Coors Brewers has apologised to licensees for any confusion that arose following the release of two sets of price rises from the company.
Reports in both national and trade press last month stated that Coors had increased its beer prices by 2.5 per cent.
In fact this figure is for the off-trade - the price of a barrel of Carling will actually rise by 4.7 per cent from the middle of this month.
Paul Hegarty, director of communications for Coors, said: "We apologise for any confusion caused. There was never any intention to mislead anyone. We have been very open throughout this process. John Holberry, the on-trade sales director, has sent letters to all our customers giving a full breakdown of our new prices."
A wholesale price list obtained by The Publican last week showed that from February 14 Coors Fine Light and Grolsch will be subjected to £22-a-barrel in-creases - a rise of 6.2 per cent. And a barrel of Carling will increase from £316.14 to £331.13 - a rise of £14.99.
Some licensees believe that the price rises lacked clarity.
Michael Ratcliff, licensee of the Winds of Change pub in South Petherwin, Cornwall, said: "I thought the price rise was 2.5 per cent for a while until my Coors rep came to see me and showed me the new prices.
"Even then it wasn't until I worked out the figures on my calculator that I realised how big the rise was. I wasn't told. How can I pass on this increase to my customers? There is going to be mayhem over this latest price increase, I can tell you."
Tracy Bird, licensee of the Newman Arms in Rathbone Street, London, said: "I am fully tied with Punch so I buy all my beer through it.
"I had absolutely no idea about the price rise change. I feel completely in the dark over the whole thing."
A spokesman for Coors said it didn't usually proactively communicate price rises to the press. "We don't talk about percentages in the on-trade - they are rendered meaningless by the complex discounting structure," he said.
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