Move over Big Mac Index. Move over Pret Index. There's a new index in town.
Since it's no longer only consumed by blokes of Spoons boss Tim Martin's age, Guinness has become the most-ordered pint in London. Its near-ubiquity in pubs makes it a useful measure of the cost of living in different parts of the capital.
The chart above shows the cost of a pint of the black stuff at Wetherspoon pubs broken down by London borough. A pint in the City will cost you literally double the amount it would in Enfield, Brent or Hillingdon.
Evening Standard previously collected this data back in December 2022. Over the last 18 months, Guinness has risen by an average of 64p at London Spoons -- but in some places it's up well over a pound.
Southwark, Islington and Wandsworth all saw over 35% Guinness Price Inflation, or GPI as it will soon be widely referred to, while Brent, Enfield and Tower Hamlets all saw sub-10%. You would expect steeper rises in city centres, but this much? Is that a sign the suburban economy is seeing sluggish growth?
Over time City Spy will be updating this page with more analysis and insight into Guinness pricing -- stay tuned.
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