Beer sales rise for second consecutive quarter
According to the latest ‘Beer Barometer’ figures from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), total UK beer sales were up 0.8% in Q4 2013, some 15.3 million pints more than in the same period of 2012.
Pub sales were down 2.2 per cent in the fourth quarter, although they fell at a lower rate than they did last year, which saw a 4.3% decline in Q4.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said beer sales have been rising since the Chancellor cut beer duty in last year’s Budget, and renewed calls for a duty freeze in the March Budget.
“These figures demonstrate that cutting beer duty helps increase beer sales, stimulates industry investment and saves jobs,” said BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds.
“We hope the Chancellor takes note and freezes beer duty in his next Budget to give a further boost to British beer and pubs.”
Beer tax
An Early Day Motion tabled by Andrew Griffths MP in December, which calls for a freeze on beer duty tax, has won support from MPs across six political parties.
The BBPA argues that British beer drinkers and pubgoers are paying a ‘disproportionate’ tax burden compared to others in Europe.
Research by Regioplan Policy Research and EY at the end of last year showed that the UK contributes 43 per cent of total beer duty paid in Europe, but only accounts for 13 per cent of total beer consumption
