New report reveals how landmark Government policy led to UK brewing boom

A new report published today to mark the twenty-year anniversary of Small Breweries’ Relief reveals the huge impact the policy had on UK brewing, including a boom in small breweries and a huge increase in the number of different beer styles being brewed.

Click above to download the report

The ‘SBR @ 20’ report has been published by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), the trade association which represents independent brewing in the UK and which lobbied for the policy some two decades ago.

According to the report there are now 1,895 independent breweries in the UK, creating an estimated 10,988 direct jobs.

“The sector has come a long way over the past few decades. Within only a few years of its introduction SBR had created over 100 new businesses and at least several hundred jobs that would not have existed.” Roy Allkin, SIBA Chairman, writes in the foreword to the report.

“Twenty years later and that has translated into almost nineteen hundred brewing businesses, with a small independent brewery in nearly every constituency, supporting thousands of jobs at the heart of our community.” Roy added.

Analysing which beer styles are being brewed by small independent breweries the report also shows the surprising rise of craft lager, with it seeing a meteoric rise over the last twenty years. On the flipside it’s Mild and Brown Bitters that have fallen out of favour with brewers, seeing a steep decline in production in recent years as more breweries begin producing keg beer as opposed to traditional cask.

“The growth in the number of breweries in the UK market has led to more experimentation and a quest to create new and more interesting beers. For the first time, in this year’s SIBA members’ survey the most produced style of beer was not that old favourite golden bitter, but rather stout/porter. And where in the past 90% of brewers have produced a bitter, our latest survey shows a much more even spread over a whole range of different styles, including some new ones such as no and low alcohol and gluten free styles.” Caroline Nodder, Editor of the SIBA Craft Beer Report 2022 and contributor to the SBR @ 20 Report.

Small Breweries Relief was introduced by the then Chancellor Gordon Brown with the aim of allowing small breweries to pay a lower rate of duty on the beer they brewed in order to be able to compete with National and Global beer producers. The sliding-scale policy meant the smallest brewers received a 50% rate relief, with the relief gradually reducing depending on the size of the brewery.

Under changes announced last year Small Breweries’ Relief will be replaced by a new ‘Small Producer Relief’ which will, alongside beer, include other drinks from small producers such as cider. The changes are due to come in from August 2023, but SIBA have raised concerns over various elements of the new system, including the unfair advantage given to cider.

“Massive amounts of thinking has gone into restructuring the whole alcohol duty regime, simplifying it and ‘making the basis of alcohol taxation more economically rational, with fewer distortions and arbitrary distinctions’, yet the massive cider producers will continue to pay half the alcohol duty that brewers do, and now the distortion is in plain sight, glaringly obvious.” Eddie Gadd, MD of Ramsgate Brewery and long-time campaigner for small brewers.

The report will be officially launched this evening at an event for MPs, members of the brewing industry and invited press at Five Points Brewery in hackney, where a commemorative ‘SBR IPA’ will be tapped to mark the occasion.

Related posts

SCHÄFER: Made to measure

SCHÄFER Container Systems offers individual KEG types for the Italian craft brewing scene Neunkirchen,...

Exmoor Gold Is 30!

The Golden Ale that started a trend and made beer history celebrates its 30th...

Does Size Matter?

Not according to CNG Engineering! The Pontefract based engineering firm has recently completed a...

Wood's bottle a Beauty!

Wood Brewery is launching a bottled version of Shropshire Hills Beauty, its increasingly popular...

Tiny but Mighty

Padstow Brewing Company beat off strong competition from Regional and National brewers to win...

Blind Mans Buffet

First things first… Some of you may have heard along the grapevine that we’re...

New CEO for the IBD

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce the appointment...

Welbeck Abbey News

Here at Welbeck Abbey Brewery we’re elated to announce that our first pub ‘The...

Willowbrook Arises

Castle Rock’s Willowbrook pub in Gedling, Nottinghamshire, reopens today – Thursday 2 July.  It has...

SIBA launches Beerflex

Direct Delivery Scheme evolves in response to growing demand for quality independent beers The...

Robert Humphreys awarded MBE

All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group and SIBA praise his achievements Robert Humphreys, formerly the Honorary...

Pass it On

From mother to daughter, father to son, teacher to pupil; passing on knowledge and...

The Half Pint Marathon

A collaboration between Thornbridge Brewery and Forum Cafe Bars LTD will have you reaching...

Punch delivers profits

By James Wallin, M&C Report, 22-Apr-2015 Punch Taverns has reported a 0.5% rise in...

SIBA BeerX 2015 photos

Festival of Beer   Trade days   National Beer Competitions   SIBA Business Awards...

The Eagle prepares to fly

Truman’s doubles production capacity through half million pound investment Truman’s – East London’s beer...

A Flourishing Friendship

The Friendship pub, Glossop, has reopened following a complete transformation courtesy of Robinsons Brewery...

How Golden Duck Brewery found the Commons touch

How Golden Duck Brewery found the Commons touch Read more at http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Beerhunter-Golden-Duck-Brewery-Commons-touch/story-25953732-detail/story.html#BXg7BAIdhJB0bpPU.99

Top of the hops

S J Adams & Son wins the British Hop Award 2014 Worcestershire based hop...

SIBA BeerX Festival of Beer

SIBA BeerX 2015 @siba_beerx #BeerX2015 facebook link National Beer Competitions finalists and results See...

SIBA BeerX 2015

SIBA BeerX 2015 National Beer Competitions finalists and results. @siba_beerx #BeerX2015 facebook link. BeerX...

Oyez to Old Henry

Two rather jolly characters are celebrating being awarded a gold and bronze regional award...

SIBA supports Tryanuary

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) is supporting Tryanuary, the new initiative that encourages...

Eighty Shilling

The Rebel Brewing Company based in Penryn Cornwall, firmly secured their place in Cornish...

FDEA Network Forum

The UK’s dedicated trade association for food and drink exporters is proud to present...

SIBA to stage third BeerX

Celebration of beer returns to Sheffield The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) is returning...

Beer sales increase is great news for Burton

Beer sales increase is great news for Burton Read more: http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/BREWING-Beer-sales-increase-great-news-Burton/story-24471610-detail/story.html#ixzz3IfPHqQzw Follow us: @BurtonMailNews on Twitter...

Reuben does a runner

Reuben Crouch, General Manager at Ludlow Food Centre for the past seven and a...

The Return of Ben Truman

1st anniversary of Truman’s return to East London brewing Truman’s has celebrated the first...

Untitled

Elgood’s Brewery Beer Festival Local Beers, Food, Music and a chance to be filmed...

Evolution On Line for Beer

Evolution Bottling and Packaging Solutions are delighted to have joined SIBA. Evolution BPS provide...

British Hop Harvest 2014

When: throughout September The British Hop harvest is dramatic, noisy, frenetic and does not...

NZPA Flies Home

Hawkshead Brewery, known in Britain, for brewing big flavoured beers with New Zealand hops,...

Untitled

SIBA South East Region Beer Competition 2014 DATE OF JUDGING & ANNOUNCEMENT           11th July...

SIBA East Meeting

MEMBERS ONLY Location: Charters Arm, Town Bridge, Peterborough, PE1 1FP Time: 13:30

Hop & Malt Seminar

BFBi is pleased to announce the Hop & Malt Seminar, being held on Tuesday...

Blonde gets Gold.

Dawkins Bristol Blonde crowned Champion standard bitter and third overall out of 270 beers....

Judi Hughes

Acorn Brewery is saddened to announce the death of co-founder and director Judi Hughes...

Bottlesafe Air

Over the past three years inspirepac have been supporting SIBA members with gift packs...

Wood's head brewer retires

Paul Benson, head brewer at Wood’s, the award-winning South Shropshire brewery at Wistanstow, Craven...

SIBA East Region Meeting

SIBA MEMBERS ONLY Venue:  Haymaker,54 High Street, Chesterton, CB4 1NG Cambridge, Cambridgeshire Time:  13:00...

Maxim Brewery

Following on from Sunderland Football clubs recent successes on the pitch – Maxim Brewery...

A-wards and up-wards!

Eight Design Effectiveness Awards in three years At the 2014 Design Effectiveness Awards, Leeds-based...

SIBA South Keg Beer Competition

BY INVITATION ONLY Location – Tulleys Farm, Turners Hill Road, Turners Hill, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 4PE Time – TBC

SIBA Council Meeting

COUNCIL MEMBERS ONLY Location – National Brewery Centre, Staffs. Time – 9am

SIBA Council Meeting

MEMBERS ONLY Location – National Brewery Centre, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs. Time – 9am  

SIBA Toolbox

Members: Please make sure that you are using the link http://toolbox.siba.co.uk/ to get to...

Peter Austin

Ringwood today announced the passing of brewery founder, Peter Austin on 1st January. To...

A Hart-felt farewell

Gillian Tyrrell of The White Hart, Hazel Grove, has announced her retirement after a...

Untitled

To All SIBA Members BFBi have been working on Craft Brewers Conference and are...

Beer goes to Brussels

EVERCREECH’S Wild Beer Co took some of their ales to Brussels at the request...

Trooper Invades London

Robinsons Brewery in Stockport have announced that they will launch a London based billboard...

Brewery for Auction.

On behalf of Cains Brewery, Moody Auctions offer for sale by online auction complete...

Beer Grotto!

Exeter residents, upon seeing two rather overgrown elves rolling a pub-load of beer into...

Gold Does the Double

Our hand crafted ale, Gold has won Gold Medal for best overall bottled beer...

Untitled

SIBA Midlands Region Beer Competition 2013          DATE   OF JUDGING & ANNOUNCEMENT      10th October 2013...

Gold for The Barrels

We are very proud to announce that Wye Valley Brewery’s flagship pub, The Barrels,...

New film from SIBA

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has produced a new film, ‘Building the Future...

Silver cup to set barrel rolling at championships

Taken from:  http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Silver-cup-to-set-barrel-rolling-at-championships-20130819145431.htm Burtonians taking part in this year’s barrel rolling championships will get...

Let There Be Beer

Whatever else you’re doing tomorrow, Saturday 29th June,  make sure you tune into SKY...

SIBA National Emails

SIBA National (Trade Association) emails will be down for maintenance from 16:00 today This includes...

SIBA East Region Meeting

SIBA MEMBERS ONLY Venue: Charters Bar, Town Bridge, Peterborough, PE1 1FP  http://www.oakagroup.com/charters/contacts.asp Time: 12:00

Keith Greener

Keith Greener,Spares and Service Manager from Microdat sadly passed away from pneumonia on 30th...

Birmingham Beer Bash

We’re pleased to announce the launch of Birmingham Beer Bash, a brand new festival...

Four weeks to go!

The closing date for entries to the Sainsbury’s 2013 Great British Beer Hunt is...

Cyclops Beer Live

Onsite Cyclops testing at SIBA’s BeerX on 15th March Cyclops Beer is bringing its...

A trip down memory lane

25 years ago Richard Scragg and Helen Teasdale bought the current Springhead Brewery site...

The Judges Judged

Real ale drinkers, supping alongside fellow judges Lilian Greenwood MP, Robin Hood aka Tim...

It's Phil's Ale

Early one cold morning in January about a dozen members of the local CAMRA...

Beer and Dolphins Unite

A unique partnership between a brewery and an international wildlife charity is launched on...

Got a Cold? Have a Beer.

Sapporo Breweries-backed study shows that beer contains chemicals that could counter colds As the...

SIBA Emails

Dear SIBA Members We are currently experiencing technical problems when receiving emails and therefore...
Top