Beer

NEW PRODUCTS

Stella Artois unveils new limited-edition beer

Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I has announced the launch of a new fruity variant of Stella Artois.

Functional beer moves beyond low & no

Functional beer is moving beyond low & no, as brewers increasingly look to fibre, electrolytes, vitamins, botanicals, gluten-free recipes and low-calorie positioning to reach health conscious drinkers.

Brewery to bar: Mapping Britain’s biggest beer producers

From iconic ales to household lager brands, The Morning Advertiser (The MA) has mapped where the UK’s biggest brewers are based and the beers they produce at each site.

Dark Star Brewery founder Rob Jones dies

Rob Jones, the founder of Dark Star Brewery and landlord of the Duke of Wellington pub in Shoreham by Sea, Sussex, has died following illness.

Death of the round?

With changing consumer habits, has the tradition of buying drinks in a round gone the way of the dodo? The Lock In team head to the bar to find out.

Over 28m pints sold across spring bank holiday

More than 28m pints were poured across the spring bank holiday weekend, new data has revealed.

Fruit beer and stout fuelling category growth

Both stout and fruit beer are seeing value growth, new data has shown.

James Watt reveals plans to launch beer business

BrewDog co-founder James Watt has announced he is launching a new beer venture.

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

NEW PRODUCTS: Vocation unveils new seasonal line-up

This month’s new products round-up features innovations from Vocation, Jägermeister, Thatcher’s, Aviation Gin and Greene King alongside a variety of snacks.

EXCLUSIVE: Average pint price up 3.3%

The average cost of a pint of draught beer has increased by 17p to £5.34 in the past 12 months, according to an exclusive survey from The Morning Advertiser.

Champion Beer of Britain 2026 unveiled

A south west brew has been named this year’s Champion Beer of Britain.

GK sells Old Speckled Hen beer brands to Damm UK

Pub company and brewer Greene King has announced the sale of its Old Speckled Hen (OSH) beer brands to Damm UK alongside a new brewing strategy, which will see the company “move away from off-trade channels”.

£10 pints ‘not reflective of wider market’

£10 pints are largely confined to premium hotels and do not reflect the wider market, operators have said, warning rising costs could make such prices more commonplace.

OPINION: Let’s get real on the £10 pint issue

Let’s be realistic for a minute: despite the national media nonsense claiming that the £10 pint has arrived in London, it hasn’t. Yet.

NTIA: ‘Reality of £10 pints more complex than headline figure’

As London pint prices reportedly hit £10, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has warned the reality is “far more complex” than the headline figure.

Operator vows to ‘fight’ after council rejects brewery taproom plans

A Dorset brewery has vowed to continue to “fight” for its business after the council rejected a planning application for a taproom.

Women’s presence in indie beer rises - but gaps remain

Last year saw a modest shift in gender balance across at independent breweries, with the proportion of women in the workforce up slightly, but disparities across roles persist, new data has revealed.

Woodforde’s hails Indie Beer Week

Norfolk brewer Woodforde’s has hailed SIBA’s ongoing Indie Beer Week, stating the support created for such breweries is also beneficial for their local communities.

SIBA: Indie brewers’ focus is simply on survival

Almost half of Britain’s independent brewers are focused solely on survival as almost a third expect turnover to fall this year, new data has revealed.

‘I’ve always wanted to own it’ Tilray’s CEO on achieving his dream purchase

“What this business needed was a disruptor,” says Irwin Simon, the new owner of BrewDog - with no small degree of irony.

SIBA award winners ‘blown away’ with BeerX victory

A husband and wife team have said they are “absolutely blown away” after winning in the Society of Independent Brewers’ (SIBA) BeerX competition.

PODCAST: What went wrong with BrewDog?

As BrewDog founder James Watt continues to gnash his teeth and blame everyone but himself, the Lock In team take a look back at the business and ask, what went wrong with BrewDog.

FEATURE

FEATURE: All about that Bass

The industry needs little reminding that Government intervention in the pub trade, however well meaning, tends to have unintended consequences.

C&C buys Innis & Gunn for £4.5m

Irish drinks business C&C Group has acquired the Innis & Gunn beer brand and its global intellectual property from administrators for £4.5m.

Redundant BrewDog staff labelled as ‘disposable pawns’

Almost 500 BrewDog workers have been described as “disposable pawns” after they were made redundant as dozens of its bars were shut for good.

CAMRA boss: ‘Global brewing giants destroying cask heritage’

“Too many cask brewers are being lost”, CAMRA has warned after Molson Coors announced plans to close Sharp’s Brewery.

Molson Coors looks to close Sharp’s Brewery and axe 200 jobs

Molson Coors Beverage Company (MCBC) has announced plans to close its Sharp’s Brewery in Cornwall and the National Contact Centre in Cardiff.

City pub drops Beamish over sales dispute

An independent London pub has dropped Beamish from its line-up and accused craft beer wholesaler Cave Direct of “exploitation”.

EXCLUSIVE: Alf Turner and Stonegate raise £2,940 for Help for Heroes

Alf Turner Butchers and Stonegate have raised £2,940 for veterans’ charity Help for Heroes through sales of Hero IPA.

BrewDog co-founder could put £10m of his own cash into business

James Watt, the former CEO and co-founder of BrewDog, looks set to put £10m into the Scottish brewer and global bar operator after it was widely reported the business was set to go into administration.

CAMRA Champion Winter Beer of Britain revealed

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has unveiled the winner of its Champion Winter Beer of Britain award.

BrewDog reported to be eyeing sale

Multinational craft brewer BrewDog is reported to be calling time and appointing advisers to restructure and explore a sale.

Heineken to cut up to 6,000 jobs amid global beer slowdown

Heineken is set to cut between 5,000 and 6,000 jobs globally over the next two years after reporting a decline in beer volumes and revenues in 2025.

Guinness prices up 16% but still below stout average

The price of Guinness has jumped 16% over the past three years, though it remains 1p cheaper per pint than the overall stout category.

Six Nations kicks off with 11.4m pints sold

The opening weekend of the Guinness Six Nations rugby tournament provided a major boost for pubs with 11.4m pints sold.

Firkin hell! Cask is booming!

With the news that younger consumers are turning back to traditional cask beer, the Lock In team grab their pint mugs and get real with ale.

Jennings Brewery boss ‘delighted’ with reopening response a year after acquisition

Jennings Brewery managing director Chris France has outlined the reaction from guests since the business reopened last summer after being acquired in February 2025.

Nearly three independent breweries a week shut in 2025 as sector faces ‘survival crisis’

Almost three independent breweries per week were lost last year, new data has shown.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Jubel plans to double production in 2026 as sales soar

“Guinness is our idol”, Jubel founder Jesse Wilson told The MA as the fruit-flavoured lager brand looks to double production after on-trade sales soared last year.

From £2.99 to over £5: the pint price shift in a decade

10 years ago this month, The Morning Advertiser reported that one fifth of UK beer drinkers were unwilling to pay more than £2.99 for a pint.

Tamworth Tap crowned CAMRA POTY for record-breaking third time

Staffordshire pub the Tamworth Tap has taken the title of CAMRA National Pub of the Year (POTY) 2025.

Great British Drinks Company strikes £6.5m Black Sheep rescue deal

Great British Drinks Company has completed a £6.5m restoration deal to revive Black Sheep Brewery, safeguarding 145 jobs and securing the future of a portfolio of regional beer brands.

EXCLUSIVE: Molson Coors launches Caffrey’s Black Stout to rival Guinness

Molson Coors is set to go toe to toe with Diageo with the launch of Caffrey’s Black Stout rolling out across the on-trade.

Guinness at risk of becoming ‘unaffordable’

Diageo is at risk of making Guinness “the first £10 pint” and penalising smaller operators after announcing price hikes.

EXCLUSIVE

EXCLUSIVE: Diageo to hike price of Guinness by 5.2%

Diageo is set to increase the price of a number of its products, including Guinness Draught, The Morning Advertiser (The MA) has learnt.

Heineken CEO to step down

Heineken CEO Dolf van den Brink has announced he will be stepping down from his roles at the brewing giant.

EXCLUSIVE

EXCLUSIVE: Diageo responds to Guinness shortage fears

Diageo has dismissed claims Guinness is in short supply, insisting stock is being replenished after the busy festive period.

Hofmeister secures UK distribution deal

Lager brand Hofmeister has announced a new deal to secure its logistical supply following the challenges around Keystone Brewing Group.

FEATURE

FEATURE: Why a pub should consider self-pour beer taps

Everyone wants to join in the fun – and the pub is the perfect place for that to happen.

Pubs urged to offer wider range on tap to boost footfall

Brits would visit local pubs more if they offered a wider range on tap, according to a national beer audit.