John Healey is a beer man. Does this spell good news for pubs? Hospitality Geoffrey Howe sipped a gin and tonic, Nigel Lawson quaffed a wine spritzer, while George Osborne and Gordon Brown stuck to mineral water. Ahead of his first Budget, one of the many decisions weighing on Chancellor John Healey’s mind will be whether to get a little squiffy at the despatch box. If he does, it [...]
Pubs to pour five million extra pints during England v Norway World Cup clash Hospitality Pubs are set to score their biggest boost yet for the World Cup when they pour more than five million extra pints during England’s game against Norway this Saturday. As many as 5.5m more pints will be served to thirsty England fans while the Three Lions face off in the quarter final in Miami, bringing [...]
Adnams cuts alcohol content across range in beer overhaul Hospitality Adnams has reported early signs of success in its beer range overhaul after reducing the alcoholic content across a number of products. The Suffolk-based brewer, famed for its 0.5 per cent Ghost Ship low-alcohol beer, took the decision last year to introduce more lower strength beers in a bid to capture consumer demand for lower [...]
UK tax regime is forcing pubs to raise pint prices January 23, 2026 Pubs do not want to raise prices, but endless tax pressures are giving them little other choice, writes Emma McClarkin.
Reeves must reject this finger-wagging, fun-sapping, tax-loving nonsense October 8, 2025 The Chancellor may have felt in need of a stiff drink after absorbing the latest productivity figures handed to her by the Office for Budget Responsibility, and who could blame her? The OBR is widely expected to have significantly downgraded its productivity forecasts while at the same time conceding that it’s been overestimating productivity growth [...]
Lionesses final: Tax windfall expected from beer sales July 25, 2025 The Women’s Euro final this Sunday could bring a £5m boost to the UK economy, with an extra 1m pints expected to be poured as fans cheer on the Lionesses — but British pubgoers will pay over 10 times more in beer duty than their Spanish counterparts. New figures from the British Beer and Pub [...]
One pub to close every day in 2025, new data reveals July 10, 2025 Small pubs are being forced to close in the face of unsustainable costs pressures, according to new data. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has estimated that 378 pubs will close this year across England, Wales and Scotland, amounting to more than 5,600 job losses. The industry body pointed to the heavy pressure of [...]
Budget 2024: Warning pubs and breweries could face extra £310m bill October 25, 2024 Pubs and breweries could face an extra £310m bill after the Budget, an industry lobby group has warned. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has warned Chancellor Rachel Reeves that a hike in business rates and beer duty could leave Britain’s drinking spots struggling. Additional costs could stifle growth and threaten jobs, with some [...]
Pubs face ‘double whammy’ of tax hikes as hundreds call last orders for good September 23, 2024 Around 50 pubs per month ‘vanished’ from England and Wales in the first half of the year as hospitality struggled with costs and tax rates. The overall number of pubs in England and Wales, including those vacant and being offered to let, fell to 39,096 at the end of the first half of 2024, down [...]
Cut beer duty by five per cent to create 12,000 jobs, pubs urge Chancellor September 18, 2024 Cutting beer duty by five per cent could create up to 12,000 jobs, a beer and pub association has urged the Chancellor ahead of next month’s Budget. The brewery and hospitality industries are urging the government to continue supporting them to invest and maintain the 1,040,000 jobs across the sector. Jobs could be at risk [...]