Unsurprisingly this did quite well online this week after it was revealed hat the average cost of a pint of beer in Inverness was the lowest in the country, alongside Derby, at £3.

Our online poll showed that people thought it was a good thing for the city and it was good to catch up with a couple of my regular pub contacts.

Throughout the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown the pub trade was particularly hard hit by the restrictions.

Having said that it is good to see that the businesses have bounced back and seem to be doing well.

City’s rounds are cheapest?

INVERNESS landlords have welcomed the news that drinkers and pub goers can enjoy the cheapest pint of beer in the UK.

A recent survey has shown that the average cost of a pint of beer in the city, is apparently just £3.

This is less than half the price being paid by customers at some Wetherspoon pubs in London, where customers can be expected to pay £6.29 for a beer.

Billy McKechnie, who runs Rose Street Foundry in Academy Street, said he thought the lower price was a good thing, though the average cost of a pint in his bar is £4.50.

He said: “It’s definitely good marketing-wise – people that are looking at holidays will be looking at average prices.

“That’s what people look at – what are the food and drink prices?”

Mr McKechnie felt that prices in London were “ridiculous” .

However, he predicted that prices were bound to rise in the autumn because of the increased costs of items such as fuel and the rising rate of inflation

“Prices will be going up because of transport costs,” he said.

Jo De Sylva of the nearby MacGregor’s bar, also in Academy Street, agreed that a cheaper pint could be good for the city though quality of drink also mattered, along with being to able to enoy a good experience wherever you drank.

“It might encourage people to go to the pub,” she said.

The survey was carried out by comparison site Finder which compiled a list of cities across the UK and the average price of a pint of beer in each.

After Inverness and Derby, which jointly topped the list, the average price of a pint of beer in Kingston upon Hull was £3.32.

In Perth the average price was £3.46 and in Gloucester and Peterborough it was £3.50 with Leicester on £3.63, Swansea on £3.65 and Aberdeen on £3.67.

Things were slightly more expensive in Preston, on £3.69 on average, rising to £3.70 in Aberystwyth, £3.74 in Northampton, £3.78, in Coventry and £3.79 in Leeds.

In Plymouth it could set you back as much as £3.84 for a pint and in Newcastle upon Tyne the average price is apparently £3.88.

The final four places in the top 20 were taken by Southend-on-Sea at £3.91, Reading at £3.99 and Exeter and Ipswich both at £4.

Finder also carried out a similar comparison of prices last year, using two resources to work out their results: consumer price database Numbeo and cost of living calculator Expatistan.

Along with many other food and drink items, as well as other consumer goods, costs of alcohol are expected to soar in the coming months and years.

From the Highland News on Thursday, August 18, 2022 and the Inverness Courier on Friday, August 19, 2022.