Admiral Taverns reveals price freeze
The 1,200-strong pub company announced this week that it will be freezing prices across many of its draught beers, and will increase prices on other draught beers by an average of 3.4%.
Prices of draught lagers San Miguel, Stella Artois 4% and Carlsberg will all be frozen. This is the second year running that the firm has held the price of Carlsberg.
Admiral is also planning to freeze the price of at least a dozen cask beers including Marston’s Pedigree, Greene King Abbot Ale, Draught Bass, Courage Directors and Shepherd Neame Spitfire.
Yesterday, family-brewer Robinsons also announced that it is freezing prices on all of its ales and some lagers.
Last week, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser exclusively revealed that Enterprise Inns implemented a 4% to 5% rise in tied drinks products from 6 February.
And Punch Taverns announced an average increase on draught beer of 4%, blaming wholesale price rises of 6%.
Admiral managing director Kevin Georgel said: “Our pricing is now below what brewers themselves recommend that we charge for many of their beers.
“But as a business we have faced cost increases in all of these product categories, so effectively we are taking these increases on the chin.
“We have worked extremely hard to help our licensees keep prices down for their customers, and we would urge George Osborne to do the same.
“It does not make any sense for the Chancellor to keep the above-inflation duty escalator in place, given that it actually serves to reduce the tax take from alcohol.”
Last month, Heineken UK added 7p per pint, Diageo added 5% to draught Guinness and Wells & Young’s increased the wholesale selling price of its own brewed beers by 4.9% — all citing increased production costs.
Has your pubco increased prices or have your prices been frozen? Email gurjit.degun@wrbm.com.
