Poll: Does price of a pint bring cheer to Shropshire customers?
You can't beat a good pint – but how much you pay very much depends on where you buy it.
The Good Pub Guide today lifts the lid on the huge price ranges to be found in different parts of the UK.
It shows that rural areas across the Shropshire border in Herefordshire are the best value for money.
And predictably London is by far the most expensive place to pop down to your local.
Fiona Stapley, who is editor of the 2015 Good Food Guide, said: "Our survey of beer prices shows a whopping 76p-a-pint difference between Herefordshire the cheapest county, and London, the most expensive.
"The average price of a pint of beer in Britain is now £3.31, which is up from £3.20 last year.
"Another finding of this year's survey is that Britain's ever-growing range of pubs brewing their own beer typically costs 45p a pint less than the local average."
The Guide also looks at the role of women in pubs, revealing pub chains are now falling over themselves to attract female customers.
Ms Stapley said: "It wasn't so long ago that women rarely went to pubs and if they did, they were accompanying their husbands.
"All the things women hated were there.
"Dirty tables, floors and loos; full of cigarette smoke; substandard food and wine; uninspiring and dreary décor; and sad unloved gardens.
"At the beginning of the 1990s, the first Gastro pub appeared and slowly, food in pubs changed forever.
"And licensees also began to realise that by not appealing to women, they were missing out on a huge market.
"Today, with the smoking ban, much improved and appealing décor, top class food, and the growing trend for early morning coffee with pastries and afternoon tea, pubs are attracting women like never before."
The guide adds that despite the recessionary times and increased cost of food, many pubs have managed to keep very fair prices.
In the new edition of the guide, 106 pubs hold a Bargain Meals Award, which means they offer interesting cooking that gives real value, typically for under £10.
What do you think? Is a pint good value for money? Vote in our poll and have your say in the comments box below.
