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Beer prices lowest in North East

Beer prices in the North East are the lowest in the UK, a study has revealed.

A survey of beer charges in 5,000 pubs across the country has found massive differences in the price of a pint, with some drinkers having to shell out 80p more for their chosen ale.

The study by the GMB union showed that the average price of a pint of lager was £2.50, but charges ranged from £2.16 to £3.06.

The average price for lager in the North East was £2.26, while in London the average was £2.72, which was the highest.

Samuel Smith-managed pubs in Yorkshire were selling the cheapest pint of standard lager in Britain at an average of £1.68, according to the GMB.

At the other end of the scale, customers of bars of the InterContinental Hotels Group were charged an average of between £3.53 and £3.30 for a pint of standard lager in a number of regions, said the union.

The union is to submit its findings to the Office of Fair Trading and the European Union as part of its campaign to highlight the difference in prices between free houses and pubs run by the large pubcos.

GMB national organiser Martin Smith said: “This GMB analysis shows that the big pubcos, which dominate the pub industry in the UK, are forcing tenants to charge an average of between £2.16 and £3.06 for a pint of standard lager.

“This is translating into higher retail prices for the customers and into poor living standards for the tenants. GMB is campaigning to end the tie to secure lower prices for customers and a better living for the pub tenants.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .