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Wetherspoon, Loungers, The Oakman Group and Drake & Morgan join BBPA
Trade association announces expansion of membership following successful Budget where it secured over £2 billion in support for sector The British Beer & Pub Association, the leading trade association representing brewers and pubs, has today revealed it has significantly expanded its membership. Four new members have joined the trade association: Wetherspoon, Loungers, The Oakman Group and Drake & Morgan. The news of the new members joining follows an exceptionally successful Budget for the sector, as campaigned for by the trade association, which resulted in support for pubs and brewers totalling over £2 billion. This included an extension to grants and the Job Retention Scheme, as well extensions to the VAT cut for hospitality and business rates, as well as a beer duty freeze. The trade association said the growth in membership, combined with its success at the Budget, highlighted the value in having a strong voice for the British Pub and brewing sector. It also said the type of organisations joining it were representative of a shift in the beer and pub sector to a modern, innovative and forward-looking industry which the trade association champions. The trade association said it also continues to campaign for the wider sector as a whole and will continue to campaign for wet-led pubs in the coming months who will need further support in the aftermath of the Budget as they recover in 2021. Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “We warmly welcome our latest members, many of whom represent a shift we have seen in the sector to that of modern, innovative offer to beer drinkers and pub goers. “This is a very exciting time for the British Beer & Pub Association in its 100 year plus history and we are continuing to significantly grow our membership. “As the single trade association solely representing brewers and pubs, the British Beer & Pub Association is that voice for the sector. “I welcome anyone interested in finding out more about how the BBPA can help them to get in touch with me.” Phil Whitehead, Chairman of the British Beer & Pub Association and Managing Director of Molson Coors Western Europe, said: “As a long-standing member of the British Beer & Pub Association, I know first-hand how crucial it is to have a unified voice fighting for the pub sector. “The last 12 months have seen us come together as an industry and work tirelessly together to support a sector that is much loved and part of the social fabric of the UK. We have attracted support from Government and the general public and this would not have been possible without the outstanding leadership of the BBPA as the unifying voice. “Now more than ever, it is crucial that pub operators, brewers and supply chain partners all join under the BBPA banner and ensure that we get the long term economic support to rebuild and grow this sector once again. “I am delighted to welcome the latest cohort of members to the BBPA and very much look forward to working with all of them.” Peter Borg-Neal, Executive Chairman and founder of The Oakman Group, said: “Trade bodies and company leaders have had to work closely together throughout the trials and tribulations of the past twelve months. Whilst, a few battles have been won there are plenty more ahead of us. The Oakman Group is delighted and honoured to become a member of the BBPA and to continue to help champion the interests of our fantastic industry.”
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BBPA Budget response – Good news for pubs in the short-term, long-term stimulus still needed to secure the great British pub
BBPA responds to Chancellor’s Budget worth over £1.5 billion for brewers and pubs Responding to the Chancellor’s Budget speech, Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of British Beer & Pub Association, said: “We welcome the Chancellor’s announcement of continued support for the devastated pub sector in the form of additional grants, as well as extensions to the job retention scheme, 5% hospitality VAT rate and business rates holiday. “The new grants are worth £400 million for pubs and will go some way in helping many of them survive through to the time when they can reopen and operate viably. It is, however, crucial that the Government ensures all pubs benefit, including those that are part of a group, by removing the current State Aid cap. “The extension of the job retention scheme until September will help save thousands of pub jobs. Worth £700 million to our pubs and brewers, it gives the sector time to reopen and rebuild trade before bringing all staff back, which would otherwise be too costly and unviable whilst still facing trading restrictions until end of June. “It is imperative that the Government allows pubs to operate without restrictions as planned from 21st June. This will give them the best chance to get back on their feet and serve their communities. “Extending the 5% VAT hospitality rate until September and at 12.5% thereafter is most welcome. We calculate it is worth £485 million to pubs. With all pubs having been closed for so long, the lower VAT rate has been of limited benefit so far, tens of thousands of pubs will not benefit from this until they reopen on 17th May at the earliest and then still at reduced capacity. However, wet led pubs will be especially disappointed again that the reduction will not apply to all beverages so they too can benefit from this. “We campaigned hard for an extension of the business rates holiday and the Chancellor announced a 100% cut on rates until June and up to a 66% cut for the following 9 months. This is good news, but the proposed cap will mean many pub businesses will not benefit fully from this. We await to see more detail. “Having called for a cut in beer duty and being a staunch supporter of the Long Live The Local campaign, a beer duty freeze will be seen as much needed short-term relief for the sector. However, the Chancellor has only partially listened to the 500,000 campaign supporters who signed the petition calling for a cut in beer duty. We now hope the Government will use the ongoing Alcohol Duty Review to cut beer duty to support our brewers and pubs and level the playing field with other brewing nations. The Government must support and promote Britain’s extraordinary pub and brewing sector in the way other Government’s support their domestic industries. “Overall, this is a good Budget for pubs and breweries in the short term, reflecting just how vital they are to the social, cultural and economic fabric of our communities. “However, this is just the start of the journey on the hard road to long-term recovery for our sector. The Chancellor has made it clear today he recognises the vital role local pubs play in their communities. Now he must continue that commitment by ensuring Britain’s pubs and breweries are supported in the long term. This should start by extending the VAT cut on hospitality to all drinks until at least the end of the year. We also need a fundamental reform of VAT, business rates and beer duty to ensure that the thousands of pubs and breweries across the UK can thrive and help drive the social and economic recovery we urgently need.”
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Welsh Beer & Pub Association launches on St David’s Day to promote brewers and pub operators of Wales
New association will work with BBPA, Welsh Government and UK Government A new trade association has been launched today, on St David’s Day, to promote brewers and pub operators in Wales. The Welsh Beer & Pub Association will represent the wide range of beer and pub businesses in Wales, campaigning for policy outcomes that help protect and grow the sector. It will work alongside the British Beer & Pub Association, the Welsh Government, the Senedd and UK Government to achieve these outcomes. There are over 3,000 pubs in Wales and approximately 120 breweries, with the overall Welsh beer and pub sector supporting 42,000 jobs and contributing nearly £1bn in Gross Value Added to the economy. Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the newly formed Welsh Beer & Pub Association, said: “With over 3,000 pubs and 120 breweries, Wales is a vital hub for our sector. In recognition of this, we are proud to launch the Welsh Beer & Pub Association – a body solely aimed at promoting Welsh brewers and pub operators and given them a much-heard voice with both the Wales Government and UK Government. “Given that today is St David’s Day, it could not be a better day to launch this important new trade association. I urge pubs and brewers who feel they need a voice to get in touch to find out how we can help them.” Mark Davies, CEO of Hawthorn, who own 26 community pubs in Wales and Chairman of the Welsh Beer and Pub Association: “Pubs and the brewing industry have been at the heart of Welsh communities for centuries. As a Welshman born and bred, I’m proud to stand alongside my industry colleagues as part of the WBPA, to promote the beer and pub sector in Wales. The people of Wales are proud of their heritage and pubs are part of the social fabric that makes Wales such a great place to live and work.” Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: "The brewing and pub sector is a vital contributor to Welsh communities as well as for the Welsh economy. The last 12 months have been uniquely challenging for hospitality and their supply chains and for that reason I have valued the positive working relationship that has been developed with the industry. I look forward building on the constructive discussions we have had over the course of the pandemic, and to working with the Welsh Beer and Pub Association as the sector begins its journey along the road to recovery." Jack Sergeant MS, Chair of the Cross-Party Group on Beer and Pubs, said: “I know the huge role the brewing and pubs sector plays in our communities and its importance to the Welsh economy. The launch of the Association is brilliant news and I look forward to working closely with them to secure a bright future for pubs across Wales as we look to rebuild post-Covid.”