British beer sales 'slump'

UK beer sales fell 8.3% in the final quarter of 2008, according to recent figures.

An average of some 2.2 million fewer pints were sold each day during the period, compared to the final quarter of 2007, the UK Quarterly Beer Barometer showed.

The measure, published by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA, reported that pub sales had fallen the most, down 9.9%.

Supermarket and off-licence sales fell by 6.5% during the quarter.

Last week the BBPA said that that almost 2,000 pubs closed in 2008, and that pubs were closing at a rate of 39 a week in the second half of the year.

Rob Hayward, chief executive of the BBPA said that Government tax policy was "only making a difficult situation worse".

"Due to the Government's tax escalator and VAT policy, we are facing two further tax increases this year alone," he said. "By the 2012 Budget, the tax on your pint of beer will have increased by up to 40% from February 2008."

"When it comes to stimulating the UK economy, the Government should not and must not turn a blind eye to Britain's beer and pub sector."