BARS in Enniskillen have had to put up their prices again as the cost-of-living crisis continues to show no sign of easing.
Beer and spirits went up from between 20p to 40p a drink across the county town on Monday. Prices will vary depending on each pub’s individual costs.
It’s the second time prices have been increased after they were raised in December when a pint of beer went up by 20p and spirits 10p in town centre pubs.
Soaring energy prices were given then as the reason for the cash hike as publicans struggled to deal with spiralling costs, and the same applies now, only more so.
“I never thought I’d see the day when local bars would be charging £5 for a pint but we’re not far off that now. The scary thing is that it may not end there,” Mark Edwards, bar manager at Blake’s of the Hollow, said.
“There seems to be no end in sight. Overheads, wages, you name it – the cost of everything has gone through the roof for everyone.
“Nobody wants to put their prices up, and we always want to keep prices as keen and lean as we can, but for us to operate, we need margins to run a business. That’s no different for coffee shops and other hospitality businesses.
“Then there are the bars and restaurants serving food that also have to deal with spiralling costs for produce as well. It’s just got more expensive to keep a business running.”
Pubs and bars in rural areas in Fermanagh will also be feeling the pinch as footfall is much less in these areas and trade during the week would be quieter than in more populated places.
The only positive is that compared to other towns and cities in the North, alcohol prices in Enniskillen are still reasonable.
“The flip side is that we still get plenty of visitors to Fermanagh and Enniskillen from further afield who say that the price of beer and spirits here is good value, compared to Belfast or Dublin,” Mr Edwards said.
“We are still sitting at a relatively good price-point, which provides value for money compared to other places.”
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