British beer sales up first time in a decade

A decade of decline in UK beer sales has come to an end following a 1.3% rise in 2014, but the future of the country’s pubs is still “fragile”, according to the British Beer and Pub Association.

The rise follows nine consecutive decades of decline, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which saw beer sales drop by 24%, the equivalent of 6.7 million fewer pints sold per day.

Beer sales in pubs have begun to stabilise showing a small decline of 0.8% in 2014, the smallest decline in sales since 1996, while off-trade sales grew by 3.5%, matching last year’s growth.

The industry’s upturn comes following two cuts in beer duty by the Chancellor, with the BBPA blaming a “devastating” beer duty hike of 42% from 2008 to 2013 under the “disastrous” beer tax ‘escalator’ policy for a decade of declining sales.

While beer sales have started to turnaround, the BBPA has said a third cut in beer duty is “vital” in the Budget on 13 March.

BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds said: “British beer is back in growth – and we want to keep it that way. But with 70% of pub drink sales being beer, the picture for our much loved pubs is still fragile. That is why another duty cut from the Chancellor is vital. It will build on the success of two very popular tax cuts in the past two years, and boost jobs in an industry that employs 900,000 people, almost half of whom are 16-24 year olds. That has got to be good news.”

Full tables and quarterly data can be views via the BBPA website here.