Have you ever settled down for a pint in a pub whilst riding a bike?
Well, today I did just that at London’s first carbon-negative pub, created by Uber.
55k Tonnes, which Uber named after the 55,000 tonnes of air pollution they have saved since 2021, is a pub where customers can actually generate energy whilst sipping a beer.
So I spent the afternoon exploring the spot in Westminster which is open until tomorrow.
I poured my first-ever pint, which was a carbon-negative Swell brewed by South London’s Gipsy Hill before hopping on the saddle of an energy-generating power bike to charge my phone. And I did so whilst enjoying that very beer.
An enjoyable, but rather unique afternoon at work admittedly.
London’s first carbon-neutral pub features other carbon-saving technologies too.
A Pavegen flooring, for instance, transforms footsteps into electrical power.
The bar was also lined with a variety of pot plants, all of which take in carbon to help create this carbon-negative atmosphere.
And every sustainable brew sold at the Westminster spot comes with an Uber Green discount of 55%. Uber Green is the company’s electric-only option, launched in 2021, which costs the same as a standard UberX.
Customers at the event this afternoon were also impressed by the energy-producing boozer.
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Sam Salter, who too enjoyed a pint on the saddle, said: ‘The pub’s something different.
‘It was fun. I think the fact that it’s carbon neutral made me more inclined to visit.’
Sam’s partner, Dylan, added: ‘I am probably more of a pub guy than Sam, but it was more than a pub in there.
‘It was definitely different and a conversation starter I think.’
Tom Harland, manager of The Speaker pub in Westminster which agreed to host Uber’s 55k Tonnes this week, said: ‘Everyone should be working towards carbon neutrality.
‘You still have to give people good products, but if money is invested properly then carbon-neutral and carbon-negative pubs can only be a good thing.’
The pop-up will also offer a unique happy hour from 5.50pm every evening to encourage people not to travel at rush hour.
The hour will see drinks sold for £5.50, another reference to the 55k tonnes of energy saved by Uber in the last three years.
The pub has opened its doors ahead of Uber’s second annual global climate event, GO-GET Zero.
Uber’s general manager in the United Kingdom, Andrew Brem commented: ‘In the UK pubs are where we exchange ideas and opinions.
‘And what better way to promote dialogue on electrification in the UK than with a carbon-negative pub.
‘The opening of the 55k Tonnes in Westminster showcases Uber’s commitment to sustainability in London and beyond.’
London has become Uber’s global EV capital, with nearly 30% of Uber miles in the city driven by electric vehicles.
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