From buying meatballs with your furniture at IKEA, to grabbing a pint when you do the food shop: Lidl has begun building its first ever pub in a Belfast suburb.
This is not normal behaviour for Lidl, and is not due to the store diversifying into hospitality, but to get around the archaic licensing laws in Northern Ireland. Anyone who has had to come up with a creative solution for a building design or structural engineering problem will recognise and appreciate Lidl’s creative spirit here.
Put simply, the German supermarket chain was not able to acquire a standard off-sales licence for its shop in Dundonald, so store bosses decided to build a pub instead.
Licensing in Northern Ireland has two facets. The first hurdle to overcome is buying a licence which has been “surrendered” by another business. For example, if another pub is closing down, you can buy its licence. This naturally caps the number of premises allowed to sell alcohol in a given area.
The second hurdle is passing the “inadequacy” test. You have to demonstrate that the existing number of licensed premises in the area is inadequate to meet the local population’s needs. Lidl didn’t pass that test for a standard off-licence.
However, with two bars close to the supermarket having closed in recent years, they were able to pass the inadequacy test for a pub.
Lidl faced a High Court challenge from the wine merchant Winemark, which argued the chain was attempting to use an unlawful loophole. However, this was dismissed in January 2025 by Mr Justice Colton who said that while the concept of a licensed premises attached to a supermarket was “undoubtedly a new development”, he believed “the fact that the application is a novel one is not a reason for refusing it”.
He went on to praise Lidl’s innovation, adding, “Lidl has always been alive to new opportunities and changes in its business model”.
Lidl’s regional managing director for Northern Ireland Gordon Cruikshanks said, “After six years in the planning process, we’re delighted to confirm the development of a brand new public house and associated off-sales located adjacent to our Dundonald store”.
The pub is expected to open this summer and will accommodate up to 60 customers in premises next door to the main Lidl store. It will serve selected lines from Lidl’s beers, wines and spirits, and will focus on promoting local suppliers.
So, as of summer 2026, Lidl will have around 12,600 stores across the globe, but only one with a pub. As a structural engineer with a creative approach to problem solving, I have to admire their innovation and determination in this case. It will be interesting to see whether the pub echoes the shed-like qualities of the food store or whether it has a little more architectural character.
Meanwhile, if you need any assistance with the structural elements of an upcoming project, please do get in touch.
