Yorkshire drinkers best at backing local breweries as 'engine for growth' plea issued

It said: “Over half (54 per cent) of our surveyed beer drinkers this year said they drink global lager, an increase on 50 per cent in last year’s report.

"In contrast, only 38 per cent said they drank local indie beer, with 25-34-year-olds the most likely age group to drink it, coming in at 45 per cent, although they are also most likely to drink global lager at 62 per cent.

"Geographically, beer drinkers in Yorkshire aremost likely to drink local indie beer at 48 per cent in our survey, and Northern Irish drinkers were the least likely with only 26 per cent saying they drink it.”

In his introduction to the report, SIBA Chief Executive Andy Slee said independent brewers can be an “engine for growth” for the economy but are in need of more support in a “tough” market.

He said: “There is good consumer and sales demand for a wide range of independent beer amongst drinkers of all ages,especially the younger generation.

"My admiration goes out to the independent brewers who continue to innovate and diversify their product and retail offer.

"An ever-increasing number of brewers are developing direct sales to local drinkers as their route to success, so it is reassuring to see on my travels busy brewery taprooms amongst an environment of “To Let” boards outside pubs with the same formulated global beer offer. With the cost of a pint so high, drinkers are more discerning than they are often given credit for.”

He added: “Despite this demand we have 137 fewer brewers than a year ago and half of those that remain cite “survival” astheir main objective.

"This shows how tough it is to maintain sustainable profits from brewing caused by the well-documented challenges facing the pub sector, the “supply push” nature of the UK beer market and the reluctance of Britain’s banks to take even a modicum of risk on the next generation of brewing entrepreneurs.

"SIBA plays a full and unequivocal role in the industry in fighting for a fairer tax regime for pubs and brewers. The elephant in the room is the “supply push” nature of the UK beer market.

"That the independent part of the beer market, with its strong demand and sales trends, is locked out of over 60 per cent of UK pubs lets down Britain’s beer drinkers, 80 per cent of which are looking for a real choice of global and independent beer.

"The report also highlights the challenges that ambitious brewers seeking to capitalise on the demand for independent beer have in raising capital for expansion. Despite the demise of BrewDog, there still seems to besome demand from private investors to back ambition but Britain’s banks continue to play a small role with only 7 per cent of member breweries securing high street bank loans.

"The British Government doesn’t see brewing (or the broader hospitality sector) as important enough to be in their industrial strategy so sadly this gives them an excuse for this stance.”