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22nd March 2023
10:23am GMT
Model-turned-publican Jodie Kidd gave regulars at her country boozer a shock - by posing in the buff for a new pub sign.
Drinkers at The Half Moon, in West Sussex, were surprised to see a new addition of her cheeky portrait hanging outside the picture-perfect pub.
Kidd, who swapped the catwalks in Paris to pull pints, is supporting a new campaign to raise awareness and funds for the hospitality industry.
Her portrait is part of a series of cheeky pub signs, including ‘The Cricketers’, reimagined by artist Reuben Dangoor, starring a batsman saving his blushes with a strategically placed bat.
The eleven-piece collection includes a new view of 'Queen Victoria', created by Sam Rees-Price, and a new portrait of HRH King Charles for 'The Kings Head' by Heath Kane, that has been unveiled ahead of the coronation in May.
The nude signs are available for online auction, and prints of each are also available to buy, with all profits being donated to Hospitality Action to assist pubs with rising energy bills.
Funds raised by the collection, inspired by Stella Artois Unfiltered, will also see up to £50,000 donated in matched funds by the lager brand.
Jodie Kidd said: “As a landlord myself, I’m very aware of the struggles that pubs and the whole of the hospitality industry are facing.
“My pub is fittingly called The Half Moon, and I can’t wait to see the new sign in all its glory - all for a good cause.”
The lager brand also commissioned research which revealed the pub is still at the heart of the community for 55 per cent of Brits.
In the poll of 2,000 adults, 77 per cent said it is ‘sad to see’ so many nearby watering holes closing down in recent years - as data, from Hospitality Action, revealed applications for financial support are up by 29 per cent from the previous year.
More than four in 10 (43 per cent) think pubs can be a lifeline for members of their community, and 42 per cent feel they are a great place for everyone to come together.
But with so many struggling, one in three pop in to do their bit to keep their local afloat, and 55 per cent have called on the Government to do more to support the hospitality industry.
Meg Chadwick, from Stella Artois, said: “As a brand committed to tackling big issues within our communities, we wanted to offer our support to pubs during this challenging time.
“As bastions of British culture, pubs deserve to be valued as much as any piece of art hanging in a gallery, which is why we wanted to use this traditional medium - albeit with a cheeky twist - to support them.
“We want to raise as much money as possible so art and pub lovers - buy nude art, help pubs.”
The research also revealed the memorable moments the nation has had in pubs, with 27 per cent trying to impress someone on a first date in a free house.
New friendships blossomed over a drink for 35 per cent, as well as new relationships for 25 per cent.
While 12 per cent even went on to marry someone they met at a nearby tavern.
It also emerged 41 per cent think it is a rite of passage to watch significant cultural events in a pub.
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