Comment: A raw deal

"Three bottles of Chablis for a tenner". The words are still ringing in my ears. A contact of mine just rang to chew the fat and mentioned the fact that he was in his local Asda and saw this deal. When, with some incredulity, he asked a shelf stacker if that deal really was the case and wasn't a misprint, she mused that a lot of people had asked the same question.

So what are we to do? Those at the top levels of grocery will tell us that this is simply "price-flexing" and offering the consumer real value. I'm sure many pubs down the road from this Asda would like to "price-flex" their own alcoholic beverages. The difference is that if they do, they'll likely end up in a scare story in the Daily Mail, as opposed to having their bargain bucket prices gleefully advertised in the pages of the very same newspaper.

I've heard a lot of comment from those with a connection to supermarkets, either direct or indirect, suggesting we should move on from the tub-thumping about off-trade pricing and focus on the key issues that lie in front of us. In other words, we should be tackling binge-drinking as one force, taking on the extremes of the health lobby together as one trade.

I heartily agree. But I am still looking for this olive branch that is being held out by the supermarkets; for the hand of friendship. From what I can see the attitude of the supermarkets is that if the government is going to legislate on pricing then what is the point in changing pricing policy - Downing Street's mind is made up anyway.

If only the pub trade could get away with such a ruthless and irresponsible attitude.