Wetherspoon's is bringing back San Miguel lager, with pints priced at £4.19, set to return in August. The Spanish beer, once named Britain's favourite pint in a YouGov survey two years ago, was discontinued from the pub chain in November 2024 following reports that a 15-year partnership between its owner and distributor Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company had ended. Customers expressed disappointment when it was replaced by Italian lager Poretti.
Return of a Popular Beer
Wetherspoon's marketing executive James Vaughan said: “We are confident that our customers will welcome the addition of San Miguel on draught. It complements our existing range of draught lagers available in our pubs.” The average price of a pint across the UK is now £4.80 according to the British Beer and Pub Association, making the San Miguel pint 60p cheaper than the national average.
VAT Campaign and Price Cuts
Wetherspoon's continues to support the VAT's The Problem campaign, urging the government to reduce hospitality VAT from 20% to 10% to align with countries like France, Spain and Italy. The campaign argues this would create jobs, keep prices affordable, and help the industry face cost pressures. On September 17, Wetherspoon's will cut prices of all food and drinks by 7.5% to highlight the benefit of a permanent VAT reduction.
When Andy Burnham announced a business rates reduction for hospitality last week, Wetherspoon's boss Tim Martin called it "a small move in the right direction." He added: “The biggest disadvantage for pubs versus supermarkets relates to VAT, where supermarkets pay zero on food sales and hospitality venues, including pubs, pay 20%.”
