Wetherspoon, Loungers, Oakman Group and Drake & Morgan join the BBPA

08-Mar-2021 - Last updated on 08-Mar-2021 at 10:43 GMT

Latest cohort: 'This is a very exciting time for the BBPA in its 100-year plus history and we are continuing to significantly grow our membership, BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has expanded its membership with the addition of JD Wetherspoon, Loungers, the Oakman Group and Drake & Morgan.

The BBPA – whose members account for around 90% of beer brewed in Britain and own around 20,000 of the nation’s pubs – stated that the growth in membership and more than £2bn in supportive measures in the Budget highlighted the value in having a strong voice for the pub and brewing sectors.

It added that the type of organisations that were now joining represented the transformation of the beer and pub sector into a “modern, innovative and forward-looking industry”.

According to its founder and executive chairman, Peter Borg-Neal, the Oakman Group has established a new concept of the “modern public house”, while Drake & Morgan’s stable comprises a unique collection of cocktail bars and restaurants across London, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Additionally, the operator of 168 café bars under its Lounge and Cosy Club concepts, Loungers is a rapidly expanding café bar operator with sites spread nationwide.

“We warmly welcome our latest members, many of whom represent a shift we have seen in the sector to that of modern, innovative offer to beer drinkers and pubgoers,” Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA said.

“This is a very exciting time for the BBPA in its 100-year plus history and we are continuing to significantly grow our membership.

“As the single trade association solely representing brewers and pubs, the British Beer & Pub Association is that voice for the sector.

“I welcome anyone interested in finding out more about how the BBPA can help them to get in touch with me.”

Welcoming the latest cohort

News of the BBPA’s new members follows a budget which trade body boss McClarkin summarised as “a good Budget for pubs and breweries in the short term”.

“However, this is just the start of the journey on the hard road to long-term recovery for our sector,” she added. “The Chancellor has made it clear today he recognises the vital role local pubs play in their communities.

“Now he must continue that commitment by ensuring Britain’s pubs and breweries are supported in the long term."

It also comes after new member JD Wetherspoon announced plans to start a £1.8m development project at a pub in Leeds, creating in the region of 60 jobs in the process, and confirmed that it will resume outdoor trading at 45% of its sites on 12 April.

Phil Whitehead, chairman of the BBPA and managing director of Molson Coors Western Europe, said: “As a long-standing member of the BBPA, I know first-hand how crucial it is to have a unified voice fighting for the pub sector.

“The last 12 months have seen us come together as an industry and work tirelessly together to support a sector that is much loved and part of the social fabric of the UK. We have attracted support from Government and the general public, and this would not have been possible without the outstanding leadership of the BBPA as the unifying voice.

“Now more than ever, it is crucial that pub operators, brewers and supply chain partners all join under the BBPA banner and ensure that we get the long-term economic support to rebuild and grow this sector once again.

“I am delighted to welcome the latest cohort of members to the BBPA and very much look forward to working with all of them.”