Research: Majority of pub staff are female

The annual Statistical Handbook 2016​, published today, reveals statistics related to the pub industry.

It found that UK alcohol consumption is going through a relative period of stability, despite a slight drop in consumption per-head, and being 18% down on the 2004 peak.

EU

Across the European Union, alcohol consumption has remained broadly flat, and the UK was not the only nation down on consumption. 

Estonia, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic consume the most alcohol per head. When it comes to beer, UK consumption is 67.7 litres per head, per year - below the EU average of around 72 litres.

Alongside consumption trends, the handbook covers other key issues such as alcohol taxation; it shows that UK beer duty is 54% higher than it was in 2000, despite recent cuts to the duty rate.

The BBPA said the data shows much more work needs to be done to cut beer duty in the UK, with the UK rate still a staggering 14 times that of Germany.

Breweries

Other trends include the astonishing growth in the number of breweries; between 2000 and 2015, the number rose by 1,380.

On employment trends, the handbook shows that 54% of pub staff in the UK are female.

On beer trends, cask ale continued to make up 8.2% of the total beer market, with the significant shift from ales and stouts to lagers observed over the past 40 years now beginning to reverse.

Encouraging

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the BBPA, said:“Many of the figures detailed in our updated stats handbook are encouraging for our industry, but the UK’s high duty rate on beer is still a cause for concern. We will continue to work with the Government to bring our rate more in line with other European nations and help better support our industry.

“Our new handbook again underlines that with the right policies for the beer and pub sector, there is huge scope for us to help grow the economy, creating new jobs and careers, with great venues and beers.”