obadiah jones

Looks like CAMRA's 'penny off beer duty' campaign has been a roaring success
then! Though in the current prohibitionist climate, I suppose any
concessions to us evil drinkers were unlikely.

4p seem very excessive nonetheless, especially coming hot on the heals of
the smoking ban. Expect more well-run, valued, community pubs to go to the
wall, or to be sold off by the pubcos...

esra sdrawkcab

ISTM that the new chancelor is only following the ex-chancelor's lead.

Same old + punitive anti-booze (as long as he gets his whisky) stance.

NB the House of Commons has loads of bars "selling" tax-free booze to
the MPs

m platting

4p does seem excessive but it's nothing compared to what you'll
actually be paying in the pub. The rule of thumb seems to be that a 1p
increase in duty leads to 5p on the price of a pint. This is because
everyone tries to get a slice of the action (the government more than
most because of course they add a further tax to the budget tax
increase)

And the breweries have forewarned us of surging prices in the barley
and hops market.

Anyone hazard a guess as to the price of a pint by the end of the
year?

paul sherwin

Well, I paid £3 for a pint of ordinary cask beer for the first time last
weekend (Everards Pitch Black. 4.4%, The Blenheim, Oxford).

Actually I think most landlords will try to absorb this, at least in the
short term. Many pubs have suffered a serious collapse in trade since
last autumn, partly due to the smoking ban but more importantly because
of the increasing disparity between pub and supermarket prices. A
significant cultural shift seems to have taken place and many people who
previously saw home drinking as taboo ('I never keep drink at home') have
now started doing it. This isn't good for pubs or public health.

Paul

m platting

We're paying anything from £2 - £2.50 in Yorkshire (£1.49 - £1.69
in JDW outlets). I'm anticipating prices approaching your Oxfordshire
prices by the end of the year.
I hope pubs can absorb any increase. It would be nice to see
pubcos reducing their exorbitant rent and helping their tenants.(Of
the 57 pubs being lost every month, I'd bet the vast majority are
pubco controlled)

alan

In message <fr9s8a$njs$1$8300dec7@news.demon.co.uk>, Paul Sherwin

I 've changed my drinking habits this year - I've drunk more at home
since this Christmas than I have previously drunk at home in 4 or 5
years. I've never smoked so that hasn't driven me away from visiting
pubs on a regular basis. It's because publicans have become so greedy
and have raised prices far higher than inflation - and even with high
prices they have problems serving anything that is a pleasure to drink.
--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

dave

I am on very easy speaking terms with my local real landlord and he
assures me that price increases are down to the failed crops, the rise
in fuel and distribution costs. About 2 months ago he increased his
price for a pint of real ale from £2-40 to £2-60. Some of his regulars
boycotted the pub. He told me on the day of the budget that he would not
be increasing his prices as he had seen it coming.
He has 9 hand pumps and sometimes, you are stuck for choice as to what
to order first :-)

To give an example, a nine of JHB can be emptied within less than 6 hours.

Dave

compo

The message <h6igt353v1pgknsfeuth0gdha71au48rc0@4ax.com>
from M Platting contains these words:

As I have a large stash of malt in the garage and home grown hops, mine
will still cost little more than 4p/pint to brew :-)

I started brewing my own real ale when I first moved to Scotland. In
our district - far north of Scotland - there was only one real ale bar
within 90 miles of us and of course they charged premium prices. I
could not abide the fizzy pasteurised keg poo so it was brew or die of
thirst. The plethora of distilleries in the north meant that I was able
to buy bulk malted barley from a local maltsters very cheaply and in
those days hops were cheap too.

When I started brewing I bought a hand pump (beer engine) for a few quid
from an auction, bought some new seals for it & polished the brass and
now I can enjoy real ale at home any day of the week. If I really want
the pub atmosphere I can tip a pint over the coffee table, switch on my
battered old Rock Ola jukebox and shout above the din to the wife, who
will be drinking her home made wine from g****s grown in the polytunnel
:-)

Beat the taxman - brew yer own!

--
Cheers,
Compo

compo

The message <ABUBj.10898$qW6.5346@newsfe6-win.ntli.net>
from Esra Sdrawkcab <admin@127.0.0.1> contains these words:

I think the new chancellor is _ON_ the old Chancellor's lead!

--
Cheers,
Compo

alan

In message <UJidnci0qek8M0TanZ2dnUVZ8uOdnZ2d@bt.com>, Dave

And the price of the beer in the supermarket is?

JDW have stuck and advertising leaflet through my front door with Green
King Abbot at £1.26 pint in their pubs.

£1.26 per pint in one pub and £3 for the same pint in pubs less than
quarter of a mile away just shows that the hype about the increased cost
fuel, distribution and materials leading to large increases in prices is
pure bullshit.


--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com