“The vast majority of small breweries produce fresh cask beer – and for those brewers this latest shortage of CO2 won’t have an immediate impact – but for the increasing number making keg, bottled or canned beer it will come as an additional worry. “Two thirds of the beer that small independent brewers produce is […]
“Tourists travelling to England have a visit to a traditional English pub at the top of their ‘must visit’ lists, so it is welcome to see Covid travel restrictions for fully vaccinated visitors set to be simplified. Pubs and cask beer are intrinsically linked and as well as boosting pub trade, more tourism helps increase […]
“It is hugely disappointing the Scottish Government has moved ahead with restrictive Covid passports for hospitality venues across Scotland, hitting a sector which is just trying to find its feet. These restrictions will cause issues for venues of various sizes, including local beer festivals – many of which would hope to attract over five hundred […]
The overwhelming majority (96%) of small independent brewers in Scotland are unprepared for the Deposit Return Scheme due to be introduced next year, according to a new survey by the Society of Independent Brewers. The new Government recycling scheme due to be introduced in July 2022, known as the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), will see a […]
Responding to reports of forthcoming beer shortages from the global brewers due to planned industrial action, James Calder, Chief Executive of the Society of Independent Brewers said; “Amid fears of taps running dry, pubs, bars and restaurants should look beyond mass-produced beers from the Globals and speak to their local independent breweries. Being local they […]
The UK’s small independent brewers have been left in limbo one year on from the Treasury’s announced changes to Small Breweries’ Relief (SBR). These changes could see more than 150 small brewers paying up to £44,000 extra per year to the Treasury. They could come into force within months leaving small brewers little time to […]
Background: SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2020 Under normal circumstances – remember those? – cask beer and bottled & canned beer from SIBA member breweries are judged at Regional beer awards across the UK, and the winners of these competitions go forward to the National final at BeerX UK in Liverpool. During the Coronavirus lockdown in 2020 the decision was made to […]
“Today’s publication of the impact on the hospitality sector shows the continued toll on our struggling pubs and brewers devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic. With payments to businesses such as breweries only around half of its pre-pandemic levels and consumer spending at less than 70%, the sector needs further flexibility on VAT, beer duty and […]
Whilst the proposals are ‘very positive’, more needs to be done to support brewers, including the introduction of a differential duty rate for draught beer and positive reforms of Small Breweries Relief which don’t leave small independent brewers worse off. “It is very positive to see the Government tackling head-on the challenges that face the […]
“One of the few positives for hospitality businesses over the last year and a half has been the relaxation of pavement licensing which has allowed more alfresco dining and drinking spaces to be created in our towns and cities. Making ‘alfresco’ pavement licenses permanent is a win for our community pubs and brewery taprooms that […]