Budweiser brewer sets out World Cup goals

The Budweiser and Stella Artois maker – created by a mega-merger in 2008 – grew UK volumes by 1.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2010 against a 3.5 per cent decline for the wider industry.

The performance came despite a March Budget which hiked beer duties by 2 per cent above inflation – with similar rises in the pipeline until 2015.

But Budweiser – the official beer sponsor of the World Cup – saw UK volumes rise 40 per cent on the back of marketing and promotions, AB InBev UK president Stuart MacFarlane said

The sales boost was "a glimpse of what's to come" from the impact of the looming tournament in South Africa, Mr MacFarlane added.

The UK performance came despite a harsh winter which saw beer volumes decline in Germany and Belgium.

Across the wider group, ABInBev is also hoping for a World Cup lift for several of its other brands with local sponsorship deals including Brahma in Brazil, and Jupiler in Holland and Belgium.

Beer volumes across the business rose 0.8 per cent – mostly driven by China, Brazil and Canada – although revenues grew more strongly at 1.9 per cent as the group focused on premium brands and pushed through price hikes to offset cost pressures.