An Edinburgh bar has cut the price of a pint by 25% after becoming one of the first venues in Scotland to take advantage of the new Scottish Pubs Code.
The Green Room West End has dropped the cost of a pint of lager from £6.90 to £5.20 after securing a ‘market rent only’ deal. The change, made possible by the Scottish Pubs Code—introduced last year—gives tied tenants the legal right to request a rent-only lease, freeing them from exclusive supply agreements.
“The Scottish Pubs Code is a fantastic initiative, but it is currently a hidden gem that many struggling pub and bar owners across Scotland don’t know about,” said co-owner Anna Lagerqvist Christopherson. “Breaking free from the tie of stock we have to supply has been transformative for us. It also allows us to offer fair, competitive prices to our customers while being able to stock a wider selection of drinks.”
She added, “This isn’t just about cheaper beer—it’s about the survival of the pub. If more owners knew they had the right to break these restrictive ties, we would see more businesses surviving, more employees kept in jobs, and more taxes paid into the local economy.”
The bar will mark the occasion with a ‘Freedom Party’ on Wednesday 11 February, featuring live music and the launch of its new beer range.
The Scottish Pubs Code is intended to level the playing field between pub-owning businesses and tenants, offering a legal route out of exclusive supply agreements. To support the rollout, the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has launched a tenant-facing advice portal at guestbeer.co.uk, focused on helping operators navigate the Guest Beer Agreement.