BBPA says Government is not considering national closure of pubs to reopen schools, and reiterates that social distancing measures in pubs means they are safe to remain open The British Beer & Pub Association, the leading trade association representing brewers and pubs, has today refuted claims that a trade-off is needed between pubs and schools, to enable schools to re-open in September. The trade association has said that the Government has made it clear it does not need to nationally close pubs to re-open schools, but that it may limit social contact in some parts of the country to enable schools to reopen. The British Beer & Pub Association has also reiterated the guidelines and mitigation measures pubs across the whole of the UK have put in place to keep staff and customers safe. Across the sector, pubs have invested significant work, time and money to ensure they provide a safe environment. No pub has been able to reopen without doing a rigorous risk assessment and implementing measures to keep customers and staff safe. This includes putting up screens, enhancing hygiene measures and offering table service. Pubs have also been commended by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock MP and Public Health England for their diligence and proactivity in working with NHS Track & Trace. Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “There is no evidence of the efficacy of a trade-off between pubs and schools. The Government has made it clear it is not considering the national closure of pubs to reopen schools. It has said it may limit social contact in localities to enable schools to reopen. “It is important to remember that pubs have been open in England for a month now after investing significant work, time and money to ensure they are a safe environment. No pub can reopen without doing a risk assessment and implementing measures to ensure staff and customers are safe. Pubs have been commended by Matt Hancock and Public Health England for their diligence and proactivity in working with NHS Trace & Trace. “We are all working hard to restrict the transmission of the virus but careless talk and groundless speculation costs pubs and pub jobs. Our sector is desperately trying to recover and provide a much-needed hub for communities across the UK during these challenging times.”
British Beer & Pub Association calls for continued support for sector to ensure full recovery The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), the leading trade association representing brewers and pubs, has today revealed that over a third of pubs in the UK (37%) cannot break even one month after reopening. The finding, from a survey of the BBPA’s members, comes exactly a month after pubs in England reopened on July 4th for the first time after the COVID-19 lockdown. In the same survey, 25% of brewing and pub sector businesses said they didn’t feel their business was sustainable beyond the end of March 2021 at present. Pubs reopened on 4th July in England, followed by staggered openings elsewhere in the UK. Since reopening, pubs across the whole of the UK have had to implement mitigation measures and follow Government guidelines to ensure they keep customers and staff safe. This includes “one metre plus” social distancing in all pubs, as well as putting other measures in place such as table service, seating only, one way systems and dividing screens. The measures mean that pubs have less capacity to serve customers. Likewise, consumer confidence to go out and visit pubs is still returning. According to the BBPA, this is impacting the viability of reopened pubs, particularly in city centre locations, where many offices remain closed meaning even greater reduced footfall. The BBPA has welcomed initiatives such as the Eat Out To Help Out scheme and the VAT cut to food and accommodation in hospitality and pubs to help boost the sector, which it hopes will have a positive impact on pub sales in August. However, it says further support is still needed for the pub and brewing sector in the medium and longer term to enable them to fully recover. It also says the Government needs to play its part in helping build public confidence to go out and visit pubs and hospitality again, with consistent and positive messaging about their reopening. In particular, the trade association says more support is needed for community pubs who tend to only sell drinks or small food items, and so are less likely to benefit from VAT cuts to food and the Eat Out to Help Out scheme. It says the Government should cut beer duty by 25%, cut VAT on beer served in pubs and fundamentally reform business rates to enable the beer and pub sector to fully recover and help grow the economy once more. According to the trade association, such measures would be needed to get pubs through this quieter period and into the new year. Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “One month after they were able to reopen in England, over a third of pubs are struggling to break even or turn a profit. This is inevitably due to lower consumer confidence and reduced capacity for pubs. “We fully support the Eat Out To Help Out scheme and the temporary VAT cut to food and accommodation in pubs and hope they will help boost pub sales. “However, to ensure the full recovery of our sector, including Britain’s world class brewers and pubs at the heart of communities across the UK, we need the Government to increase its support. “£1 in every £3 spent in a pub goes to the taxman and now is the time to reinvest that money in our brewers and pubs. That means cutting beer duty by 25%, as well as making the VAT cut permanent and extending it to beer in pubs to bring the cost of a pint down and unlock investment. “Fundamental reform is also needed of the business rates system – pubs pay 2.8% of the business rates bill, despite accounting for just 0.5% of turnover. "Crucially, the Government must play a leading role in building public confidence to go out and visit pubs again, by delivering consistent and positive messages about their reopening. “Our sector is a resilient one, and 75% of brewing and pub businesses say they are sustainable at present, but that still leaves 25% that are struggling and it would be catastrophic for our culture and economy if they are denied the support they need. “Now is the time to recognise and invest in our pubs and brewers to secure them for future generations and to enable growth.”
Trade association backs Local Government Association call for continued grant support for businesses damaged by lockdown The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), the leading trade association representing brewers and pubs, has today backed calls from the Local Government Association to ringfence £1 billion in grant funding that would otherwise be clawed back by Government, to continue to help support pubs and other businesses severely affected by the lockdown. According to the Local Government Association, the Government has written to councils to say it will shut three funding schemes – the Small Business Grants Fund, Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grants Fund and the Discretionary Grants Fund – on August 28th, with any unclaimed funds returning to the Government. It estimates that over £1 billion in grant scheme funding will be lost. The BBPA is therefore backing the Local Government Association’s call for Government to keep funding available so councils can redistribute any unspent resources to reinvest and support businesses and local economies through this crisis. Although pubs were allowed to reopen in England from the 4th of July, they have had to operate with severely reduced capacities and therefore income since then. According to the BBPA, such a measure would enable councils to continue supporting pubs and other businesses severely damaged by the lockdown, particularly those such as pubs with a rateable value above £51,000 who were not eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grants Fund. Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “Our sector may have reopened, but it is far from out the woods yet. Our pubs still need all the support they can get and many are still waiting on it, so withdrawing £1 billion in possible funding is short-sighted to say the least. “The Government should be focused on supporting business like pubs that can help the economies of local communities grow, not withdrawing vital funding at a time businesses across the UK need it most. “Some 10,000 pubs were unable to benefit from the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grants Fund as their business rates were too high. Rather than clawing back this money, it’s a no brainer to use it to help those businesses that have either fallen through the cracks or are continuing to struggle.”
We champion issues that matter to the beer and pub industry. These are causes our members are passionate about; whether it’s promoting beer as the nation’s drink, or campaigning against increases to beer duty and businesses rates that are so damaging to community pubs.