"Undrinkable beer" spat: Enterprise releases information about saleable pints

Chris Lindesay, of the Sun Inn in Dunsfold, Surrey, who heads up campaign group the Punch Tenant Network, launched a campaign early this year arguing information about the about of undrinkable sediment in cask-conditioned beer is not being passed on to licensees - and said many believed firkins contained 72 pints of saleable beer.

Enterprise has now revealed a table detailing the number of saleable litres and saleable pints its licensees can expect to yield from its cask beers.

It said this was designed to act as a guide to help assist with calculating recommend selling prices and gross profit. Enterprise told licensees they should note different sediment allowances when purchasing cask beer.

To view the tables click here​ and here​.

A concession from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs means that duty doesn’t need to paid on the undrinkable sediment in cask conditioned beer – as long as customers of the brewer, including publicans, are made fully aware of the quantity of beer on which duty has been charged.

The British Beer and Pub Association said it would investigate ‘ways to promote best awareness and best practice,’ including pre-entry industry training in the wake of the campaign, and Save the Pub group chair and Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland demanded pubcos answer question on the issue.