HOTELS OFFER FOOD

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31974, 29 April 1969, Page 1

HOTELS OFFER FOOD

Christchurch drinkers who want to keep their blood alcohol levels down iby eating while drinking will be able to do so in most city and suburban hotels and taverns. Many now have food available throughout the day—even if it is just pies and sandwiches—and others plan ■ to provide food now that the ■ breath test is about to come into effect ! Dr J. F. Gwynne, associate 'professor of pathology at the 'University of Otago, recently criticised the Ministry of Transport's campaign against drinking and driving for failing to emphasise the importance of food in reducing blood alcohol levels. He said that the public should be educated on the value of taking food with drinks to reduce the blood alcohol level—not with the aim of beating the tests, but in the interests of safer driving.

Dr Gwynne urged hotel keepers to have food available at all times for bar customers. English scientific experiments indicated that a person drinking while eating (a substantial meal could idrink half as much again as (when drinking without a meal, and still have about the same blood-alcohol level. A number of Christchurch hotel proprietors said yesterday that they were aware of such medical opinion, and two decided to install pie dispensers when they were told | of it. ; But in a number of hotels no food is available in the ,bar except the usual thirstinducing salted peanuts and ■potato crisps. In those that do provide ifood. it is usually restricted to pies, savouries and sand.wiches. Some are offering i oysters at present. One hotel proprietor in the central city said the biggest demand for food was in the evening but that hotels sited near restaurants took care not to compete with them.

The food eaten in the bar appeared to have some dampening effect on patrons’ behaviour. Other city hotels have pies available all the time, and one serves bread rolls and sandwiches in the afternoons and evenings as well. “We plan to extend this a little later,” said the proprietor. “We've got to look after the customers." Several hotels sell hot meals in their bars at lunchtime and one hotel has a grill room open for bar patrons throughout the day until 8 p.m., and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Taverns are required to make light refreshments available for sale to bar patrons, and most interpret this as pie and sandwich. 1 Free counter lunches are a thing of the past in Christchurch. but one or two establishments have free cheese and crackers on the bar.