The cost of a pint has surpassed £10 in London for the first time as beer prices continue to climb. Several upscale establishments are now charging £10 or more for draught or bottled beer. Stanley's rooftop bar in Mayfair, attached to the Chesterfield hotel, is among those that have increased prices, selling a pint of Moretti or Heineken for £11 and a half pint for £8. Guinness is priced at £10 per pint at this venue.
Bottled beer is even more expensive, with the Connaught Grill in Mayfair charging £12.50 for a 330ml bottle of Noam lager or Curious IPA. This surge comes months after Diageo, the maker of Guinness, announced that draught prices would rise by 5.2 per cent in April due to increasing operational costs. Pub owners have expressed frustration, telling the Morning Advertiser that Diageo seems "hell-bent on having the first £10 a pint beer."
London is one of the most expensive places in the UK to buy a pint, with the Morning Advertiser reporting an average price of £6.50, slightly below Oxford's £6.75. As the £7 pint becomes common in the capital, industry experts are calling on the government to take action to keep prices affordable.
Ash Corbett-Collins, chairman of Camra, told The Telegraph: "It's not surprising pint prices are rising across London and the UK, but our pubs and breweries should not be blamed. Extreme financial pressures from the Government are forcing publicans to either raise their prices or consider closing for good. The Government must recognise pubs for the essential wellbeing benefits their community spaces provide, and their essential contributions to the economy. They must recognise increased employer National Insurance contributions are adding to cost pressures, commit to a fairer business rates system, lower VAT on food and drink for hospitality businesses as well as alcohol duties so publicans can keep their doors open and pub-going becomes affordable again."
According to the British Beer and Pub Association, the average pint price in the UK is £4.52, with lager costing £4.82. Meanwhile, the number of pubs continues to decline nationwide. Pub landlords welcomed news in January that the government planned to reverse business-rate relief cuts for the hospitality industry. Chancellor Rachel Reeves had previously announced plans to reduce the business-rate discount from 75 per cent to 40 per cent, with a complete removal scheduled for April this year.
