Hogs Back Brewery Offers “No VAT in the Tap” in January
- Guild Secretary
- 8 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Throughout January, Surrey-based Hogs Back Brewery is supporting its Tap customers by cutting the 20% VAT charge on all drinks.
The “No VAT in the Tap” promotion at the brewery in Tongham, near Farnham, means visitors get 20% off the usual price of drinks, with Hogs Back absorbing the tax. The offer, which runs until the end of January, extends beyond Hogs Back’s own beer to the full range on the bar, including soft and hot drinks.
A pint of cask ale, including Hogs Back’s flagship Tongham TEA (Traditional English Ale) and Surrey Nirvana Session IPA, will be just £4 a pint. Keg beers including Hogstar Lager, Hog IPA and Hazy Hog Cider will be just £4.66 a pint.
Hogs Back managing director Miles Chesterman said, “Consumers are used to January sales, and this year the Brewery Tap is no exception. 20% off the price of all drinks will make a significant difference to our loyal customers and we hope they will show their support by visiting the Tap more often and socialising during the loneliest month in the calendar.
“The additional point behind the offer is to support beleaguered British pubs that are the lynchpin of many communities. Pubs just about survived Covid, but are now buckling as a result of over-taxation, with a range of increased taxes - and VAT adding more tax to the taxes. We have to try to get the message across to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves that we need long term help, not more tax.”
Hogs Back executive chairman Rupert Thompson added, “Pubs and the wider hospitality sector have been hit by wave after wave of tax increases, which it simply cannot bear any longer. Unexpected business rate increases are a massive new blow on top of soaring employment taxes and new packaging taxes. With VAT a huge burden for the sector, over-taxation is closing pubs every week. and a return to a 12.5% VAT rate on food and drink in pubs would dramatically boost our bottom lines. We need another brave initiative like ‘Eat Out To Help Out.’”
For Tap Room opening hours, see https://hogsback.co.uk/pages/surrey-brewery-tap-and-beer-gardenCaption to attached image: Hogs Back Brewery managing director Miles Chesterman pours a pint in the Tap
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
Hogs Back Brewery “No VAT in the Tap” January prices:
Cask Ale £4.00
Keg Beer £4.66
Medium House Wine from £6.66
Single Spirit £5.42
Little Swine Alcohol Free Bottle £2.50
Soft Drinks from £2.50
Coffee from £2.50
Tea from £2.00
Trade body the British Beer & Pub Association has a list of Key Asks of Government:
Deliver on promised rates reforms in 2026 that deliver permanent and meaningful reductions to the hugely unfair burden on pubs compared to other business sectors. The maximum reduction (20p in the £1) allowable under the new legislation is vital for the ongoing viability of many pubs. This is comparable to the existing RHL relief rate.
Reduce beer duty toward the EU average. Current rates remain almost 3 times higher. A cut of draught and packaged beer duty by 5% will boost beer sales and add up to 13,000 local jobs. It would also mitigate some of the eye-watering £120m of EPR fees payable this Autumn.
Mitigation of soaring new employment costs – businesses want to pay their workforce fairly, but they must be viable to do so and are under huge pressure from cumulative costs. Revisiting Employer NICs for hospitality and taking a sustainable approach to the National Living Wage would deliver this.
Review EPR costs – these will heap a further £124m bill on the sector. The UK has the highest EPR fees in all of Europe – 21x higher than in the Republic of Ireland. We’re committed to net zero and have made impressive strides on sustainability but, for the scheme to be successful, it is essential that the fees are fair and sustainable. This is an additional cost of 4-6p on each bottle, which sounds small but effectively wipes out any profitability and is equivalent to a 12% rise in beer duty. Glass is 100% recyclable but the high fees could lead to producers switching to less sustainable packaging.
Cut VAT for pubs and hospitality sector, following the lead of Germany and considerations in Ireland, returning to a 12.5% VAT rate on food and drink in pubs, that would dramatically boost bottom lines, allowing for more employment, investment, and ultimately, tax revenue. Lower VAT rates for hospitality would provide a significant boost for the sector and trade. The food and drink serving sector is the largest contributor to the tourism economy and a competitive tourism offer is vital to reaffirm the UK’s place on the world stage.
Hogs Back Brewery
Hogs Back Brewery was founded in 1992 in Tongham, in the traditional hop growing region of Surrey. Its flagship brand, Tongham TEA (Traditional English Ale), is a leading regional ale in the south-east.
The brewery's range includes award-winning draught, bottled, and canned beers, showcasing its blend of brewing expertise and innovation. Notable awards include:
Little Swine 0.5%: Gold medals in the European Beer Challenge 2024, SIBA National Independent Beer Awards 2024, with Bronze medals at the World Alcohol Free Awards 2024 and International Beer Challenge 2025.
A over T (Aromas over Tongham) 9% ABV: CAMRA’s Champion Bottled Beer of Britain 2020.
Hogstar lager: Gold medal in the World Beer Awards 2017.
Hazy Hog: Bronze medal in the International Cider Challenge 2019.
Tongham TEA: The first beer brewed by Hogs Back in 1992, Tongham TEA has won multiple awards including runner-up in CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain in 2000.
In 2014 Hogs Back planted its own revival hop garden, and since then has been successfully harvesting its Fuggles, English Cascade, and Farnham White Bine hops, which provide approximately 50% of its annual hop requirements. It is the largest integrated hop grower and brewer in the UK.
In 2024, it won the Le May Cup for its White Bine hop and received Gold and Silver awards for its Fuggles and English Cascade hops, respectively.
Committed to sustainability, Hogs Back has introduced 120 solar panels to its roof, sells spent grain to local farmers as animal feed and aims to reduce its single-use plastic, having introduced refillable glass Snorters and Snifters flagons. It has removed over 20,000 PETs bottles from its business and earning Plastic Free Champion status from Surfers Against Sewage.
In 2024, Hogs Back stepped in to help craft brewer Mondo, investing to secure the future of its brands and the brewery and taproom in Battersea.
In January 2025, Miles Chesterman became Managing Director, with owner Rupert Thompson now serving as Executive Chairman.
In May 2025, Hogs Back entered into a collaboration with Exmoor Ales, investing in a restructure and taking a 40% stake in the new business, Exmoor Drinks Ltd.
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Issued on behalf of: Hogs Back Brewery
By: ShielPorter Communications
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