JDW switches from Spanish to Italian lager

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Not an easy choice: JDW switches from Spanish to Italian lager as part of its core beer range

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has announced it will be changing its core draught beer range.

The pub giant detailed it would be switching from Spanish lager San Miguel, which it has stocked for a number of years, to Italian brew Angelo Poretti (4.8% ABV).

San Miguel will no longer be sold at JDW pubs once current stocks have sold out while Poretti will be available on draught across its 681 strong estate later this month.

At the majority of Wetherspoon pubs a pint of Angelo Poretti will be priced at £3.99, with a ‘Monday Club’ deal priced at £3.20 a pint.

Excellent products 

Angelo Poretti will also be included with meals on the main menu as part of the Wetherspoon ‘includes a drink range’ deal.

Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “Our relationships with beer suppliers are usually very long-term.

“In this case our San Miguel contract came to an end, and after much thought we decided to make a change to Poretti.

“San Miguel and Poretti are both excellent products, so the choices are never easy.”

Earlier this month the pub behemoth revealed a new hotel at the Mile Castle pub in Newcastle-upon-Tyne would open on 26 November following a £2.8m redevelopment project.

Record sales

Meanwhile in its most recent trading update JDW reported a 5.9% uptick in like-for-like sales in the 14 weeks to Sunday 3 November, with bar sales up by 5.7%.

However, JDW chairman Tim Martin warned despite the “record sales” all pubs would need to consider putting prices up in the coming weeks following the measures announced in the autumn Budget​ on Wednesday 30 October.

Martin said: “Cost inflation, which had jumped to elevated levels in 2022, slowly abated in the following two years, but has now jumped substantially again following the budget.

“All hospitality businesses, we believe, plan to increase prices, as a result. Wetherspoon will, as always, make every attempt to stay as competitive as possible.”