These are the cheapest and most expensive places to buy a pint

The three pubs have been named among the best in the UKThe three pubs have been named among the best in the UK
The three pubs have been named among the best in the UK

The price of a pint of beer has soared by 10p in the last year, the Good Pub Guide has revealed.

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Published this week, the 2020 edition of the guide has also revealed the cheapest and most expensive places in the country to go for a drink.

In England the average cost of a pint of beer has risen by 2.7 per cent to £3.79, and the gap between the most expensive and cheapest places has been found to be a significant £1.11.

Shropshire is the cheapest place in terms of average pint price, with a bevvy looking to set you back by £3.46, while in London - the most expensive place on the list - you can expect to pay £4.57.

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The annual survey also found that a number of places in the country, including Sussex and Surrey, had joined London in having average prices of more than £4. Last year the capital was the only place in this category.

Those looking for a bargain pint need to head to Yorkshire, Northumbria, Shropshire or Staffordshire.

Here is the full list of the cheapest and most expensive places to drink

Bargain Beer

Shropshire (£3.46)Herefordshire (£3.48)Northumbria (£3.52)Yorkshire (£3.53)Staffordshire (£3.54)

Fair-priced beer

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Worcestershire (£3.56)Northamptonshire (£3.58)Derbyshire (£3.58)Leicestershire (£3.60)Wales (£3.62)Cheshire (£3.63)Cumbria (£3.64)Dorset (£3.64)

Average-priced beer

Lincolnshire (£3.65)Cambridgeshire (£3.65)Lancashire £3.65)Suffolk (£3.70)Bedfordshire £3.70)Somerset (£3.71)Devon (£3.74)Wiltshire (£3.76)Cornwall (£3.79)Isle of Wight (£3.79)Norfolk (£3.82)Gloucestershire £3.83)Essex £3.83)Warwickshire (£3.88)Hampshire (£3.89)

Expensive beer

Buckinghamshire (£3.91)Oxfordshire (£3.93)Berkshire (£3.95)Nottinghamshire (£3.95)Kent (£3.96)Hertfordshire (£3.97)Sussex (£4.02)Scotland (£4.03)

Top price beer

Surrey (£4.06)London (£4.57)

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Pubs remain a key part of the community

In spite of the increased prices, Fiona Stapely, editor of the guide, feels that pubs will continue to be a much-loved part of the British culture.

She said, “Pubs are the hub of a local community where customers of all walks of life and of all ages mix easily and they are run by extraordinary, hard-working licensees who have adapted their establishments to fit in with the needs and whims of our modern lives.

“They are uniquely British and should be celebrated. We are very lucky to have them.”

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Ms Stapeley also said that the smoking ban, which came into effect 12 years ago, has helped keep pubs alive.

She said that the change in atmosphere in pubs due to the smoking ban made them more welcoming and meant that a wider variety of people wanted to go to them.

Ms Stapeley said, “The ban that caused howls of public protest with licensees fearing a damaging drop in business as smokers deserted their local boozers, but twelve years on it has in fact proved to be transforming. Those bars full of fug and male chat quickly became a thing of the past.

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“Pubs adapted by installing smokers’ shelters and outdoor heaters, and licensees soon realised that by making their pubs smoke free, they turned into cleaner, brighter places, and opened up a massive new customer base – women and families with young children who headed to pubs for a meal and even an overnight stay. This changed a pub’s fortunes.”