Is The Price Of Drinks In Pubs Too High?

[sandyRoe]

I just heard on the radio that a big brewery chain is going to spend millions refurbishing some of its pubs.

If potential drinkers can't afford the prices what does it matter what the pub looks like?

[davebro3]

Depends a lot on where you live I think. It may be that the price of booze in supermarkets is too cheap?

(Aldi are selling cans of lager that works out at £1.28 a litre)

[naomi24]

The brewery's customers must be able to afford the drinks otherwise the business wouldn't be in business.  You can't compare prices in pubs to prices in supermarkets.

[davebro3]

//You can't compare prices in pubs to prices in supermarkets.//

Absolutely I CAN. Whether I should or not....

[naomi24]

Well, you CAN - but it's not rational.

[davebro3]

Anyway it's a daft question. Quite obviously many people CAN afford the prices charged in pubs and wish to enjoy their drinks & socialise in a pleasant environment so pub owners need to provide such an environment to attract the clientele.

After the covid dip Wetherspoons made £43 million pre-tax profit last year.

[ToraToraTora]

No, odd question. The prices vary enormously but that is the nature of the business. They charge what they like you choose to go there or not.

[Auntypoll]

The brewery sets the wholesale price not the retail. That's up to the Tenant and negotiable on how much you buy. Pubs work on around a 56% markup on a pint. Out of this gross profit you have to take out staff wages, utilities and rates/rent. This means there are very different prices depending on what part of the country you live. We serve Guinness at £4.50 a pint but £ 6+  is not uncommon, and someone came in the other day and said they'd paid £12 for Guinness at a London venue.

[Old_Geezer]

It does. At least to some extent. One avoids the less the pleasant ones around here and has to go further to find a pub that one feels good to spend time in. After all one can choose to imbibe at home. Or meet friends in the park.

 

I read that Heineken is reopening pubs. They have more confidence in how low the cost of living in the UK presently is than I do; but I also feel that if any company was going to reopen pubs I'd rather it was a real ale brewer rather that a lager brewer.

[Old_Geezer]

Oh and yes, pub prices are ridiculously expensive. But I realise just about everything is these days. Still a shock though.

[naomi24]

Are you a publican, Auntypoll, or do you just work in a pub?

[ToraToraTora]

09:36, that may be the case for managed houses but free houses set their own margins etc. When I was secratary of the Con club we had 100% mark up on beers and they were still half the price of the nearby pub. There are a lot of other factors but mainly it's local competition. Generally of there is a spoons in the vacinity the prices are sensible.

[Thisoldbird]

Pubs that sell food, yes they vastly overpriced.  

I eat a pub lunch once a week. I'm not an alcoholic drinker these days..last weeks bill showed I had pad £3.60 for ½pt orange with an extra £1.55 for a dash of lemonade!   That's over £10 a pint.  Extortionate.  

[davebro3]

^^^^ how much do they charge for a pint of beer?

[youngmafbog]

Spoons is still reasonable and fine for me.

The others will go to the wall if people dont go, but there is no sign of that just yet.

[Auntypoll]

Naomi no I 'just' don't work behind the bar. 😆 I'm on the committee of our local CIU club

[naomi24]

Okay.  Thanks Auntypoll.

[barry1010]

Of course the electric bill is still crippling for businesses.  That doesn't help 

[theshedman]

We went to a restaurant a few weeks ago and the price of a pint of lager had gone from just over £5 a pint to £6.25.  They said it was the price they were paying for it and that wages had gone up.  Still a big markup to me.