Statistics released by the British Beer and Pub Association this morning show that a decade of decline in UK beer sales has come to an end, with a 1.3% rise in UK beer sales in 2014.
However, on-trade sales showed a small drop of 0.8% in 2014, but this was the smallest decline in sales since 1996. Off-trade sales grew by 3.5 per cent, matching the growth of last year, and taking off-licence and supermarket sales above on-trade sales, for the first time on record.
The rise in 2014 followed nine consecutive years of decline, which saw beer sales slide by an astonishing 24% – 6.7 million fewer pints sold, per day.
The BBPA says that huge tax rises were the major culprit, with beer duty hikes of 42% from 2008 to 2013, under the disastrous beer tax escalator policy.
With taxes still much higher than they were a decade ago, the BBPA is leading calls for a much-needed hat-trick of beer duty cuts in the Budget on 18 March.
Fragile
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.”
CAMRA chief executive Tim Page added: "It is fantastic to see overall beer sales back in growth for the first time in 10 years, but it is vitally important that beer sales in pubs move back into growth too.
"The 0.8% drop in pub beer sales is the smallest decline in sales since 1996, but if we want to see less pubs closing it is vital that number is pushed into positive growth. A third beer duty cut in next month's budget will help ensure that 2015 is the year when pub beer sales finally start growing again."