Wetherspoon is raising prices at its pubs, affecting food and drinks. Customers will notice small increases, but some popular beers will remain unchanged for now.
Stoke-on-Trent: Wetherspoon is hiking prices at its 800 pubs today. If you’re a regular, expect to pay an extra 15p for drinks and 30p more for meal deals.
Right now, a meal deal without alcohol costs £4.99. With a drink, it’s £6.52. After the price hike, those will go up to £5.29 and £6.82. Just a heads up, prices can vary by location.
Good news for beer lovers! Brands like Budweiser, Carling, and Coors won’t see price hikes just yet. This change affects all Wetherspoon pubs, including those in Hanley, Newcastle, and more, except for seven in the Republic of Ireland.
Last July, Wetherspoon adjusted prices at some airport locations. Tim Martin, the boss, mentioned they aim to stay competitive. He hopes prices will still feel reasonable despite the increases.
These hikes come after a warning from Martin about rising costs. He expects a £60 million increase in expenses due to changes in National Insurance and minimum wage hikes starting in April.
The minimum wage will rise by 6.7%. Workers over 21 will see their pay go from £11.44 to £12.21. Those aged 18 to 20 will get a bump from £8.60 to £10 per hour.
Martin has also called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to cut taxes on pub food. He pointed out that supermarket food is exempt from VAT, while pubs pay the standard rate of 20%.
He believes this tax advantage helps supermarkets sell cheaper beer. Martin argues that these VAT differences could lead to more supermarkets and fewer pubs. He’s asking for tax equality to support local pubs.
