New move to increase small brewers’ access to pubs?

The Treasury is considering how to increase access to pubs for small brewers and may announce an industry consultation. 

The government is considering making it easier for pubs to serve independent, local beers as the chancellor Rachel Reeves (above) looks for ways to boost the sector.

Many pubs, known as tied houses, only sell beer from the company that owns them, in exchange for lower rent and other benefits. However, many licensees, CAMRA and the Society of Independent Brewers Association (SIBA) have campaigned for a reform of the beer tie.

According to press reports, a Treasury source said Rachel Reeves was considering ways of “expanding access to pubs for the small brewers”, and could announce some form of consultation with the industry in her budget.

CAMRA national chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “One of the biggest concerns for CAMRA members, and pub-goers in general, is the lack of independent beer on bars across the UK. Global companies have a stranglehold on the UK pub market, which we believe denies consumers choice by reducing access to pubs and bars for independent brewers.

“This absolutely needs to be looked at by the government but also competition authorities, both in the UK and internationally.

“That being said, we are clear that the chancellor must use Wednesday’s Budget to reduce duty on draught beer served in pubs and to maintain business rate relief to keep the nation’s locals open and independent brewers viable in the immediate future.”

Commenting on Treasury reports that the chancellor will announce in Wednesday’s Budget that pubs could serve at least one beer from a small local brewery, CAMRA NI director Ruth Sloan said:

“Any review of access to market for independent local breweries by the UK government must include Northern Ireland (NI) where pub-goers are denied access to great locally-produced beer.

“This is because of a toxic combination of an outdated alcohol licensing system which stops people opening new, smaller and specialist pubs and multinational brewing giants using their power in the market to prevent local beer from NI’s independent producers being sold on taps at the bar.

“With the executive due to respond to an independent review of our outdated licensing system in the coming weeks, together with this UK government review, now is the time to modernise the way NI’s beer, breweries and pubs work so that local people can enjoy a better range of interesting and quality local products.”