The cost of a pint has exceeded £10 in London for the first time, as beer prices continue to climb. Several high-end bars are now charging £10 or more for draught or bottled beer. Stanley’s rooftop bar in Mayfair, attached to the Chesterfield hotel, sells a pint of Moretti or Heineken for £11, a half pint for £8, and Guinness for £10.
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. The price surge follows a 5.2 per cent increase in draught prices announced by Diageo, maker of Guinness, in April, citing rising operational costs. Pub owners have accused Diageo of being “hell-bent on having the first £10 a pint beer.”
London remains one of the most expensive places for a pint, with an average price of £6.50, according to the Morning Advertiser, below Oxford at £6.75. As the £7 pint becomes common in the capital, industry experts warn that the government must do more to keep prices affordable.
Ash Corbett-Collins, chair of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), said: “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.” He called for lower VAT, fairer business rates, and reduced alcohol duties.
The average pint price in the UK is £4.52, with lager at £4.82, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. The number of pubs continues to decline. Pub landlords welcomed the government’s January U-turn on business-rate relief, after Chancellor Rachel Reeves had planned to reduce the discount from 75 per cent to 40 per cent.
