The Wolverhampton-based pub company detailed the hike would be implemented on a limited number of its products in a bid to ensure its prices remain “competitive”.
A spokesperson for Marston’s said: “At Marston’s, we pride ourselves on offering great value and experiences for our guests every day of the week.
“We regularly review our pricing as part of the normal course of business and our teams work hard to minimise the impact of external pressures on our customers and pub partners.”
Additional pressure
The firm added the decision was not a direct response to the autumn Budget.
However, the pub group recently warned of “additional pressure” on costs resulting from the fiscal address in October.
In its latest trading update, the business reported like-for-like sales had risen 4.8% for the 52 weeks ended 28 September 2024 with revenue having increased by 3%, from £872.3m in 2023 to £898.6m.
The firm also detailed underlying pub profit was up 17.9% to £147.2m (2023: £1214.8m) alongside a 21.4% rise in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA), compared with 19.5% in 2023.
Growth-focused
Following the results, Marston’s CEO Justin Platt told The Morning Advertiser (The MA) the company was “growth-focused” and remained optimistic for trade in 2025, adding Christmas bookings for this year were up 12% year-on-year.
This comes as the average cost of a pint of draught lager in pubs was estimated to have increased by 2.8% in the 12-months to October, from £4.67 to £4.80, according to the latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Moreover, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 2.6% in the 12 months to November 2024, up from 2.3% in the 12 months to October, ONS data revealed earlier this week.
