‘The pub industry is dying’published at 09:04 British Summer Time
Raphael Sheridan
Economics producer
James Cuthbertson says his brewery business will have to raise beer prices for the first time in two years because of his rising costs and wage bill.
“This is definitely the toughest it’s ever been, and there’s been some tough times, but certainly the rising costs have been crippling,” he says.
James is a partner at Lakedown brewing company, which officially opened as a craft brewer in 2023 and now owns a pub in Hawkhurst, Kent.
He says his main costs – water bills, yeast and hops – have all increased between 5% and 10%.
James says this has made it “difficult to be positive”.
“Everyone’s having to pass costs onto consumers that don’t have the money. So it doesn’t work if we’re getting crushed in the middle, and I think that’s the biggest challenge,” he says.
James thinks this has changed the way consumers spend. “The pub industry is dying unless people do something about it,” he says.
