For this post I’m in danger of biting the hand that feeds
me. I’ve been concerned about a particular subject for a while now and,
speaking to some other beer fans, I know I’m not alone when I say I feel
aggrieved by the rising price of craft beer in off-licences.
Naturally many will say “Ah well you get what
you pay for” and generally I agree. Of
course I’d rather pay a couple of quid for a bottle of decent, tasty beer than 70p for
a can of overfizzed bland yellow water. However I’m not talking about the broad
scope of craft beers or real ales that are becoming more common on the off-licence
shelves but those beers that are new or (and I hate to use this word) exclusive
to some retailers. You know the ones,
crafted from a carefully balanced mixture of smoked unicorn’s tears and wonderberries from South East Mordor – or wherever.
Am I willing to pay over 4 quid for a pint bottle from the
offie? No I’m not. I see no reason why most crafts cannot be
priced at under £3 per pint bottle. Anything over this is, frankly, taking the
piss and sticking the arm into us beer lovers who prefer to sup something well
brewed. Many great brews can be bought
for £2 - £2.60 so what makes things different for other brews? Why should I pay
£3.50 - £4 for a beer from the off-licence when it’s that price in the
pub?
I’m not made of money and more and more now I visit certain
places to peruse the craft selection only to become riled by the ridiculous
prices. Is the price reflective of the
new trend of crafts? Is it really
production costs? Are retailers setting
these prices because it’s suddenly trendy to buy a few bottles of ale? If
that’s the case, then the craft scene will sadly die very quickly.
Money is tight in these times and
producers/retailers need to understand that for us consumers there are fine lines
between choice, desire and affordability.
Simply by reducing prices, in some cases by only 50 pence, a beer
becomes more appealing.
As I said at the beginning, I’m probably gonna upset a lot
of folk here but que sera, sera. I want
to reach out to those who feel the same as me.
You’re not alone, I too am fed up with crazy pricing and unless things
change, I for one won’t be buying many overpriced beers. Unicorn’s tears or not.
