The trade body warned pubs and brewers needed support to protect jobs and keep pints affordable, claiming a beer duty freeze and an increase in draught relief to 30% could support 7,100 additional jobs across the sector.
It said 3,400 of those roles would be for under-25s.
Join our WhatsApp channel: The Morning Round-Up
Get the biggest pub trade stories straight to your phone. Listen to our one-minute daily news briefing and receive breaking news, exclusives and sector updates throughout the day....just remember to turn notifications on in top right corner!
The BBPA said beer duty accounts for up to 40% of the wholesale price of beer, while pubs make just 12p per pint and brewers make 3p on a 500ml bottle.
It warned beer duty, staffing costs, business rates and wider inflationary pressures had left operators with limited room to absorb further increases.
‘Win-win’
BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “At a time when young people are finding it really tough to find work, supporting the beer and pub sector would mean Government are helping us create much-needed jobs.
“Increasing the draught discount and freezing beer duty at its current rate would be an undisputed win-win, meaning more affordable pints, greater investment and more jobs.”
Our brewers are forced to pay some of the highest rates of beer duty in Europe, twelve times more than Germany and Spain. Freezing the tax at its current rate, rather than the current planned increase, will start to bring our brewers closer in line with our European counterparts.
Emma McClarkin
McClarkin added the Budget was an opportunity to back brewers, pubs and jobs through a beer duty freeze and a 30% draught discount.
Regional jobs impact
According to BBPA analysis, the South East would see the largest jobs boost from the measures, with 1,066 additional roles.
This was followed by the South West with 900, the North West with 789, London with 760 and the East of England with 675.
The trade body said February’s 3.6% increase in beer duty had added a £129m annual bill for Britain’s brewers.
It also claimed every 1% increase to duty removes £35m of potential investment from brewers.
The call follows JD Wetherspoon (JDW) founder and chairman Sir Tim Martin urging the Prime Minister and Chancellor to freeze alcohol duty at the Budget, warning a further rise would be the “last thing pubs need”.
Ahead of the Budget, the BBPA is calling for a beer duty freeze, a draught discount increase to 30%, a review of employment costs for young people, permanent business rates reform and a fairer VAT regime for pubs and hospitality.
