Slash VAT for on-trade beer sales to 5% to boost growth: brewer

The government should cap VAT for beers sales in licensed premises at 5% in order to boost trade and “create thousands of jobs”.

That’s the call from Oliver Robinson, joint md at Frederic Robinson brewery in Stockport, Cheshire.

In this exclusive video interview for FoodManufacture.co.uk, Robinson reflects on the measures needed to boost the pub trade and beer sales.

He discusses the outcome of a recent meeting he attended at the Treasury with economic secretary Sajid Javid, where the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) discussed the key issues affecting the industry.

Beer duty

Topping the agenda was the government’s beer duty escalator which increases the price of a pint by 2% above the rate of inflation each year.

Watch the video to see how Robinson argues that scrapping, or reducing this, along with a reduction in VAT to 5% would help stimulate the growth that brewers crave for their industry and ministers want for the wider economy.

See March’s edition of our sister title Food Manufacture magazine for our Me and My Factory feature at Robinsons.