Wetherspoons pint prices to rise by up to 20p as boss Tim Martin swipes at Labour

Pub-goers heading to their local Wetherspoons could soon be paying more for their favourite pint, as the pub chain’s boss has confirmed fresh price hikes are on the way. Sir Tim Martin said customers can expect a rise of 15p to 20p per pint in the coming days, following cost pressures triggered by the recent Budget.

Breweries have already raised their wholesale prices by around 7p a pint, with further increases being passed on to punters. The changes come as pubs face growing financial strain due to new government policies, including higher National Insurance contributions and a rise in the National Living Wage. From April, employers have seen the rate of National Insurance increase from 13.8% to 15%, while the wage floor has gone up by 77p to £12.21 an hour. At the same time, the earnings threshold at which employers start paying the tax has dropped to just £5,000 a year.

"It means pints in pubs are going to go up by on average 15p to 20p this month," Sir Tim said, warning that rising costs could make the UK less attractive for new businesses.

The Wetherspoons boss, who has long been outspoken on tax policies affecting hospitality, took aim at Labour’s economic plans and expressed concerns about how burdensome regulation might impact the pub industry’s recovery.

He warned: "The risk to the country is people either in the UK or coming from abroad will think that it’s too expensive to set up a business in the UK."

Despite the price hikes, Sir Tim remained upbeat about customer loyalty and noted that more expensive drinks are still performing well.

"Guinness is pretty expensive but we are selling plenty of the stuff,” he told The Sun. 

"We have also introduced Jaipur ale, which is more pricey but doing very well. Our Stella also outsells Bud Light, which is cheaper."

Wetherspoons is continuing to expand, with 15 new pubs set to open in the near future and a new gourmet food range launching on May 14. 

The updated menu includes three new burgers: the Big Smoke, Buffalo Burger, and Cheese Meltdown.

Upcoming openings include new pubs in London, Essex, the Isle of Man, and Warwickshire.

Among them are The Conister Arms in Douglas (May 14), Walham Green in Fulham (June 17), The Dictum in Kenilworth (July 30), and Sun Wharf near London Bridge (August 26).

Sir Tim also revealed ambitions to take Wetherspoons abroad, particularly to destinations popular with British holidaymakers. He said: "We think it will do well with people overseas."

Wetherspoon reported like-for-like sales growth of 5.6% in the 13 weeks to April 27, suggesting that despite rising costs, its pubs remain as popular as ever.