The organisers of drinks trail ‘Sip’Swich have offered their congratulations to Ipswich resident Adam Littler, the first person to complete both trails and receive their prizes after visiting all fifteen venues in just two days.
Adam, 23, also received a surprise £50 voucher donated by Mark Hubert at men’s retailer James St Peter – for being the first person to complete both trails. Adam plans to use his voucher towards a new jacket for going out to enjoy more fun with friends.
Adam said he ‘fully intended’ to complete the trails with a friend in one day on Saturday 8th March, managing 13 on the Saturday and returning to the town centre to complete the final two a couple of days later. He collected his limited edition Sip’Swich reusable cup from Rob Pyke at Briarbank on the Wednesday, less than a week after the trails launched!
“Having moved to Ipswich six months ago and loving a drink with friends, when I saw the trails being promoted in the local paper newsfeed it was right up my street as something to do!” Adam says.
Speaking to Adam about his experience of the trails, it’s clear that he loves the challenge of a pub trail and as a computer scientist even scored each location as he has done on other such trails – with a 1-10 scale rating for enjoyment of the drink, price and atmosphere in each!
“The Arbor House and Crafty Fox were two venues that I was really impressed with for their friendly and knowledgeable staff plus recommendations they made. The Arbor House was an unexpected gem that I’d go back to, and, the Crafty Fox had a really lovely vibe about it.”
As any drink was applicable for the trail, to make things a bit more interesting Adam challenged himself to have a different type of drink in every venue! “In Boom Battle Bar wine was my drink of choice, with a cocktail in Cosy Club and a spirit in The Black Horse Inn,” he said.
Adam’s parents were brewers who owned a micro-brewery, so he’s always loved ale. Visiting Briarbank Brewery was his favourite part of the trail and he’s chosen this venue as his local since moving here. “The travel mug was certainly worth it as the prize at the end, I love it! He adds: “I’m planning to do the trail again with another group of friends next weekend so that my girlfriend can get one too! Our black cat Cosmo has benefited from the colourful dog bandana!”
Lee Walker from Ipswich Central, organisers of Sip’Swich in conjunction with Ipswich Borough Council, said: “Ipswich is so lucky to have an incredible range of pubs and bars each with their own character and ambience. We devised Sip’Swich as a way of showcasing those places to a wider audience and Adam’s experience demonstrates just how taking part can help people to discover new pubs and bars they’d never been in before.”
Sip’Swich runs until the end of April 2025 or when all the prizes have been claimed. Details and trail cards can be downloaded from www.allaboutIpswich.com/sipswich or picked up from any of the 15 venues taking part.
Further special prizes will be awarded over the next few weeks including a voucher for a brewery tour donated by the team at the Briarbank Brewery. Watch out for further details on our ‘All About Ipswich’ Meta social media channels (Instagram and Facebook). You can also follow us on Linked in and Tik Tok.
And finally… Don’t forget to use the hashtags #sipswich and #allaboutipswich in your posts about the trails! Cheers!
Image credit: Ipswich Central
