Off-trade boost for UK beer sales

UK beer sales rose by 5.2% in the third quarter of this year driven by a big boost in the off-trade where sales increased by 12.5%.

According to the British Beer & Pub Association’s (BBPA) Beer Barometer, which is published today, this is the biggest quarter-on-quarter increase in beer sales this century.

The BBPA said the increase comes after fine summer weather and optimism over the Chancellor’s beer tax cut in the March Budget.

Brigid Simmonds OBE, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “After many years of disappointing figures it’s great to see a great British product reporting such a strong third quarter performance.

“There is a still a way to go, but with increased investment and a fairer tax regime, we can build for future success. With the beer duty escalator cancelled by George Osborne, and tax revenues up, there is a real opportunity, if we have another freeze next year.”

There were, however, some losses in the quarter with on-trade beer sales down 1.2% on the same quarter last year.

The boost in beer sales also means that despite cutting beer duty in March chancellor George Osborne actually collected £16 million more in beer taxes. The BBPA added that it believes “the tax cut represents a big milestone for the industry, with renewed confidence boosting investment.”