Lincolnshire brewer and retailer Batemans has offered its licensees the opportunity to cancel out price rises on a key company product this year.
The company has offered licensees the chance to opt for no increase on its key draught product, XB, in return for giving up their guest beer — the price rise would have been 2.5%. Tenants receive a £52 per-barrel discount on XB, making it around £70 a barrel cheaper than guest beers.
The company has offered eight pubs which rely on a guest beer to drive trade the freedom to carry on stocking a guest beer with a 2.5% price rise on XB. If they can drive volume by 10% they get the price rise rebated.
Managing director Stuart Bateman said: "Costs have increased in the past year at the brewery and for tenants. We've been working hard to avoid passing on increases.
"One way is for tenants to sell more volume of Batemans' products — so for tenants happy not to stock a guest beer there's a chance to avoid a price rise."