Wetherspoons prices soar with some airport pints now costing £7.40

Excited holidaymakers looking to kick-start their travels this summer with a nice refreshing pint may be left feeling bitter - as Wetherspoons have hiked their airport prices ahead of summer, with some pints now costing an eye-watering £7.40.

This time last year, travellers from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Edinburgh airports were left reeling at having to hand over £7.10 at the pub chain for a pint of Leffe lager - which currently retails at £3.75 in Sainsbury's and Asda, or just £3.39 in Tesco, for a 750ml bottle.

But now, airport drinkers have been hit in the pocket once again, to the tune of up to 30p a pint, or as much as four per cent - with Wetherspoon's bosses now asking for £7.40 for a pint of the same Belgian brew, as prices have been quietly raised yet again ahead of the summer rush.

And Leffe is not the only beer this year to have broken the £7 mark, as Brewdog Punk IPA will now set travellers back a hefty £7.05 for a pint.

Meanwhile, Wetherspoons meals have also been subjected to the price hikes, with burger dishes at Gatwick Airport now costing as much as £15.55, or £16.65 for gourmet options, while an 11" spicy meat feast pizza will set you back a costly £16.55, The Sun reports.

It seems Wetherspoons regulars are not happy about the price increases, with 44-year-old Rebecca Lockwood, from the West Midlands, telling The Sun: "You used to be guaranteed a bargain beer when you went to a 'Spoons - even at the airport - but it seems that's all a thing of the past now."

And Kev McMahon, 46, from Waltham Abbey, Herts, added: "We scrimped and saved to afford a holiday, so to be hit in the pocket with these soaring pint prices at the airport is a real kick in the teeth. Hopefully things will be cheaper when we get abroad, because they're certainly not here."

Meanwhile, new figures released this week, from industry data platform, Stocklytics, has examined the average cost of pints of Heineken, Budweiser, Stella, Peroni, Guinness, and Carling, at all branches of Wetherspoons up and down the country - and uncovered some alarming discrepancies.

It emerged that the pub branch with the most expensive average pint price in the country is found in the Scottish capital city, Edinburgh - the Sir Walter Scott, where a pint will set you back an average of £6.80, according to the Express.

This is more than double the average price you would pay in the cheapest Wetherspoons branch, The Church House in Wath-upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire - where a pint would cost you just £3.19 on average.

And in The Penny Black pub in Cheshire, customers can enjoy a pint of Carling for just £1.99 - although the average price actually comes out at £3.29.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, London and the South East of England proved to be some of the most expensive areas - with The Moon Under Water pub in London's swanky Leicester Square charging £6.07 for a pint of Carling or Guinness, £6.98 for a San Miguel, and a whopping £7.30 for a pint of Leffe.

Elsewhere in the capital a pint of Leffe remains £6.97 at the Victoria Station branch, while a Corona or a San Miguel are £6.63, and a Stella Artois is £6.52, according to The Sun.

But away from the big cities and tourist hotspots, drinkers can still enjoy a less expensive beverage - with Leffe Blonde available for just £4.22 a pint, and San Miguel or Corona for £3.75 a pint, at The Thomas Sheraton in Stockton-on-Tees.

And in Middlesbrough, at The Swatters Carr, a pint of Leffe Blonde can be sunk for a bargain £4.45, while a pint of Worthington’s Creamflow is still an all-time low, at just £1.86.

Financial experts have blasted the new Wetherspoons airport price surges, with independent consumer champion, Martyn James, telling The Sun: "For many people, a cheeky pint at the airport marks the very beginning of your hard earned holiday.

"Yet a nasty surprise awaits holidaymakers airside as pints hit London prices. Bars need to remember that just because we're a captive audience at the airport, we won't forget blatant overcharging."

And Sarah Coles, Head of Personal Finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "For those who fancy a quick drink to celebrate the start of their holiday, this is yet another hefty price to pay for your trip this year.

"Inflation has been cooling off in recent months, and has finally hit the two per cent target. However, that doesn’t stop price hikes in the airports as the summer holiday season heats up.

"Airports are still wrestling with rising staff costs, as wages continue to rise. They’re not alone in this, because the whole hospitality sector is facing this challenge, which is one reason why inflation in restaurants and cafes is up 5.9% in a year.

"For some people, this could tip the balance as to whether paying for an airport lounge is worth the outlay – particularly if you think there’s a risk of a delay.

"It’s worth pricing up the cheapest offer in the lounges to see whether rising prices in your airport mean you’re better off paying a lump sum for the luxury of free food and drink until you fly."

A Wetherspoon's spokesperson commented: "Prices of food and drinks increased by approximately four per cent at Wetherspoon pubs on 1 February, 2024. Airport prices rose by the same percentage, slightly later, on 20 March, 2024."