The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has today welcomed the appointment of a new panel of experts to diagnose the issues currently affecting the health of the UK’s high streets. The panel will also advise on the best measures to help high streets thrive both now and in the future. The appointment of the expert panel kickstarts Great British High Street Week, a week dedicated to celebrating the high street to promote The Great British High Street Awards 2018. The week will gather pace today with an event in parliament to celebrate Great British High Streets. Commenting on the appointment of the expert panel, BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds said: “This expert panel, which will look at the issues affecting our high streets and what can be done at a practical level to help them, is a fantastic way to kick-off Great British High Street Week. “We especially welcome the inclusion of NewRiver Director Emma MacKenzie on the panel, who has expertise in both the retail and pub sectors. The successful future of our high streets is inextricably linked to leisure and hospitality, which increase dwell time on the high street. The great British pub therefore has a key role to play in the future success of the high street. “I would urge high streets up and down the country to enter this year’s Great British High Street competition, which is now in its fourth year. The competition highlights good practice through leadership, events, training, partnerships and an understanding of what makes the high street unique. This will help high streets across the country to attract shoppers and pub goers.”
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) is predicting that home fans will buy TEN MILLION extra pints at the pub during the semi-final World Cup match against Croatia, as they cheer on the England team. The extra number of pints bought during the knockout stage match could provide a boost to the economy of up to £30 million. The Great British pub will be one of the main benefactors of a surge in demand for beer as fans cheer on the England team against Croatia at their local, which will take place on Wednesday 11thJuly at 7pm. The taxman will be cheering the loudest when England play Croatia. Counting receipts from beer sales, the Chancellor could get an additional windfall as high as £4.5 million from beer drinkers and pub-goers watching the match. The BBPA had predicted that during the group stages of the World Cup, England fans would purchase up to 16 million extra pints while watching England in their games against Tunisia, Panama and Belgium. It also predicted that England fans would purchase up to 6 million extra pints during the last 16 match against Colombia, and 8 million extra pints during the quarter-final game against Sweden. BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds comments: “When it comes to watching the World Cup, only being at the game itself can compare with being in the pub. With the England team doing us proud and progressing through the knockout stages of the tournament, fans will continue to pack out their local to cheer on the boys. It’s fantastic news for both English football and the Great British pub!”
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has today responded to proposals from PPL for fee rises to its Specially Featured Entertainment (SFE) Tariff, which covers the playing of music at discos in pubs and nightclubs. Commenting on the fee proposals, BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds said: “We are extremely disappointed that PPL are proposing such eye-watering increases to their Specially Featured Entertainment (SFE) tariff which covers pubs, clubs and other venues that put on discos and DJ events for customers. A 450% increase in the tariff (from 3.8p per person per hour, to 22p per person per hour) on top of proposed structural changes that could more than double this figure, will simply not be viable for many licensees at a time when pubs are already facing major cost pressures in terms of increasing taxes and other regulatory costs. Whilst we welcome discussions on ensuring fairness and clarity in how the tariff is calculated and if improvements can be made to deliver this, we believe that these discussions must take place first and any impact considered further before there are proposals for cost increases. “As PPL note in the consultation document, the SFE tariff is already increased annually by the Retail Price Index (RPI). Of course, RPI itself is now a discredited measure of inflation, but the use of this measure will have seen the SFE tariff increase by over 50% since 2003. This is compared to a 38% increase in the Consumer Price Index, the official measure of inflation, during this period. We are grateful for the dialogue and engagement we have had with PPL on this issue over the last year, but see no justification for further increases in the tariff at this time and we will be responding accordingly.”
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