Sobering news: pubs say average cost of a pint will rise above £5

Landlords are left with no choice to offset looming tax rises introduced by the chancellor, says trade body

Londoners might not bat an eyelid at paying 5 for a pint but the national average is poised to rise above that watermark for the first time, with publicans blaming tax rises introduced by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves.

The sobering milestone is likely to be reached next month, according to research by Frontier Economics, with the average price of a pint of beer on course to hit 5.01, up from 4.80.