Wetherspoons slashes price of a pint to 99p despite surging costs

D Wetherspoons has revealed it will slash prices on several of its drinks to 99p next month despite inflationary pressures.

The pubco said on Wednesday that from 1-30th November customers will be able to snap up a pint of Ruddles Best or Greene King IPA – or a dram of whisky – at the bargain price at over 700 Wetherspoons venues.

All Wetherspoons pubs will be lowering their prices on a range of drinks in the month, with those in Scotland offering a pint of real ale for £1.10 due to minimum unit cost laws.

It comes despite hospitality firms facing surging costs for everything from logistics to staffing, and just a day after the boss of a fellow pub group warned that the price of a pint may soon have to rise.

Clive Watson, executive chairman of the City Pub Group, told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that the price of a pint of beer in the UK could rise by as much as 30p in the coming months to allow companies to cover an increase in minimum wage, rising input costs and a return to 20% VAT.

The VAT rate paid by pubs and restaurants went up to 12.5% from 1st October, following a cut to 5% last year to help the hospitality trade. It is set to rise again in April 2022. Hospitality and tourism bosses are pleading with the government to permanently lower the VAT rate on their businesses to help protect thousands of jobs.

Announcing the offer on Wednesday, Wetherspoon’s chairman Tim Martin, said: “Our pubs are known for their excellent choice of drinks at value-for-money-prices at all times.

“Throughout November our customers will be able to choose from a great choice of drinks and save themselves some money too.”

The update comes weeks after Wetherspoons crashed to a £155 million loss after a year of turmoil.

Sales for the year to July fell 39% to £772 million. The company has only made a loss in three out of its 37 years – 1984, 2020 and 2021.

What does the Wetherspoons November offer entail?

* Throughout the month all hot drinks (a range of coffees, tea, hot chocolate) will cost 99p with free refills.

* At 671 pubs three drinks will be on sale for 99p each; a pint of Ruddles Best (some pubs will be serving Greene King IPA), a bottle of Beck’s and a Bell’s whisky (25ml measure) including a mixer.

* At 99 pubs the pint of real ale will cost £1.10 with the bottle of Beck’s and a Bell’s whisky (25ml measure) including a mixer at 99p each.

* At 770 pubs a Gordon’s gin (25ml measure) including a mixer will cost £1.99,  a glass of Coldwater Creek (from a choice of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, White Zinfandel Rose) will cost £1.69 for a 175ml glass, and a  bottle of Hardys ( from a choice of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Shiraz, Rose) will be available for £6.99.

* Prices at Wetherspoon’s other  pubs  will also be reduced but will vary in price. In the remaining pubs, a pint of real ale will cost from £1.49 to £1.99, a glass of wine from £1.99 to £2.79 and a Gordon’s gin (with mixer) from £1.99 to £2.99.