The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has today commented on new pub closure data released by Altus Group. According to the data, almost 1,000 UK pubs closed in 2018 – a rate of 76 pubs a month. This was down from 138 closures a month during the previous seven years. Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, comments: “It is great that pub closures decreased last year, and Altus Group is right that the Government’s support on business rates for smaller pubs has helped ease the decline. “However, too many pubs are still closing because of huge tax pressures from elsewhere, especially from eye-wateringly high beer duty and VAT, so we cannot be complacent. “On a typical pint we pay 46 pence in beer duty and cutting this is one of the best ways to help pubs. Pubs pay on average £140,000 in tax each year. This is why we support the Long Live the Local campaign, which is calling for a cut in beer tax, and as the BBPA we continue to ask for more help on business rates.”
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has today responded to the publication of new guidance by the Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) for beer wastage allowances. The new guidance was published on Wednesday 10th April and comes into effect from Monday 1st July. It seeks to give greater transparency to publicans on the inclusion of wastage allowances in their rent calculations. The new guidance comes after the PCA consulted the industry on the matter at the end of 2018. Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, comments: “Brewers and pub operators have always made allowances for beer wastage to account for beer that can’t be sold. The BBPA therefore supported the PCA’s proposals to make these clearer and more transparent. “Unfortunately, in the new guidance, the PCA has increased the complexity of how allowances should be calculated and presented. This may confuse, rather than help, publicans. It will also lead to higher administrative costs and complexity for pub operators, who will need to modify their systems to reflect the greater detail now required. “The new guidance acknowledges that there could be situations where third party suppliers are unable to provide pub operators with all of the information they require.”
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has today welcomed a new report by the House of Lords Select Committee on Regenerating Seaside Towns and Communities, titled: “The Future of Seaside Towns”. The report, which BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds contributed to through a Select Committee hearing, notes how many seaside towns continue to rely on tourism and hospitality as key economic drivers. Launched during English Tourism Week – the annual celebration of tourism in England – the report has fittingly recommended that a Sector Deal for Tourism could play a key role in regenerating seaside towns. In particular, it proposes that efforts are made to promote and champion hospitality – a key part of England’s tourism offer – as a rewarding and exciting career. Likewise, the report has noted concerns with regards to future Government migration policy, reflecting the views of the BBPA that any future immigration system must ensure that tourism and hospitality businesses, so crucial to seaside towns, have access to talent from abroad. Local leadership is identified in the report as being key to helping seaside towns regenerate and grow, as shown by Brighton, Colwyn Bay and Bogner Regis, who all reached the finals of the Great British High Street Awards. Investment and work undertaken by Dan Davies, CEO of Rockpoint Leisure, in New Brighton is also shown in the report as an example of how hospitality can play a leading role in the regeneration of seaside towns. Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, comments: “We welcome this report and its recognition of the leading role hospitality and tourism businesses like pubs can play in the regeneration of seaside towns. “To help seaside towns prosper, it is vital that businesses like pubs get all the support they can to drive growth. It is encouraging that the report sees a Sector Deal for Tourism as playing a key role in regenerating seaside towns and that efforts should be made to champion and promote careers in the pub, hospitality and tourism industries. “Local licensing and planning authorities working together in support of the Agent of Change principle are also key to the future success of our seaside towns if they are to have a vibrant night time economy. It is important too that Local Economic Partnerships deliver on their core objectives to promote local economic growth and do not isolate coastal areas that are hard to tackle.”
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.