Buoyant British beer sales in the second quarter of 2016 showed further signs of reversing a long period of decline, with sales up 1.5%, it has been announced today.
The rise means Britons enjoyed 31 million extra pints from April to June, compared with the same period in 2015. The figures are published in the British Beer & Pub Association’s Quarterly Beer Barometer.
Buoyant off-trade sales during the European Football Championships were a big source of the boost, with sales rising by 4.8%. On-trade sales (pubs, bars and restaurants) fared less well, slipping by 1.9%, although this was one of the lowest second quarter drops for the on-trade in recent years.
Beer sales have risen by 1.2% 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 pioneering 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.
Increased confidence in the sector has been accompanied by greater investment and campaigns.
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.”
David Cunningham, programme director at the There’s A Beer For That camaign, added: “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.”
