Responding to the Chancellor bringing forward measures from the medium-term fiscal statement and scrapping the Alcohol Duty freeze, Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said:
“The Chancellor’s decision today to reverse the Alcohol Duty freeze is a huge blow to brewers and pubs. The freeze would have delivered a £300million saving to our industry at a time when we desperately need any relief we can get, to help to keep a lid on spiralling costs and keep the price of pint affordable for pub goers this winter”.
“The cost of doing business is completely out of control for pubs and brewers and the failure to act today to reduce pressures on businesses will hit them extremely hard. Our sector needs stability to plan and be able to keep serving communities at a reasonable price, but instead has been subject to ongoing uncertainty for too long. Waiting until a February budget to ease these pressures will be too late, we need the Chancellor to act before Winter really starts to bite for our brewers, pubs and the customers and we lose them forever in communities across the UK.”
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview contact Jessie Powell at jpowell@beerandpub.com / 020 7627 9199
Notes to editors:
About the British Beer & Pub Association
The BBPA represents UK companies which between them brew over 90% of the beer sold in the UK and own 20,000 pubs.
Our members include international companies, national and local brewers and pub businesses operating managed and tenanted pubs in cities, towns and villages across the country.
These businesses are at the heart of communities and local economies and include family businesses who have been brewing beer and running pubs for hundreds of years alongside emerging brewers and pub operators.
- The UK’s beer and pub industry supports close to 940,000 jobs
- The industry adds £26.2billion to the UK’s economy each year
Press release from the BBPA.
For further information please contact Jessie Powell at jpowell@beerandpub.com / 020 7627 9199 .