Carlsberg brings in delivery charges

Brewer Carlsberg has rocked the freetrade by introducing a delivery supplement charge. The brewer will introduce a charge of £5 to all scheduled deliveries and £10 to all unscheduled deliveries from 5 November.

The news comes as a bombshell to licensees already struggling to cope with a poor summer's trade and increased utility costs and regulation.

Carlsberg said charges had been brought in because the "cost of transportation continues to increase, with record oil prices, fuel duty increases, and environmental charges now becoming significant".

It has also ramped up its container charge on kegs to 90p on 30-litre, 50-litre and nine-gallon containers and to 50p for 19-gallon containers. This is to "reflect the huge impact container loss has on business". Carlsberg claims the industry spent £60m on replacing containers last year.

The brewer said it had "decided not to increase its own core brand wholesale beer prices in 2007" - of which there are two months remaining. Traditionally, beer prices have risen in late February or early March. Last year Carlsberg increased its prices twice in one year; it announcing a 5% increase in October, blaming rising energy costs and a malt shortage - it had already raised prices by 3% in February.

Paul Mallett, freehold ow-ner of the New Fountain Inn in Whimple, Exeter, is irate about the news. "Why do they always expect us to absorb the costs and pass them on to our customers?" he asked.

"It's an insult. Small breweries go out of their way to help you out with deliveries, so why are the big brewers insulting us? It is the same as me saying to my customers 'yes, you can book a table but I will charge you a £2 surcharge'.

"It's ridiculous - what is next? Will they make us go and pick the beer up as well?"