Trade association announces expansion of membership following successful Budget where it secured over £2 billion in support for sector
The British Beer & Pub Association, the leading trade association representing brewers and pubs, has today revealed it has significantly expanded its membership.
Four new members have joined the trade association: Wetherspoon, Loungers, The Oakman Group and Drake & Morgan.
The news of the new members joining follows an exceptionally successful Budget for the sector, as campaigned for by the trade association, which resulted in support for pubs and brewers totalling over £2 billion. This included an extension to grants and the Job Retention Scheme, as well extensions to the VAT cut for hospitality and business rates, as well as a beer duty freeze.
The trade association said the growth in membership, combined with its success at the Budget, highlighted the value in having a strong voice for the British Pub and brewing sector.
It also said the type of organisations joining it were representative of a shift in the beer and pub sector to a modern, innovative and forward-looking industry which the trade association champions. The trade association said it also continues to campaign for the wider sector as a whole and will continue to campaign for wet-led pubs in the coming months who will need further support in the aftermath of the Budget as they recover in 2021.
Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said:
“We warmly welcome our latest members, many of whom represent a shift we have seen in the sector to that of modern, innovative offer to beer drinkers and pub goers.
“This is a very exciting time for the British Beer & Pub Association in its 100 year plus history and we are continuing to significantly grow our membership.
“As the single trade association solely representing brewers and pubs, the British Beer & Pub Association is that voice for the sector.
“I welcome anyone interested in finding out more about how the BBPA can help them to get in touch with me.”
Phil Whitehead, Chairman of the British Beer & Pub Association and Managing Director of Molson Coors Western Europe, said:
“As a long-standing member of the British Beer & Pub Association, I know first-hand how crucial it is to have a unified voice fighting for the pub sector.
“The last 12 months have seen us come together as an industry and work tirelessly together to support a sector that is much loved and part of the social fabric of the UK. We have attracted support from Government and the general public and this would not have been possible without the outstanding leadership of the BBPA as the unifying voice.
“Now more than ever, it is crucial that pub operators, brewers and supply chain partners all join under the BBPA banner and ensure that we get the long term economic support to rebuild and grow this sector once again.
“I am delighted to welcome the latest cohort of members to the BBPA and very much look forward to working with all of them.”
Peter Borg-Neal, Executive Chairman and founder of The Oakman Group, said:
“Trade bodies and company leaders have had to work closely together throughout the trials and tribulations of the past twelve months. Whilst, a few battles have been won there are plenty more ahead of us. The Oakman Group is delighted and honoured to become a member of the BBPA and to continue to help champion the interests of our fantastic industry.”
ENDS
British Beer & Pub Association
The British Beer & Pub Association is the leading body representing Britain’s brewers and pub companies. The Association is more than a century old and was originally founded as the Brewers’ Society in 1904. Our members account for some 90 per cent of beer brewed in Britain today, and own around 20,000 of the nation’s pubs.
Wetherspoon
J D Wetherspoon owns and operates pubs throughout the UK. The Company aims to provide customers with good-quality food and drink, served by well-trained and friendly staff, at reasonable prices. The pubs are individually designed, and the Company aims to maintain them in excellent condition.
Loungers
Loungers is a substantial and growing operator in the UK hospitality sector. As of April 2019, Loungers operates 146 sites in England and Wales across two distinct but complementary brands, Lounge and Cosy Club. Founded in 2002 by three friends who wanted to create a neighbourhood café-bar that they would want to go to, the Group is now the only growing all-day operator of scale in the UK and has consistently outperformed the wider UK hospitality sector over the past three years.
The Oakman Group
When the first Oakman Inn opened its doors in 2007, the vision behind it was simple: to create the perfect environment to come and enjoy great food and drink whilst catching up with friends, family, neighbours and colleagues.
Founded by entrepreneur and Executive Chairman, Peter Borg-Neal, the group established a new concept of the ‘modern public house’ by successfully transforming both historic and modern buildings into contemporary spaces that have a strong sense of identity and integration within the local communities they serve.
Drake & Morgan
Drake & Morgan was founded in South London in 2008. It is a unique collection of cocktail bars and restaurants across London, Manchester and Edinburgh. It specialises in handcrafted cocktails and distinct dining menus in the most stunning spaces.
Press release from BBPA
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Nick Lawrie, Digital Communications Manager: nlawrie@beerandpub.com, 07824 359 013
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