Matt Ellis of St Neots, Cambridgeshire visited the 51 pubs he needed to break the record for the most pubs visited in 24 hours by an individual on Sunday (10th October). He is now collating all the evidence and paperwork for submission to have the challenge verified and confirmed by the Guinness World Records team.
Matt, who runs the Smiling Grape Company wine and beer merchant and Smiling Grape Adventure Tours in the town, completed his mission with time to spare, finishing in just 8 hours, 52 minutes and 37 seconds. Having started at The Regal in Cambridge at midday, Matt and his team of witnesses finally sat down to rest in St Neots having walked 15k and over 20,000 steps.
“I needed to take a 125ml drink in each pub, have a photo taken and get verification from a member of staff as proof of my visit” explained Matt “and all that evidence is now with the organisers of Guinness World Records so I’m just waiting for official confirmation that the attempt was successful.”
With the existing record standing at 50 pubs, Matt received a rousing welcome as he entered The Weeping Ash in St Neots, his 51st pub visit of the day. He was greeted by the Mayor of St Neots, Cllr Stephen Ferguson and a host of well-wishers.
“For many people, going to the pub is one of those things you do without thinking” continued Matt “and spending time on your own, with friends or family in your local is precious. When pubs were shut during various stages of lockdown last year, we became much more aware of their importance within our communities and this world record attempt was driven by my own appreciation of the different styles of pubs that I enjoy visiting. In fact, every one of the 51 pubs on our tour had its own character and typified the different styles of pub that we can choose from, creating some fantastic memories.
“This was an extreme pub crawl but I hope that my achievement over the last 24 hours will help other people appreciate the range of pubs that are available, the different drinks, food and entertainment that they offer, and maybe try out a few new venues as a result. After a day of responsible drinking, it was wonderful to enjoy a cask ale to celebrate and it seemed a fitting end to the challenge.”
Matt started his challenge at The Regal pub in St Andrews St, Cambridge at midday on Sunday 10th October and visited a further 44 pubs in the City before travelling to St Neots, notching up another six pubs to complete his quest.
Matt’s already planning his next challenge when he hopes to lead a party from Smiling Grape Adventure Tours on an ‘Around the World Pub Crawl’. The two week extravaganza will take in 12 countries across four continents, exploring some of the best and quirkiest drinking spots on the planet as they travel more than 26,000 miles from London via Kiev, Moscow, Singapore, Auckland and Hawaii.
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Press release from The Smiling Grape Company
Contact: katehempsallpr@outlook.com