A fight broke out at Lidl's first ever pub within hours of its opening. One man was taken to hospital after an altercation outside The Middle Ale bar in Dundonald, on the outskirts of Belfast.
The supermarket chain stated that the altercation began inside the premises when a group of customers were politely asked to leave after last orders on Thursday night. Lidl said security personnel were involved in the prompt removal of the group.
A widely viewed video clip appeared to capture the incident.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) reported receiving a call about an assault outside licensed premises in Dundonald on Thursday evening, June 18, at approximately 11:20 pm. Officers attended and one man was taken to hospital for treatment of injuries not believed to be serious. Enquiries are ongoing, and police have appealed for witnesses.
Lidl Northern Ireland emphasized the safety of employees and customers, stating they operate a zero-tolerance approach to disorderly behavior. The Middle Ale opened for business for the first time earlier that day.
The bar and off-licence is adjacent to the existing Lidl store in Dundonald. This venture represents Lidl's novel way of complying with Northern Ireland's strict licensing laws, where liquor licenses are tightly controlled. Having been unable to prove an inadequate number of off-licences in the area, Lidl applied for a pub licence instead, arguing a shortage of bars. After a protracted process involving a legal challenge, the chain secured a licence to sell alcohol in a pub with an attached off-sales section. The 60-seat pub's name, The Middle Ale, is a nod to Lidl's famous Middle Aisle of discounted items.
