Major pub chain Wetherspoons has made a huge change to their menu and are scrapping one of their ‘favourite’ beers.
The business have announced they are getting rid of San Miguel and will start serving Italian beer Poretti. A pint of the substitute will be less than £4 at most locations, but the outgoing Spanish lager will no longer be available at any of their venues across the country.
This will come as a blow for some punters as San Miguel tops a poll by YouGov as the nation’s favourite beer.
Wetherspoons has confirmed: “The pubs will be serving Angelo Poretti on draught from mid-end November. It will replace San Miguel which will not be available in Wetherspoon pubs once the current stocks sell out.”
Pub fans were furious at the news and took to social media to express their frustration.
One X user wrote: “Absolute joke if Wetherspoons stops serving San Miguel. I will be boycotting for one.” Another added: “San Miguel will be no more in Wetherspoons at the end of November, shed a tear.”
However, some punters were pleased at the news. “Excellent news. Poretti is good, almost as nice a Peroni,” expressed one happy pub-goer. A fourth simply noted: “Not bad.”
Wetherspoons added: “At the majority of Wetherspoon pubs (681 pubs) a pint of Angelo Poretti will be priced at £3.99, with a Monday Club deal priced at £3.20 a pint, for the majority of pubs.
“Angelo Poretti will also be included with meals on the main menu, as part of the Wetherspoon “includes a drink range” deal.”
Speaking about the end of the license deal, San Miguel owner Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) Chief Executive Paul Davies told LBC: “Naturally, we are disappointed by the decision, and are working to mitigate the impact on our business.
The pub has not revealed the reason for the swap, but seem pleased at the new introduction.
According to Love Beers, a keg containing 88 pints of San Miguel costs £168.50, while a keg of Poretti comes in at £123.68. The beer has been brewed in Varese Northern Italy since 1877.
In terms of taste, Poretti is described as “a citrusy lager with a hoppy lingering finish.” San Miguel on the other hand is described as “balanced, toasted, of medium bitterness with a prevailing subtle toasting of the barley,” by Love Beers.
Fo r the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.