The sun’s out, which means many of us will be stocking up on some fizz to toast the good weather, but it turns out revellers in the UK are paying a LOT less for their Prosecco.
The price difference came to light on Facebook when Lisa Kiernan travelled home from Scotland, where she lives, to visit friends in Maynooth, Co. Kildare. After spotting that the cost of the same bottle of Bella Cucina Prosecco was €17.99 in Ireland compared to just £5.50 (approximately €7) in Scotland, the canny lass was less than pleased.
The thoughtful shopper took to Tesco Ireland’s Facebook page to highlight the issue:
The post was an instant hit, quickly gathering more than 12,000 likes from outraged Irish Prosecco drinkers.
It wasn’t long before a Tesco Ireland spokesperson weighed in, explaining: ‘It is never our intention to mislead our customers. The Scottish price you reference would be subject to different excise and vat rates than here in Ireland.
‘Excise duty on sparkling wine and champagne in Ireland is double that of still wine which – in addition to 23% VAT rate – means that the prices are not comparable in different countries.’
Nevertheless, it appears the furore may have had an impact, with the price of Bella Cucina dropping to €14.
We salute you, Lisa Kiernan!
