Greene King to reduce beer and wine prices

Greene King is spending £1m on a cut price beer and wine offer to support tenants and lessees as the pub industry faces its toughest period in recent memory.

The brewer and pub operator has reduced the prices of a selection of drinks at 200 of its mainly wet-led pubs, in a bid to win back consumers spending less due to the credit crunch.

The cost of the cheaper drinks, which sees McEwans lager at £1.95 a pint and Ruddles bitter at £2.25, is being funded entirely by Greene King.

The company, which said it is hoping to take advantage of the "Aldi" effect that had taken a grip across the country, may extend the promotion to other sites.

David Elliott, managing director of Greene King's Pub Partners, said: "We recognise that many people who want to for a pint or a glass of wine do at times want a value choice and we have made this available."

The British Beer & Pub Association this weekend predicted that supermarkets would overtake pubs as the main retailers of alcohol within the next year due to the steady stream of on-trade closures.

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By Chris Druce

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