Wetherspoons has been the refuge of choice for many penny pinching Londoners who fancy a pint that doesn’t cost a small fortune.
But that could be set to change according to one analysis which predicts the average price of a pint at London branches of the pub chain could rise to as much as £11.22 by 2035.
The study found London to be the region with the most expensive Wetherspoons pints in the country, averaging £5.86 last year.
Tyne and Wear had the cheapest pints in the country. Nine of the 20 cheapest locations were towns in Tyne and Wear and County Durham, with an average pint in the region costing punters just £2.84 last year.
The national average – excluding the cherished beer served at airports – was £3.38.
But by taking the average rate of inflation in the price of a Wetherspoons pint over the past six years, and extrapolating that across the following nine the researchers found London beers could more than double by 2035.
And by 2040 568ml of your favourite lager could cost you as much as £16.25 in London and £10.94 in Greater Manchester.
According to the analysis, which looked at the prices of patron-favourite beers like Budweiser, Carling, San Miguel and Guinness, pints in cheaper areas like Yorkshire and the North East will be cheaper in 2035 than they are in London now.
Despite the bleak findings for London revellers, this week Youngs CEO Simon Dodd told City A.M. that London was “leading the way” for the brewer, thanks to visitors travelling to the capital and robust demand for after work drinks.
James Rosen, co-founder of FruitySlots.com, commented: “Pub culture is undeniably significant in the UK and pubs have long served as a place for socialising with friends, family and the wider community and can become the heart of a neighbourhood.
“The study provides an interesting insight into the costs faced by patrons today and potentially in the future – and highlights which areas could face the most jarring price tags compared to more affordable areas in the country.”