One of the biggest breweries in the UK is reportedly increasing the price of a pint of beer by up to 45p. Marston's, which has more than 1,500 pubs, said it has had to hike prices due to rising prices, including energy.
It's a further blow to Brits coping with spiralling food, fuel and energy prices. Add in a rise in national insurance and increased bills for some mobile and TV packages, and it's looking to be a financially tight summer for millions.
The hospitality sector has also been hit, the Mirror reports. It is facing its own costs soaring and the price of bitter has escalated over the past year.
Prices are going to go up between 20p and 45p at Marston’s, with the average price in the UK for a pint of beer £3.96, reported The Sun. The cost of beer varies around the country, peaking in London where there is an average of £6 and £5.10 in Edinburgh but it is also over £4 in many cities including Liverpool and Birmingham.
A Marston’s spokesman was quoted in the Express & Star saying: “The price increase is a direct impact of the soaring energy prices and operating costs as being experienced by all businesses and households across the country.”
More than 250 business leaders, including Marston's had urged the Government to keep VAT at 12.5 per cent to help the recovery of fragile hospitality and leisure firms. In a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak in February, 261 hospitality and leisure business leaders warned that April’s planned rise to 20 per cent will “exacerbate the squeeze on household finances”.
They said customers are feeling the pinch from increasing costs while firms face higher prices for labour, energy and food and drink supplies. However, the Chancellor stuck with the rise to 20 per cent in his spring statement on Wednesday.
Business leaders also fear that April could be a “cliff edge” for the hospitality industry, as the VAT increase was set to happen alongside a rise in the national minimum wage, plus changes to business rate relief and an end to the rent moratorium.
A Treasury spokesperson said at the time: “We’ve supported hospitality jobs and businesses throughout the pandemic with our £400 billion package of funding and continue to do so.
“We’ve always been clear that the lower rate of VAT was a temporary measure to support businesses as they recover and thanks to the strength of our fantastic vaccine programme, which has enabled restrictions to be lifted and the economy to reopen, it’s right that our package of support reflects this.”
Marston's has been approached for a comment.
