Recruiters in the hospitality sector have discredited a proposal to replace the pound with a beer bartering system as unworkable.

Dawn Koplin, pub landlady of The Marksman pub in Shoreditch, East London, is calling on Gordon Brown to scrap the pound in favour of the pint as the UK’s currency.

But Alan Hogg, director at Kerry Robert Associates, told Recruiter, that the system just would not work.

“I have heard of this before. I would think this is unworkable unless you are a sole trader. You need to pay your staff a salary.

“We have already had a shock with the banking system. That would just cause more chaos. I would prefer the money rather than the beer, but there are certain days that I would question that.”

Hannah Horler, director at Cartwheel Recruitment, adds: “Bartering systems only work if what you are offering is of interest to the recipient to what they are offering.

“I certainly would not be interested in buying goods and services with beer. I think it is taking us back to some primitive days.”