Which? Local Article

Save your local pub

 Could getting behind the Back the Pub campaign could save your local? 

Pint of beer in male hand

 

Thirty-nine pubs close in Britain every week, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

A new campaign aims to slow this trend. Back the Pub (BtP) wants  politicians to recognise the vital role pubs play in local life. The BBPA, the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and other industry bodies are behind it.

Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the BBPA said:

"Pubs are at the heart of our community and make a significant contribution to our economy. It's time for Government to work with our industry and put into practice policies that support pubs and local communities."

With over 1900 of your favourite watering holes reviewed on Which?  Local, it's clear you value them. 

Back the Pub campaigns for:

  • reduced tax and regulation on beer and pubs
  • the promotion of the pub as an essential part of local life
  • the involvement of the pub and beer industry in developing initiatives to encourage responsible drinking

BtP demands a freeze on beer duties in the next budget, claiming this alone would save 7,500 jobs in the next 12 months. It argues that beer should be in a lower tax bracket as it has a lower alcohol content.

SIBA Chief Exec Julian Grocock said:

"Our national drink (beer) is a particularly British product using home-grown ingredients and employing thousands of people across the country. Its relatively low strength reinforces its role in making the British pub a socially valuable institution which deserves widespread support."

Fascinating Pub Facts *

  • Over 80% of pubs are small businesses
  • The average pub spends over £70,000 a year on locally sourced goods and services
  • 600,000 people rely on the UK's 54,000 pubs for employment
  • The top three most common names for British pubs are: Red Lion, Royal Oak and White Hart.

*Source: British Beer and Pub Association

Following the failed 'Axe the (beer) Tax' campaign, BtP hopes to use the looming general election to its advantage. It wants the public to pressure all prospective parliamentary candidates to sign up to the BtP manifesto. Politicians who do and don't pledge support will be listed on their website in March.

BtP welcomes the recent appointment of Wentworth MP John Healey as the UK's first 'minister for pubs'. He will lead on strategy to reduce the number of pub closures.

Visit the Back the Pub site for ways to get involved.

Have you reviewed your top drinking den?

What part does your local pub play in your community? Email us with your pub stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Article