Call for more support to help British brewers with exports
Responding to the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee inquiry on Brand Britain: Promoting and Marketing British Food and Drink, the BBPA called for a “more innovative and joined-up approach” to promoting exports of British brewed beer.
“British beer is an export success story, but with the right support it could achieve our stated aim of increasing exports by £100 million over the next five years,” said BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds.
Multi-year budgets proposed
“There needs to be a more innovative and joined-up approach from Government which engages with the industry, builds on best practice such as inward missions, and provides flexible budgets which works for the industry in promoting British exports.”
Suggestions mooted by the BBPA include adopting multi-year budgets for exports which would give companies sufficient time to plan and budget, and a meeting of estate managers and chefs from key third country markets to do a food and drink promotional course in the UK.
The BBPA believes this would allow embassies and consulates to understand food and drink matching, as well provide opportunities for British exporters to speak to key decision makers in these markets about what is on offer, where and at what price.
'A unique British beer brand'
“British brewing is a world class industry which already exports to 120 countries round the world,” added Simmonds. “The export strategy is a key feature of our website and we are keen to work with Defra and the Department for International Trade to grow British beer exports and build a unique British beer brand.”
In December 2017, it was announced that taxes were to be reduced by $2 per US barrel for all brewers exporting to the US from the UK. The move, welcomed by the BBPA and the Society of Independent Brewers, was predicted to save UK beer exporters £7.2m.
The UK exports 3.4m barrels annually to the US, the UK’s largest export market.
