2 weeks ago
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Punters could be paying more for soft drinks than a pint of beer at some London boozers.
Drinkers visiting pubs in the capital can buy a pint of Ruddles IPA or up to 62p less than a glass of orange juice, MailOnline can reveal.
It comes as The Alexandra, near Clapham Common, faced backlash after furious punters found they were charging nearly £5 for a pint of Diet Coke.
Outraged pub-goers have also lashed out at the eye-watering price of beer in recent weeks, with lagers now hurtling towards the £9 mark.
But MailOnline found that there are at least 27 JD Wetherspoons where Londoners can buy an alcoholic beverage for less than a soft drink.
Venues such as The Walnut Tree in Leytonstone serve a pint of Greene King Ruddles IPA for £1.79, while offering customers a 398ml glass of orange juice for £2.41
In a handful of pubs - such as a The Surrey Docks in Rotherhithe - pints come even cheaper, totaling as little as £1.73, meaning they cost less than a small glass of Pepsi in the venue (£1.75)
MailOnline can reveal today that there are at least 27 JD Wetherspoon venues where Londoners can buy an alcoholic beverage for less than a soft drink (information sourced via the Wetherspoon app)
According to the Wetherspoon app, venues such as The Walnut Tree in Leytonstone and The Half Moon in Mile End serve a pint of Greene King Ruddles IPA for £1.79 or £1.90, while offering customers a 398ml glass of orange juice for £2.41.
And in a handful of pubs - such as a The Surrey Docks in Rotherhithe and The Watch House in Lewisham - pints come even cheaper, totaling as little as £1.73 and costing less than a small glass of Pepsi (£1.75).
The price of a pint of Diet Coke in The Alexandra was fractionally shy of the average cost pub-goers in the UK splash out for a pint of lager, which is £4.80.
But it is significantly more than buying the drink in shops, with a two-litre bottle of Diet Coke at Tesco costing £1.85, while in Sainsbury's people can buy a pair of two-litre bottles for £3.50.
Retail Expert Zoe Adjey tried to explain the soft drink price hike to MailOnline: 'For many years, it has been a peculiar anomaly that premium soft drinks are more expensive than mid-range alcoholic beverages.
'The higher price of alcoholic beverages can be explained by the fact that they are subject to taxation and duty, whereas carbonated beverages and orange juice are not.
'The exact reason for this pricing discrepancy has never been definitively established. It could be attributed to the fact that alcoholic beverages attract more customers, or it may be due to the lower turnover of non-alcoholic or soft drinks.
'Pubs are under immense pressure to generate more income, and they should consider this pricing anomaly as an opportunity to attract the non-alcoholic market and expand their customer base.'
The ballooning cost of drinks at Britain's beloved boozers have left punters worried - and accusing the industry of 'stealth' hikes.
A receipt from The Alexandra, in the south of the city, revealed patrons to the venue last week forked out £9.20 for two pints of Diet Coke at £4.60 a glass
Responses to a viral social media post showed what punters have been charged across London
A survey - which asked 3,200 UK consumers if they had spent more, less or the same on leisure over the last three months - found sentiment on 'drinking in pubs and bars' had dropped by six per cent compared to the previous quarter
The Alexandra, in Clapham, south London, has become the latest boozer to face a backlash over the cost of its drinks
The historic Victorian-era Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich, south London, offers pints of lager costing up to £8.80
A social media post about the Dublin Castle pub and music venue in Camden, north London, prompted an online discussion of rising pint prices across the capital
Last week MailOnline revealed how the price of a pint one of London's historic watering holes, the Trafalgar Tavern, had skyrocketed to a staggering £8.80.
The Victoria-era establishment which sits on the Thames in Greenwich, south London, was highlighted as one of many pubs across the capital charging much more than the UK average of £4.80.
And the Dublin Castle in Camden, north London, which features prominently in the new Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black, has prompted a fevered debate about just how much nights out in the capital can now cost.
A devoted pubs fan shared on X, formerly Twitter, how he loved the boozer's music selection but was taken aback when charged £7.80 for a pint of Cruzcampo lager.
Many more have now shared their outrage at prices in venues across London, which many now costing at the very least £7 - compared to the national average £4.70.
Industry chiefs say pubs fearful for their own futures are under mounting pressures such as soaring rising energy bills, competition from supermarkets and still playing catch-up with rents after Covid-19 lockdown-inflicted closures.
Office for National Statistics figures showed the nationwide average for a pint of lager leapt by 10.8 per cent in the 12 months to last December - from £4.24 to £4.70 and the British Beer and Pub Association says it is now £4.80 - and £5.69 across London.
Draught bitter was up by 9.1 per cent, hitting £3.93 rather than the previous £3.60 - while experts have warned pints in London could even rise to £14 next year.
But Londoners are finding themselves paying far more, with punters relating tales of being charged as much as £8.50 per pint at the Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich, south-east London.
The average price of a pint of lager across the UK is £4.80 - but Londoners are finding themselves paying much more (file photo)
The pub features in the new Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black and was used for filming scenes in March last year (pictured)
That Grade II-listed riverside pub beside the Thames actually displays on its website prices peaking at £8.80 for a draught pint of Brixton Coldharbour Lager.
One response on social media to their prices said: 'You're paying for the riverside view - should be £2 off to drink inside.'
Another commenter wrote: 'I paid £7.50 for a Guinness there a couple of months ago. Still the most I’ve paid for a pint.'
Around 1,110 bars and clubs across London have shut since Covid and many more owners say they are hampered by curtailed drinking hours, threats from housing developers and rising costs.
