Beer

Bright and progressive future: former Black Sheep Brewery chair Andy Slee (pictured) to take over as SIBA chief executive from January 2023

SIBA appoints new CEO

By Rebecca Weller

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has announced the appointment of its new chief executive.

New products round-up: this week's feature includes new offerings from Camden Town and Beavertown breweries

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Camden and Beavertown release seasonal beers

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from Camden Town Brewery and Beavertown Brewery alongside two new hand-crafted gins and a new chai tea liqueur.

Why CMBC's Hobgoblin could help cask category

Seeking a younger market for cask

By Gary Lloyd

Cask is often associated with old men and an out-of-fashion drink but if modernising the beverage and bringing down the average age of the customer is the answer to reinvigorating the category – could Hobgoblin help the category?

News of the brews: CAMRA estimated some 70% of beer made in the UK is produced by a few global brewers (image: Getty/Jonathan Knowles)

Eagle Brewery sale ‘highlights UK beer market imbalance’

By Nikkie Thatcher

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has reacted to the recent news of Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC) selling the Bedford-based Eagle Brewery, stating it ‘highlights the dominance of global brewers in the UK and further squeezes small, independent...

Skyrocketing costs: sector leaders have called for more Government support to secure the future of British breweries (Credit: GettySusumu Yoshioka)

Breweries facing 'tsunami' of operating costs

By Rebecca Weller

Industry leaders have urged the Government to provide sector specific support to secure the future of British breweries as “skyrocketing” costs across the board cause a “perfect storm”.

No respite in sight: food and drink inflation has risen by more than 10% for eight months in a row (credit: Getty/Muhammad Farhad)

Food and drink inflation rises to record-high 18.8%

By Gary Lloyd

Inflation in food and drink prices hit a record high of 18.8% in September 2022 – the eighth consecutive month of double-digit rises – according to the latest CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index.

Executive comment: CMBC boss Paul Davies says he is grateful to his colleague and their Damm counterparts for their 'collaboration throughout the process of making the agreement a reality'

CMBC sells Eagle Brewery

By Nikkie Thatcher

Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) is planning to sell the Eagle Brewery, Bedford to Spanish brewer SA Damm (Damm) for an undisclosed sum.

Save Our Simpsons: Manger aims for £385k target to reopen tavern (Getty/ Paul Campbell)

£65k raised to save historic chophouse

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

£65,060 has been raised to save a chophouse visited by Charles Dickens - the Simpsons Tavern in central London - after the landlord locked the doors in a dispute over rent.

Pricey pints: Brits could spend millions of pounds more on beer as inflation rockets (Getty/ miodrag ignjatovic)

Brits could spend £6.9m on pints per hour

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Inflation could cost Brits an extra £4m on pints per hour, research from Real Business Rescue has revealed following reports of £7 pints.

Anspach & Hobday completes brewery expansion after fundraising

the cask project

Anspach & Hobday capacity hits 1.76m pints per year

By Gary Lloyd

London-based cask and keg brewer Anspach & Hobday has completed the expansion of its brewery following a crowdfunding drive that mean it is now capable of producing 1.76m pints per year.

Company growth: North is now at 10 sites including its taproom (pictured) on Sovereign Street in Leeds (image: John Slemensek Bokehgo)

North to open 10th site

By Nikkie Thatcher

Leeds-based business North Bar/North Brewing Co is set to open its 10th venue, which is located in Manchester.

Encouraging sign: drinks sales exceed 2021 levels for fifth successive week but inflation holds trade down in real-terms (Credit: Getty/Caia Image)

Drinks sales top 2021 levels for fifth week in a row

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales have topped last year’s levels for a fifth successive week, but inflation has continued to wipe out real-terms growth, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Footy festivities: 2022 World Cup to boost pub trade (Getty/ Anchiy)

World Cup Xmas crossover to boost trade

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The football World Cup is set to increase sales on top of Christmas trade this winter, research from Heineken UK has revealed.

New products: this week's round-up features new serves from Stella, Jameson, Salcombe Brewery, BrewDog Distilling Co, Smirnoff and renowned chef Gordon Ramsay

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Stella and Smirnoff announce new products

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from Smirnoff, Salcombe Brewery , Jameson and BrewDog Distilling Co. alongside a new on-trade launch from Stella and a new gin from a celebrity chef.

See it, say it, Salt it: Salt brewery will also serve eight cocktails on draught

Salt to open 8th taproom

By Gary Lloyd

Craft and cask beer brewer Salt will open its eighth taproom this autumn with plans for a ninth mooted too – both in the business’s heartland of Yorkshire.

Drinks on James: 'Good vibe' pints from BrewDog CEO

Free pints from BrewDog CEO

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

BrewDog co-founder James Watt is handing out free pints to the public for three days this week to spread “positivity and good vibes”.

Denver style: attendees at the Great American Craft Beer Festival enjoy a silent disco (credit: images © Brewers Association)

What’s trending in US craft beer?

By Lotte Peplow

Beer festivals around the world come in many different iterations but none push the borders of innovation and discovery quite like the Great American Craft Beer Festival (GABF).

New products: this weeks round-up features new offerings from Sipsmith, Whitley Neill, Seven Brothers, Theakston's and Starward

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Sipsmith launches fifth limited-edition serve

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new gins from Sipsmith and Whitley Neill alongside new serves from Theakston's, Seven Brothers and Starward.

Why beer styles only work with a certain dispense method

the cask project

If you love cask ale, is it OK to flirt with keg?

By Pete Brown

Since CAMRA’s foundation, some real ale devotees have insisted it’s the only style of beer worth taking seriously. But times have changed, and so has beer.

Boon for beer: SIBA says the SBR policy has helped grow the number of UK breweries

SIBA praises 20-year-old policy that led to brewing boom

By Gary Lloyd

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has launched a report to mark the 20-year anniversary of the Small Breweries’ Relief policy that has had a huge impact on UK brewing, including a boom in small breweries and increase in different beer styles being...

Major blow: Chancellor reverses freeze on alcohol duty rates (UK Parliament 2022)

U-turn on alcohol duty freeze 'huge blow'

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The planned freeze on alcohol duty increases has been scrapped by the Chancellor this morning (17 October) in what is a “huge blow” for pubs.

Cautiously optimistic: drinks sales 3% ahead of 2021 in seven days to Saturday 8 October (Credit: Getty/Caia Image)

Drinks sales show 'cautious optimism'

By Rebecca Weller

On-trade drink sales have topped 2021 levels for a third successive week despite growing costs crisis and trading pressures, the latest CGA by NielsenIQ Drinks Recovery Tracker has revealed.

Big Bog Brewing named North West champion in SIBA awards

the cask project

Liverpool-based Big Bog wins SIBA regional award

By Gary Lloyd

Liverpool microbrewery Big Bog Brewing Co has won the Overall Champion Cask Beer Award at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) North-West Independent Beer Awards 2022, which took place at the Bolton Beer Festival.

Sad state of affairs: pubs being hit from all angles with soaring costs across the board (Pictured: Green Dragon Licensee James Pickard / Credit: Elise Boucher)

Pubs and suppliers need 'better communication'

By Rebecca Weller

A Suffolk-based operator has called for sector specific support from the Government and distributors as well as "better communication" between pub customers and suppliers before small pubs and breweries "disappear".

Turbulent times: Northern Monk Founder Russell Bisset says rising CO2 costs make budgeting and planning challenging for breweries (Credit: Getty/Monty Rakusen)

Rising CO2 costs 'hugely challenging'

By Rebecca Weller

Uncertainty regarding rising CO2 costs has created “hugely challenging” and “turbulent” operating conditions for breweries, according to Leeds based craft brewery Northern Monk co-founder Russell Bisset.

Encouraging growth: latest CGA Drinks Recovery Tracker shows drinks sales were 3% ahead of 2021 in seven days to Saturday 1 October (Credit: Getty/Jamie Garbutt)

Drinks sales up 3% amid 'economic turmoil'

By Rebecca Weller

Average sales in Britain’s managed venues during the seven days to Saturday 1 October were 3% ahead compared with the same week last year, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsonIQ has revealed.

New products: this week's round up features new serves from Silent Pool, Signature Brew and Fever Tree.

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Silent Pool announces new vodka

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from Silent Pool, Liberation Group and Signature Brew with an old favourite from Fever Tree back by popular demand.

Beer Piper tips and online tool to work out beer waste

the cask project

Beer Piper launches beer-saving calculator

By Gary Lloyd

Beer line cleaning business Beer Piper has launched an online calculator to help publicans save money and offered six tips to help keep money in licensees’ pockets.

Sheffield's Kelham Island Brewery saved from shutdown

the cask project

Kelham Island Brewery saved from closure

By Gary Lloyd

Sheffield’s oldest independent brewery has been saved from closure by a six-strong group made up of beer, music and art fans.

Extreme volatility: high gas prices could result in liquid CO2 and beer shortages according to ECIU (Credit: Getty/Jonathan Knowles)

Cost of liquid CO2 rises by almost 3,000%

By Rebecca Weller

Pubs and brewers are being forced to make “extremely tough decisions” as soaring gas prices could cost the UK’s food and drink sector an extra £1.7bn in liquid CO2 expenses, research from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has revealed.

Purity bucks trend on cask and charges more

the cask project

Purity pub charges premium price for cask

By Purity Brewing Co

Contrary to some preconceptions, when properly ‘looked after’ and poured, cask ales can range from cool, light, zesty and refreshing to dark, rich and complex, with an infinite variety of styles, flavours and aromas in between.

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(credit: Getty/ViewApart) Experts give comment for the Beer Report 2024 Ed Bedington opinion on James May interview OPINION: James May is right... but not about everything The Morning Advertiser's Lock In podcast episode 78 Making the most of your ghost

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