Major pub chain confirms price of a pint will rise after Budget tax raid
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A popular pub chain has announced plans to hike prices following major tax changes announced during the Budget. Marston's has increased the price of draught beer by about 10p more per pint. As prices are variable across the country, the exact increase will vary depending on your exact locations. Marston's has around 1,550 sites and it’s been reported that the price hike will affect several draught products.
It comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a hike in the rate of National Insurance paid by firms, with employer contributions rising from 13.8% to 15% from April 6, while the earnings threshold will also be lowered from £9,100 per year to £5,000. Other businesses have also warned they'll have to raise prices to mitigate costs.
But the warning from Marston's means drinkers won’t benefit from the reduction in the price of a pint promised by the Chancellor, after she confirmed a 1.7% cut in draught duty. A Marston's spokesperson told The Sun: "This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly but, as has been widely reported, the cost of doing business is increasing across the sector.
“At Marston’s, we pride ourselves on offering great value and experiences for our guests every day of the week, and our teams are working hard to minimise the impact of external pressures on our customers and pub partners.". Pub chain Young’s previously revealed it expects to take an £11million annual hit from a hike in employer National Insurance. Chief executive Simon Dodd said the increase, combined with minimum wage going up, would result in “significant increased costs for our industry in the near term”.
