APPBG names its esteemed Beer Drinker of the Year
Andrew Griffiths, the MP for Burton-on-Trent, is credited with mobilising the parliamentary campaign against what has been called the "hated" beer duty escalator; not only convincing the Chancellor to get rid of the escalator but also to cut beer duty in three consecutive Budgets.
Griffiths was chairman of the beer group for five years and stood down last year following his appointment as a Government Whip.
The new chairman, Mike Wood MP, said of Griffiths: “His success in championing fairer taxes for beer and pubs has led to a resurgence of confidence and investment in the sector.”
He added “As chairman of the beer group, he has probably done more to change the political fortunes of beer than anyone in recent history.
“He has successfully shown ministers that beer and pubs are not the problem but part of the solution – massive employers, vital to communities and British to the core.”
Four others and a brewery were also honoured at the APPBG awards: Brewer of the Year was Florent Vialan of the Purity Brewing Company; Paul Nunny of Cask Marque received a Lifetime Achievement; Sheryll Murray, MP for South East Cornwall, was named Beer Parliamentarian of the Year, and Gavin Shuker, MP for Luton South, became Pub Parliamentarian of the Year.
The Joseph Holt Brewery received the Pub Aid Award for raising money for charity.
APPBG secretary Paul Hegarty said figures suggested that pubs raised £100m a year for charity but the actual cash amount is almost certainly well in excess of that.
As well as MPs, a host of celebrities and even royalty have been recognised by the awards over the years including HRH the Prince of Wales, chef Michel Roux, TV interviewer Michael Parkinson, and even The Sun newspaper.
