Clevedon pub owner delivering beer by bike
Pete Dommett, owner of The Fallen Tree in Clevedon, with the electric bike he received via North Somerset council's Bicycle loan scheme - Credit: Pete Dommett
A Clevedon pub is taking advantage of North Somerset’s council’s free bicycle loan scheme and is delivering home orders to people in the town throughout March.
Pete Dommett, has been running The Fallen Tree, a micropub in Hill Road, for three years.
Since the second lockdown in November, last year, Pete has used his car to supply a home delivery beer service every Friday and Saturday, to more than 50 customers; and now has the temporary use of an electric cargo bike.
Pete said: “The home deliveries are really helping to keep us ticking over until such time that we can re-open the pub properly, which is hopefully not too far off now.
“The e-bike can carry over 100 pints of beer, and will save me money on fuel. It’s far better for the environment; plus doing deliveries by bike is just as quick and great fun. I’m often clocking up 20 miles or more in a round trip, so it gets me fitter at the same time.”
North Somerset Council is offering businesses free one-month loans of an electric cargo bike to help them reach their customers while cutting carbon emissions.
Cllr James Tonkin, North Somerset Council's executive member whose portfolio includes transport, said: “Electric cargo bikes are efficient making short, fast local journeys. They can be wheeled through pedestrian areas and are easy to park, making pick-ups and deliveries quicker than using a van.
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“Restaurants seeking delivery staff say it’s easier to recruit bike riders than drivers of motorised vehicles, offering additional potential for healthy job creation alongside savings on vehicle and fuel costs.”
The electric cargo bike is available for one-month trials from November 2020. Businesses can then apply for grant funding - up to 50 per cent match-funding to a maximum of £3,000 per business - to purchase their own electric cargo bike.
For more information or an electric cargo bike loan application form, email kerry.oneill@n-somerset.gov.uk.
