What is the breakdown of costs behind the price of a pint in the UK?
Posted by plesvegas@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 37 comments
Was just having a discussion about the price of a beer in the pub thesedays, as you tend to do when it feels like it’s gone up 50p every other week. Rather than spoil my own enjoyment the enjoyment of the added value of a pub atmosphere I decided to try and look up the proportions of the costs i.e. how much (roughly or on average) might be tax, wages, energy, rent, wholesale price and any meagre profit. Trouble is I can’t find this anywhere so far. There are plenty of articles on the recent and previous Budgets, tax, minimum wage and NI increases, covid, the various challenges, but curiously no breakdown. Can anyone in the know help on this?
Master_Block1302@reddit
Those number are so nuts that they effectively ensure the death of the English pub.
And in 20 years, we’ll look back when there are no pubs, and the government and breweries will go
“oh yeah..whoops..soz..we just wiped out a millennium old cultural tradition in a couple of decades due to greed. Whoopsie! My bad”
I might just buy an old derelict pub, slightly do it up, put a good stereo in there, and invite people to come along, bring their own booze, get bang on it and have a good time. Probably have to charge them a tenner or whatever to get in, but at least we’d have a third space again, and can party, get pissed, meet new friends, pull a bird / fella, have a dance
Other_Exercise@reddit
That's an interesting model: a BYOB where you rent the space.
Master_Block1302@reddit
I totally pulled that idea out of my arse, but it actually seems really appealing, doesn’t it?
Other_Exercise@reddit
I suppose it reveals the weirdness of tax policies!
CharringtonCross@reddit
Do it you pussy.
Let us know where.
plesvegas@reddit (OP)
This is the thing. The vicious circle of cost to the punter/reduced club attendance/cost increase has gone so nuts post covid they’re all doomed. I like your idea
Master_Block1302@reddit
Thank you. We have to think differently, because the current nightlife approach is beyond fucked.
heliskinki@reddit
Totally depends on the scale of the business.
The bigger the company, the cheaper they can make it.
That’s why your can of mass produced beer will always be cheaper than your local craft brewery.
Just be aware of craft breweries that have been bought out by the big guns (Beavertown etc) - they’re just ripping you off.
Drink less, buy local.
AdCurrent1125@reddit
The largest single cost category is wages.
It's also the one that expires after an hour. If you have a quiet spell you can't keep that unused labour till tomorrow.
When the price of labour goes up and employers complain, it's because their largest category is going up.
AnonymousTimewaster@reddit
The largest single category os actually tax at over 30%.
plesvegas@reddit (OP)
And made more difficult in this budget (with tiny offset by alcohol duty on draught)
SquiffSquiff@reddit
So something like this then?
RuudVanNistelrooney@reddit
Hahaha where the hell are you finding a £4.10 pint!
AnonymousTimewaster@reddit
I checked the date of the article and it was 2023. Clearly on another planet somewhere
uhohstinky464@reddit
Newcastle! I had a Carlsberg Danish Pilsner for £2.77 the other day
plesvegas@reddit (OP)
I really don’t know why I didn’t find anything like this - not usually so bad at google!
SquiffSquiff@reddit
I did an image search for 'pint of beer cost uk'
RevolutionaryCry7230@reddit
I'm not in the UK but have traveled all over the UK and live in an EU but commonwealth country so our culture is not so different from that of Brits. We tend to buy half pints (330ml) bottles or cans. In a small village pub we can get it at Euro 2 or Euro 2.50 but if we go to city pubs the price doubles.
What I have noticed is that in pubs we used to buy 'rounds' - If I buy a beer I also pay for the people sitting with me at the bar. Lately people have stopped doing this and just pay for their own drink. Prices have gone up and pubs are even cutting corners on things which were normal. For example we used to get free 'tapas' with beer. It is no longer done.
plesvegas@reddit (OP)
That’s a pity about the tapas. I’ve had that great experienced in bars in various Spanish places over the years. Still do rounds but not always. Like nowadays, because I’m not rich, there now has to be a semi-conscious thought about it. Like if I’m offering to get a drink for 8 people but it’s a weeknight and we’ll probably be here for 3 pints at most, and two of them are tight bastards, then maybe I don’t want to do that. Wasn’t an issue at £4 pint
Psycho_Splodge@reddit
In less than 12 months ours have gone up 50%
plesvegas@reddit (OP)
Sorry - re-reading do you mean your costs have gone up 50%?
Psycho_Splodge@reddit
No the cost of a pint in the local
plesvegas@reddit (OP)
Right. Huge hike. I went to a Spoons in another town a few months back. Not been in one in ages and the price was very refreshing!
Psycho_Splodge@reddit
Spoons is still less than £3 but it's further to walk
KJW2804@reddit
And most spoons are fucking shiteholes with no atmosphere, more atmosphere in a funeral home
plesvegas@reddit (OP)
Jeez. Didn’t want to upvote that on principle! I’m in London and it’s not just zone 1 where they can be £7 plus if you choose poorly (say a pseudo ‘craft’ ipa). It’s that last quid that’s made me go wtf every time!
Psycho_Splodge@reddit
Oh no ours have gone from £3 to about £4.50
flashbastrd@reddit
Saw on the news last year they did a segment on pubs and the break down. I don’t recall the specifics but it averaged at about 50p profit per pint for the pub
CharringtonCross@reddit
Tax, wages, energy (not in that order). Raw materials are minimal.
UniqueEnigma121@reddit
Tax🙄
Accurate_Prompt_8800@reddit
Seems you have terrible googling skills. Plenty of info on pint cost breakdowns online.
plesvegas@reddit (OP)
Cheers! I’m not usually so terrible, believe it or not
dayus9@reddit
Great job telling OP how dumb they are, you hero!
plesvegas@reddit (OP)
Just give it to me straight, doctor
plesvegas@reddit (OP)
Guilty as charged! Usually not that shit. Must be the beer
The_Dude_Abides316@reddit
I think it's about £1.37 or so per pint that is tax. Going from memory rather than knowing for sure, mind.
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