By George Rowley and Will Rowley, Co-Founders of BevGARDien®
If you work in hospitality and read one thing today, please make it this—and then forward it to someone who can act.
Drink spiking is an industry-wide problem. It affects customers, families, students, hospitality teams and the reputation of the night-time economy. No single product can remove that risk, but every venue can take practical steps to reduce opportunities for drink tampering, improve awareness and demonstrate that customer welfare is being treated seriously.
That is why this announcement matters: BevGARDien® anti-spiking drink covers are now available to order through LWC Drinks.
Supplied through Amber Beverage UK, BevGARDien® appears in the LWC Drinks September–October 2026 brochure. Existing LWC customers can ask their local representative to add protective drink covers to their normal drinks order, making it easier to purchase the quantities they need through an established hospitality supply route.
To order through LWC Drinks:
- Ask your local LWC representative for BevGARDien®.
- Quote product code 31172048.
- View the product on page 49 of the September–October 2026 brochure.
For pubs, bars, nightclubs, hotels, festivals, student unions and event operators preparing for Freshers 2026, the message is simple: protection should be available from the first night, not introduced only after the first incident.
Why Freshers 2026 demands action before the doors open
Freshers’ Week should be exciting. Thousands of young adults arrive in new towns and cities, form friendships and discover unfamiliar venues. It is also an intense period for student unions, licensed premises, security teams and university welfare services.
Many students will be navigating unfamiliar locations and meeting new people. Busy bars and crowded events create moments of distraction. That never makes a person responsible for someone else’s criminal behaviour: responsibility for spiking always lies with the perpetrator. It does make visible, workable venue precautions important.
The question for every operator is not whether one product can promise complete safety it cannot. The more useful question is:
If a suspected spiking incident happened in your venue tonight, what could you show you had already done to help reduce the risk and prepare your team to respond?
Good safeguarding begins before an incident. It includes trained staff, working CCTV, clear procedures, welfare support and a plan for preserving evidence. It can also include physical drink protection measures for customers who want them, alongside prominently displayed anti-spiking awareness posters.
GOV.UK guidance supports protective drink covers in venues
This is not simply our view as the founders of BevGARDien®.
The Home Office’s official spiking information for venues and festival organisers says bars and clubs have an important role in prevention and victim support. Its practical measures include making anti-spiking bottle stoppers and protective drink covers available to people who want them.
The guidance also recommends anti-spiking information, staff training, effective CCTV, retained footage and police engagement. For events, it adds welfare and medical planning, clear procedures and physical prevention measures such as drink toppers.
That wider context matters. A protective drink cover should never be treated as a substitute for trained people or effective procedures. It is one visible layer within a broader customer welfare system.
Official information makes clear that spiking is not limited to adding an illegal drug to alcohol. It can include adding extra alcohol or putting prescription or illegal drugs into alcoholic or non alcoholic drinks without permission. Anyone can be affected.
For venues, that means drink-spiking prevention must cover cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks and water. It is not a niche issue attached to one type of customer or one category of drink.
What is BevGARDien®?
BevGARDien® is a UK developed, patent pending, tamper evident protective drink cover designed for real hospitality environments. It fits most commonly used glasses, bottles and cans, creating a visible physical barrier across the drink opening while allowing a straw to be inserted.
Our six co-founders developed the system to work for customers and busy bar teams. Our family combines decades of drinks industry experience with the first-hand perspective of the next generation. Will, Jem and Flora were of university age during development and together hold 45% of the business, helping us design around real social occasions.
Each Bar Station Dispensing Box™ contains 100 individually designed covers, helping customers recognise their drink while making protection engaging rather than clinical. A QR code connects users and staff to anti-spiking information and support.
The four point tamper lock design helps make interference more visible. BevGARDien® uses FSC certified paper, water based inks, adhesives and varnishes, and incorporates a dry, cured direct food contact barrier. Its food contact materials have been independently tested against applicable EU/UK and US FDA requirements.
BevGARDien® has achieved Police Secured by Design accreditation and is an official supplier partner to the National Union of Students, supporting its role as a practical addition to existing safeguarding.
Most importantly, we are careful about what the product can and cannot do. BevGARDien® is designed to help deter drink tampering, reduce opportunity and reveal possible interference. It cannot guarantee personal safety, and it does not eliminate the need to keep drinks in sight, look after friends, train staff or respond properly when someone feels unwell.
Why ordering through LWC Drinks makes a practical difference
An idea only becomes useful when venues can obtain it easily.
Hospitality businesses already manage many suppliers, invoices and deliveries. Opening a new account or creating a separate procurement route can delay action. Availability through LWC Drinks helps remove that friction.
For existing customers, BevGARDien® can become part of the usual drinks ordering conversation. A venue can speak to its local LWC representative, quote product code 31172048 and order protective covers alongside the products it already needs to operate.
This is valuable for multi site groups, university venues and operators preparing for Freshers. Teams can order an appropriate quantity, assess uptake and reorder. The objective is not to place covers unseen in a cupboard, but to make them available, tell customers and ensure staff know how to offer and apply them.
The strongest prevention measures are often those that fit naturally into daily operations. A cover that can sit at the bar station, be explained in seconds and be added through a familiar wholesaler has a far better chance of being used consistently.
If you are unable to order through LWC Drinks, you can purchase directly from the BevGARDien® online shop. A VAT invoice is provided with your purchase. Larger organisations can also view our wholesale options for bars, clubs, universities, retailers and events.
A five-point drink-spiking prevention check for venues
Before the first Freshers event, venue owners and managers should be able to answer five basic questions.
- Are protective drink covers visible and available?
Customers should not have to wait for an incident or feel uncomfortable asking. Make availability clear at the bar, on menus, in welfare areas and through digital screens or social media. Decide whether covers will be offered on request, included with selected drinks or made available to everyone at key events.
- Do all staff know the venue’s spiking procedure?
Brief bar staff, managers, security, floor teams and temporary event workers. They should know how to recognise possible signs of spiking, where to take someone who needs help, when to seek medical assistance and who is responsible for contacting the police.
- Can the venue protect the person and preserve evidence?
Safeguarding must come first. Staff should know how to find the person’s friends, provide a safe space and help them access medical and police support. The venue should also be ready to retain the affected drink, container, relevant clothing and CCTV footage where appropriate.
- Is the message visible before the event begins?
Communicate that spiking will not be tolerated and will be reported. Tell customers what support is available. A clear message reassures guests, guides staff and signals that the venue is alert.
Each 100 cover BevGARDien® Bar Station Dispensing Box™ is supplied with two venue awareness posters, helping venues make the availability of protective drink covers clearly visible to customers.
- Has responsibility been assigned?
Nominate a manager to check cover stocks, staff briefings, welfare arrangements, CCTV and incident records. Review the plan after major events and use the Green Button at BevGARDien.com to access venue and staff guidance.
Protective drink covers work best as part of this joined up approach. They provide a tangible measure that customers can see and use, while the surrounding procedures ensure the venue is ready to respond.
A responsibility shared across the drinks and hospitality industry
As a drinks industry family, we believe our responsibility extends beyond supplying drinks. Hospitality brings people together and gives communities places to celebrate and connect. Customer welfare is part of responsible service.
BevGARDien® grew from that belief. The initiative is proudly supported by La Fée® and NV® Absinthe. NV® was developed for university hospitality and is listed and supplied through NUS channels. Supporting a Freshers drink safety initiative is a natural extension of our wider commitment to responsible hospitality.
Venues also face commercial pressure. Prevention measures must be practical, environmentally sustainable, affordable and simple to use during busy service. Distribution through Amber Beverage UK and LWC Drinks moves protective covers into the same supply chain as the drinks themselves.
In other words, protection is now on the drinks order.
What hospitality leaders can do today
If you are a venue owner, general manager, bar manager, university officer, student union leader, event organiser, wholesaler or hospitality supplier, please take one action today:
- Ask your local LWC representative for BevGARDien® using product code 31172048.
- Forward this article to one person responsible for customer welfare or purchasing.
- Add drink-spiking prevention to your next staff briefing.
- Review the official GOV.UK guidance with your management team.
- Tell customers what protection and support your venue makes available.
A social media like can help awareness. A direct forward to one decision maker can put practical protection inside a venue before its first Freshers event. This call applies equally to pubs, bars and clubs in university towns not only venues located on campus.
Media interviews, podcasts, television and radio
George Rowley and Will Rowley, co-founders of BevGARDien®, are available for podcasts, print and online media interviews, television and radio appearances, industry panels and live discussions about drink-spiking prevention and responsible hospitality.
We can comment on developing a practical anti-spiking product; the risks that drink spiking presents to customers and venues alike; the role of licensed venues, universities and drinks suppliers; intergenerational and family entrepreneurship; food contact considerations for drink covers; sustainability; customer welfare procedures; and why preventative measures should be in place before an incident occurs.
For interviews, expert comment, product demonstrations, photography or broadcast enquiries, email hello@BevGARDien.com or contact George Rowley on +44 (0)7798 671334.
Learn more about George and Will Rowley and the family behind BevGARDien®.
How to order BevGARDien® anti-spiking drink covers
LWC Drinks customers: Ask your local representative for BevGARDien® and quote product code 31172048. The product is shown on page 49 of the LWC Drinks September-October 2026 brochure.
Direct orders: Visit the BevGARDien® online shop. A VAT invoice is provided with your purchase.
Wholesale and other trade enquiries: View BevGARDien® wholesale options or email hello@BevGARDien.com.
Protection needs to be available from the first night. LWC Drinks is ready. Now we need venues to use it.
Frequently asked questions about anti-spiking drink covers
What is an anti-spiking drink cover?
An anti-spiking drink cover is a physical barrier placed across the opening of a glass, bottle or can to help deter drink tampering and make possible interference more visible. It is an additional precaution, not a guarantee against spiking.
Where can UK hospitality venues buy BevGARDien®?
Existing LWC Drinks customers can ask their local representative for BevGARDien® using product code 31172048. Venues can also purchase through the BevGARDien® online shop, review wholesale options or speak to Amber Beverage UK.
Does GOV.UK recommend protective drink covers?
Yes. Official GOV.UK guidance for venues and festival organisers includes making anti-spiking bottle stoppers and protective drink covers available to people who want them. It also recommends training, working CCTV, visible information and clear incident procedures.
Does a drink cover guarantee that a customer cannot be spiked?
No. BevGARDien® helps deter tampering and can make interference more evident, but no drink cover can eliminate risk. It should be used alongside attentive staff, CCTV, responsible service, welfare support, clear reporting procedures and sensible personal precautions.
Can BevGARDien® be used on non-alcoholic drinks?
Yes. BevGARDien® is designed to fit most glasses, bottles and cans, including soft drinks and water. This matters because spiking can affect both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks.
Where can customers and venues find drink-spiking support?
The BevGARDien® QR code connects customers and staff to guidance and support. Further information is available through the BevGARDien® drink-spiking resource hub and the official GOV.UK spiking guidance.
Are George and Will Rowley available for media interviews?
Yes. George and Will Rowley are available for podcasts, press interviews, television, radio, panels and product demonstrations covering drink spiking prevention, responsible hospitality, customer welfare, product development and family entrepreneurship. Contact hello@BevGARDien.com.