CLYDEBANK publicans have expressed their fears about the future after one national brewer warned the price of a pint could rise to £7.

Alan Mahon, founder of Brewgooder, said rocketing costs, a weaker pound, rising taxes and soaring inflation had pushed the industry into panic mode.

Mr Mahon said the cost of carbon dioxide had risen by 3,000 per cent in the last year, while spiralling energy costs were also at record highs.

He said: “From what we are seeing, the pressures on the industry with cost price inflation challenges and the Chancellor’s scrapping of the alcohol duty freeze might make a £7 pint the norm rather than the exception in many places, particularly in bigger cities.

“On the brewery side, raw material prices for the likes of wheat and barley are rising faster than the average rate of inflation.”

But Bankie Adriana Discombe said the local market was much different. 

The manager of The Atlantis Bar on Kilbowie Road, said: “£7? Maybe in the centre of Glasgow?! Clydebank’s not affluent. 

“I work as part of a group and we try to be competitive and keep prices as low as possible. 

“We’ve not had an increase in six months and if there is one it’ll be 10p at most.

“We only charge £3.50 for a pint now. There have been increased prices from brewers but we’ve not passed these on to customers as yet. 

“I really doubt any pub in Clydebank could survive selling pints at £7.”

She added: “We’ve actually got two premium lagers and the dearest is £4.20 and I’ve been told it’s £6.50 for the same pint in Glasgow.”

However, fellow Clydebank publican Michael McHugh, owner of Alexander’s Bar, on Alexander Street, said he fears for the future of the industry. 

He said: “Well, things are out of our control at the moment. All costs, including our customer costs are going up and supermarkets can sell alcohol cheaper than we can.

“We never recovered from the pandemic. ‘Man sheds’ popped up and more and more guys are still using them. 

“The police force has been slashed and now they’ve got a couple of hundred houses to visit rather than half a dozen pubs, so it’s impossible to monitor.

“The pressure is on us with prices from brewers whose energy and transport costs are all going up, so we’re paying more.

“We’ve had to put 30p on a pint and likely we’ll have to put them up again as our energy company has put our costs up by 1,000 per cent.

“We have no control over it as there’s no actual cap for us as such.

“The big chains can negotiate a deal but local and village pubs don’t have that power.

“Pubs in England are only paying 50% per cent rates and we’re back at 100 per cent, even though we’re not taking the same drawings we did pre-pandemic.

“We then have to pass increased costs to our customers which then leads to less customers which means less money in the business and so it goes on.

“Some places are actually looking at closing on a couple of quieter days so they can save on staff and energy costs. I’m very concerned about the future.”