Fury as another pub hikes prices by £2 at busy times

11/18/2024 05:24 AM

PUNTERS have been left fuming after another pub was caught hiking prices at peak times.

Greene King increased the price of its beer by 29% at the London boozer ahead of England‘s football match against Ireland yesterday.

The Torch, in Wembley, bumped up the cost of San Miguel pints from £6.20 to £8, a £1.80 increase.

The pub said increased prices during “high-profile events” to cover the cost of additional staff.

It added the surcharge compensated it for losses relating to licensing laws that meant it had to close one hour before kick off.

It is the latest pub chain to confirm it uses the technique, when pubs adjust the prices of drinks during busier periods.

But England supporters said the decision to “take advantage” of fans was “unacceptable”, the Telegraph reported.

It comes after major pub chain O’Neill’s started hiking the price of its pints at times of higher footfall.

Drinkers at the busy boozer on Wardour Street, in Soho, London, usually pay £7.40 for draught beers.

But the price of the same pint is now hopping up to £9.40 at 10pm.

The surcharge also applies to other drinks sold at the pub, with punters taking to X to vent their frustrations.

One said: “I imagine I’ll never be drinking in an O’Neills pub ever again.”

Meanwhile, another added: “O’Neills is pricey anyway so would not even bother going there.”

A third chimed in: “They’re already ripping people off with £7.40 a pint normally.”

Stonegate sparked anger among customers last September after bumping up the price of its Peroni in one London pub from £7.05 to £7.60 on midweek early evenings and weekends.

It’s not just pubs hiking prices at busier times of the day or week either.

The travel industry has been using the “dynamic pricing” strategy for years, offering customers more expensive flights during busier times of the year.

Airbnb also has a “Smart Pricing” feature which hosts can trigger that automatically changes the price of their accommodation based on demand.

The website says the tool helps hosts “optimise pricing without constantly monitoring it”.

Ticketmaster has come under fire in recent months after it was found to be hiking the price of tickets for concerts.

In September, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the tactic of dynamic pricing would be included in a Government review of the secondary gig sales market.

She said: “This Government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of music.

“So we will include issues around the transparency and use of dynamic pricing, including the technology around queuing systems which incentivise it, in our forthcoming consultation on consumer protections for ticket resales.”

A spokesperson for The Torch said: "Alongside many other businesses in the area, we sometimes raise prices during high-profile events at Wembley to help cover the increased costs of safely managing our pub during this time.

“This does not happen for every event but was the case for Sunday's England vs Republic of Ireland game, due to the higher number of people working, increased numbers of door staff as well as all pubs in the area being required to close an hour before kick-off and while the game is on.

“We strive to offer good value-for-money for our customers and give them a great experience before the game.”

In other news, a major pub chain boss has warned the price of pints will rise by 10p after the Chancellor hiked employer National Insurance contributions.

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