UK Pub Closures Running At 5 Per Day

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA). has said in a recent report that pub closures in the UK were running at 5 per day. Whereas CAMRA the campaign for real ale, puts closure levels at a much more optimistic 57 per month or roughly 2 per day.

So gauging how bad the situation is very much depends on who you talk to, but one thing is for certain, the pub trade in the UK is definitely having a hard time in 2008.

The industry is angry with the government for pressing ahead with tax rises, when it is facing the toughest trading conditions for years. With pressure on household budgets, last year's smoking ban, cheap alcohol offers in supermarkets, and the miserable summer weather encouraging drinkers to stay at home.

Investor concern over the health of Britain's two biggest pubs groups, Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns, gained momentum over the summer and shares in both have now lost more than half of their value since the start of the year.

The BBPA has recently launched its axe the beer tax campaign demanding an end to tax rises above the rate of inflation, and similarly CAMRA has campaigned for a fair deal on beer tax, including launching a facebook group in July 2008. All with so far little response or action from the government it has to be said.


With little sign of an economic upturn the near future, and consumer confidence remaining low, I predict a tough time for the pub trade for the rest of 2008 and indeed 2009. The only bright light at the end of the tunnel is as with all economic recessions, (yes I know we are all still pretending we aren't in a recession but whatever label you put on it things ain't great are they), businesses that can survive emerge leaner filter and in a great position to profit on the upturn during the recovery.

Hobgoblin to launch in 33cl bottles

Wychwood Brewery will be launching Hobgoblin, its famous 5.2% ruby beer, in a 33cl bottle in Tesco by the end of September. This is the first time that Hobgoblin has ever been packaged in this smaller bottle size.

Hobgoblin is Britain’s fifth largest-selling premium bottled ale and is currently sold in 50cl bottles, either singly, in packs of four or in packs of eight bottles. It is also sold in 50cl cans.

James Coyle, sales director at Marston's which now owns Wychwood, said: “This will be a significant advance for the brand as the new bottle size will allow a fresh group of beer drinkers to discover Hobgoblin’s mischievous charms.

"The 50cl bottle size is used by over 95% of all British bottled beers, but the size discourages many existing beer drinkers from trying something new, and puts off many others from trialling the beer category.

"Hobgoblin’s rich toffeed flavours and brooding hop backbone have no equal, so the 33cl bottles will allow us to introduce our deliciously idiosyncratic hero to a new market.

Hobgoblin has been brewed at the Wychwood Brewery, near Witney, Oxfordshire, since 1988.

How To Taste Beer

Just like it's snobby upperclass cousin wine, there is a correct way to taste and evaluate beer. Just follow these 3 steps.


1 Appearence. Is it suppose to be hazy or cloudy? Perhaps so in a complex hoppy styled craft beer, Or A wheat beer when yeast clouds the glass of amber, But if its hazy or has thrown a sediment and you know that’s not suppose to be there then something may be amiss. It may be old or abused beer.

2 Smell. Keep in mind there are hundreds of styles of beer. Most are not suppose to be winey or sherry like; that’s a sign of oxidation. In other words old beer. Some strong beers are enhanced by a sherry-like character. But if your pilsener is winey, you just spent money on a loser. Does it smell like wet paper or cardboard? Yes, that’s a typical aroma of stale, oxidized, old and abused beer. Loser (and often on “clearance sale”). Butterscotch or sweet corn aroma is desired by some beer drinkers, but to most it is a character accepted without the knowledge that it is actually a fermentation flaw, indicating lack of quality control.

3 Taste. Unless the beer is a style of ale that specializes in wild or eccentric fermentation, sourness is not a good thing. If your pilsener, Oktoberfest or pale ale tastes sour – it’s a beer that has a bacterial contamination that has traveled south. No health alarms here. It’s usually lactobacillus or other bacteria related yogurt, But it doesn’t belong in most types of beer. Return it and get your money back. It may even come from a dirty tap line in a bar. Shame on the publican. The same characters you may have sensed in the aroma usually manifest themselves in the taste. Sweet, malty, bitter, fruity, hoppy, light, medium, full mouthfeel? You may or may not appreciate the levels of intensity or subtleness, but that is what the brewer intended. Take note. Either become a loyal fan of the beer, knowing what character you appreciate or switch to another with the balance you seek.

Finaly read the tasting notes, Just type in the beer brand with the phrase tasting notes into google and read what others have said. Then you will know what to expect.

Follow these steps and you will learn to appreciate your favorite brew, and spot a rougue bad example before you waste your money.

CAMRA Champion Beers of Britain 2008

Champion Beer of Britain: TRIPLE FFF, ALTON'S PRIDE (Hampshire)

Second: Beckstones, Black Dog Freddy (Cumbria)

Third: Wickwar, Station Porter (Gloucestershire)

Mild Category
Gold - Beckstones, Black Dog Freddy (Cumbria)
Silver - Rudgate, Ruby Mild (York)
Bronze - Rhymney, Dark (Merthyr Tydfil)

Bitter Category
Gold - Triple fff, Alton's Pride (Hampshire)
Silver - Lees, Bitter (Manchester)
Joint Bronze - Jarrow, Rivet Catcher (Tyne & Wear) and Surrey Hills, Ranmore Ale (Surrey)

Best Bitter Category
Gold - Skinner's, Betty Stogs (Cornwall)
Silver - Highland, Scapa Special (Orkney)
Bronze - Cairngorm, Nessies Monster Mash (Highlands) and Timothy Taylor, Landlord (West Yorkshire)

Strong Bitter Category
Gold - Thornbridge, Jaipur IPA (Derbyshire)
Silver - Fuller's, ESB (London)
Bronze - Highland, Orkney Blast (Orkney)

Golden Ale Category
Gold - Otley, O1 (Mid Glamorgan)
Silver - Loddon, Ferryman's Gold (Oxfordshire)
Bronze - Skinner's, Cornish Knocker Ale (Cornwall)

Speciality Beer Category
Gold - Otley, OGarden (Mid Glamorgan)
Silver - Wentworth, Bumble Beer (South Yorkshire)
Bronze - Nethergate, Umbel Magna (Essex)

CAMRA Bottled-Conditioned Beers
Gold - Wye Valley, Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout
Silver - Fullers, 1845
Bronze - Wells and Young's, Special London Ale

Winter Beer of Britain Winner (announced in Jan 2008)
Wickwar, Station Porter

Weak British market hits Greene King beer sales

Greene King, the UK ale brewer, has said a weak market caused its beer volumes to fall in the first quarter.

Greene King, which makes Old Speckled Hen and IPA, said today (2 September) that own-brewed beer volumes fell 3% in the 16 weeks to 24 August.

Its announcement follows a stark warning from Coors Brewers yesterday that input cost rises threatened to "cripple the Uk beer industry".

Greene King said it remained in-line to meet expectations across the company, "despite a lacklustre outlook for the UK economy".

It said of the beer volume decline: "Given near double-digit declines in the on-trade beer market, this is a strong performance. Share gains continue in both the on- and off-trade, and in the standard and premium ale categories."

The ale brewer said consumer spending had continued to contract, but added: "The Greene King model is robust and resilient; strong cashflows allow continued investment in growth areas such as food, accommodation and premium ale; and the tough approach to cost management creates opportunities to drive further value into the business."

Trade body to launch ‘Axe the beer tax’ campaign

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is to launch a campaign opposing the Government’s plans to increase beer duty at a rate above inflation for the next four years.

Axe the beer tax, which will have its own dedicated mini-site online, was described by the BBPA as a “logical next step” in the trade body’s efforts to ramp up the pressure on chancellor Alastair Darling.

Darling outraged the industry - currently seeing five pubs closures per day - when he announced in the Budget the introduction of a tax escalator for beer duty set at 2% above inflation.

A BBPA spokesman said: “The UK pub industry is seeing a significant rate of closures and fall in beer sales and we believe the large tax increase levied on the industry by Government is a key reason for this.”

Earlier this month, the BBPA released its A Wake up for Westminster report, which stated that Government taxes and red tape were damaging the UK’s pub sector as it grappled with one of its most severe periods of economic pressure on record.

Rob Hayward, BBPA chief executive, said at the launch: “The Government should abandon its plans for more punitive tax rises on beer, and should concentrate on enforcing existing laws rather than introduce new ones.

Axe the Beer Tax will receive its official launch this autumn.

Article Source :- http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2008/09/23/323550/trade-body-to-launch-axe-the-beer-tax-campaign.html