Pub boss slams Wetherspoon's pricing strategy

Tony Brooks, director of the Head of Steam pub group, has attacked JD Wetherspoon's pricing strategy as "immoral" and "socially irresponsible".

Mr Brooks said JD Wetherspoon's January promotion, which saw the price of Theakston's Best slashed to 50p a pint, was "ludicrous".

"What state of affairs are we in when beer is 50p a pint?" he said. "This is just not fair to other pubs. It's commercially immoral and socially irresponsible."

Mr Brooks said Wetherspoon was employing "classic capitalist tactics" to force competitors out of business.

He said: "When they're selling beer at prices that are about half the trade price, how are nearby pubs going to compete?"

He added that pub companies had a duty to be responsible and discourage drunkenness - something he said would arise from such cut-price promotions.

But JD Wetherspoon dismissed Mr Brooks' concerns.

Spokesman Eddie Gershon said: "The 50p beer promotion was on January 2 only and there were just 200 pints available in each pub. Theakston's is not massively strong and we chose it because it is well-liked.

"There was no one thrown out, the police were not called and there were no pubs closed," he said.

And he hit back at claims the company was socially irresponsible. "Wetherspoon employs 13,500 people and we create more jobs than any other company in the UK - I think that's socially responsible."

Pictured: JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin at an earlier price promotion​