JD Wetherspoon pub chain is offering a major drink sale starting next month. Whisky, beer, and coffee will be just 99p each
The low price means that 671 of the pubs will offer a pint each of Ruddles Best and Greene King IPA, a bottle Beck’s beer, and a 25ml Bell’s whisky.
And at 99 of its pubs the pint of real ale will cost £1.10, while the Beck’s and whisky will still be 99p each. The discount will last throughout November.
Tim Martin, chairman of Wetherspoon, stated that the pubs are well-known for offering great drinks at affordable prices.
“Our customers will have the opportunity to save money and choose from a wide range of drinks throughout November.”
The chain’s 671 pubs will serve a pint or Greene King IPA, a bottle Beck’s beer, and a 25ml Bell’s whisky with a mixer at 99p.
All hot drinks at its pubs, including coffees, tea and hot chocolate, will cost 99p with free refills – with the announcement made on the day of the Budget today.
At each of the 770 pubs, a 25ml Gordon’s gin including a mixer will cost £1.99, while a 175ml glass of Coldwater Creek wine including red, white and rose will cost £1.69.
The Watford-based chain also said a bottle of Hardys wine including red, white and rose will be available for £6.99.
Wetherspoon stated that pints at its remaining bars will be reduced, but will vary in cost.
Britain’s biggest pub, the Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate, Kent, is a Wetherspoon location
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.
The pubs serving the real ale at £1.10 and not 99p are in Scotland and Wales which both have minimum unit price restrictions.
City Pub Group has warned that the price for a pint if beer may rise by up to 30% to cover rising energy costs.
Clive Watson, the executive chairman of the company, stated yesterday that the industry was “coming off life support” but could not withstand more pressure.
He told BBC Radio 4: ‘We cannot absorb all these increased costs whether it is the energy costs whether it is food inflation, whether it is labour costs… so the only way forward for us is to put the price of beer and food up in our pubs.’
“No one wants to do this, but I believe the price of beer would likely go up 25p to $30 per pint to reflect all these increased costs.
Earlier this month, Wetherspoon recorded its biggest loss on record after suffering heavily from Covid-19 restrictions – losing more than £150million last year.
The company has only seen losses in three of its 37 years – in 1984, 2020 and 2021 – but the 12 months to July 25 were its worst to date.
The chain sunk to a pre-tax loss of £154.7million, up from £34.1million a year ago, while sales were down from £1.26billion to £772.6million.
Martin stated that he was optimistic about the future and that customers are returning to the country after the summer’s lifting of lockdown restrictions.
However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to fill jobs in certain areas, especially in’staycation” locations that have seen an increase in visitors due international travel restrictions.
Pubs in the UK are facing a staff shortage as a result of a flight of European workers. However, British workers have also been leaving the hospitality industry during lockdowns. The industry could be affected by this shortage during the traditionally busy Christmas season.