As many as one fifth (20%) of UK beer drinkers saythey are not willing to pay more than £2.99 for a pint, according to research from Mintel.
The report found that while three in 10 (29%) beer drinkers overall are prepared to pay more than £4 per pint, it’s Londoners who are more willing to open their wallets, with 27% willing to pay over £4.50.
The research also found that for some consumers it’s not just the type of beer that’s important. Today, the top three glassware preferences for out of home beer drinkers are the nonic (27%), the tulip (16%) and the tankard (14%) style of beer glasses.
Indeed, whilst once traditionally a favourite of the more mature male drinker, the tankard now garners the most interest among younger men. One quarter (26%) of 18-24 year old male out-of-home beer drinkers state that their favourite type of glassware to drink pints from is the tankard.
The half pint, on the other hand, is more preferred by women, with one fifth (19%) of out-of-home female beer drinkers saying they most like to drink beer from this type of glass, compared to just 6% of men.
Chris Wisson, senior drinks analyst at Mintel, said: “The steady rise in price over the past decade has given rise to notable consumer resistance in having to spend more on beer, particularly when it comes to breaking the £4, and even £5 barriers. Brands asking consumers to pay more for beer need to provide clear reasons for doing so, for example via packaging or branded glassware, as well as delivering a discernibly superior taste to cheaper mainstream alternatives.”
“Tankards used to be a highly popular glass but fell out of favour in recent decades, largely due to their high production costs. However, there are significant advantages of this glass type, notably the handle which means that drinkers do not have to hold the body of the glass, warming their beer in the process. There are signs that the tankard is seeing a return in popularity as the favourite of younger male drinkers, most of whom were not drinking during the tankard’s previous period in the spotlight, buoyed by the craft ale movement.”
