Wed, 11 Feb 2026

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 Would you pay £7.50 for a pint of Guinness?

A Market Rasen pub asks customers about the cost of Guinness ahead of a price increase in April.
A pub landlord in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire is considering increasing the price of a pint of Guinness from £6 to £7.50 due to a "significant rise" in costs from the brand's distributors Diageo. The landlord, Matthew Horsfield, wants to gauge customers' opinions on the potential price hike and weigh up his options. Diageo claims that the average cost of a pint of Guinness in the UK is £5.21, but Horsfield argues that the brand has been increasing prices yearly and it's frustrating for pubs to have to absorb these costs. Data from The Office for National Statistics shows that the price of a pint of draught lager has risen significantly over the years, with an average cost of under £1 in 1987, £2 by 2000, and £4.83 by 2025. The Campaign for Real Ale has warned that pubs are facing a "gigantic fight" to stay open due to increasing prices, and chairman Ash Corbett-Collins is calling for urgent government action to support pub owners with rising energy bills, National Insurance contributions, and VAT on food and drink. Some pubs in the area have already set limits on their drinks prices, with one brewery setting a limit of £5 for all drinks due to concerns about waste and profitability. Customers interviewed by the BBC were generally opposed to the idea of paying £7.50 for a pint, with some suggesting that £6 or less was more reasonable.
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