British beer drinkers pay 2nd-top tax in EU after Finland
This gap has reached new heights and must now be addressed believes the British Beer & Pub Association Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds.
She was commenting about Britain’s beer woes on the launch of the BBPA’s new Statistical Handbook 2012 which shows that only Finland pays more tax on beer.
And the trend is set to continue through the UK Government’s controversial beer duty escalator if action isn’t taken, she says.
The 2012 publication shows that:
• Per capita UK Alcohol consumption fell once again in 2011 from 8.4 to 8.3 litres per head and is now 12 per cent lower than in 2004
• The decline in numbers of young people (11 to 15 year-olds) drinking alcohol over the last decade has been significant, falling by 29 per cent since 2008
• At 946, Britain has more breweries than at any time since the 1930s, up from 840 the previous year
• The average price of a pint of beer in tenanted/leased pubs was £2.85, £2.87 in independent pubs and £2.91 in managed pubs
• 52 per cent of beer, 19 per cent of wine, 38 per cent of cider, 21 per cent of spirits and 44 per cent of FABs are sold through the on-trade
• The Czech Republic remains the largest consumer of alcohol in the EU, at 11.8 litres per capita
Brigid Simmonds commented, “Behind these numbers lie the key issues facing our industry. With almost one million jobs depending on the beer and pub sector, action is needed to bring the tax on beer more into line with neighbouring states. This and a wealth of other data should prove an essential reference took for anyone wanting to understand this unique British industry”.
An e-petition calling on the Government to scrap the beer duty escalator has nearly 100,000 signatures. The e-petition was launched by the Hobgoblin brand in February and is actively supported by many other brewing and pub companies.
The British Beer & Pub Association is the UK’s leading organisation representing the brewing and pub sector. Its members account for 96 per cent of the beer brewed in the UK and own half of Britain’s 51,000 pubs. Copies of the BBPA Statistical Handbook 2012 can be purchased from the BBPA website here.
Brigid Simmonds – “Behind these numbers lie the key issues facing our industry. With almost one million jobs depending on the beer and pub sector, action is needed to bring the tax on beer more into line with neighbouring states”.
