Carlsberg Marston's to raise wholesale beer prices next month as costs increase

The brewing company, which has its headquarters in the city, is raising its wholesale selling prices across its portfolio from March 20.

CMBC is a joint venture between Wolverhampton’s Marston’s, which runs a chain of pubs and restaurants, and the Danish Carlsberg brewing group and includes the 148-year-old Banks’s Park Brewery in Brewery Road where Bank’s Amber, Mild and Sunbeam are brewed.

It said that the increases, which will apply to beer supplied to freetrade pubs and clubs, were the result of the impact of ongoing price pressures.

Prices for cask ale and keg lager will increase by between 11 and 12 per cent.

Packaged products – bottles and cans – will rise from 5.99 to eight per cent.

Marston’s 61 Deep, brewed at Burton upon Trent, is going up by 11.64 per cent and Pedigree, also brewed at Burton, by 11.56 per cent.

Price increases will be dependent on the contractual agreements CMBC has with its customers who are free to set their own pricing in their venues. CMBC is not responsible for the final sale price of its products to the consumer.

Explaining the rises CMBC said: “Like many other UK businesses, we continue to face increasing cost pressures relating to the production, distribution and transportation of our products.

“Consequently and despite all our efforts to offset and manage this cost inflation, it is necessary for us to increase our prices.

“We deliberately avoided increasing prices in the end-of-year period and in January, which are crucial months for hospitality businesses, and we are now in the process of contacting each of our customers about their specific pricing.

“We remain whole-heartedly committed to our customers, ensuring they have the right brands and dispense products available to them, underpinned by an industry-leading secondary logistics team and support and advice delivered by our dedicated sales and customer service teams.”

Earlier this month the JD Wetherspoon chain, which has pubs across the West Midlands, increased its prices.

The food and drink offer increased by 7.5 per cent – less than the current rate of inflation.

A number of independent breweries across the country have recently gone out of business including Slater’s in Stafford, Birmingham’s Four Chaps and Dig Brew in Digbeth, Birmingham.

Morton Brewery at Essington is also to cease making beer after 16 years in business and the brewing equipment is being sold off. Many pubs and bars are also shutting with many putting it down to big increases in utility bills.

The Campaign for Real Ale has urged drinkers to use their local pubs to help them survive. In January many pubs were closing early or on one or more days a week to keep on top of energy bills

The British Beer and Pub Association has called for more to be done to support the industry.