Price of a pint crosses £10 in London for the first time
As the price of beer continues to rise, the price of a pint in London has exceeded £10.
A number of higher-end pubs now charge £10 or more for draft or bottled beer. Stanley’s rooftop bar in Mayfair is one of many establishments increasing the cost of its beer.
A pint of Moretti or Heineken retails for £11, while a half-litre beer retails for £8. According to the menu of the bar next to the Chesterfield hotel, a pint of Guinness is sold for £10.
Bottled beer costs even more; Connaught Grill in Mayfair charges £12.50 for a 330ml bottle of Noam lager or Curious IPA.
This comes months after Diageo, the makers of Guinness, announced draft prices would rise by 5.2 per cent in April as operational costs for the business continued to rise. Bar owners told Morning Advertiser He said Diageo appeared “determined to get the first £10 pint of beer”.
London is one of the most expensive places in the country to buy a pint. Morning Advertiser We put the average price at £6.50, below Oxford at £6.75.
While £7 has become commonplace in the capital, industry experts warn the government must do more to keep prices affordable.
Camra chief executive Ash Corbett-Collins said: Telegram: “It’s no surprise that pint prices are rising in London and the UK, but our pubs and breweries are not to blame. Extreme financial pressures from the government are forcing pubkeepers to either raise their prices or consider closing altogether.”
“The government should recognize pubs for the key wellbeing benefits their social spaces provide and the significant contribution they make to the economy.
“It must recognize that rising employer National Insurance contributions are increasing cost pressures, commit to a fairer business rates system, reduce VAT on food and drink and alcohol duties in hospitality businesses so pubs can keep their doors open and pub-going can become affordable again.”
According to the British Beer and Pub Association, the average pint price in the UK is £4.52, while the price of lager is £4.82. Meanwhile, the number of bars continues to decline across the country.
Pub owners welcomed news in January that the government was planning a U-turn on business rates for the hospitality sector.
Rachel Reeves previously announced plans to reduce the business rate relief, which has been in place since the pandemic, from 75 per cent to 40 per cent. Until April, he had said that there would be no discounts from April this year.
