Had it been opened up to the public, there would have been plenty of suggestions for the name of the new pub being opened at Lidl’s store in Dundonald.
But the company has chosen a safer route and The Middle Ale will open at its existing Dundonald store in County Down next month, bringing the retailer’s award-winning range of quality wines, beers and spirits to local shoppers and residents for the first time.
Representing a fresh investment of more than £500,000 into the local community, the opening of Lidl’s new public house offering has created eight permanent new jobs, adding to the existing team of 27 employees at Lidl Dundonald. New roles created include a bar manager, bar duty manager, bar and off sales attendants.
The new public house and off-sales commenced construction in April in partnership with MMG Contracts and Marcon. Lidl Northern Ireland also enlisted specialist Gordon Devenney of O’Donnell O’Neill design company - known for other high profile hospitality design including The Foundry and most recently The Linen Hall Bar in Belfast - to create a unique, experiential interior in line with the retailer’s iconic brand personality, reflecting its vibrant brand colours.
With a floor space of 60 sqm. and seated capacity of up to 60, the fully accessible pub will be a welcoming space for customers and will operate independently from the adjacent Lidl store, with a separate entrance.
Featuring an extensive drinks list combining the best of Lidl’s premier range of beers, wines and spirits, available to purchase and enjoy within the premises, as well as bar snack options, The Middle Ale will also include an off-sales offering, accessed via a separate entrance to the pub.
Commenting ahead of the anticipated opening, Regional Managing Director for Lidl Northern Ireland, Gordon Cruikshanks, said:
“We are pleased to confirm that our new public house at Dundonald is nearing completion and will open next month as ‘The Middle Ale’ in homage to our infamous middle aisle which our customers know and love. With a wide selection of premium quality drinks across beers, wines and spirits, we’re excited to bring our full range to customers in a novel new pub setting.
We’ve been working with our fantastic construction and fit out partners, as well as one of the top hospitality interior designers in the island of Ireland, to bring a unique offering to Dundonald which reflects our brand. With construction nearly complete, we’re looking forward to seeing the response and hearing customer’s feedback on what we believe is an innovative new addition to the thriving hospitality sector in the wider Belfast area, as well as a much-needed investment for the Dundonald community.”