Pratt, who told The Morning Advertiser downtime is crucial to keeping his work life at an optimum level, also spoke about the UK suffering the highest alcohol duty level in Europe.
The vice-president sales on-trade at Carlsberg Britvic said: “It is a challenging time for the sector. The combination of the high cost of living, interest rates, and the headwinds of extended producer responsibility (EPR) are a combined pressure on many businesses working in the on-trade.
“The cost of living is also impacting consumers who, as a result, are going out less.
“There is incredible resilience, however, and still opportunities to grow and succeed provided outlets can adapt to this environment. Consumers are going out less, but when they go out, they are spending more. Offering premium experiences is more important than ever to meet that demand.
“We’ve seen the rise of gastropubs where the dining experience plays a greater role, and also activity-based bars offering entertainment like bowling and mini-golf.
“Now, outlets need to consider how they can broaden their audience and have appeal throughout the day, whether that’s offering coffee and hot drinks for the café crowd or having better options for families with soft drinks.”
Vital role
Looking back at the Budget in late October 2024, Pratt said it was positive to see some recognition for the on-trade and “the cut to draught beer duty is a step in the right direction”.
“Hospitality is an economic engine that touches on the daily lives of communities and plays a vital role in regenerating high streets,” he added.
“But we’re seeing an increasingly challenging environment that everyone from pubs to producers are having to navigate and bold change is needed if we’re going to unlock growth and support innovation.
“Alcohol duty is much higher in the UK than elsewhere in Europe, and the increase that came in February reinforces the difficult conditions that our customers are operating within.
“We’d like to see a long-term commitment by the Government to lower duty, as well as a further increase in draught relief to support British pubs and hospitality businesses across the country.”
He is, however, “very optimistic” about the future of trade and said the desire for people to spend time together and enjoy shared experiences is timeless and universal, and that means the best opportunities for success exist in the on-trade.
“That’s not to say there aren’t challenges and there are definitely actions for the Government to take to support businesses and, in turn, deliver a healthy and growth-driving economy,” Pratt stated.
Terrific momentum
The recently formed Carlsberg Britvic is focused on delivering the first steps of integration as new business.
Pratt explained: “We’ve so many new colleagues within Carlsberg Britvic and, as a leader, it’s essential to be visible, to engage with your team and create the opportunities to bring people together and set the pace by leveraging the terrific momentum we have from launching Carlsberg Britvic.
“Collaboration is something I value, and by quickly establishing how we work together and developing that shared ambition for what we can achieve, the faster we can start delivering and bringing that same energy to our work with customers.”
On the merger, Pratt said: “Carlsberg Britvic combines two amazing businesses which, together, make for an absolute powerhouse in the UK drinks industry.
“We’re still early in the process of integrating our operations, and we expect the path to becoming fully integrated will take some time – understandable, given the scale of our organisation.
“Already we can see a fantastic amount of common ground. There is so much knowledge, experience and passion in our team, and everyone has been so keen to share and engage with each other. The enthusiasm is really energising for me as a leader, and I’m so excited for what we can achieve together.”
