Industry insiders are warning that soaring beer prices across the UK means the price of a pint could rise by 50p.
With an increasing number of pubs currently under pressure to stay afloat and at risk of going bust due to the rising costs of beer, energy, food, and labour as the hospitality industry continues to wade through the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s believed that consumers across the country – including in Greater Manchester – could start having to pay more for a pint.
According to the British Beer and Pub Association, the average price of a pint in the UK is £4.07, but in Manchester, around £3.93 is said to be a more common cost.
In the capital, the association says Londoners pay £4.84 on average, but some pubs are said to already be charging over £6, and if the cost of a pint does could go up by a maximum of 50p as is estimated, then this means customers may have to pay over £7
Trade organisation UKHospitality said pubs were facing “unprecedented” price rises.
ADVERTISEMENT
Earlier this week, the chairman of the City Pub Company Clive Watson said that ‘pub inflation’ was currently running at about 10%.
Kate Nicholls – Chief Executive UK Hospitality – explained: “This is weighing very heavily on these businesses, which have had nothing but a torrid time, and the price of a pint and a meal out will have to rise.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Nik Antona – CAMRA’s National Chairman – said the sector is continuing to deal with a crisis in “employment, supply chain, and cost of goods”, which is causing the price of a pint to rise, and admitted that: “This could spell disaster at the pump for small brewers and publicans if consumers make the decision to stay at home to cut corners.”
Pubs were facing “unprecedented” price rises / Credit: Max Pixel
Pub landlords across the country are already telling of their recent need to hike pint prices, and are expressing their concerns at this continuing.
Dave Mountford, co-founder of the Forum of British Pubs and manager at The Boat Inn in Derbyshire, warned that drinkers will face rises of more than 50p, adding: “We’re putting prices up now and soon we’ll break the £4 a pint on cask ale for the first time ever.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Our most expensive pint is a premium lager and it’s £4.80 – it was £3.75 two years ago.”
James Calder – Chief Executive of Society of Independent Brewers – explained: “We have seen huge spikes in people costs, transport, raw ingredients, and energy, and with most brewers running very tight ships already, our sector unfortunately needs to be able to pass on these price rises to customers including the pubs in between, otherwise they will go bust.
“No business likes to raise its prices but right now it is a necessity to survive.”
Because of all these constraints, industry experts have urged the government to scrap the 12.5% VAT rate on pubs, restaurants and hotels, and have called for the scheduled rise back up to 20% in April to be scrapped, as they claim these measures could help ease pressure.
Featured Image – Unsplash
Trending
Sportsbet.io Tour Championship 2026: Manchester welcomes some of snooker’s best
Danny Jones
This Monday marks the start of the World Snooker Tour’s 2026 Sportsbet.io Tour Championship, which is back in Manchester once again– and there are some big names on show.
Returning to our city for a third consecutive time, this year’s Tour Championships began at 1pm, with the likes of world number one Judd Trump playing some of the opening frames against Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen, along with Barry Hawkins taking on 2026 World Open winner, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
These are just the first two opening fixtures in what is set to be an eventful week-long tournament that will span a total of 19 matches, concluding in the final on Sunday, 5 April.
Hosted once again over at Manchester Central, this elite field of in-form players is basically only missing Ronnie O’Sullivan, who the aforementioned Thai tour start beat in last week’s final.
Only the top 12 players from this season’s highly competitive rankings earned a place in the draw, so all pretty much all the greats and the next generation are shooting for the title.
Defending champions John Higgins – a four-time world champion – will be breaking off against Mark Williams on Tuesday, 31 March.
Meanwhile, other names on the schedule of play include World Champion Zhao Xintong, Mark Selby (who Higgins beat in Manchester last year), Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Mark Allen.
Put simply, this isn’t just another big sporting event landing in our city centre, but a showcase of some of the very best talent in the discipline.
With tickets starting from just £25, these games are also some of the most affordable premium sports you can enjoy in central Manchester.
Better still, it’s also worth noting that the official Fanzone over in the foyer of the venue is open to all, even without a ticket.
There’s completely free coaching for players of all ages, interactive games, and even the chance to try a proper full-sized professional table – a perfect day out for the Easter school holidays.
The event itself is being aired on Channel 5, but if you’re interested in going along to see the action up close and personal, you can grab your seats right HERE.
Featured Images — Press shot (supplied via Manchester Central)/The Manc Group
Trending
The Oldham Man and The Sea: the documentary about the Latics owner’s record-breaking Atlantic voyage
Danny Jones
It doesn’t matter if you’re not an Athletic fan or native to the borough; we think everyone should go along to watch the much-anticipated documentary about football club owner Frank Rothwell and his record-breaking journey across the Atlantic Ocean: The Oldham Man And The Sea.
One of the simplest and most satisfying names for a film we’ve heard in a long time.
For anyone who doesn’t know about the Oldham Athletic FC chairman turned OBE’s incredible story, Frank Rothwell has set multiple records with his impressive sea-faring feats in recent times.
This new doc, which just premiered at this year’s Manchester Film Festival, charts his latest trip across one of the biggest bodies of water on the planet in March 2024.
As you can see from the recent trailer, it’s almost as arduous a tale as the original Hemingway story.
This movie – produced by Journeyman Pictures and Chief Productions – made its full debut at the Odeon in Great Northern Warehouse for MFF 2026, and is set to have a number of other screenings in and around Greater Manchester in the coming weeks and months.
One of those is happening rather soon, in fact, over at Saddleworth’s Millgate Arts Centre on Saturday, 28 March, which is ideal for those local to the region; grab your tickets now.
ln fact, there’s also one happening even closer to his hometown the following month, with Oldham’s very own Queen Elizabeth Hall also hosting a special screening of Rothwell’s incredible achievement.
You can reserve your seats for that one right HERE.
Having not only become the eldest (70) Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge finisher back in 2021, but now holding the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to ever complete the crossing while rowing solo at 73 years old, he’s become nothing short of a local hero – and that’s just his stewardship of the Latics…
The film does, obviously, touch on his time at the helm of the League Two side, who finally returned to the EFL last June, but the heart and soul of this inspiring watch is the sail itself.
More importantly, it also documents not just the gruelling nature of the 64-day, seven-hour and 53-minute trek, but also how Frank has now helped raise more than £1.4 million on behalf of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
What an absolute icon.
Hopefully, this should be just about all the reason you need to watch The Oldham Man And The Sea the very next opportunity you get to do so – and, of course, all proceeds from ticket sales will also be going to charity, because just the kind of bloke he is.
And here’s hoping we get a streaming version sometime soon.
Emily Sergeant -
28th January 2022 
