Costs force up price of Banks's

The price of a pint of Banks's beer could be on the rise. Wolverhampton-based Marston's has been forced to put up the price of a barrel by 3.9 per cent because of rising production and ingredient costs.

The brewery said it would not be passing on the hikes to its own pubs but that tenanted premises had the option of putting up their prices.

The rise means it will cost considerably more to make its Bitter, Original and Marston's Pedigree and its other brands.

The company has blamed huge rises in the price of gas, electricity and petrol which have increased the cost of producing and delivering its beer.

In January 2006, the firm, then still known as Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, put up its prices by 3.9 per cent, forcing the price of a pint up by 8p.

At the time bosses cited increases in the energy supply market.

Last month Marston's painted a gloomy picture of Christmas and New Year trading, with falling beer sales and gaming machine revenues – but tempered by increased food sales.

The Banks's and Pedigree brewer said that while food sales had continued to show excellent growth of 9.5 per cent, beer sales and machine income were 2.6 per cent and 9.8 per cent below last year respectively.

The group has four breweries and more than 2,200 pubs.