Public says 'Open the taps for independent brewers'
- Guild Secretary
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
68% of the UK public believe large brewers are making it harder for independent breweries to survive.
CAMRA calls for fairer market access and transparency in pub supply chain.
New polling from YouGov reveals that the overwhelming majority of UK adults agree that large multinational brewers are making it harder for independent breweries to survive – highlighting public concern that market dominance is limiting consumer choice and threatening local beer production.
The findings highlight widespread concern that consumers are being denied choice, while local and independent brewers struggle to get their beers into pubs and onto bars. This particularly affects pubs that are ‘tied’ to large chains and brewing companies, which stop landlords sourcing their beers from outside a pre-approved range.
CAMRA Chairman, Ash Corbett-Collins, said: "These results are a wake-up call for politicians and regulators to tackle anti-competitive practices and give a level playing field to independent brewers."
“We’ve been banging on for ages about how global brewing conglomerates are locking out competition and stifling consumer choice. Now the public are backing that message loud and clear. People want to drink quality, independent beer in their local pubs, but many small brewers can’t get their foot in the door."
“The market is increasingly tilted in favour of the largest companies. If we want a thriving brewing scene, we need proper reform to make access to the bar fair, transparent and competitive.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2173 UK adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 29th – 30th July 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).The figures shown exclude all ‘Don’t know’ responses.
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