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Wetherspoons to hike the price of popular drinks and menu items in all pubs from today
Scroll down to see how much specific products are rising in price
WETHERSPOONS is hiking the price of a host of popular drinks and menu items in pubs from today.
It means the price of drinks have gone up by 15p and meal deals by 30p.
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The hike will see the cost of a Guinness at The London and South Western branch in South-West London go from £4.66 to £4.81, while the cost of a Strongbow will increase from £3.24 to £3.39.
Kopperberg draught is rising from £3.21 to £3.36 and Hooch from £3.63 to £3.78.
The average price of a meal deal at Spoons without an alcoholic drink is £4.99 and with a drink it is £6.52.
A 30p rise means they will now cost £5.29 and £6.82, respectively.
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Spoons said a number of drinks will not go up in price, including all draught lagers such as Budweiser, Carling and Coors.
The pub chain said any price hikes will be put in place UK-wide, but not at its seven Republic of Ireland boozers.
It’s worth bearing in mind, prices vary across Wetherspoons pubs so any hikes could be different depending on the branch you visit.
It is the second time in less than a year Spoons has bumped up prices, with the chain hiking them across some of its UK airport branches last July.
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Boss Tim Martin said: "Wetherspoon has always tried to remain as competitive as possible. We hope that our prices will still be reasonable in spite of these increases.’’
The announcement from Wetherspoons comes just months after Mr Martin warned the pub chain may hike prices following the Government’s Autumn Budget.
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From April, employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) will be hiked from 13.8% to 15% and the threshold at which businesses pay them is being lowered from £9,100 to £5,000.
But the move has been slammed by businesses who say they will have to pass the added costs onto customers.
In November, Mr Martin said: “Cost inflation, which had surged to high levels in 2022, gradually diminished over the subsequent two years.
“However, it has now significantly increased again following the Budget.
Full list of drinks not rising in price
Draught beers
- Bud Light
- Budweiser
- Carlsberg
- Carling
- Coors
- Corona Extra
- Innis & Gunn lager
- Leffe
- Poretti
- Shipyard
- Stella Artois
- Punk IPA
- Tennent’s
Other drinks
- Ruddles Bitter
- Worthington’s Creamflow
- Stowford Press cider
- Bells Whiskey
- Au Vodka
- draught Pepsi
- draught lemonade.
“All hospitality businesses, we believe, plan to increase prices, as a result.”
Spoons is one of a number of pub chains and retailers warning of price hikes following the Government’s tax raid.
All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) told The Sun last year the price of its pints could rise by between 10p and 15p.
The group, which also owns Toby Carvery, said higher wage expenses were "by far the most significant increase" in its cost base following the Autumn Budget.
Chief executive Phil Urban said M&B was facing around £23million a year in extra costs from just the rise in NICs, with the increase in the minimum wage also sending its wage bill surging.
In November, chief executive of pub chain Fuller's, Simon Emeny, said the price of beers at its hotels and boozers would likely be hiked by 10p.
The boss of the brewing giant slammed the decision to hike NICs as "counter productive to growth" and "hurting young employment".
In its results published earlier this month, Shepherd Neame, which runs 300 pubs and hotels across London South-East England said it may have to hike prices.
The brewer, which claims to be the oldest in the UK, said the combined NIC and national minimum wage hikes would cost it £2.6million.
A number of retailers have warned of price increases for customers as well.
Read More on The Sun
Fashion giant Next said it will have to bump up prices by 1% following the Government's announcement on NICs.
M&S has also warned it will have to hike prices, although they will be "behind the market".
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