tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post4601103491673706403..comments2024-03-09T04:57:25.956+00:00Comments on HardKnott Dave's blog about stuff: The price of a pint (of strong beer)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11319272987951077205noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-9923710887562013552011-03-07T19:11:50.451+00:002011-03-07T19:11:50.451+00:00Trying to place/price stronger beers led me to thi...Trying to place/price stronger beers led me to think that craft would sell better in bottles - hence I bottle all mine. That and I cant afford/fill casks with my small kit.<br /><br />BTW How you doing Dave? Need an assistant yet, grovel grovel :-)treble9manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04499162336237622255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-69195771038767148292011-03-07T16:20:44.980+00:002011-03-07T16:20:44.980+00:00Thing is Dave, having one (or) two daft (or indeed...Thing is Dave, having one (or) two daft (or indeed, lovely) strong ales is a real signifier of being some kind of a specialist beer bar. Even if most of the money might come in from sub 5% stuff. Not exactly a loss leader, but perhaps a way of making a statement, while attracting a certain kind of drinker (and deterring others?). <br /><br />At the same time, even though these strong beers could, as you say, be kept on for ages with proper care - they need to be shifted as quickly as possible to keep the bar lineup interesting. Hence they're priced to sell.<br /><br />I'm not saying this is the best approach, but it's the only way I can think this common practice makes business sense.<br /><br />I suppose that if you want to try to encourage publicans to price strong beers higher, you can try charging significantly higher prices yourself?StringersBeerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12573068197944669997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-82897077976140212242011-03-07T15:27:57.834+00:002011-03-07T15:27:57.834+00:00Stringers, I think I get your point, and indeed if...Stringers, I think I get your point, and indeed if it is session beer the drinker wants and is unhappy to sip and savour rather than chug a few pints, you are right, he will get worse value out of a strong beer.<br /><br />But from a business point of view it makes no sense whatsoever to sell a beer at as price that makes less total margin. Although there is the loss-leader Hence I'd preffer to delete the phrase "good business" from "It's a funny old mix of good business, consumer power & tradition, surely" - then we can agree.<br /><br />Tandleman, you, turning into a southern softy? You'll be turning your back on sparklers next...<br /><br />Cookie, good point. The Euston Tap have their prices clearly marked on the chalkboard for instance. Pumpclip prices is even better. It would help if more did so.<br /><br />DredPenguin, indeed, although refer to Cookies point.<br /><br />Nev, no worries. It is a contentious point, the price of beer. I look at it simply from the point of view that the margins in beer are incredibly tight and easy to make a loss on the job.<br /><br />Cookie has it blob on; advertise the price, if we want to waste our money being pretentious then it's always easy to get fools to part with their money.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11319272987951077205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-16261092026830340382011-03-07T14:46:01.711+00:002011-03-07T14:46:01.711+00:00Sorry, Dave, I think I overreacted. I'm sick o...Sorry, Dave, I think I overreacted. I'm sick of the élitist drinkers who want quality ales to cost more simply to endorse their own perception of their good taste. In fact, your explanation of the economics of beers in a pub was very clear.Neville Grundyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10923209266005338452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-81973296035540226842011-03-07T12:20:32.993+00:002011-03-07T12:20:32.993+00:00It always amuses me when I order a half of somethi...It always amuses me when I order a half of something strong in the Rake the barstaff make a point of telling me you know that is £2 a half? I'm thinking £2 that is a bargain! <br /><br />I'm with you I would happily pay more for strong beer but seldom fine these beers outside the specialist beer bars.dredpenguinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00317014192310735266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-14481518786866292322011-03-07T11:02:09.401+00:002011-03-07T11:02:09.401+00:00How to convince a punter a beer is worth £3.40? Do...How to convince a punter a beer is worth £3.40? Don't bother. Clearly put up a list of all the beers and all the prices. Let the punter decide what to order knowing the prices.<br /><br />Pubs are one of the few places punters order, not knowing the price. No other trading environment ask customers to do this.<br /><br />One thing the Spoons get bob on, is the clarity of pricing. When they decided to put different prices on different guest ales for under and over 5% they put the prices on the pump clip rather than a general guest ale price sign.Cooking Lagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02830924433230427226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-54710560732763958102011-03-07T07:59:35.304+00:002011-03-07T07:59:35.304+00:00On pure logic what you say is fine Dave and I can&...On pure logic what you say is fine Dave and I can't but agree that it is reasonable to charge around what you suggest. Maybe drinking in London has numbed my Northern thriftiness a bit.<br /><br />Situations and business models may vary that from time to time as Stringer says, but on the whole I agree with you.Tandlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06804499573827044693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-43132453716111213172011-03-06T21:41:51.889+00:002011-03-06T21:41:51.889+00:00As you well know Dave (you've been in the busi...As you well know Dave (you've been in the business long enough, after all) pub-goers aren't just buying a drink, much less a quantity of alcohol. Apart from anything else they're renting a spot in the pub. While they do whatever it is they do in the pub (talk shite, play pool, relax, etc). So no, many drinkers <b>won't</b> get "better value" from a strong beer. They may even get worse value.<br /><br />That strong beers should be priced relatively low, while counter-intuitive perhaps, isn't so mysterious. It's a funny old mix of good business, consumer power & tradition, surely.StringersBeerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12573068197944669997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-60059395394266324722011-03-06T19:30:33.692+00:002011-03-06T19:30:33.692+00:00Nev, As it happens the character is no individual ...Nev, As it happens the character is no individual person but a conglomeration of experiences I've had to listen to in pubs. You are correct of course that some people have little disposable income for all sorts of reasons.<br /><br />However, the typical demographic of the discerning beer drinker is in fact that of a reasonably comfortably well off person. I know there are outliers to this, but I do know people who have good incomes but still complain against what I believe to be a reasonable price for a pint of stronger beer.<br /><br />I'm not arguing for people to be ripped off, I'm arguing a reasonable return for the drinks industry when considering strong beer. Consider price per unit rather than price per pint; nearly always stronger beer gives you much better value for money.<br /><br />Considering the current economic situation, it is true that people will be suffering hardship, everyone is. However, the mentality that beer should be priced per pint with very little consideration for it's ABV is endemic in the pub industry and has been even in more affluent times.<br /><br />I'm sorry that I tried to liven my writing up by painting a picture; I'm trying to be a better writer. We can talk about cold figures and discuss policy but it makes for uninteresting reading for all but the most committed readers.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11319272987951077205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-77132841885376700002011-03-06T19:08:38.179+00:002011-03-06T19:08:38.179+00:00You have absolutely no idea that the man protestin...You have absolutely no idea that the man protesting about the price of a strong beer was well off, and your speculation about his line of work was off the top of your head too. Is sheer guesswork a good start for a serious discussion of the price of beer?<br /><br />We all know that duty has gone up by 26% in the last 2 years - it's hardly surprising that people are taking time to adjust to that - and that many people are suffering from pay freezes or cuts, and yet you make no reference to such factors in considering people's reaction to prices. An incomplete analysis, I think.Neville Grundyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10923209266005338452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-15902142568372643112011-03-06T17:43:33.941+00:002011-03-06T17:43:33.941+00:00It's very rare to see any cask beers above 5% ...It's very rare to see any cask beers above 5% ABV except in specialist pubs. Even 5% beers often struggle to sell - very often, people just regard them as something they'll have one of at the end of the evening.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2446074078505386356.post-48665514559179714892011-03-06T12:47:18.805+00:002011-03-06T12:47:18.805+00:00As a fan of strong beer I see your problem Dave. I...As a fan of strong beer I see your problem Dave. I think you're very much in the minority in being prepared to pay a reasonable price for it on draught, though for some reason people are less concerned about paying more for bottled beers.Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13844169940650659196noreply@blogger.com