County beer prices are the 'real' deal
Even though the price of a pint has gone up seven per cent in the past year Lincolnshire drinkers still fare better than most.
Drinkers in the county are paying out less for a leisurely pint at their locals according to editors of The Good Pub Guide 2009, released this week.
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Thorold Arms landlady Alison Welch.
A Lincolnshire landlord will, on average, charge £2.48 – far less than the £2.71 paid in Oxfordshire and £2.81 in London.
Bob Foulger, chairman of the Lincoln branch of real ale campaign group Camra, said: "Lincolnshire prices are about average but other places such as Yorkshire, the West Midlands and Wales can put pints in pubs at 30 pence less, so it's not anything to shout about.
"There are very few free houses here. Many pubs are company-owned and therefore the licensees are restricted on which beers they can buy."
Landlords themselves said that the increasing price of hops is not, generally, being passed onto customers in Lincolnshire – yet.
Alison Welch, landlady at the Thorold Arms in Harmston – winner of the Midlands Campaign for Real Ale pub for two years running – said: "I don't think it is very fair to compare prices to London where everything costs more.
"We are a free house and can buy what we want and put whatever price we want on it. We're lucky that way. But we keep the price about the same as others around."
For more on The Good Pub Guide 2009, plus reaction from other Lincoln licensees, see Thursday's Echo.
8 Comments
by Al Chololic, The Arboretum
Thursday, October 16 2008, 5:07PM
“The cheapest place to drink in Lincoln is in the bandstand. And i get to meet all my friends there too!”
by Lincoln, London
Thursday, October 16 2008, 2:16PM
“All depends where you shop and these average prices are higly misleading. I go out to the local in Central London and it costs me £2.20 for a beer, go further on to Oxford Street and I'm paying £3.75. In Lincoln I know where to get a pint for £1 and where to get one for £3.50. In all cases the places I am buying at cater for a totally different ambience and the clientele are totally different. I wouldn't take my good lady to the £1 place and I wouldn't take my mates to the £3.75 place.”
by s,smith, lincoln
Thursday, October 16 2008, 9:58AM
“Many pubs are charging nearer the £3 mark in the city centre.All beer prices are ridiculous when you think that to actually make a pint costs less than 50 pence,then the government puts on about 73 pence and the pub more or less doubles that price.What a ripoff.”
by james drabble, spital street
Thursday, October 16 2008, 9:57AM
“i get my beer for free!! not like u lot!! because im a minion and i like to mod it up n all that...meh meh meh”
by cuckoo, in your garden
Thursday, October 16 2008, 8:46AM
“Being a bitter drinker I can still get a decent pint for around £2 without going to spoons. But it is getting rarer. The point about Wales is very true. I go there quite often and was there very recently. The cheapest pint I had??... £1.38. Good stuff and loads of places still around the £1.50 mark..
Lincs, as usual, is average..By no means as cheap as it should be though considering the overall economy of the area...”
by John Shepherd, Market Rasen
Thursday, October 16 2008, 8:10AM
“I certainly would'nt call £2.48 a pint cheap. If you go into Wetherspoons,you'll get a far better deal than that.”
by socialiser, lincoln
Thursday, October 16 2008, 8:03AM
“Because people go out for the social aspect rather than just to drink. i couldnt think of anything worse than drinking on my own. pubs are there to meet your friends, new people from different walks of life and to just relax. the price is not the biggest factor to me.”
by Joe, Lincoln
Thursday, October 16 2008, 7:35AM
“The price of beer in pubs is still way too high, thanks to the greed of the brewers and pubcos (not the poor landlords and managers).
Why would anyone want to spend £2.48 a pint when they can drink the same beer from a supermarket in the comfort of their own homes for around 60p a pint?”