Why We're Fighting to Keep Your Pints Affordable Despite the 2026 Rate Hikes

Look, we're not going to sugarcoat it. The UK's independent beer scene is in serious trouble right now, and we reckon you deserve to know exactly what's going on behind the bar at your local Brighton taproom.

SIBA (the Society of Independent Brewers) just dropped some sobering news: three UK breweries are closing every single week. That's not a typo. Three. Every. Week. And with April's business rate revaluation looming and February's 3.66% alcohol duty hike already biting, things are looking pretty grim for independent venues and the brewers we work with.

But here at Lost and Found on Ditchling Road, we're not throwing in the towel. We're digging in, getting creative, and doing everything in our power to keep your pints affordable while supporting the Sussex brewers who make this whole thing worthwhile.

Here's the reality we're facing, what we're doing about it, and why your next pint in Fiveways matters more than ever.

The Perfect Storm Hitting Independent Venues

Let's break down what's actually happening, because it's not just one thing, it's a brutal combination.

The February Duty Hike: As of February 1st, alcohol duty went up by 3.66%. That's the first increase pubs have seen since 2017, and it hits both what you drink here and what you take home. For a craft beer taproom like ours, that's an immediate hit to our bottom line on every single pint we pour.

The April Business Rates Bomb: Come April, business rate revaluations kick in. For independent Brighton venues operating on wafer-thin margins, this could be the final straw. We're already paying considerably more than corporate chains who can absorb these costs across hundreds of locations. For a single-site taproom in Fiveways? Every percentage point matters.

The Hidden Costs: Then there's everything else, employer taxes going up, new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) waste fees, energy costs that haven't exactly come down, and the general inflationary pressure on literally everything from glassware to cleaning supplies.

And it's not just us feeling the squeeze. The brewers we work with, the independent Sussex craft beer makers who supply our taps, they're getting hammered from all sides too. Many of them are reducing their ABV to qualify for lower duty thresholds just to stay alive. Others are simply shutting their doors for good.

Why We're Not Passing It All On

Here's where we need to be completely honest with you. Could we just whack a quid on every pint and call it a day? Technically, yes. Would it be easier? Absolutely. Are we going to do that? Not a chance.

We opened Lost and Found because we believe great beer shouldn't be gatekept by corporate pricing or big-brand monopolies. We believe your local craft beer taproom should be accessible, welcoming, and genuinely affordable for the Fiveways community, not just for special occasions, but for Tuesday nights when you've had a long day and just want a proper pint and a friendly face.

That means we're absorbing some of these costs ourselves. We're tightening our belts, getting smarter about our operations, and making tough decisions about where we can trim without compromising on what matters: the quality of our beer, the warmth of our space, and our commitment to supporting independent Sussex breweries.

Yes, you might see a modest increase: maybe 10p, maybe 20p on some pints: but nothing like what we could "justifiably" charge given the current economic climate. And definitely nothing like what the big chains are doing.

How We're Keeping the Taps Flowing

So what does "fighting to keep your pints affordable" actually look like in practice? Here's what we're doing:

Backing Sussex Brewers: We're doubling down on our relationships with independent Brighton and Sussex breweries. When big distributors and corporate beer brands are trying to squeeze them out, we're making sure our taps showcase the brewers who need support most. Every pint you drink here directly supports someone's small business, their team, their families.

Smart Purchasing: We're negotiating better deals with suppliers, buying smarter, and sometimes taking smaller margins on certain beers just to keep them flowing. If a brilliant Sussex pale ale needs to be on our taps but the numbers are tight, we'll find a way.

Community First: We're not a corporate entity answering to shareholders. We're Jon and the team, showing up every day because we genuinely love what we do. That means we can make decisions based on what's right for Fiveways, not what maximizes quarterly profits.

Transparency: We're telling you exactly what's happening rather than hiding behind vague "market conditions." You deserve to know why things cost what they cost, and what we're doing to fight for fairness.

Why Your Next Pint Actually Matters

When three breweries are closing every week, every single pint you buy from an independent venue becomes a vote for the kind of beer culture you want to see survive.

Choosing Lost and Found over a Wetherspoons or a corporate chain isn't just about taste (though that matters). It's about keeping money in the local economy. It's about ensuring that brilliant Sussex brewers have somewhere to showcase their craft. It's about maintaining genuine community spaces where you're not just a transaction: you're a regular, a friend, part of the furniture.

The big brands will survive this crisis. They've got massive buying power, economies of scale, and corporate backing. But independent Brighton venues like us? And the small brewers we champion? We need you to choose us, even when it's slightly more convenient or marginally cheaper to go elsewhere.

What April Might Bring

We'll be completely straight with you: we don't know exactly what April's business rate revaluation will mean for us yet. We're hoping for the best but planning for various scenarios.

What we do know is that whatever comes, we'll handle it the same way we're handling everything else: by being as efficient as possible, by prioritizing what matters, and by keeping you in the loop.

If rates go up significantly, we might need to have another honest conversation about pricing. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there, and we'll do it with the same transparency we're showing you now.

The Bigger Picture

This isn't just about Lost and Found. It's about whether Brighton and Hove: and the UK more broadly: will still have a thriving independent beer scene in five years' time, or whether we'll all be drinking the same corporate lagers in identical chain pubs.

The survival crisis SIBA's warning about is real. We're watching friends and colleagues in the industry struggle or shut down. Brilliant brewers are calling it quits. Taprooms in Brighton and beyond are making impossible calculations about whether they can afford to stay open.

But here's the thing: it doesn't have to be this way. If enough people choose independent venues, if enough of us support local brewers, if communities like Fiveways rally around the spaces that give neighborhoods their character: we can push back against this tide.

Come Support Your Local

Next time you're deciding where to grab a pint, remember: your choice matters. Genuinely.

Every beer you drink at Lost and Found supports independent Sussex breweries. Every night you spend at our taproom helps us stay viable despite the mounting costs. Every time you bring friends to our independent Brighton venue instead of a chain, you're voting for the kind of community you want to live in.

We're fighting to keep your pints affordable. We're fighting to support the brewers who make our craft beer scene special. We're fighting to remain a welcoming, accessible craft beer taproom for everyone in Fiveways and beyond.

We can't do it alone. But together? We've got a fighting chance.

See you at the bar.

Lost and Found Taproom
Ditchling Road, Fiveways, Brighton
Visit us | Your independent Brighton party venue and craft beer destination