High-strength beer ban labelled 'contagious' amid fears it could spread to pubs

The society supports a campaign calling for the European Commission to force the UK Competition and Markets Authority to prevent boycott schemes prohibiting the sale of higher-strength beers and ciders.

Non-executive director at SIBA Robert Humphreys said: “This is a cultural threat to our national drink. So far as we know this initiative has not yet spread to the on-trade, but it is without doubt contagious.”

He said many licences have conditions preventing the sale of high-strength beers, which vary from a cap of 5.5%, 6% or 6.5%.

SIBA, which represents more than 820 British brewers, said the scheme run by local licensing authorities has expanded from Ipswich to around 90 towns in less than two years.

It is estimated that around 95 authorities covering up to 18,000 licensed premises are running schemes of this sort.

SIBA has written to the European Commission and encouraged its members to submit support to its submission.

Mike Benner, Managing Director, said: “We absolutely support proportionate, effective measures to reduce alcohol misuse, but we do not support any intervention which is not within the law. We have significant concerns about the proportionality and legality of these schemes.”

SIBA is concerned that retailers who agree to participate in the schemes run a risk of infringing competition law by engaging in a coordinated boycott.

While the schemes are typically aimed at low-price high-strength beers and ciders and not ‘craft’ or ‘artisan’ beers, the society is concerned that this is not the case in reality and that consumers risk losing access to thousands of high quality crafted beers.

Benner continued: “Our members take great pride in the excellence and range of their beers. They make beers for everyday drinking, beers to accompany food, and beers for connoisseurs to savour and sip.

“They brew a huge range of different beers, both regularly and occasionally, and many of these are fabulous, complex brews of higher strength and great repute.”