Drinks on you, food on the house

A band club is advertising a free meal for Christmas and New Year but that's only valid for those who buy drinks.

Forget singing for your supper; if you go along to Hamrun's St Joseph Band club this evening and on New Year's Eve it will be a question of drinking for a free meal.

Manuel Attard, the club's barman, is treating his clients to a three-course free meal on both nights. But, as they say, there is no such thing as a free dinner because Mr Attard will be keeping a hawk's eye on his patrons' glasses, making sure that only those who have a tipple get their food.

So what will he do if some of his patrons spend hours nursing a single glass of beer? "Then they will get the first course and nothing else," he said.

In fact, it will only be those with full glasses who will be able to tuck into bruschettas and antipasto, penne with pesto and a full roast - turkey this evening and pork on New Year's Eve.

This is the second year that the band club is organising the "free" meal on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Mr Attard used to organise the meal at another bar he has in Hamrun. Unlike what some might think, the meal is not just open for the bar's patrons but to whoever turns up... as long as they book and pay for their drinks.