Industry experts are warning that the price of a pint could soon rise by up to 50p in some bars and pubs.
As costs rise in England across the board, the British Beer and Pub Association has spoken out - warning that punters could soon be paying more for their pints too.
Whilst some of the cheapest pints in Leeds still sit around the £3 mark (the cheapest, unsurprisingly, often being found at Wetherspoons chains - such as £2.79 for a John Smith's), according to the association the UK average is currently around £4.07
In the capital meanwhile, the association claim Londoners pay £4.84 on average, but we know some pubs are already be charging well over £7 - so if the cost of a pint does go up by 50p then people may have to pay over £8 or more soon.
Image: Whitelock's Ale House
Trade body UKHospitality said pubs were facing “unprecedented” price rises.
Earlier this week, the chairman of the City Pub Company Clive Watson said that ‘pub inflation’ was currently running at about 10%.
Kate Nicholls – Chief Executive UK Hospitality – explained: “This is weighing very heavily on these businesses, which have had nothing but a torrid time, and the price of a pint and a meal out will have to rise.”
Nik Antona – CAMRA’s National Chairman – said the sector is continuing to deal with a crisis in “employment, supply chain, and cost of goods”, which is causing the price of a pint to rise, and admitted that: “This could spell disaster at the pump for small brewers and publicans if consumers make the decision to stay at home to cut corners.”
Pubs were facing “unprecedented” price rises / Credit: Max Pixel
Pub landlords across the country are already telling of their recent need to hike pint prices, and are expressing their concerns at this continuing.
Dave Mountford, co-founder of the Forum of British Pubs and manager at The Boat Inn in Derbyshire, warned that drinkers will face rises of more than 50p, adding: “We’re putting prices up now and soon we’ll break the £4 a pint on cask ale for the first time ever.
“Our most expensive pint is a premium lager and it’s £4.80 – it was £3.75 two years ago.”
James Calder – Chief Executive of Society of Independent Brewers – explained: “We have seen huge spikes in people costs, transport, raw ingredients, and energy, and with most brewers running very tight ships already, our sector unfortunately needs to be able to pass on these price rises to customers including the pubs in between, otherwise they will go bust.
“No business likes to raise its prices but right now it is a necessity to survive.”
Because of all these constraints, industry experts have urged the government to scrap the 12.5% VAT rate on pubs, restaurants and hotels, and have called for the scheduled rise back up to 20% in April to be scrapped, as they claim these measures could help ease pressure.
Featured Image – Unsplash
Eats
A slice of New York has arrived in Leeds – and the pizzas are 18 inches wide
Popular pizza pop-up Edges Pizza has opened a permanent home in Leeds city centre.
Last summer you may have had the privilege to enjoy a slice of Edges Pizza at one of their many pop-up residencies across the city.
Their longest stint was at the sun-drenched roof terrace of Green Room, and it's safe to say their pizza went down an absolute treat.
Since then they've been a little quiet, but all for good reason. Edges Pizza has just opened a permanent new takeaway under the arches in Holbeck, and it's absolutely class.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Owners Grace and Edge who are from Harrogate opened Edges two years ago, taking inspiration from trips to New York over the years.
They've completely transformed the space into a proper love letter to the big apple. It will operate mainly as a takeaway, but there is a small seating area where you can perch and tuck into your pie.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The menu is perfectly curated, consisting of eight pizzas and three dips. And trust us, they are absolutely massive.
We opted for the American Hot with spicy pepperoni, banana peppers and parmesan as well as the mushroom pie topped with garlic creme fraiche and chestnut mushrooms.
Drizzled and dunked into moreish hot honey, it's rivalling some of the best pizza in the city.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
For now, grabbing a pizza from Edges operates through a pre-order system. Pre-orders open at 12pm the day before via their website, you can pick your collection time and then you simply have to rock up and get your pizza.
There's loads of parking available nearby and if there are any remaining slots available you can pre-order up to an hour before collection.
We've got a feeling they're going to very busy indeed.
Dishoom announces official opening date for new Leeds restaurant
Clementine Hall
It's the moment we've all been waiting for, Dishoom is coming to Leeds.
The whispers of Dishoom's arrival in Leeds city centre have been going on for a while now, but over the past few weeks it has started to feel very real.
Taking over the beautiful old Flannel's site on the coveted Vicar Lane, signs started to pop up for Dishoom and work was cracking on fast.
Well now, we have an opening date - and we don't have long to wait.
Dishoom Leeds will open on Monday 3 August, with guests being able to enjoy 50% off food during an initial soft-opening period, ahead of the official opening on Friday 14 August.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
As with every Dishoom café, the Leeds restaurant begins with a story. This one takes inspiration from the extraordinary true events surrounding the explosion of the SS Fort Stikine in Bombay Dock in April 1944, a wartime disaster that sent gold bars flying across the city.
Legend has it that some of the missing gold was never recovered. Some was discovered embedded in walls and rooftops across Bombay. Other pieces quietly disappeared into the hands of lucky citizens, melted into bangles or hidden away in drawers.
Dishoom Leeds reimagines the fortune made from the gold bars and guests will discover subtle references to the glamorous mid-century details through the interiors and artwork, giving playful nods to Bombay’s golden age.
With all day dining available, guests can dine on the beloved breakfast right through to late evening feasting, with the café will serve a lovingly curated menu of Bombay comfort food inspired by the city’s cafés, grills, street stalls and family kitchens.
Shamil Thakrar, co-founder, also known as Head Babu, at Dishoom, said: “Leeds is a city with tremendous warmth, creativity and character, full of people who know the value of gathering together over good food and drinks. Bringing Dishoom here has long been a dream for us.”
"The story behind this café is rooted in one of Bombay’s most extraordinary moments – the day gold bars fell from the sky after the explosion of Fort Stikine in 1944. Amidst the tragedy and chaos, there were also tales of unexpected fortune, human resilience and hopeful reinvention. We were captivated by this, and we cannot wait to welcome Leeds into the café that pays homage to the heritage of Bombay.”
The Hoot -
28th January 2022 
