Britain's biggest pub chain is charging drinkers more at the busiest times with dynamic surcharges that make a pint of beer more expensive on the weekend. Stonegate Group, the largest pub company in the UK, is upping the price of a pint when
its venues are busiest with claims that this will help cover the cost of washing glasses, extra staff, supplying plastic cups and putting bouncers on the door. The chain has introduced so-called dynamic pricing at some 800 sites across the
country, hitting drinkers with higher prices when footfall is high. The firm, which operates over 4,500 licensed businesses, initially brought in additional charges during major sports tournaments like the Fifa World Cup in 2018 and 2022, but
has since made them permanent during peak trading. Prices were previously increased by as much as £1 at the time, according to reports. Stonegate did not disclose how much current prices can vary, but the manager of the Coach House in
central London, a Stonegate pub, said its dynamic pricing system meant the cost of a pint of beer was 20p more expensive on weekends. | 
