UK beer prices pushed up by ‘vicious cycle’ of costs, says Cobra founder

The Cobra Beer brand was founded by Lord Bilimoria in 1989. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

Beer drinkers are going to have to pay more for their pints because the industry faces a “vicious cycle” of surging costs, the founder of Cobra Beer has said.

Lord Bilimoria, who has turned Cobra into a household name since founding the brand in 1989, said soaring costs across the supply chain, from manufacturing and energy to freight and staffing, meant prices would have to rise.