WITH summer just around the corner, the cheapest cities to buy a pint in Britain have now been revealed.
The average price of a pint is set to soar above £5 in a devastating shock for beer lovers.
And in many cities, the price for a pint can average around £6.
The British Beer and Pub Association said the average cost of a pint will rise from around £4.80 to £5.01.
The research, commissioned alongside Frontier Economics, showed pub firms are expecting to raise the average price of a pint by 21p.
The increase follows a series of cost increases announced in last October’s Budget, which will come into force next month.
Some brewers have already warned that they will need to push up prices to cope with the additional costs.
Among them is Shepherd Neame, which brews ales including Spitfire and Bishops Finger.
However, there are still places in the UK where you can get a pint without burning a hole in your pocket.
Drinkers looking for the cheapest pint in the UK have been urged to visit Derby, where the average pint is just £3.60.
And you can get a pint for just £4 in cities like Aberdeen, Leicester, Luton and Southend.
In Newcastle, the average pint is £4.90, and in Liverpool and Manchester, a beer will set you back a fiver, analysis by card payment solutions provider Takepayments found.
Jodie Wilkinson, of Takepayments, said: “The idea that northern cities are universally ‘cheap’ is being challenged, with places like Manchester now ranking among the least affordable.”
Edinburgh and Manchester were found to be two of the most expensive cities outside of London for eating out.
A three-course meal in these two cities will set you back £20 more than Nottingham’s average of £70.
Rising costs
In February Heineken pushed up the price of its draught beer by an average of 2.97% for pubs.
The company is known for brewing beverages including Birra Moretti, Fosters and Tiger.
The company also increased the cost of its wholesale packaged products by an average of 2.5%.
Simon Dodd, chief executive of Young’s said the chain plans to increase its prices by between 2.5% and 3%.
Wetherspoons has also recently hiked the price of some of its drinks and meal deals by up to 30p after a warning from its boss Tim Martin.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, warned that the only way many pubs can stay open is to pass on the upcoming costs to consumers.
She said: “No one wants to see the cost of an average pint increase by a further 21p and break the £5 average pint barrier that will be required for pubs to maintain their punishingly slim profit margins.”
She added that it is “more urgent than ever” that the Government looks at ways to cap or reduce the cost of doing business so we can keep pubs open, preserve their community value and ensure the price of a pint remains affordable.
Breweries and pubs struggle
Pubs and breweries across the UK have struggled in recent years as the high cost of living has dented customers’ budgets.
The increased cost of brewing, beer prices and rising energy bills have also had an impact.
Figures published by the Altus Group revealed more than 400 pubs across England and Wales were demolished or converted for other uses in the year to December.
As a result, the number of pubs across the two countries fell below 39,000 for the first time.
More than 34 pubs a month called last orders for the final time over the year – the sharpest fall in pub numbers since 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic.
How can I save money at Wetherspoons?
FREE refills - Buy a £1.50 tea, coffee or hot chocolate and you can get free refills. The deal is available all day, every day.
Check a map – Prices can vary from one location the next, even those close to each other.
So if you’re planning a pint at a Spoons, it’s worth popping in nearby pubs to see if you’re settling in at the cheapest.
Choose your day – Each night the pub chain runs certain food theme nights.
For instance, every Thursday night is curry club, where diners can get a main meal and a drink for a set price cheaper than usual.
Pick-up vouchers – Students can often pick up voucher books in their local near universities, which offer discounts on food and drink, so keep your eyes peeled.
Get appy – The Wetherspoons app allows you to order and pay for your drink and food from your table – but you don’t need to be in the pub to use it.
Taking full advantage of this, cheeky customers have used social media to ask their friends and family to order them drinks. The app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play.
Check the date – Every year, Spoons holds its Tax Equality Day to highlight the benefits of a permanently reduced tax bill for the pub industry.
It usually takes place in September, and last year it fell on Thursday, September 14.
As well as its 12-day Real Ale Festival every Autumn, Wetherspoons also holds a Spring Festival.
