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National
Tom Blackburn & Flora Byatt

Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin warns of rising price of a pint - 'considerable pressure on costs'

Fans of Wetherspoons could be forced to pay more, with further price hikes coming in to compensate for the rising cost of energy, food and labour, said Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin.

He added that the pub chain, which runs 800 bars across the UK and Ireland, is expected to break even this year.

The budget-pub was hit hard by the pandemic when lockdown restrictions forced it to close for months, alongside the rest of the hospitality industry.

Read more: Shoppers urged to check as £17m of Tesco Clubcard vouchers unspent and due to expire soon

Wetherspoons has now reported a rise in sales and a hopeful return to profits as trading returns to normal - but there are still challenges looming ahead.

Tim said: "As many hospitality companies have indicated, there is considerable pressure on costs, especially in respect of labour, food and energy. Repairs are also running at a higher rate than before the pandemic."

Visitors to the pub already saw a rice in prices, with 10p being added to the cost of a pint in many Wetherspoons pubs across the UK, and 20p in London.

The price of a pint could be set to rise (Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images))

Now Wetherspoons regulars look likely to pay the price. In March, the company raised its prices - with 10p being added to the cost of a pint across most of the UK, and 20p in London.

Many households country-wide have been forced to cut back on both luxuries and every day spending. As the war in Ukraine rages on, wheat supplies have come under fire, adding to surging prices.

Wetherspoons hasn't seen annual profit since July 2019, when the pandemic impacted the business. It has been forced to close 14 pubs since the beginning of the current financial year.

The chain announced last month that staff were set to receive a pay rise, with earnings rising to above £10 an hour for many workers.

The announcement came after the minimum wage for over-23s rose to £9.50 per hour on April 1st.

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