Pubs

Paying a premium for a flight during the school holidays or a cab at peak hours might be expected but fluctuating charges – otherwise known as surge pricing – could become the norm in other industries, say experts.

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The Wardour Street branch of O’Neill’s pub in Soho, central London, has implemented an additional £2 charge to pints ordered after 10pm. This means a pint of Brewdog IPA that costs £7.40 during the day will cost £9.40 after 10pm. The policy has been in place since 2022 to comply with the licensing requirement for more security staff.

Some customers expressed their disappointment on social media at the price bump. One wrote on X: “This new idea of dynamic pricing is ridiculous, greedy and needs calling out. Very shortsighted.”

However, another noted that charging more during busier periods was similar to discounts and offers at quieter times. “I was going to say I thought it was awful, but is it not simply ‘happy hour’ in reverse? ”

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Restaurants, bars and pubs may increase prices during busier times such as celebrations or match days. However, this is something we might see on a more regular basis, Stahl said.

Stonegate Group, Britain’s largest pub group and owner of chains including the Slug & Lettuce and Yates’s, said it was raising prices at 800 of its venues during peak times, such as weekends, to help cover costs, including staffing.

A pint of beer during the busiest periods would cost drinkers 20p more. It has previously done so during special events, such as World Cups.

A city centre pub which has pledged to give all its profits to good causes has donated none five years after launching - despite still marketing itself as "supporting charity". The Good Intent opened in Birmingham's Great Western Arcade in October 2019 after successfully crowdfunding nearly £18,000.

The stylish pub, founded by Stourbridge-based Craddock’s Brewery, was described at the time as the UK's 'first not-for-profit bar' and promised to donate all profits to local charities. However, its financial statements have revealed it has failed to make any profit since opening.

Owner David Craddock told BirminghamLive it had not been possible to donate to good causes - other than "little bits here and there" - because the bar was not in profit. He said the pub was still struggling to recover from the pandemic but hoped it would find itself in the black next year.

Despite not being in the position to donate as promised, beer mats inside the pub state "ten per cent goes to charity" and that "one good deed deserves another". The bar's Instagram posts are regularly captioned with #supportingcharity. We counted at least ten instances of this hashtag across its 50-plus posts on the social media platform.

One post, from November 2023, states: "We are The Good Intent, the UK's first non-profit bar. What does that mean? That means that all profit we make goes to local charities." Yet all of the Good Intent's annual accounts between 2021, when its first accounts were filed, and 2024 state donating was "not possible".

Mr Craddock also strongly denied a former worker's unsubstantiated claims they were "told to lie on behalf of the company" when quizzed by customers about its charitable donations. The ex-employee alleged: "I lied to every customer that asked me about the details. They have benefitted from this lie as many customers who booked a table, or function room, did so because they thought the profit was going to charity."

In the Palm Tree pub, east London, barman Alf is taking only cash at the rattling 1960s till. The building, which is Grade II-listed, stands in the middle of Mile End Park, and Alf has worked here since 1976. “It’s a wonderful pub,” he says.

It is also ranked fifth in Time Out’s 50 Best Pubs in London list, published this month, and marks a clear preference that has emerged for traditional boozers.

The majority of pubs in the top 50 are old-school, with carpets, karaoke or Irish music nights. Pickled eggs are often the extent of the culinary output. Some – whisper it – even sell pints for under a fiver.

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According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), “wet-led” pubs, which rely on their beverage offering and often don’t have a food menu, have closed at faster rates than food-driven establishments.

When pubs do open – especially in the capital – many pitch themselves as a gastropub: £30 roasts, Aperol spritz, posh crisps and pints north of £7. Among London’s most successful openings since the pandemic are the Devonshire in Soho and the Plimsoll in Finsbury Park, both most celebrated for their food. However, it seems that the traditional boozer is far from serving its last pints. “Maybe we’re old romantics, but old-school boozers are the beating heart of this city,” wrote the Time Out food and drink editor, Leonie Cooper, when launching the top 50.

“The pubs on this list are heavy with the powerful whiff of history – though that just might be the sticky carpets – and throbbing with heat, soul and community charm.”

“There will always be a desire for well-managed pubs serving amazing beer in our communities,” says Ash Corbett-Collins, national chair at Camra, the campaign for real ale. All the finalists of Camra’s 2024 Pub of the Year competition were “fantastic examples of pubs that prioritise their well-maintained drink selection, as opposed to an extensive food menu.”