16 January 2023 , 10:01
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Heineken is raising its beer and cider prices from today with brands including Fosters and Strongbow set to be affected.
The hike will also hit other Heineken brands such as Amstel, Birra Moretti and Old Mout.
Heineken confirmed it would raise prices in an update last year, with the brewery to start charging 15.8% more per keg on average from today (January 16).
The brewery blamed the move on “unprecedented cost increases” hitting its business. It comes amid a backdrop of soaring inflation and higher energy costs.
The rise could hit drinkers if businesses choose to pass on the wholesale price rise on.
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Other Heineken brands will be affected as well (Graham Young / Birmingham Live)If they do, then drinkers face paying more for pints and bottles sold in the pub, as well as bottled and canned beers sold in supermarkets.
Heineken has also announced a new keg surcharge for the popular Birra Moretti brand at £1.20 per 50 litre kegs and £0.84 per 30 litre kegs.
A spokesperson for Heineken said: "Like many UK manufacturers, Heineken UK is facing unprecedented cost increases on a number of critical inputs used to make beer and cider.
"This is predominantly driven by the significant rise in energy prices, which is also having a dramatic impact on the costs of other goods including glass, aluminium and malted barley.
“Whilst we have undertaken initiatives to increase our efficiency and reduce cost volatility, the scale of these input cost increases means we have no choice but to change the wholesale price of our products to our customers.
“We appreciate these are challenging times, and we are committed to working with our customers to support a strong and sustainable category going forward.”
On top of the price increase, Heineken is also reducing the alcohol content in Fosters from 4% to 3.7%.
It claims this is because more of its customers are choosing a "healthy lifestyle."
The new lower alcohol by volume (ABV) Fosters will come into circulation in the UK from January 23 for draught products and February 13 for packaged products.
A spokesperson said: “We know consumers are increasingly choosing lower abv beers and ciders as part of a healthy lifestyle.
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"Reducing the alcohol content of one of our highest volume brands will also help remove millions of alcohol units across the UK, aligned to our long-held position of promoting moderation."