Landlord Forecasts GBP4 for a Pint of Beer

Thu, 12 Aug 2010

The price of a pint of beer could be set to rise further owing to poor barley harvests in Eastern Europe. Around half of the 17 million tonnes of feed barley used globally each year is said to come from Eastern Europe, but demand is set to outstrip supply after poor harvests in many of the former Soviet states. At £175 a tonne, barley prices have already doubled in two months, and these price increases, combined with Russia’s export controls, are set to hit brewers hard, with pub goers likely to have to share the burden of the extra cost.

With VAT and duty rises placing additional pressures on UK pubs, price increases have been all too commonplace, on wines, ciders and spirits, as well as beer. However, the latest barley price increases has caused some pub landlords to forecast £4 pints by 2011 – an increase which the British Beer and Pub Association fears could drive pub-goers away.

With shares down in some of the world’s biggest beer groups, such as Carlsberg, Heineken and Anheuser-Busch InBev, it is clear that everyone involved in the alcoholic drinks industry is facing significant challenges at present.
add to favouritesnewsletterlink to this pagesend to friendpost comments

Link to this page

Copy and Paste the following HTML into your page.