Raising a toast: Beer sales return to pre-pandemic glory as pub goers ditch wine and spirits
Beer sales have brewed a comeback with 1.1bn more pints sold last year than in 2020.
Some 4.6bn litres of beer was sold in 2021, up 13 per cent on 2020.
Lockdown drinkers opted for spirits, causing beer sales to plummet, but pints regained popularity when pubs reopened.
Wine and spirits saw a drop of sales equivalent to 5.2m bottles of wine and 1.8m of spirits, versus 2020, chartered accountants UHY Hacker Young said.
Summer sporting occasions boosted beer sales, with the European Championships driving sales, UHY Hacker Young partner, James Simmonds, added.
Simmonds said: “The pandemic saw a sudden shift in people’s drinking habits, with a move away from beer. That seems to have been temporary – we are now seeing consumers flooding back to beer.”
“It was a good summer for beer sales, with football’s European Championships providing a welcome sales boost for pubs.”
It comes as hospitality bosses have been hit with tax hikes this month, including a return to the pre-pandemic VAT rate of 20 per cent and National Insurance employer contribution increases.
Household names including JD Wetherspoon have already revealed pint price hikes, with Tim Martin’s pub chain increasing prices by 20p at London venues and 10p elsewhere.
Pub operators have reported eye watering energy bill increases as labour costs have also gone up, as inflation hits a three-decade high.