After the hard task of trailing through Kingston's many pubs, we've finally found the cheapest pint.

Living on a student budget has never been easy but with Britain on the brink of recession that old adage, save the pennies and the pounds take care of themselves, has never seemed so appropriate. 

With that in mind, I headed into Kingston town centre to conduct our maiden 'beat the credit crunch challenge.'  My mission was simple- to find the cheapest pint of lager in town.

I began at the university’s very own Spacebar on Penrhyn Road campus.  This proved a very good starting point.  My pint of Carlsberg was a very reasonable £1.95, setting  a very competitive opening price.

The Kingston Mill, on the High Street opposite Nandos, rose admirably to the challenge.  Carlsberg was again the cheapest pint on tap and five pence less at £1.90.  This was bought with the aid of my yellow card.  The yellow card is savings card offered by those kind people at the bar which gets you discounts on several drinks.  They are very easy to get- I picked mine up at the bar for just £2.  Having the card saved me 50p on my drink, so it’s well worth investing in one if you’re going to go for a drink in the Mill.

At the Ram, also on the High Street in the direction of Bentalls, the cheapest on offer was Fosters at a disappointing £2.80. While in The Druid’s Head, situated in the Market Place, a pint of Carling cost £2.70. 

On Eden Street at O’Neill’s, the cheapest on offer was Carlsberg at £2.65.

The most expensive pints in town were found on London Road (the one with the tumble down red pillar boxes) at the Kingston Tup and Fighting Cocks, where a pint of Fosters or Carlsberg cost a hefty £3.20.

With its Wetherspoon’s status, I had anticipated the Kings Tun to be competitive yet it failed to challenge The Mill.  Its cheapest pint was Corrs Light at £2.10 although it had a number of ales at very cheap prices.

So The Mill takes the title for the cheapest pint in town and is really good value in general for both food and drinks.  Its student vibe and comfy sofas make it a great place to go for a quick pint and is well worth a look.

The Kingston Mill, 58-62 High Street, KT1 1HN.  Tel: 0208 547 2301

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