UK beer sales have increased for the second consecutive quarter, according to the latest Beer Barometer figures from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).
It is the first time in 10 years that such continued growth in volumes has been recorded. The strong performance was helped by the Chancellor’s deduction in beer duty in the 2013 budget.
Overall beer sales rose by 0.8% for the last quarter of 2013 - the equivalent of 15.3 million extra pints on the same period in 2012.
Beer sales in public houses fell at a lower rate, dropping by 2.2%. Meanwhile, sales in the off-trade continued to rise with an increase of 3.9% in the final quarter.
This meant that off-trade sales for the year beating 2012 figures.
“These figures demonstrate that cutting beer duty helps increase beer sales, stimulates industry investment and saves jobs,” said chief executive Brigid Simmonds.
“We hope the Chancellor freezes beer duty in his next Budget to give a further boost to British beer and pubs.”
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