3 major UK brewers to increase prices

Not surprisingly, there has been negative reaction to three major brewers in the UK pushing ahead with price rises despite this being seen as unnecessary by the on-trade there with inflation so low and raw materials and transport costs actually falling.

Molson Coors, Diageo and Heineken have all gone ahead with price increases ranging from 2% to 4% from the end of January.

But the brewers concerned have cited the need for ‘investment’ as their reasoning for the increases despite the beer duty cut and the elimination of the Beer Duty Escalator by the UK government.

Here in Ireland, suppliers last took an increase in October 2012, but as yet have given no indications for their intentions in the Irish licensed trade.