Surge pricing: is the controversial pricing tactic coming to UK pubs - could your local boozer could be next?

• A London pub has introduced surge pricing after 10pm, charging an extra £2 per pint
• After the cut-off, prices rise to £9.40
• Mitchells & Butlers, the pub group, claims the policy aligns with ‘the late-night market’
• Patrons and critics have expressed frustration, calling the move exploitative and profit-driven
• The policy has sparked broader debate about rising pub costs and late-night pricing strategies

Picture the scene: it’s 10.01pm in central London.

You’re standing at the bar in O’Neill’s on Wardour Street, clutching a tenner that was just enough for a pint five minutes ago. Only now, it’s as useful as Monopoly money.

The barman regretfully informs you that your drink has crossed the invisible border into the Land of Surge Pricing, and unless you’re prepared to cough up an extra £2, you’re destined for sobriety or a humiliating retreat to the nearest kebab shop.

Yes, surge pricing, a dreaded bugbear of concert goers and regular ride-share app users, is coming to the beloved British pub, and your ability to enjoy a pint after hours could soon depend on whether you’ve just remortgaged your flat.

OK, it’s not quite as draconian as I’ve just made out, and the contentious topic has only reared its head because the aforementioned O’Neill’s has captured the headlines in recent days.

Mitchells & Butlers, the pub group responsible, justify the policy by claiming it aligns with “the late-night market,” and say the move was made in response to a supposed request from the council to increase prices to manage the boozy rabble after 10pm.

Westminster Council denies it ever demanded such extortion.

But if the idea is to deter troublemakers, is an extra £2 per pint the silver bullet we’ve been waiting for? It seems unlikely. In reality, this move just alienates ordinary punters who are already being fleeced by London’s ridiculous prices.

If security costs are the issue, fair enough. But shouldn’t that come out of the pub’s profits instead of squeezing more from the people keeping the establishment afloat?

Imagine your local chippy charging £15 for a portion of chips after 8pm “to cover oil heating expenses.” You’d be annoyed - and rightly so.

The “late-night market” argument is also laughable. In swanky cocktail bars where the vodka arrives in a diamond-encrusted decanter, a £9 drink makes sense. But this is O’Neill’s - a chain pub. It’s not a temple of mixology; it’s a place where people go for decent pints, cheap eats and mildly sticky floors.

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Besides, if you’re going to charge £9.40 a pint, at least throw in some perks. A complimentary packet of crisps? A gold-plated glass? Maybe a bouncer to carry you home?

Will this policy spread like an unwelcome hangover to other pubs across the UK? Will landlords start charging different rates for sunny days, rainy days or particularly tense penalty shootouts?

Pubs are supposed to be community spaces - a refuge from life’s stresses. Now, they’re just another arena for profiteering. So next time you’re tempted to pay £9.40 for a pint after 10pm, resist. Go elsewhere.

And the great British public agree. “It’s a bit silly, isn’t it?” said one pub goer NationalWorld spoke to, “realistically, when it’s more busy, the pints should be cheaper.”

Another described the move as “cheeky”, and said that at the end of the day, “it’s just profit”.

What do you think about surge pricing in pubs? Is it a fair response to late-night costs or just another way to squeeze customers dry? We want to hear your thoughts! Share your opinions in the comments section.