A new campaign is bringing an unexpected health conversation to the pub, with beer mats comparing the colour of popular pints with bowel movements to encourage people to pay closer attention to their bowel health.
Talking about bowel movements might not be the most obvious pub conversation, but a new campaign is hoping to make it a little less awkward.
Big Smoke Brew Co. has launched its “Know Your St!” campaign**, introducing the aptly named “Pint Pootorial” – a visual beer mat designed to encourage pubgoers to recognise changes in their bowel movements and consider when it may be appropriate to seek medical advice.
The campaign is being launched in partnership with at-home testing provider Newfoundland Diagnostics, with beer mats and thousands of free bowel health tests being made available in pubs across London from September before the initiative is rolled out further across the UK later this year.
What Is the Pint Pootorial?
The idea behind the Pint Pootorial is simple: use something familiar to pubgoers – the colour of their pint – to start a conversation about something many people rarely discuss.
The beer mats compare different stool colours with familiar beer styles, including IPA, lager, ale and stout, while highlighting when a change in colour could warrant further attention.
The campaign encourages people to:
- IPA – light or yellow: Consider testing, particularly if the change is persistent or unusual.
- Lager – orange or amber: An unusual colour can have several causes and may warrant further investigation if it persists.
- Ale – brown: Brown is generally considered a typical stool colour.
- Stout – dark red or black: Dark red or black stools can sometimes indicate bleeding and should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
It is important to note that stool colour alone cannot diagnose bowel cancer. Changes can have a number of causes, and anyone concerned about persistent or unusual symptoms should speak to a healthcare professional.
Free Bowel Health Tests Coming to London Pubs
Alongside the beer mats, free at-home bowel health tests will be available at participating pubs.
Newfoundland Diagnostics says its tests are designed to detect occult blood – blood that is not visible to the naked eye – in stool samples. Blood in stool can have several causes, and a positive result does not mean someone has bowel cancer. Follow-up with a healthcare professional may be required.
The campaign says results can be available in around five minutes, meaning pubgoers could potentially complete a test during the time it takes to enjoy a pint.
Newfoundland Diagnostics’ Bowel Health Test is also available to purchase for £9.99.
Find out more about Newfoundland Diagnostics’ Bowel Health Test
Why Is Bowel Cancer Awareness Important?
According to Cancer Research UK, around 50,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK each year, making it one of the country’s most common cancers.
Cancer Research UK – Bowel Cancer Statistics
The campaign is designed to tackle one of the biggest barriers to bowel health conversations: embarrassment.
By bringing information into pubs and beer gardens, the organisers hope to encourage people to become more familiar with what is normal for them and to take persistent changes seriously.
Which London Pubs Are Taking Part?
From September, Pint Pootorial beer mats and free tests will be available at participating venues including:
- Big Smoke Taphouse & Kitchen, London Gatwick South
- Big Smoke Taphouse & Kitchen, Luton Airport
- The Globe, Heathrow Terminal 5
- The Oceanic, Heathrow Terminal 3
- The Antelope, Surbiton
- The Flintgate, Weybridge
- The Albion, Kingston
- The Poyntz Arms, East Molesey
- The Red Lion, Thames Ditton
- The Bricklayer’s Arms, Hersham
The campaign is expected to expand to pubs across the UK later this year.
Zahida Allen Backs the Campaign After Losing Her Father
The campaign has also received support from reality TV personality Zahida Allen, who has spoken publicly about losing her father to bowel cancer.
For the former Geordie Shore and Ex on the Beach star, the initiative has a particularly personal significance. She says her father was diagnosed at a late stage and that she wishes she had known more about the potential warning signs and the importance of testing sooner.
“Losing my dad to bowel cancer is something I will always carry with me,” Allen said. “I want to help make talking about bowel health and testing feel less awkward and more normal, so people feel informed enough to recognise the signs and take action.”
She added that if the campaign encourages even one person to seek help earlier, it could make a meaningful difference.
Know the Symptoms of Bowel Cancer
While the Pint Pootorial focuses on changes in bowel movements, bowel cancer can present with a range of symptoms.
Newfoundland Diagnostics advises people to speak to a healthcare professional if they experience symptoms including:
- Bleeding from the bottom
- Blood in your stool
- A persistent change in bowel habits, including diarrhoea or constipation
- Unexplained weight loss
- Ongoing fatigue without an obvious cause
- Persistent tummy pain or a lump in the abdomen
Having these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have bowel cancer, as they can be caused by many different conditions. However, persistent or concerning changes should be checked by a healthcare professional.
Making an Awkward Conversation Easier
The organisers behind the Pint Pootorial campaign are hoping its deliberately humorous approach will make an otherwise uncomfortable subject easier to discuss.
Michael Hodnett, co-founder of Newfoundland Diagnostics, said the campaign uses something people already understand – the colour of their pint – to encourage them to think about their bowel health.
The message isn’t that a glance into the toilet can diagnose cancer. Instead, the campaign aims to encourage people to understand what is normal for them, recognise persistent changes and seek professional advice when something doesn’t seem right.
And while checking your poo might not traditionally feature alongside ordering a pint, the campaign hopes that a little humour could encourage more people to have a conversation that could ultimately prove important.
