Action To Support Brewing Trade Welcomed

Yesterday’s Budget brought good news in the form of support for the brewing industry. Rob Theakston, our Managing Director, had the following to say about the news: “This is the first time in years that we have had a chancellor who has listened to us and we welcome the scrapping of the duty escalator – it has been a long campaign to get to this point! Andrew Griffiths MP for Burton has led an excellent campaign and we publicly thank him and his supporters for all their hard work in championing the cause of the beer and pub industry. We are delighted that we finally have a chancellor who recognises that the pub is the hub of the community and that beer is our country’s national drink. Moreover, as cask beer can only be served in pubs, it is one of the most responsible forms of alcohol and finally the chancellor has recognised that fact – let’s hope it encourages more people back into pubs to drink quality cask beer! The 1p reduction in duty on beer is the unexpected icing on the cake. A reduction is something we have not seen in years and it vindicates our calls that beer served in the pub is both a responsible and controllable way of consuming alcohol. Anything that brings the price of beer down, particularly cask beer, and encourages people into pubs is a good thing. It will help our business by reducing the already massive duty burden we carry, as well as the beleaguered pub trade, which has seen a continued increase in pub closure rates since the introduction of the beer duty escalator. Let’s hope the chancellor continues to support the British pub and brewing industry in the future to get it back to where it belongs as one of the cornerstones of our national identity.”