Beer lovers fear pubs are “dead” following the news the average cost of a pint in Britain is set to rise to a new milestone – £5.
It comes after the British Beer and Pub Association blamed the forecast increase of 21p (from £4.80 to £5.01) on the impact of Rachel Reeves’ Spring Budget. The Chancellor of the Exchequer will deliver the 2025 statement at the House of Commons tomorrow (March 26).
Ahead of Ms Reeves’ address, Emma McClarkin CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association explained: “The cumulative impact of these taxes and regulations is now plain to see and it is highly unfortunate that the only way many pubs can remain viable is to pass on the array of upcoming costs to consumers.”
She continued: “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. It is more urgent than ever that Government looks at ways to cap or reduce the costs of doing business so we can keep pubs open, preserve their community value, and make sure the price of a pint remains affordable for all.”
It prompted scores of ale fans to take to social media to slam the increase. “The UK pub culture has well and truly came to an end,” one X user declared. “£5 for a pint has just about killed it.”
A second slammed the government: “Pubs are dead under the Labour Party. £5 a pint nationwide yet MPs wage to go up to £94k whilst cutting welfare. Hypocrisy.” A third slammed Labour: “£5 average price of a pint? They can’t wait till all the pubs shut down this pathetic government.”
A fourth admitted: “I will never drink another pint if it does go to £5.” Whilst a fifth person pondered: “Pubs dying took some of the life out of England. Not only have they been shut down in droves, but the cost of drinking at them is obscene compared to what it used to be. As the cost of living rockets into the stratosphere, why would working class people spend £5-8 a pint?”
Data revealed earlier this year suggested that, in 2024 alone, more than 400 pubs closed in the UK – an average of around 34 per month. In December, it was reported that the number of public houses in England and Wales fell to 38,989. This total included those vacant and being offered to let.
Elsewhere on X, meanwhile, other shut down any fuss, claiming they’d been forking out more than a fiver on pints for years already. “It’s been over £5 a pint in Belfast for at least two years,” one person wrote. “It’s £7 in some pubs in Belfast now.”
A second added: “Almost every establishment where I live has been charging £5 minimum for a pint for ages. Frequently it has been £6.50/pint. Tax is a part of this but there are a lot of other factors which result in high unit costs. Alcohol free beers are over £5/pint.”
A third shared: “The average price of a pint in the North West is certainly above £5, more like £5.50, and has been for several years.” And a fourth quipped: “I swore I would never buy another pint when beer went over £1. However a pint in London is over £7, already – not £5 – I’ve seen £9. Look on the bright side, no more beer belly.”
