Traditional Suffolk pub becomes ‘first in UK’ to go cash free

The Boot pub in Freston, Suffolk has claimed to be the first traditional pub in Britain to go cashless.

The pub only accepts payments by card or phone, there is no minimum spend and the landlord claimed its decision to go cashless had “pipped [London] to the post”.

The Boot, which was established in the 1530s, was derelict for nine years and was refurbished and reopened by new owner Mike Keen in June. A 12-seater cinema was installed and Keen made the decision to go cashless to help the company’s bottom line.

Keen, who has experience consulting delis and cafes in major cities, told Catering Today that he carried out research into cashless establishments with his previous job and felt in his new role, it was something the pub industry needed.

He said since opening the pub’s takings have exceeded his predictions and the negativity from customers he was expecting from its cashless operations “didn’t materialise”. He added that the decision to go cashless has benefited his company, as it saves him from cashing up in the evenings and going into town to deposit the takings at the local bank.

The Boot’s card system is interlinked with the company’s accounting system, meaning the pub’s takings are synced regularly through the day.

Keen said: “We’ve been open 12 weeks and it’s been fantastic so far. This is my project and with the knowledge from the research anything that seems to help the bottom line especially in pub industry is what we need at the moment.

“The benefit to us is I don’t have to do up all the change, go into town, park up, wait for ages, cash in and carry change back. That saves me 10 hours a week. The cash ups at the end of the night, we would have three tills so that would take an average of 45 minutes to cash up and reconcile. Now we just push a button and its revolutionary.”