Wednesday 27 April 2011

How Come?


It was remarked from the top table no less, at the CAMRA AGM in Sheffield,  that in addition to having one of the most vibrant and enjoyable pub scenes in the UK for good beer, how reasonably priced it all was in our temporary home.  It seemed most pints were around the £2.30 to £2.60 range with a few exceptions.

I wonder too. These prices weren't just for local beers, but seemed to also apply in the free houses, where the beers came from near and far. Now Sheffield is very competitive and there are plenty good and varied free houses to choose from. Is it as simple as that? I really don't know, but we were all wondering how they do it given the upward price pressure on pubs that we all know about.

Equally some were wondering why others elsewhere in the country can't.  Or don't.

4 comments:

Rob Nicholson said...

Valentine was pondering why a pint cost £1 more in Edinburgh compared to Sheffield which is nearly a 50% mark-up. Edinburgh is a tourist destination which won't help although it wouldn't explain the same price hike in the burbs.

Average price around Macclesfield is similar to Sheffield.

One of our local members was also a little perplexed why a pint of Jaipur was more expensive at the GBBF than the Thornbridge outlet locally.

I often think the answer is "Because they can".

Stono said...

well prices in the East are certainly making up for it, seen a 20p-30p increase in the last month alone, and its not just one or two pubs its noticeably happening across the board and in pubs where you know they arent trying to rip you off, but £3 per pint is pretty much the minimum you have to expect to pay, going upto £3.50 in some pubs for a standard 4.3% bitter.

so yeah how come indeed

Neville Grundy said...

A friend of mine had a pint of Wadworths 6X in a pub in sight of the brewery in Devizes. He then set off for Southport (220 miles)and arrived in time for last orders, when he had another Wadworths 6X for quite a bit less.

I think 'because they can' is right, although it's probably price fixing by PubCos rather than pubs.

Curmudgeon said...

In Scotland, of course, there doesn't tend to be a premium for lager over ale, so it doesn't all work the same way. Historical reasons relating to the way markets have developed are one of the factors leading to different prices in different areas.