Two pints and a chip buttie for under £4 at popular reopened pub? See how it's done

At a newly refurbished pub, can it be done? Yes, if you have got a mobile phone that works.

Greene King has refurbished The Bear Tavern, Bearwood, and on a recent trip to try out the menu I was impressed when a member of staff told us how to get a free drink.

If you download the Greene King Sports app, there is a free drink on registration.

However, it does not include the 'three Baby Guinness for £5' deal - I know, we asked.

But, when so often left out of the free drink voucher booklet, on account of it being the greatest liquid invented, Guinness was poured at no cost to me.

Other drinks on the list included Aspall cider, Madri, San Miguel and other lagers as well as John Smith bitter. So after my lady had been served her Moretti we were nearly £10 down before we started.

But what about the scran?

Well, the new menu had plenty of offers, and had more choice and cheaper than the Greene King pub in Birmingham city centre - well, President Clinton did have a pint at the Malthouse after all.

Legend has it, CIA bodyguards smashed the Big Dog of Arkansas's pint glass after he necked an Amber Necta.

Whereas the Bear had Frank Skinner, before and after he quit the booze.

The menu felt it had been put together by a focus group, full of people who go to the pub between 2pm and 7pm and go home. However, that's not a criticism: a menu full of pub classic dinners, all scraping in under £12, not including the steaks, is better than a chef who has fluffed his lines on TV.

Build your own burgers, lasagna, various chickens in various stages of undress and pies, slices of pie and even corned beef hash pie.

When I worked in Fleet Street, London, there was a Greene King pub called The Prince of Wales. And if flush, which was rare in the capital, I'd get a sausage and mash, and with a Guinness would top £20.