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22-02-2018, 08:30
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Thanks to Edd Mather for sending me a fascinating document showing wholesale beer prices for May 1919.

It shows the prices agreed by regional brewers' associations for the various price-controlled classes, which at the time were 4d., 5d., 6d., 7d., and 8d. It's fascinating because there's considerable variation in the prices.

The problem with the system of price controls was that it only concerned retail prices, not wholesale ones. Brewers could, in theory, charge anything they liked. Though, obviously, they wouldn't want to bankrupt all their tenants. Despite that, a publican's profit margin was wafer thin.

Some of the prices - the Birmingham non-discounted ones, for example, don't seem to leave anything for the publican. The wholesale price of 4d. beer varied between 68/- in Sussex and 95/- in Birmingham.



PRICES. MAY 31. 1919.



Locality.
4d.
5d.
6d.
7d.
8d.


1
Berkshire
72/-
80/-
105/-
120/-



2
Bedfordshire
72/-
90/-
106/-




3
Burton (for Tied Trade)
77/5
97/3
115/3
126/-
144/-


4
Bucks,
72/-
90/-
102/100
126/-
144/-


5
Birmingham
95/-
-
135/-
155/-
175/-



do. Discount 20%
76/-

108/-
124/-
140/-



do. 25%
71/3

101/3
116/3
131/3


6
Bristol mininum
69/-
87/-
104/-
120/-



7
Blackburn
70/-
-
116/-




8
Bolton
69/-
83/-
98/-
112/-



9
Bradford
72/-
90/-
108/-
126/-
144/-


10
Cambs.
74/-
86/-
108/-




10a.
Control Board Carlisle.
71/-
85/-





11
Gloster and Wilts
69/-
87/-
104/-
120/-
136/-


18
Halifax
72/-
90/-
108/-
126/-
144/-


15
Hants
74/-
92/-
112/-
130/-



14
Herts
72/-
90/-
108/-
126/-
144/-


10
Kent
72/-
88/-
106/-
124/-
150/-


16
Leicester (minimum gravities)

80/-
96/-
112/-



17
Liverpool
70/-
84/-
100/-
115/-



18
London
69/6
85/7
110/6
121/9



19
Lancs.
69/-
83/-
98/-
112/-



20
Manchester
69/-
83/-
98/-
112/-



21
Norfolk (prices not unlfonr)
70/-
84/-

120/-
135/-


22
Northants.
72/-
84/-
96/-
108/-



23
Northumberland and Durham
72/-
84/-





24
Notts Maximum Discount 20%
72/-
84/-
104/-




25
Norwich
70/74
86/-
108/-




26
Newcastle
72/-
84/-
108/-
-



27
Oxford
72/-

108/-




28
Potteries
72/-
86/-
104/-
120/-
136/-


29
Preston.
70/-
84/-
99/-
117/-
132/-


30
South Wales minimum.
66/-
78/-
95/-
120/-
130/-


31
Shrewsbury
72/-
84/-
105/-
120/-



32
Surrey
72/-
90/-
108/-
130/-



33
Sussex, also a 3d. at 56/-
68/-
82/-
102/-
118/-



34
Sheffield.
72/-
84/-
96/-
108/-



35
Wiltshire (Minimum)
69/-
87/-
104/-
120/-
136/-


36
Yorkshire do.
72/-
90/-
108/-
126/-
144/-


37
Younger W.
70/-
86/-
102/-
112/-



Average Price about

71/10
86/2
105/4
120/9
141/7



This table should make the marginws easier to see. I includes the cheapest and most expensive wholesale prices for each category:



retail price per pint
wholesale price per barrel
wholesale price per pint
mark up
% mark up


4d
68/-
2.83
1.17
29.17%



95/-
3.96
0.04
1.04%


5d
78/-
3.25
1.75
35.00%



92/-
3.83
1.17
23.33%


6d
96/-
4.00
2.00
33.33%



112/-
4.67
1.33
22.22%


7d
108/-
4.50
2.50
35.71%



155/-
6.46
0.54
7.74%


8d
130/-
5.42
2.58
32.29%



175/-
7.29
0.71
8.85%



I can't see how a publican could survive if forced to pay the highest prices.

In case you weere wondering, these are the gravity bands for each price category:




Price control categories February to July 1919


price per pint
gravity range


3d
below 1022


4d
1023-1028


5d
1029-1034


6d
1035-1041


7d
1042-1049


8d
above 1050


Source:


“The British Brewing Industry 1830-1980” by T.R. Gourvish and R.G Wilson, 1994, Cambridge University Press, page 323.




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