Our beer and pub industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 epidemic and faces a more challenging time than it has ever experienced in the past.

Times were tough for our favourite local pre-pandemic, since the first lockdown happened the pub and hospitality industry have suffered beyond belief. For us too, we are missing the social aspect of getting a drink, with our mates in the pub, and putting the world to rights.

LONG LIVE THE LOCAL is a campaign, which launched in July 2018, backed by a broad alliance of pubs, brewers and industry bodies who together form Britain’s Beer Alliance.

Beer Duty is a tax paid when producing and selling beer, and is a calculation based on the ABV (alcohol by volume) of the beer. UK beer duty is already 3 times the EU average and the government plans to increase it, in line with RPI, every year for the foreseeable future.

COVID-19 has ravaged the industry, with many pubs closing down for good, and some breweries having to significantly alter their businesses. The campaign is asking for a 25% cut in Beer Duty, in line with other pub companies, industry bodies and breweries, to help ensure the British institutions beer and pubs can survive the COVID-10 aftermath.

Pubs and breweries face a range of tax pressures, including Beer Duty, business rates and VAT. 41% of a brewery’s turnover is Beer Duty, and 43% of a pub’s turnover is beer sales. Simply put, any tax on beer is a tax on pubs.

Model and publican Jodie Kidd has been supporting a campaign for the last few years, but is now really pushing for our support ahead of the budget. She is asking Rishi Sunak to cut beer duty. So far, over half a million people have signed a petition in support. 

She said……

“A cut in beer duty will help pubs which are the backbone of local communities up and down the country. Not only do they provide livelihoods but also a social and cultural hub which so many of us are deeply missing at the moment.”

We spoke to Jodie recently to find out more about the campaign and how we can all help our local pub.

Publicans, pubs, and pub chains have worked with the Government over the last few months to find the safest way to open and start serving local communities again.

By writing to your local MP and signing the petition to cut the tax on beer, you can help keep our local pubs communities, jobs and industries thriving.

To find out more about LONG LIVE THE LOCAL, go HERE.