The average price of a pint of bitter in a British pub has broken through the £3 barrier for the first time, according to the new Annual Statistical Handbook from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), published today.
The figure will fuel concerns over Treasury plans to raise beer duty for a second time this year, in the Budget on November 22. The 2017 price rise for bitter — up by 6p from 2016 — was the biggest since 2014, and the price of a pint of lager rose even more — by 10p — from £3.48 last year to £3.58 in 2017.
Despite the increase, beer remains the pubgoer’s drink of choice, accounting for 54.3% of alcohol sales in the on-trade in 2016 (pubs, hotels and restaurants), down slightly from 55% in 2015. Beer’s share is even higher in much-loved community locals, and its continued dominance in pubs makes them particularly sensitive to beer tax hikes, says the BBPA. UK beer duty is 60% higher than in 2000, and among the highest in the European Union.
Wine, on the other hand, remains the top choice of the home drinker with a 38% share, down slightly from a peak of 40% in 2013.
Britain has seen a huge explosion in the number of breweries, which topped 2,000 for the first time in 2016, at 2,250. Between 2000 and 2016 there has been an increase of 1,750 in the total number of UK breweries.
However, the BBPA Stats Handbook also finds that the top 20 brewers produce 71% of all the beer enjoyed round the world.
New per capita consumption figures for beer show that average consumption of 67 litres per head is below the EU average of around 72 litres, and well below the Czech Republic, where consumers enjoy an average 147 litres per head, per year.
BBPA chief executive, Brigid Simmonds, said: “Our latest Stats Handbook shows that the taxes on UK beer are still a huge cause for concern, and we cannot afford another beer duty hike in the November Budget if we are to keep a pint in the pub affordable for British beer drinkers.
“However, a wealth of other data shows that, with the right policies, the beer and pub industry, which supports 900,000 jobs, can continue to help grow the economy, creating new jobs and more opportunities for the people who work in our sector.”
