THE cost of a pint in many York pubs looks set to soar by more than four pence, following a hike in wholesale beer prices by one of Britain's biggest brewers.

A leading city landlord warned today that, coming on top of the smoking ban, last summer's poor weather and increases in the price of gas, electricity and rates, the increases could lead to more pubs closing in York.

"There are a number of pubs on the brink of closure," said Tony Sissons, who is president of the York LVA. However, he stressed that his own pub, the Three Cranes in St Sampson's Square, was secure.

Mr Sissons also warned many landlords would not be able to absorb the higher costs of beer after all the other increased costs, and would have to pass them on to customers.

The price rises have been revealed in a letter from Scottish & Newcastle UK to landlords, which has been passed to The Press by a licensee.

It says the company is upping the price of a 36 gallon barrel of John Smith's Bitter - brewed at Tadcaster - by £12, while a barrel of Theakstons Best Bitter is going up by £13.07, a 12 gallon keg of Guinness is to rise by £3.54 and a case of WKD - 24 bottles - will rise by £1.66.

A spokesman said the increase averaged out at just over four pence a pint, although in many cases it would be up to landlords whether they passed this on fully to customers.

He claimed the company had been hit by some "horrifying" increases in the price of essential raw materials over the past three years, including a 294 per cent rise in the cost of hops, a 180 per cent hike in the cost of barley and 64 per cent increase in the cost of aluminium, used in cans.

He said crop prices had been pushed up by global factors, such as the switch to growing bio-fuels and also last summer's appalling weather in northern Europe.

In a letter to landlords, which has been passed to The Press, managing director Chris Jowsey said that after the company had met with an "unprecedented rise" in the costs of producing and distributing beer, it was putting up prices by an average of 5.7 per cent from February 11.

"We have pledged to keep our increase reasonable and we believe that an average of 5.7 per cent is a fair and reasonable increase, given the cost pressures."

Other York pubs supplied by another major brewer, Coors, are also being hit by a hike in the wholesale cost of beer.

A spokeswoman for Coors, which also has a brewery in Tadcaster and brews Carling lager, said its wholesale beer prices would also be going up on February 11, because of inflationary pressures.

And she warned the company could not rule out the possibility of further increases later this year if current cost pressures continued.


How much will leading beers go up in price at the bar?

If Scottish & Newcastle's wholesale price increases are passed on in full by landlords, customers will have to pay:* Just under four pence a pint more for a pint of Guinness* At least four pence more for a pint of John Smith's Bitter, Magnet and Theakston's Best Bitter* Almost five pence more for a pint of Foster's lager* More than five pence extra for a pint of Kronenbourg 1664 and San Miguel.