A landlord says pubs, bars and customers are effectively facing a 'tax on socialising' with the ever-rising cost of energy forcing boozers into passing on price hikes to the paying public.
Kallum Nolan, who runs The Crown in Middleton, said people traditionally measure how expensive other countries are by the price of a pint - and revealed he's had to make two cost increases at the taps in six months just to pay the bills. A four-pack from the supermarket, he argues, is now cheaper than a pint in some boozers.
Kallum - who hit out at 'greedy' energy firms in an expletive-laden but well received post on social media revealed by the Manchester Evening News - called pubs 'sacred' and the 'lifeblood' of communities.
But he said landlords and owners were 'not being backed up by our Government' over what he called 'faceless, corporate entities'. He spoke as the Prime Minister confirmed a 'fiscal event' to set out Government funding for a set of major interventions in the cost-of-living crisis will still take place this month.
Speaking to the M.E.N., landlord Kallum said: "People measure how expensive other countries are by the price of a pint - and we at The Crown have had to have two price increases in six months just to pay the bills.
"Pubs are sacred in this country. They're the lifeblood of our communities and it baffles me why it's so expensive to socialise these days. For the price of a pint in a pub, you can buy four cans from the supermarket. It's like a tax on socialising.
"This was before the pandemic, cost of living crisis and energy price increases. I'm sick to death of working class communities being bullied by faceless corporate entities - and even worse not being backed up by our government.
"It's time communities came together and fought back against the constant bulls*** we have to endure on a daily basis."
Kallum's message - posted on Twitter and Facebook by the pub - went viral with more than 16,000 likes and many dozens of comments supporting the sentiment. Pints will be 'pulled by candlelight' and TVs 'powered by generators' if needs be, he vowed as he revealed he's facing '200 per cent' price increases.
The post read: "In light of the current energy crisis, we at The Crown will have no choice but to tell energy firms to f*** right off. 200 per cent price increases in October. F****** sling it you greedy, money grabbing soulless t****.
"Beer will be pulled by candlelight and football will be shown on TVs powered by generators if need be. You've taken our health service, our police, our council services and many people's mental health. You're not taking our f****** pubs. Sling it."
Politics as normal has been largely put on hold during the 10-day period of mourning for the Queen, which lasts until her funeral, but on Monday, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said the Government still intends to hold the fiscal event before the end of the month, as previously promised by Liz Truss.
Ms Truss announced last week long-awaited Government plans to tackle sky-high energy bills and ease the cost-of-living crisis, with a focus on capping prices and boosting domestic energy supplies. Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng is due to give specifics of how the plan will be funded during the emergency fiscal announcement, but its expected business support would only last for six months.
Under the Government’s 'energy price guarantee', bills for the average household will go no higher than £2,500 at any point over the next two years. It will save a typical home around £1,000 from October 1, when the current consumer price cap had been set to soar, according to official estimates.
Passing legislation is not believed to be required to bring the price guarantee into effect for households, although crucially for Kallum and others in the hospitality industry, businesses are still facing a wait for details about additional support.
"There isn’t a date set for the business support element of the guarantee. Obviously we’re working that through. It hasn’t been impacted by the mourning period, as I understand," the Prime Minister's spokesman said on Monday.
Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester's Night Time Economy Advisor, said on Twitter: "Although Parliament is adjourned while the country mourns, I hope the Chancellor will continue to prep his planned budget, expected 21st Sept.
"Hospitality and business remains in crisis and I'm expecting to see a strong financial package of support. It's the last hope for many."
The M.E.N. has already reported the fears for the future expressed by pub and restaurants over soaring energy price rises. The British Beer and Pub Association, UK Hospitality, Night-Time Industries Association, Music Venue Trust and The British Institute of Innkeeping jointly said rocketing costs were 'becoming a matter of existential emergency' and spoke of an average energy bill increasing by as much as 300 per cent.
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