Publicans will be paying an extra 4p for each print they sell of Guinness after Diageo announced an increase will apply across the island.
The company, which sells Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks, Hophouse 13 and various spirits, said the list price increase will be introduced from February 3. The increase does not include VAT.
However, it is not clear how the increase will impact punters in the north as the price of pints in Belfast is already on average the equivalent of £1 more expensive than Dublin.
The price of a pint of Guinness in Belfast also varies wildly, with a difference of £3.30 between the most expensive and the cheapest in the city, according to Pinttracker
Diageo has written to publicans in the Republic warning them of the 6c rise in the list price of the pints. Industry experts suggest this is the equivalent of a 30c rise for bar and restaurant owners when VAT, duty and margins are added.
The drinks company said that in the north the list price of Guinness will rise by 4p. Other list price increases will vary depending on the product, the company said.
“We continue to face increased costs across our business and as a result we have informed our Northern Ireland on-trade customers that there will be a price increase on our draught beer range, taking effect from February 3 2025,” Diageo said. .
“This increase will be across the full Diageo draught beer range.”
Michael Kilcoyne, of the Consumers’ Association of Ireland, told businessplus.ie: “It’s savage. It would appear as if they’re trying to get people to stop drinking.
“They’re doing the HSE’s job for them.”
Pat Crotty, chief executive of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, argued “publicans are being squeezed from every angle – rising energy costs, higher wages and government-imposed charges”.
“This latest price increase from Diageo adds yet another layer of financial pressure on pubs already struggling to keep their doors open,” Mr Crotty said, adding this was not just about the price of a pint but ”about the survival of pubs across Ireland”.
Belfast compares poorly with Dublin when it comes to the price of a pint of Guinness, with Pinttracker finding that many in the city are charging £6 or more, the equivalent of over €7.
The average price of a pint is now £5.75, or €6.80. In Dublin, the average price for the same pint is the equivalent of approximately £4.80.
In recent months, Pinttracker reported the dearest pint was £7.30, with the cheapest costing £4.
