The price of a pint could hit a staggering £25 by 2040, according to a study. Research by fruityslots.com shows that if the rate at which the average cost of a pint of lager rises is maintained annually, then it will cost £25.70 in 16 years time.
The average cost has shot up by 11 percent this year to an eye-watering £4.69, according to the online gambling firm using data from the Office for National Statistics.
This compares to British Beer and Pub Association’s (BBPA) figures which say pubs in 2019 made 27p profit per pint at an average price of £3.81.
By February this year, profits per pint plummeted to 12p with the BBPA putting the average price at £4.80.
The rise was put down to soaring energy costs sparked by Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, with supply chain cost pressures and rising inflation having had an impact on prices.
TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson linked rising prices to poor spring barley harvests last year. This year winter barley yields were down 22 percent, according to official figures.
A producer himself, Clarkson has joked that making a pint of lager will one day cost more than the price of a medium-sized hatchback.
The average cost of a pint has risen from £1.90 in 2000 to £4.44 in 2023, according to the BBPA.
The BBPA says the beer and pub sector has faced unprecedented challenges in the last few years, with the cost of doing business still “acute”.
It wants lower beer duty, long term business rates and a 12.5 percent hospitality rate on top of tax relief for green investments from the next government.
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is also calling for for pubs and beer to be taxed fairly, better planning protection for watering holes and fairer business rates.
Pub coffers look set for a boost this month thanks to the Euro 2024 football tournament.
When England play Denmark on Thursday (June 20) the Association expects an extra four to five million pints will be drunk, bringing in £19million to £24m in sales.
Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the BBPA, said the Euros have already provided a huge uplift in extra trade for pubs.
She added: “Football fans know that there is no better place to watch live than down their local.”