Fuller's boss attacks Sky over pricing shake-up

Fuller's boss Simon Emeny has attacked Sky for a "disproportionate and unjustifiable increase" in fees, pointing out the vast majority of its estate will see a price rise.

In a strongly-worded letter to The Publican​, Emeny, managing director of the London-based pub operator, said 90 per cent of its tenanted estate were seeing "big increases" in their Sky bill - some of up to 30 per cent.

In its 58-strong managed estate, he said all but one pub were facing a hike of between 25 and 60 per cent.

Iain Holden, Sky Business' managing director, previously wrote in The Publican ​"many thousands of pubs will actually see a price decrease".

The new system which comes in on August 28 means pubs' Sky fee reflects "the value of Sky to individual premises", as well as their rateable value.

Sky has claimed it represents a fairer system of charging.

But Emeny wrote: "In this age of economic austerity I find it incomprehensible that Sky can enforce what in our case at Fuller's amounts to a 25 per cent price increase for their services and then claim that their new tariff is still being developed.

"Which other supplier could come to us with a) such a disproportionate and unjustifiable increase b) have the temerity to falsely claim that many pubs will see a reduction c) say that their tariff is initially incorrect, and needs (unquantified) changes at an unspecified time?"

Emney concluded the letter saying Sky will have a "reduced presence" in Fuller's estate.

Holden previously said the changes were only "the start of the journey" and "we'll keep reviewing and amending our pricing structures so that we continue to make progress."