JD Wetherspoons have announced they will be slashing prices of a select number of drinks to just 99p after the budget announcement from Rishi Sunak yesterday.
The popular British pub chain will be reducing the price of Greene King IPA, Beck's bottles and whiskey measures to 99p, amongst other offers.
Between Monday 1 November and Tuesday 30 November, these cheap pints will be available in bars across the UK, though due to minimum pricing in Scotland and Wales, prices will be slightly higher.
Hot drink prices have also been slashed, with JD Wetherspoons introducing 99p refillable tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
JD Wetherspoons are known for their strong political opinions and have used government announcements to promote their pubs for years.
During the Eat Out to Help Out scheme in August 2020 and in the following months, the pub chain shared a number of 'Sunak Specials', including £1.29 ales.
Wetherspoons also displayed posters with images of the Chancellor of the Exchequer with the phrase: "Rishi Sunak, legend: the man who instigated tax equality between supermarkets and pubs."
Regardless of your political opinion, the reduction in prices will give everyone cheaper pint or whiskey measure throughout November.
Rishi Sunak has been the unofficial face of many Wetherspoons campaigns throughout the pandemic. / Image: HM Treasury
The prices to many alcoholic beverages were changed, including a 3p reduction in tax per pints in pubs and 87p reduction in prosecco tax.
Overall, it appears that there will be a 30p price hike across the hospitality industry after the news yesterday.
However, many taxes rose: red wines, sherry and port face an increase of 47p - £1.09 in tax.
These changes are set to come into effect in February 2023.
On average, the price of a bottle of bin is already charged with 70% tax, so additional tax on high ABV drinks will present challenges to some businesses.
However, it appears that Tim Martin has taken the changes in his usual stride.
The Wetherspoons chairman spoke out about the unforeseen offer, announcing: "our pubs are known for their excellent choice of drinks at value-for-money prices at all times".
Hedley Verity on Woodhouse Lane will be participating in the 99p offer. / Image: JD Wetherspoons
There are 20 pubs within a 10-mile-radius of Leeds city centre, many of which are located in the city centre.
In LS1 customers at Beckett's Bank and The Hedley Verity will be taking full advantage of the price cut to their favourite drinks and undoubtedly the rest of Leeds will be too at their local.
The 99p drinks offer will run throughout the entire month of November. For more information, visit your local branch or the JD Wetherspoons website.
Because one Fern Modern Sushi wasn't enough, we've now got two.
And guess what? It's even better than the first.
Fern Modern Sushi located in the unassuming Central Arcade has become a firm foodie favourite after opening just a couple years ago.
Run by the wonderful Chef Fern, who you could say is somewhat of a local celebrity at this point, the restaurant is known for serving delicious sushi with the freshest fish possible and traditional Japanese dishes with modern flair.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Full with hungry punters no matter the time of day, it's no surprise that Chef Fern has just opened Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 on Park Row.
This beautiful new space is serving up all the classic Fern dishes, from stacked donburi bowls and perfectly rolled sushi to miso glazed cod and hearty bowls of ramen.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Different for this location, though, is their exclusive cocktail menu - so you can wine and dine to your heart's content.
The interior has also levelled up, complete with a huge open kitchen so you can pull up a chair and eat whilst watching the magic happen.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And this isn't all that Chef Fern is up to, after opening Tori Nori on Vicar Lane a few months ago this will be her third restaurant in the city centre, and that is no easy feat.
She's even got another restaurant imminently opening in the Central Arcade which will be focused on traditional katsu dishes, and we wouldn't be at all surprised if she had something else lined up in the pipeline.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 officially opens on 19 November, but is open now for soft launch with limited bookings.
A pub in Leeds has been crowned the third best in Britain by The Good Food Guide
Clementine Hall
A Leeds pub has been crowned one of the very best in the country by The Good Food Guide.
The trusted guide has just released its 100 Best Pubs in Britain list, and we're very chuffed with the results indeed.
Taking the coveted number three spot is our very own The Highland Laddie, a 100-year-old city centre institution that reopened in April 2025 in the hands of new owners Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton.
These guys also run the Empire Cafe, so you just know it's going to be good.
Last year they soared straight to the top of the list and were crowned the best pub in the whole of Britain by the guide.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
This time, the Queen's Arms over in Eccles came number one followed by The Cow in Notting Hill.
We still think bagging third place is quite the achievement, and if you've visited The Highland Laddie yourself you'll know just how much of a special place it is.
Don't just take our word for it, The Good Food Guide labelled the Laddie as 'a true pub with a genuine community vibe'.
They also said: "Reenergised by the team behind the Empire Cafe in 2025, this is everything that a proper English pub should be – 'oh, and they have a mustard menu!'
"Inside, the Laddie ticks all the boxes, preserving the essentials of a traditional old-school boozer and maintaining a genuine sense of community while letting the good times roll. As for the food, it’s ‘both high-end and accessible’, pulling in ideas from all over, whether you fancy a freshly shucked Lindisfarne oyster, a keema toastie or an elevated ham roll with bread cooked over the coals.
"Dig deeper and you might find a lobster madeleine with Yorkshire chorizo butter, a treacle onion tart or pork schnitzel with two fried eggs. Club steaks are served by the inch, there’s no creative let-up when it comes to sides, and the nostalgia is ramped up with the likes of strawberry and Champagne trifle with ‘sprinkles’.
"But never forget that this is a self-proclaimed ‘drinkers’ pub’ dispensing everything from ‘properly served’ British brews and ’the best Guinness in Leeds’ to a staggering line-up of whisky optics."
Sophie Smith -
28th October 2021 
