Sobering thought on price

There are fears that the cost of a pint of beer in pubs could increase from about £2.20 to as much as £4 this year, largely because of increased prices of barley and hops.

The prediction, from the British Beer and Pub Association, comes as brewers also face rises in the price of fuel and in the cost of metal used to make kegs and cans.

Local brewer Springhead is feeling the pinch.

The Sutton-on-Trent brewery produces, among others, Roaring Meg ale, which accounts for 40% of sales and is available nationally.

The marketing director, Mr Steve Reynolds, said: “Raw ingredients have increased dramatically in price. Hops have doubled in price since October.

“I have no doubt that the price of a pint will increase. Four pounds a pint is alarmist to me, but these figures are coming from large pub companies that know how much they are likely to have to charge.

“I wouldn’t care to comment on whether that would be a fair price.”

It has been a tough year for Springhead. Its premises flooded in June. Equipment was damaged and the beers had to be brewed elsewhere for eight weeks.

But insurers replaced the items and the order book is now fuller than ever.

One pub to sell the Springhead brand is the Fox and Crown on Appletongate, Newark.

The stand-in pub manager and the operations director with Nottinghamshire’s Castle Rock Breweries, which owns the pub, Mr Steve Bramley, said the suggestion of a pint costing £4 was scaremongering.

“In our 25 pubs our means of combating inevitable price rises will be through the quality we offer and through our ranges.

“It will be a tough time for the industry; this on top of the smoking ban and no doubt there will an increase in duty from the chancellor too.”

Smoking

The chairman of the Newark branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, Mr Dominic Heneghan, of Bathley, feared the death knell for pubs.

“This could hit pubs harder than the smoking ban,” said Mr Heneghan.

“I go out with my wife and we are each able to enjoy a pint for a fiver at the moment. If we stop for two then that is a tenner.

“If you’re talking £4 a pint then that’s £16 for four pints — incredible.

“The government needs to cut down on the excise duty and VAT to help out.”

A spokesman for the J. D. Wetherspoon chain, which operates the Sir John Arderne pub in Newark Market Place, said he was not aware of any price rises now or in the future.