The owner of a popular pub is refusing to up the price of Guinness despite brewer Diageo introducing massive hikes.
Bernard Farrell, who runs the Clonliffe House in Ballybough, North Dublin, will absorb the additional costs in order to keep a pint of plain at just €5. The publican, working with wife Pamela and son Darren, is not increasing Smithwicks either.
He reckons the black stuff at his watering hole is one of the cheapest and best in the capital. Speaking to the Irish Mirror yesterday, Bernard said: “We don’t want to touch the Guinness or the Smithwicks, it’s a fiver. We have a very loyal customer base.
Read more: Dublin pubs: Financial 'blows' have to stop warns publicans after Guinness hike
“It’s a real Guinness pub. We have to absorb the costs. I couldn’t ask for better clientele in the whole country.
“We bought the bar seven years ago and we grew into it so much. We’ve a serious loyal customer base and we’re very loyal to the customer.” The price hike from Diageo, who make Guinness, came into effect on Wednesday just weeks after Heineken raised the cost of its drinks at the start of December.
Diageo upped the cost of a pint by 12 cents excluding VAT with publicans reckoning they will need to hike the cost by at least 30 cents to keep their current profit margins. Dutch-brewing company Heineken, who also have Birra Moretti, Orchard Thieves, Coors, Fosters, Beamish, Murphys, and Island’s Edge in the portfolio, increased its pint prices by 17c before VAT.
Bernard added: “We feel Guinness and Heineken have gone overboard with what they’ve done. I’ve been giving out to them a little bit and I’d be no different to other bars in that way. But we’re trying to look after our customer base as we best we can in the middle of this.
“There has been a rise in our electricity which is huge, we have a big rise in our gas which is also huge. But I’ve said to Guinness and Heineken there should be a bit of pain on all sides and we shouldn’t be passing all this on to the customer sitting on the stool.
“I have to take a bit of myself on this.” It comes as O’Reilly’s, on Tara Street in the city centre, is selling all pints – including Guinness and Heineken – for €5 and said they were not increasing their prices either.
General Manager Feng Yang told The Irish Mirror: “The prices are €5 all the time. There is no happy hour or stuff like that. When we open our pints are €5 and when we close the pints are also €5.
“People are really happy about the prices. All the main pints are €5 except for two premium beers which cost €5.50.” Outside of Dublin, there is a pub in Co Galway where punters can still get change from €5 for a pint of Guinness.
The Thatch Bar in Tuam is selling a pint of plain for €4.90 – up from €4.70. Barmaid Sasha Farrell declared: “Punters are really happy to get change back from a fiver.
“I’ve received plenty of compliments about the Guinness too. The foam is wonderful.”
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