JD Wetherspoon is to display the calorie count for all drinks served in its pubs across Scotland and the rest of the UK from Wednesday, 8 March.
The information will be introduced on new menus. JD Wetherspoon says it is the first pub chain to make customers aware of the calorie content of drinks.
The move comes after a poll found 90% of people do not know the calorie count of a pint of beer, with 80% unaware how many calories are in wine.
Tim Martin, chairman of the 930-strong pub group, said, “We want our customers to have as much information as possible so they can make informed decisions about the food and drink they enjoy at our pubs.”
Among the most calorific drinks on JD Wetherspoon’s menu is a pint of Sharp’s Doom Bar real ale, which contains 253 calories. A pint of Stella Artois lager has 227 calories, while a pint of Guinness has 204. There are also 204 calories in a pint of Foster’s lager, while a pint of Strongbow cider has 187.
Those opting for a spirit get off a little lighter: a 25ml serve of Absolut vodka has 56 calories while 25ml of Gordon’s gin contains 53 calories. The drink with the fewest calories is Pepsi Max, which has only two in a 398ml glass.
But will it put customers off ordering more? Time will tell.