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9th June 2010

South Norfolk Council has said that a minimum price for alcohol would “save our struggling pubs.”

The spokesperson for the council said that the supermarket trend of selling alcohol at a loss “had to be tackled.”

The comments come after the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) last week suggested units of alcohol should carry a minimum price.

The NICE study said low supermarket prices for beer and other alcoholic beverages encouraged binge drinking.

Scotland’s top police officer today back calls set a minimum price for alcohol following a series of murders related to drinking.

A per unit price could also help the ailing pub industry however, according to those involved with pubs.

Ray Norman, landlord of the White Horse at Upton in Norfolk, said: “An average punter can go and buy a case of lager from the supermarket for £13 for 12 bottles.

“I sell it for about £2.70 each. It’s obvious that they’ll go to where it’s cheaper.

“Garages sell petrol, greengrocers sell fruit and veg, pubs sells beer. Yet I go into the petrol station at Acle now, I can’t buy a fan belt for my car, but I can get a Christmas tree and a bag of onions. That’s where the world’s gone crazy.”

Around 15 pubs in Norfolk close every year, according to Warren Wordsworth, the former Pubs Preservation Officer for CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale.

He said: “Supermarkets selling beer at such a discount, is irresponsible. Pubs just can’t compete.
“Sometimes people have a responsibility outside of their profit margins.”

Terry Leahy, the chief executive of Tesco who today announced his retirement next month, is on record as supporting minimum pricing.

David Nieberg, a spokesman for Tesco said: “We support measures aimed at minimum pricing.
“But trying to make money is not something we should have to apologise for.”