Really interesting article James. The pub has been one of the cornerstone's of our society for a long time and I, for one, enjoy a trip out for a pint.
Would I pay a little more to ensure I'm served more quickly when my chosen hostelry is busy - probably. Do I need to know when the peak period is - most definitely!
Interestingly, I've visited bars in Spain with three different prices at any one time, depending on where you enjoy your beverage; standing at the bar is cheaper than sitting inside at a table, which in turn is cheaper than sitting outside on the terrace. Obviously, the difference here is that those prices are displayed - by law - within the bar, so I'm fully informed when I make my choice
The legal aspect is an interesting area and one which I considered exploring when I wrote this. However, since I'm by no means an expert in these laws, I thought it might be dodgy ground. I did, though, find this article (https://sterlingstockauditors.co.uk/do-i-need-to-display-a-price-list/), which briefly covers the obligations a pub or bar has in terms of pricing display.
Basically, the old regulation which detailed how pubs and bars should display prices was superseded by 'The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (2008)', which broadly says there is a requirement for retailers to provide sufficient information at point of sale for purchasers to make a informed choice.
Whilst they advise that best practice is to follow the older regulation and display prices in the more prescribed way that that detailed, it's probably quite an easy legal argument to say that, so long as a base price is displayed and people are informed that it is a peak period and the prices have increased, they are abiding by the regulations.
So whilst it may appear a little underhand, I would suspect that there's nothing legally wrong with their approach.
One other thought: Stonegate is a massive business, and it would be foolish to expect they haven't had legal experts pouring over these plans before rolling them out, for just such a reason.
Really interesting article James. The pub has been one of the cornerstone's of our society for a long time and I, for one, enjoy a trip out for a pint.
Would I pay a little more to ensure I'm served more quickly when my chosen hostelry is busy - probably. Do I need to know when the peak period is - most definitely!
Interestingly, I've visited bars in Spain with three different prices at any one time, depending on where you enjoy your beverage; standing at the bar is cheaper than sitting inside at a table, which in turn is cheaper than sitting outside on the terrace. Obviously, the difference here is that those prices are displayed - by law - within the bar, so I'm fully informed when I make my choice
The legal aspect is an interesting area and one which I considered exploring when I wrote this. However, since I'm by no means an expert in these laws, I thought it might be dodgy ground. I did, though, find this article (https://sterlingstockauditors.co.uk/do-i-need-to-display-a-price-list/), which briefly covers the obligations a pub or bar has in terms of pricing display.
Basically, the old regulation which detailed how pubs and bars should display prices was superseded by 'The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (2008)', which broadly says there is a requirement for retailers to provide sufficient information at point of sale for purchasers to make a informed choice.
Whilst they advise that best practice is to follow the older regulation and display prices in the more prescribed way that that detailed, it's probably quite an easy legal argument to say that, so long as a base price is displayed and people are informed that it is a peak period and the prices have increased, they are abiding by the regulations.
So whilst it may appear a little underhand, I would suspect that there's nothing legally wrong with their approach.
One other thought: Stonegate is a massive business, and it would be foolish to expect they haven't had legal experts pouring over these plans before rolling them out, for just such a reason.