On-trade beer sales decline despite buoyant off-trade during Euros

This was despite total beer sales up 1.5%, according to the British Beer and Pub Association’s Quarterly Beer Barometer survey.

Britons drank 31 million extra pints from April to June compared with the same period in 2015.

Euro 2016

The overall rise was down to buoyant off-trade sales during the European Championships, with sales rising by 4.8%.

Though pub beer sales declined, the 1.9% fall was one of the lowest Q2 drops for the on-trade in recent years.

Total beer sales have risen by 1.2 per cent over the past year, and have been relatively stable since early 2013 following years of decline.

The marked change in trend coincides with reductions in beer duty, which began with a one penny cut in the March 2013 Budget.

This was followed by two further 1p cuts and a freeze this year, putting an end to years of steep beer tax hikes.

'Encouraging figures'

BBPA chief executive, Brigid Simmonds, said: "These are yet more encouraging figures, and the football has given a real boost to sales. It is quite clear we owe a huge debt of thanks to the cuts in beer duty from 2013.

“I hope the Government continues with this pioneering change in approach, and we continue to see support for fairer taxes for British beer.”

The BBPA said the increased confidence in the sector has been accompanied by greater investment and campaigns, such as There's a Beer for That, which promotes the beer category as a whole, with widespread backing throughout the industry, through ‘Britain’s Beer Alliance’.

David Cunningham, programme director, There’s A Beer For That – Britain`s Beer Alliance, adds: “We can see that the campaign messages of quality, diversity and versatility of beer and our focus on encouraging people to pair different styles of beer with their meals, is beginning to have a positive impact on consumer perception behaviour.

“This in turn is playing a part in the recovery of the category.”