Wetherspoon customers issued looming 20p pint price warning
Tim Martin has warned that the price of a pint will go up by 20p in the coming days in Wetherspoon.
According to the boss of the chain, breweries are already pushing through hikes on the back of cost pressures from the Budget.
Martin said the government kept heaping pressure on pubs through higher taxes and costs.
The pub industry had already faced demands for higher prices from breweries, which had increased their prices by around 7p per pint in the past week, he revealed.
"It means pints in pubs are going to go up by on average 15p to 20p this month", he said.
JD Wetherspoon has said that its pubs have capitalised on the spring sunshine while reiterating the impact of fresh hikes in labour costs on the bottom line.
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The British Beer and Pub Association recently warned that the price of a pint is expected to exceed the £5 mark, up from the current average of £4.80.
Breweries are reacting to increases in the National Living Wage and National Insurance contributions, which came into effect at the start of April.
The National Living Wage rose by 77p an hour to £12.21, while the rate of employer National Insurance contributions increased from 13.8% to 15%.
Plus, the threshold at which businesses begin paying this tax was reduced, dropping from £9,100 to £5,000 a year.
Sir Tim warned: "The risk to the country is people either in the UK or coming from abroad will think that it's too expensive to set up a business in the UK."
"Guinness is pretty expensive but we are selling plenty of the stuff.
"We have also introduced Jaipur ale, which is more pricey but doing very well.
"Our Stella also outsells Bud Light, which is cheaper."
The Wetherspoon boss confirmed he remains "very keen" on the idea of opening pubs overseas through the company's rapidly growing franchise business.
The pub giant already operates a few franchised pubs on university campuses and seven pubs within Haven Holiday parks.
He said: "It's a good sign the holiday parks are doing very well so we think it will do well with people overseas, especially where Brits holiday."
Sir Tim added that he is "open to anything," including launching pubs in airports and campsites.
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