# Chancellor Local Pub Owner Warns Pint Prices May Jump By 25p > A pub owner whose establishment sits in the constituency of Chancellor John Healey has warned that pint prices could climb by as much as 25p following the recent Budget tax hikes. - Publisher: Briefzora (https://briefzora.com) - URL: https://briefzora.com/chancellor-local-pub-owner-warns-pint-prices-may-jump-by-25p - Published: 2026-11-01T11:00:00+05:00 - Author: Briefzora Desk (https://briefzora.com/author/briefzora-desk) - Section: Business - Topics: HMRC, Pubs, Food and drink, Alcohol - Image: https://briefzora.com/uploads/2026/10/owner-of-chancellors-local-pub-warns-pint-prices-could-rise-by-25p-af-4vcroc.webp ## Key points - Chancellor John Healey's local pub owner Joe Harper warned that pint prices could rise by as much as 25p after the Budget. - The Chancellor announced a record 4.5% increase in alcohol duty starting from February in the Autumn Budget. - The minimum wage will increase by 3.9% from £12.71 to £13.21 an hour, costing Harper's group an extra £70,000 annually. - Admiral Taverns CEO Chris Jowsey and Young's CEO Simon Dodd both confirmed plans to raise beer prices following the duty hike. ## Why it matters Pub owners and consumers across Britain are directly affected by rising alcohol duties, increased minimum wages, and higher operating costs that threaten struggling businesses and push pint prices up. ## Article The proprietor of an establishment belonging to Chancellor John Healey has cautioned that the cost of a pint could climb by up to 25p following the recent Budget announcements. Joe Harper, whose business Harper Inns manages the Earl of Stafford within the constituency of Mr Healey, criticized proposed hikes to alcohol taxes. During his Autumn Budget this week, the Chancellor revealed a record-breaking 4.5% increase in alcohol duty, which takes effect from February. Speaking to The Telegraph, pub owner Mr Harper stated, “In real terms, a 5p increase to us is a 20 to 25p increase across the bar.” He added, “That’s kind of like post-Covid price increase levels with the Ukraine war when that had the massive impact on energy. It’s just unsustainable, and you can’t explain it away to customers.” In addition to this measure, the Chancellor disclosed a 3.9% lift in the minimum wage, moving hourly pay from £12.71 to £13.21. This policy will weigh heavily on the hospitality and pub sector because a large portion of its workforce earns the minimum wage. Mr Harper noted that the wage adjustment alone will add another £70,000 in annual expenses for his group. “If John Healey wants to come and meet me for a pint in the Earl of Strafford, I’ll happily go through this with him personally and tell him what I think about what needs to be done,” he remarked further. Mr Healey also stated that the Government will grant £10million in alcohol duty relief directed at more than 2,000 small brewers. Nevertheless, pub landlords have cautioned about mounting expenses that may trickle down to patrons. Admiral Taverns chief executive Chris Jowsey, whose company oversees about 1,400 pubs, mentioned, “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if beer pricing goes up by about 20p over the next six months.” Young’s chief executive Simon Dodd also verified that the pub chain intends to elevate its prices in response to the higher beer duty. “We intend to do a price rise in line with duty next year, which we’ll do on a pub-by-pub basis,” he explained. Alcohol duty functions as a levy applied to the creation, distribution, or importation of alcoholic beverages possessing an alcohol by volume strength exceeding 1.2%. Producers shoulder this payment, and it typically gets passed along to consumers through retail pricing. The Government routinely raises alcohol duty annually in alignment with retail prices index inflation to generate revenue for the Treasury while discouraging heavy drinking. The upcoming hike becomes operational starting February 1, 2027. During the previous year, former Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated in her Budget that the rate would climb by 3.66%. Pub operators and advocacy groups had urged the Chancellor to freeze alcohol duty to protect vulnerable enterprises. The Sun publication initiative named Save Our Sups, which champions British drinking establishments, had similarly supported this adjustment. Wine and Spirit Trade Association chief executive Miles Beale remarked, “It’s a breath-taking hike. No-one will be toasting this record breaking 4.55% RPI increase on top of rising inflation – most of all British consumers who will be paying for this.” He continued, “Instead of providing breathing space in a cost of living crisis the Chancellor’s alcohol tax hikes will further suffocate British business and serve up nothing for consumers.” The modification is projected to add 3p to the expense of a beer pint beginning next spring. Across Britain, the typical cost of a pint has already climbed close to £6. Global payments enterprise Square indicates that a pint currently costs £5.91 on average, moving up from £5.81 during the prior year. Meanwhile, cider pints are anticipated to rise by approximately 1p. The taxation measures will equally affect alternative drinks, spanning from wine and champagne to spirits. Pubs face mounting pressure from a wave of escalating expenses, which includes minimum wage elevations alongside employer National Insurance augmentations. Earlier in the month, reports indicated that British drinking establishments are closing down at a frequency of one per day. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much could pint prices increase after the Budget? Pub owner Joe Harper warned that pint prices could go up by as much as 25p following the Budget. ### When does the new alcohol duty increase take effect? The latest hike in alcohol duty will come into force from February 1, 2027. ### What is the new minimum wage announced in the Budget? The Chancellor announced a 3.9% increase to the minimum wage, moving it up from £12.71 to £13.21 an hour. --- When citing, please link to https://briefzora.com/chancellor-local-pub-owner-warns-pint-prices-may-jump-by-25p and name Briefzora as the source.