Birmingham Social Media Star's Epic Pub Crawl Could Span Two Decades
Jay Chan, a viral TikTok personality from Birmingham, has embarked on an extraordinary mission to down a pint in every one of the United Kingdom's 650 parliamentary constituencies. The ambitious challenge, which he began at age 18 in 2024, is projected to potentially take up to 20 years to finish, even though he has already made significant progress.
A Campaign for Pub Preservation and Policy Change
Chan, now 20 years old and a former staffer for ex-Dudley North MP Marco Longhi, launched this pub-crawl campaign with a clear advocacy purpose. He is calling on the public to support local pubs and urging the government to provide a better deal for British boozers. In the 17 months since BirminghamLive last interviewed him, Chan has successfully consumed a pint in an additional 119 constituencies across the nation.
"We are losing a lot of pubs," explained Chan, highlighting the motivation behind his endeavor, which could cost him over £4,000 in beer expenses alone. "The government needs to realize how important pubs are to society. I want people to spend money, have a nice pint, and enjoy pub culture."
He is pushing for specific policy changes, including maintaining business tax relief, freezing alcohol duty, and revising regulations to better support the pub industry.
Progress, Strategy, and Personal Highlights
Chan, who resides in Sutton Coldfield, has already completed every constituency in the West Midlands region. His pint-downing skills have garnered millions of views on social media platforms, where he boasts 40,000 followers on Instagram and 26,000 on TikTok. He occasionally gets recognized in public, which he describes as a pleasant interaction.
"The pace I am currently going is because of the proximity," Chan noted. "It will slow down once I finish London and Manchester. I have Scotland and Northern Ireland to do." His current strategy involves traveling along railway lines, hopping off at stations to have a pint at each stop.
Despite the fun, Chan admitted to one instance where he chugged three pints in a row and ended up "absolutely hammered." He named pale ales as his favorite drink and the award-winning Tamworth Tap as his preferred pub.
Criticism of Modern Pub Culture and Political Aspirations
Chan expressed strong dislikes about certain aspects of contemporary pub culture, particularly venues that play excessively loud music or use dazzling disco lights, which he feels hinder conversation and comfort.
Looking ahead, Chan has ambitions to become a councillor rather than a Member of Parliament. He criticized Westminster politicians as being "stuck together with hundreds of other stinking, sweaty, loud peers, unable to think."
Reflecting on his journey, Chan emphasized that the biggest highlight has been the "amount of friends" he has made along the way. "I wanted to do this campaign to preserve our pub culture and encourage people to go to pubs," he said, during an interview at the Prince of Wales pub in Cambridge Street.
