Tulleys Farm: Sussex attraction is first to accept cryptocurrency

Tulleys Farm near Crawley started accepting cryptocurrency on Friday, having reopened its drive-in cinema as lockdown restrictions were eased.

A cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, is a digital or virtual currency based on a network distributed across a large number of computers, which means they exist outside the control of governments and central authorities.

It comes as Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak told the Bank of England yesterday to look at the case for a "Britcoin" - a central bank-backed digital currency.

• READ MORE: Tulleys Farm launches farm shop Drive Thru

Owner Stuart Beare said: "When I told the team back in January this would be the year for us to start taking cryptocurrency, they all looked at each other as if I was crazy.

"But blockchain technology is here to stay.

Stuart Beare, owner of Tulleys Farm near Crawley

"It's becoming much more mainstream and quite a lot of people have made investments in cryptocurrency, but there are not many opportunities to buy things like this with it.

"I think it's a unique and fun thing we can offer."

The farm uses a system called Coinbase Commerce for customers to make payments, and currently takes six types of cryptocurrency - Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, USDcoin, Bitcoin cash and Dai.

Payments can be made across any part of the business, from paying for food to buying tickets to an event.

Stuart said: "It works out the exchange rate at that point in time, just like changing pounds to Euros, and charges the equivalent - so you are getting the true value at that point.

Tulleys Drive In Cinema

"We launched it on Friday with some early bird ticket sales for Shocktober Fest and have already had some people buying tickets using cryptocurrency.

"At the moment we can take payment for six of them, but eventually we should be able to accept all of them."

Tulleys Farm, which is well known for its award-winning Halloween event Shocktober Fest and its popular escape rooms, is no stranger to innovation and reinvention.

Last spring it was temporarily transformed from an events business into a drive-thru farm shop shortly after the nation went into lockdown.

Bentleys Diner provides food and drink for cinema goers at Tulleys Drive In

Tulleys drive-in cinema was launched in July, and has now reopened for the first time this year, following successful sell-out months last autumn and leading up to Christmas.

The cinema is open from Fridays to Sundays, with three screenings every day on its two large LED screens.

Stuart said movie lovers can catch classic Hollywood blockbusters, musicals and family favourites, with late night horror screenings too.

He said: "There's a full American diner service running alongside it from Bentleys Diner, who deliver food and drink directly to people on golf carts.

Stuart Beare, right, with his son Sam and mother Marion at Tulleys Farm, during a Pick Your Own Pumpkin event

"You get an outside space by your car and food gets dropped off there.

"It's going well again so far and is great to have people back."

Stuart hopes to be able to reopen the farm's escape rooms next month, while in August people will be able to come and pick sunflowers, followed by Pick Your Own Pumpkin in the autumn.

To find out more or book tickets for Tulleys Drive In, visit tulleysdriveincinema.co.uk, and for all the farm's other attractions visit tulleysfarm.com.