Will mediate for beer: as times get tough, locals turn to bartering

At The Pigs, a pub in Norwich, England, locals can trade food — produce they’ve grown or game they’ve caught — for beer. According to the sign posted in the pub, “If you grow, breed, shoot or steal anything that may look at home on our menu, then bring it in and let’s do a deal!”

That’s the story according to a video posted by ABC News this evening. (To view, click here and then on the link for the September 16 story titled, “Bartering for Beer”.)

No word yet on whether pub owners will also trade beer for professional services. Accountants, lawyers, mediators, and others, stay tuned.

Bartering is on the rise elsewhere in the world, including here in the U.S., as small business owners and others swap goods and services to cope with lean times and an economy in free fall. It’s a time-honored and creative way to continue to get to yes even when cash is short.

                       

Diane J. Levin

Diane Levin, J.D., is a mediator, dispute resolution trainer, negotiation coach, writer, and lawyer based in Marblehead, Massachusetts, who has instructed people from around the world in the art of talking it out. Since 1995 she has helped clients resolve disputes involving tort, employment, business, estate, family, and real property… MORE >