A pub chain has sparked fury over its decision to charge punters 1.80 extra for beers on match days.
Greene King has been attacked for the “unacceptable” move with punters shelving out a staggering £8 rather than the usual £6.20 per pint at some of its outlets.
The Torch pub in Wembley, London, was hit with the 29% increase after supporters paid big prices for their favourite pint to watch England’s match against Ireland.
The pricing policy surge will hit a number of the British’s pub chains including around 3,000 venues nationwide.
The cause for many pub’s price increases are down to a number of factors as per Pub Advisory Service.
Rising cost of ingredients and raw materials, including barley, hops, and yeast, has also made it more expensive for pubs to produce and serve beer with the ongoing impact of the pandemic being another cause for the hikes.
Greene King’s price surge has been seen in more than 200 of its establishments which are located near major sporting venues with the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff also experiencing hiked beer prices.
According to one source revealed by The Telegraph, several Greene King pubs that are located near Twickenham Stadium have also seen a similar price hike.
Consumer expert Jane Hawkes argues that these pub price surges means establishments “need to rethink their business model as it’s not a fair practice”.
Greene King defended these surged prices on their beers arguing the rising costs were necessary in order to cover the additional staffing that are needed on busy match days.
The pub chain also blamed early closure requirements due to licensing laws as a cause for price hikes which mean venues have to shut one hour before kick-off.
This has meant punters looking to enjoy a drink on match day will have to pay nearly a third more for their beer compared to standard prices.
Labour’s Budget announcement has hit the pub industry hard with the price of a pint rising by as much as 40p, one pub boss warned.
Anthony Pender, owner of two pubs and a restaurant, spoke to BBC explaining how he’s “being taxed to death”.
“We all expected a rough ride, we know that difficult decisions had to be made,” Pender added
“But it’s catastrophic, and it’s catastrophic for small businesses.
He added that he would not charge £8 per pint as some establishments have – a move he said would not be viable.
The Torch pub was specifically designated by the local council as a venue for England fans for pre-match gatherings but will have to pay significantly more for this pleasure.
