Figures seen by The MA showed the global brewer will be hiking the cost of several brands, including Amstel, Birra Moretti, Old Mout, John Smith’s Extra Smooth, Heineken 0.0 and Inch’s, by an average of 2.7%.
The new prices will be effective from 2 February 2026, The MA understands, and are all exclusive of duty.
Price certainty
However, prices for Murphy’s Irish Stout will be frozen and Fosters Lager will be reduced, according to the new pricing structure. Prices on all packaged beer and cider products will also be frozen.
It comes after Heineken UK confirmed it would be lowering the ABV of Fosters from 3.7% to 3.4% in line with consumer demand for lower alcohol serves and new duty thresholds, vowing to keep prices competitive.
A Heineken UK spokesperson told The MA the company had kept price hikes “as low as possible” and was taking steps to support pubs with “targeted savings and price certainty”.
The spokesperson continued: “We know pubs are still shouldering significant cost pressures. The operating environment remains challenging, with inflationary inputs such as employer taxes and the introduction of the UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging scheme adding to the burden.
Prompt adjustments
“We will continue to invest in our portfolio and services that help pubs grow while remaining transparent about any future Government duty changes, which will be passed on in the usual way, and EPR household waste fee updates, expected in Summer 2026, communicating any required adjustments promptly.”
Last year, Heineken UK increased its draught prices by 2.97% and its packaged products by 2.5%.
Analysis of the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) by The MA earlier this week showed the average price of a pint of draught lager in pubs had jumped by 3%, from £4.39 to £4.51, in the year to October 2025.
There are fears this could rise even further next year, with alcohol duty set to rise in line with inflation, currently estimated at 3.66%, from next February, leaving operators with just 13p profit on a pint.
