Average price of a pint of real ale passes 'milestone' £3 point
In the April edition of Camra's What's Brewing magazine, the organisation said the average cost for a pint of real ale in the UK was £3.03 in February, up 12p, or 3.9 per cent, from a year earlier.
The figure was generated following a survey of 772 pubs which was conducted nearly two months ago - crucially before the Chancellor pleased publicans by slashing the controversial beer duty escalator in his 2013 Budget and taking a further penny off the price of a pint.
Describing the rise as a 'milestone moment', Jonathan Mail, Camra's head of public affairs, said real ale still sold at nearly 20p a pint less than a pint of lager.
"Pub beer prices have yet again increased more than the general rate of inflation making a pint in your local less affordable than 12 months ago," he said. "There is no doubt that above inflation price rises are being driven by punishing increases in the rate of beer duty," Mail claimed.
Regional differences
Interestingly, the survey revealed there is a large difference in price between not only a pint of real ale (£3.03) and a pint of lager (£3.21) but also between pints of real ale sold in two different parts of the UK.
As the most expensive place for a pint, London pubs charge £3.31 on average for the drink compared to the North West which, with an average price of £2.69, is the cheapest place for real ale in the UK. In six of the twelve regions a pint of real ale still costs less than £3.
"In a milestone moment the average cost of a pint of real ale in a pub has broken the £3 barrier for the first time. The survey shows strong regional pricing differences with a 62 pence gap between London, which is the most expensive, and the North West, which is the cheapest," Mail added.
