‘Milestone moment’ as average price of beer passes £3 a pint

The average cost of a pint of real ale has passed £3 for the first time, according to new figures released by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), and the organisation has labelled the news a “milestone moment”.

The research carried out by Camra found that the average price of a pint of beer in February was £3.03, a rise of 12p, or 3.9% on the price in February 2012.

The survey also found that the price of pints of lager and “real” cider has also increased. Lager has risen by 4.1% to £3.21 a pint, while cider has increased to £3.24 a pint, a 4% rise.

Jonathan Mail, Camra’s head of public affairs, told the organisation’s magazine, What’s brewing: “In a milestone moment the average cost of a pint of real ale in a pub has broken the £3 barrier for the first time. Nonetheless, real ale in a pub remains good value selling at nearly 20p a pint less than lager.”

The research also highlighted the regional differences in the cost of a pint and how the price has risen at different rates across the UK and Northern Ireland.

The North West of England is the cheapest region for a pint, with the average price being £2.69, this is up 5p on February last year. In contrast a pint in Northern Ireland now costs £3.30, which is a 30p rise on last year.

Scotland’s beer saw the highest monetary increase, going up by 34p a pint to £3.24, while London’s beer remains the most expensive at £3.31 a pint, this has risen by 7p a pint from February 2012.

Mail added: “The survey shows strong regional pricing differences with a 62p gap between London, which is the most expensive region and the North West, which is the cheapest.”

Other regions also saw price differences with the price of a pint in Yorkshire costing £2.95, compared to £3.10 in the South West. In the South East an pint costs £3.22 on average, compared to £2.92 in the East Midlands and £3.15 in Eastern England. People in the North East pay an average of £2.88 for a pint, while those in the West Midlands pay £2.72.