A bar in Sidcup is offering a unique experience by allowing customers to pour their own pints in their novel beer booths with three taps.
Tap Sidcup, located on Wellington Parade in Blackfen Road, has quickly become a popular spot among locals for doing something a little different – as only one other pub in London offers a similar experience.
The venue is run by husband and wife duo Jane and Chris Devito and opened in May 2022.
Chris, who also runs a company called Bexley Builders, first saw the concept at a bar in Hungary and was inspired by the idea.
He took the idea home and decided that he wanted to make the dream a reality after getting “itchy feet” whilst waiting for their home’s planning permission to be approved.
They bought the building on Wellington Parade which was previously occupied by a dog groomers and got to work with a complete refurbishment of the venue.
Jane told the News Shopper: “We've never ever had a bar before – this is our first venue.
“We just basically just jumped in feet first and it has been very successful - people love coming back.”
The establishment has booths each equipped with three beer pumps, allowing customers to pour their own drinks.
To enjoy this new way of ordering and serving drinks, customers first purchase a card with their desired amount.
They receive a pre-paid swipe-card, which activates both the tablet and taps at their chosen beer booth.
They can then use this card to top up with additional funds and order food and beverages, including bottled beers, wine, cocktails, and tapas.
The bar offers a selection of food in tapas portions, including cheese or antipasti boards, goujons, and tempura prawns.
When ready for a drink, customers simply stick the card onto a reader at their table, allowing the system to process their order.
Drinks are charged to the card, measured to the accuracy of 0.1 of a pint and at the end of their visit, any remaining balance on the card is refunded.
You can even try the venues own brand of beer, called Tap, which has quickly gained popularity among customers.
The venue has events on a regular basis and often raises money for their charity of choice, Aim.
Jane explained: “Every other Thursday we are holding a Choose the Tune night where you can scan a QR code and you can decide what song you want to play.
“That'll go straight through to the DJ for £2 ago and every penny that we make is going to go to charity.
“We have chosen an organisation called AIM which supports those with autism, cause our youngest son is autistic. We wanted to do something that was close to our hearts.”
Tap Sidcup hosts special nights called The Classics, bringing in renowned DJs such as Brandon Block, Slipmatt, Billy Bunter, Lisa Loud, K Klass, and featuring live performances by local singers like Abigail Bailey.
The bar is known for its friendly and fun staff, and locals frequently sing their praises with many becoming regular customers.
Jane added: “We're very social people and we have always loved hosting people around at our house.
“This was an excuse to host more I guess and opened something and run it the way that we really like it.”
Jane went on to praise the staff at Tap and their continuous hard work, especially the manager at the venue Maria who “always goes above on the beyond”.
With its self-pour beer booths and convenient ordering system, Tap Sidcup offers a unique and enjoyable experience for patrons who appreciate a novel twist on the traditional pub visit.
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