Marco Pierre White introduces the £5 pint

28th January 2009, 12:36pm

The renowned chef Marco Pierre White has announced that he is planning to charge £5 a pint at his pub in Newbury, Berkshire despite recent figures showing beer sales slumping by a massive 8.3%.

According to The Times, this move will make the Yew Tree Inn one of the most expensive places to drink British real ale in the country.

The leading chef explained that the price reflects the quality product: "I think most pubs undercharge. On the average price of a pint, with duty and VAT now topping 70p, plus the cost of buying the beer and all the other overheads, some publicans are left with less than 60p."

He continued: "When you have a pint, you're not just paying for delicious beer, you're paying for the place you drink it and the people who serve it. Just take a look at the costs in a pub."

Neil Williams, communications manager of the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), commented on Pierre White's decision: "There is a huge variety out there, and it is far from the average price of a pint. But if Marco can command these prices with speciality beers, and combine them with great food and service, then the price is for him and his customers to decide."

Other pubs in many parts of the country now charge at least £3.20 for a pint, but recently the pub chain JD Wetherspoon offered a 99p pint of beer, the lowest price for more than 20 years.

Further research conducted by the UK Quarterly Beer Barommeter found that 2.2 million fewer pints were drunk every day in the last quarter of 2008.

Rob Hayward, chief executive of the BBPA, explained how these statistics are effecting the industry: "These figures highlight the extreme economic pressures hitting Britain's beer and pub sector. Beer sales are sinking and many pubs are struggling to survive. Pub closures have escalated to nearly six a day."

Related Articles:

• 13 May 2011 - Marco Pierre White appoints head chef and manager for new Liverpool restaurant
• 11 Jun 2009 - Exclusive: Marco Pierre White says put your prices up
• 10 Mar 2009 - BBPA chief steps down after 10 years

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ben farge

30 January 2009 at 11:37am

I am fully aware of the economic situation however this is a ridiculous amount to charge for one beer. In these hard times many people have little to look forward to, and the occasional pint is often the highlight of their week/day.. to charge such a fee would push people further into depression.

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