The Fishes pub gives discounts to those that brave the floods

Oxfordshire pub the Fishes has lived up to its name this week after it gave free meals and discounted drinks to anyone who battled with the surrounding floods to get there.

Part of the independent pub group Peach, the Fishes is based in the village of North Hinskey, Oxfordshire, and was indirectly hit by inclement weather this week after the road leading to the property was closed due to flooding.

In response, manager Owain Llwyd Jones and his team decided to offer regular customers a free starter or dessert and 20% off their bar bill, if they managed to make the journey to their local.

They also bought drinks for anyone who rowed a boat to the site.

The "floody great" opportunity was publicised via tweets and e-mails, resulting in more than 10,000 visits to the pub's Facebook page. More than 150 people took up the offer.

Jones thanked the people who had made the effort and said: "It was a grim few days for homes and businesses but we were determined not to let the floods get the better of us and to keep the pub open. We were overwhelmed with the reaction. People everywhere were saying or tweeting ‘floody hell' and making the best of things, in spite of the weather. It was a great boost for the pub."

The Fishes is one of 16 pubs belonging to local independent pub group Peach, which was founded 11 years ago by Hamish Stoddart and Lee Cash.

The Oxfordshire gastropub was recently named by the company as one of its "top performing pubs" and a significant contributor to its "best week on record", after its own sales grew by 25% in 2013, as part of the company's overall like-for-like growth in the last week of December 2013 of 7.1%.

Peach pubs has ‘most successful week on record' in December 2013 >>