The branch conducts the prices survey in December and only applies to any pub within our branch area. If you wish to take part in our 2011 Annual Prices Survey, please enter the details of your findings in the form below.
Thank you enquiring about the branch’s annual prices survey.
With the exception of last year Darlington CAMRA has been monitoring the price of real ale since the mid-80s and trends suggest an increase in the price of a pint above the rate of inflation. Our findings in the 2009 prices survey discovered that the price of an average pint in our branch area increased by LESS than the rate of inflation.
However, the average masked the fact that most regularly-stocked (or 'house') beers which were usually the best sellers in pubs, continued to go up in price ahead of inflation. The average was kept down by 'guest' beers - usually sourced from independent breweries increasing on average only marginally, or even in Darlington town itself falling in price.
With the exception of last year Darlington CAMRA has been monitoring the price of real ale since the mid-
However, the average masked the fact that most regularly-
This suggested that small brewers, who depend almost entirely on sales of guest beers in pubs, made keener efforts to keep their increases down in the face of the economic downturn than larger breweries which own pubs or have fixed supply contracts with national pub chains. Either that or publicans made an effort to source cheaper guest ales than previously.
A pint of real ale in Darlington and its surrounding area went up by three pence, or 1.3% during 2009, a year when the official CPI inflation rate was 2.9%. That made the average £2.46 by December compared with £2.43 twelve months earlier. However in town pubs, regularly-stocked standard-strength beers went up by an average of 8p while guest prices fell on average by 6p.
Other Findings:
*The survey took in 95 prices in 34 pubs - 20 in the town and 14 in the rural area around it. In all, 61 different
brands of cask beer were represented.
*Country pubs generally charged more than Darlington town pubs: £2.62 against £2.37.
*Guest beers on average also cost more than regularly-stocked ‘house’ beers: £2.50 a pint against £2.41.
*The cheapest pint was Ruddles Bitter at Wetherspoons’ William Stead and Tanners Hall at £1.29p, with Samuel
Smith’s OBB at the Glittering Star, Darlington up just one penny from the year before to £1.42.
*Dearest in town was the £3.10 guest beer, Marston's Pedigree, at Darlington Arts Centre.
*The most commonly-found brew was Black Sheep Best Bitter in eleven survey pubs.
*The 2009 Budget was responsible for upwards of one penny of the rises, increasing with the strength of a beer.
A pint of real ale in Darlington and its surrounding area went up by three pence, or 1.3% during 2009, a year when the official CPI inflation rate was 2.9%. That made the average £2.46 by December compared with £2.43 twelve months earlier. However in town pubs, regularly-
Other Findings:
*The survey took in 95 prices in 34 pubs -
*Country pubs generally charged more than Darlington town pubs: £2.62 against £2.37.
*Guest beers on average also cost more than regularly-
*The cheapest pint was Ruddles Bitter at Wetherspoons’ William Stead and Tanners Hall at £1.29p, with Samuel
Smith’s OBB at the Glittering Star, Darlington up just one penny from the year before to £1.42.
*Dearest in town was the £3.10 guest beer, Marston's Pedigree, at Darlington Arts Centre.
*The most commonly-
*The 2009 Budget was responsible for upwards of one penny of the rises, increasing with the strength of a beer.