Pint of beer will rise in Harrogate warns respected family-run brewery

Fears in the beer industry of the impact of the triple whammy of soaring energy bills, rising inflation and falling customer demand have been raised regularly at the national level.

This week saw Alan Mahon, who co-founded Scottish craft beer makers Brewgooder in 2016, predict that spiralling production costs could drive up the average price of a pint of beer to £7 in some cities.

Now comes a warning in Harrogate on the situation facing the the town’s own beer industry from Ian Fozard, who has run Rooster's brewery together with his sons Tom and Oliver since 2011.

Mr Fozard told the Harrogate Advertiser that costs were now so "scary", it was no longer a question of whether the price of a pint would increase in Harrogate but when and by how much.

"Brewers’ cost inflation is scary. Malt costs, which are linked to world grain markets are up 30% plus.

"Carbon dioxide costs have tripled.

"Caustic costs, which are necessary in brewing for sterile cleaning are also massively up.

"That's without mentioning wage increases, energy costs, fuel costs and more.

"Pubs are also stretched and will have to charge a lot more.

"It's inevitable that the price of beer in Harrogate will go up.

"To what extent that will be up to the individual pub’s judgement.

"£7 a pint is, I think, is excessive - but that’s up to the pub."

Famed for its wide range of award-winning craft beers, as well as its popular taproom and the live music and comedy events held in its sample room, the family-run Rooster's is respected for an approach to doing business which is innovative, entrepreneurial and socially-aware.

In early 2020 just before the Covid lockdown, it completed an £850,000 move from its original makeshift home in Knaresborough to a bigger, purpose-built brewery at Hornbeam Park in Harrogate.

Since then its success has mushroomed despite many challenges.

But the perfect storm of problems now facing businesses in Britain this winter means Rooster’s, too, is now thinking of increasing its prices.

"No decisions have yet been made," said Mr Fozard, "but no business can face cost increases of this magnitude without some knock on effect.

"So we will have to raise our prices.

"We’ve still to work out what it all means for our 2023 prices but it won’t be pretty.

"It's worth remembering that, when pubs put beer prices up, the brewer only gets a small fraction of the retail price."

The new brewery, designed by Head Brewer Oliver Fozard and British-made using equipment sourced from UK manufacturers, enabled Rooster’s to almost double its production capacity, with opportunities to expand and increase this further in the long-term.

As a result of that investment, Rooster’s boasts a state-of-the-art brewhouse, capable of producing 5,000 litre brews, which is used to produce Rooster’s core range of popular beers.

Alongside the main plant, Rooster’s invested in a smaller, 1,600 litre brewing plant for its series of new limited-edition beers.

Head Brewer Oliver Fozard said: "Our focus has and always will be on brewing consistent, quality, easy-drinking and well-balanced beers – with creativity.”