Why is Lidl opening a pub?

It really has been a big talking point and we have almost reached the main event as Lidl is set to open a pub in the coming weeks.

There has been much debate about what seems like a bizarre idea of having a cold pint after exploring the store's well-known middle aisle.

It may sound like a gimmick but the supermarket chain's venture into the world of hospitality shines a light on something more complex.

Northern Ireland has one of the strictest alcohol licensing systems in Europe, wherein anyone wanting to open a pub or off-sales must buy an existing licence from another business which has closed.

This 'surrender principle' has shaped the pub trade in Northern Ireland for the best part of the last century, limiting new venues and driving licence prices into the hundreds of thousands.

This £500,000 Lidl pub, which is to be called The Middle Ale, is raising new questions about whether licensing laws in Northern Ireland should be reformed.

The new pub in Dundonald, east Belfast, will open next month and will accommodate up to 60 customers. It will not operate in the store itself but in separate premises next door.

It is Lidl's first-ever pub - but it hasn't been a simple process to get here.