Operators warn pint prices could rise 20p to 50p as duty and costs stack up

Pub operators have told The Morning Advertiser that pint prices are likely to rise again as alcohol duty and wider costs bite. Alcohol duty will increase in line with inflation from February 2027, after the Autumn Budget on 28 October.

The duty bit: the Chancellor also announced £10m of annual relief for more than 2,000 small British alcohol producers. Operators say the duty rise itself is only a few pence on a pint, but it lands on top of wages, employer national insurance, energy, rent and supplies.

What operators are saying: Tim Skinner, who runs four pubs including the Devonshire Arms in Marylebone, expects draught prices to rise by at least 20p to 30p a pint. At the Devonshire Arms, draught beers currently average around £7.40. JW Lees managing director William Lees-Jones estimated a pint of JW Lees Bitter would need to rise by 21p, from £4.55 to £4.76, to hold margins. Greedy Gordons director Richard Gordon said his three pubs are looking at a rise of around 50p, taking an average pint from £6.25 to £6.75.

The market: the ONS says the average draught lager pint has already risen 20p over the past year, from £4.55 to £4.75.

What it means for operators: model your own board now, product by product. A blunt estate-wide rise is the lazy option. Guests will feel the total bill long before they notice a 2p duty line.