have seen the message since it was put in the bar find it a “bit of fun”.

“It only went up during the week and nobody has kicked up any fuss or complained,” he said. 

“I think most people know it is a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun and they are asking if it is true and we are telling them it is.

“We are a small place here and we are selling hundreds and hundreds of pints a day and there is no room for selling half pints.

“It is a bit of work with Guinness, it is a bit of an art form. Really, we are a city centre pub, we are a small pub, if the people pay you by cash they are also using your change in the till.

“You are not going to get the same experience drinking a half pint as you are a full pint anyway.

“I know people mean well but we only have 10 tables here. It doesn’t pay us to sell half-pints.

“Most people know it is a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun and some of the tourists wouldn’t be sure, but at the end of the day, they are happy.”