Price of beer has dropped for first time in two years

The Office for National Statistics has revealed the average price of a pint of lager has decreased.

Over the last couple of years, you've likely come close to shedding a few tears when you've gone down the pub on a Friday evening after a long week's graft to see the price of a pint steadily rising - if you live in London, then you've only got yourself to blame.

Thankfully, for the first time in two years, the price of a pint has finally decreased.

Mark Waugh/ Alamy Stock Photo

A word of warning, while the price of a pint has technically decreased, I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet. Although, any excuse for a pint, right?

Like how Jesus turned water into wine, you'd have hoped someone would have come up with a way to turn our tears over the cost of living crisis into a yeasty, gold pint full of goodness to wash away our sorrows.

But alas, you're just going to have to cling on to this slightly sub-par but better than nothing good news. And perhaps the decrease is a sign of further reductions to come?

But how much has a pint of draught lager decreased from the end of 2022 to the start of 2023 I hear you ask?

Richard Green/ Alamy Stock Photo

Well, it's decreased by a grand total of one pence. Yes, a penny, from £4.24 in December 2022 to £4.23 in January 2023 according to the Office for National Statistics. But hey, that's better than nothing, right? And it's better than an increase.

After a dreary January and February which have felt like they've dragged on for about six months - alongside energy bills which have left me sitting in the darkness with candles surrounding me - I'll take a one pence reduction.

And depending on how many pints you sink after a hard week's work, add your one penny savings together and if you drink five pints every week, in 20 weeks time you'll get a pound off and in 100 weeks, a free pint plus a bit of change.

Office for National Statistics

While perhaps not as significant a reduction as many of us would've hoped for, it's a significant moment considering the last decrease in the average price of a pint was two years ago.

Emma McClarkin - chief executive British Beer and Pub Association - has previously spoken out about the rising average cost of a pint and its potentially devastating effects on local pubs and breweries.

She said, as per the Morning Advertiser: "After having faced almost three years of extremely tough trading conditions due to lockdowns, an energy crisis, and supply chain disruptions, the cost of doing business and erosion of margins is crippling our pubs and breweries at an unprecedented rate.

"We simply can't afford to lose our local pubs and breweries, and the jobs and livelihoods that go with them.

"The last thing pubs want to do is put prices up for customers who are struggling themselves with the cost of living; they want to provide a warm and welcoming space for their communities, especially in this acutely difficult time."

Dan Grytsku / Alamy Stock Photo

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has called for the government to use the Spring Budget to 'change its plans to slash help for pubs with energy costs from April' to prevent price hikes or pub closures.

Nik Antona - CAMRA's national chairman - said: "CAMRA is calling on the Chancellor to commit to keeping energy bill support for hospitality businesses at its current level beyond April, making the business rate system fairer for pubs, and cutting tax charged on draught beer and cider by 20 percent to help our locals compete with the likes of supermarket alcohol."

There's been an overall increase of eight pence between October 2022 and January 2023 and in the last two years, the average price of a pint of draught lager has soared by over 11 percent, but here's hoping the minor decrease - even if only a penny - will lead to further reductions and easier pint-drinking for all.

One small step for pubs, one giant leap for all UK pint drinkers?