- New deal sees premium Japanese lager, Kirin Ichiban listed at YO! Sushi restaurants nationwide
- Bombardier beer announces partnerships with The Barmy Army and The Bunburys
- Bombardier beer and The Gorringe Park pub lead the charge for St George’s Day celebrations!
- Wells & Young’s builds on the future of Scottish ale with the launch of McEwan’s Red
- Kirin Ichiban and wagamama celebrate success in National Noodle Month promotion
- Bombardier blasts back onto mainstream TV in the run up to St George’s Day
- Charles Wells and Dogfish Head Launch International Craft Beer Collaboration
- Bombardier Salutes Comedy as the Official Sponsor of the National Funny Fokkers Comedy Tour for RAF Troops
- Revived, historic brew Courage Imperial Russian Stout makes long-awaited return to the UK
- Retro Scottish beer makes a popular comeback as Wells & Young’s revives Younger’s Tartan Special in can format
- Forget flowers, Kirin Ichiban sends out a Beer Bro-K, the ultimate Valentine’s gift for beer lovers!
- Wells & Young’s new Airman’s Ale to be served in military bars across the UK
- Charles Wells results show period of transition has laid the foundation for growth
- Bedfordshire MPs urged to show support for local beer and pub trade
- Charles Wells staff turn up the heat in charity firewalk
- Wells and Young's in Kestrel negotiations with Nigel McNally
- Wells & Young’s launches new Young’s advertising campaign to drive consumers back into the pub
- Phil Toms appointed Director of Brands at Wells and Young’s Brewing Co Ltd
- Wells Eagle Supporting Local Community Events
- Charles Wells Achieves Recognition for International Performance
- Wells & Young's Reveals Risby to Drive Sales of Iconic Scottish Brands
- Bedford Pubs Host the Eagle Ale Trail
- Save Your Pint - Sign The Beer Tax E-petition
- Wells and Young’s Brew Celebratory Birthday Beer for Keech Hospice Care
- Courage Directors "Make an Executive Decision"
- Estrella Damm is a hit on UK shores!
- Bombardier Advertising Hits Record Spend
- BOMBARDIER BEER LAUNCHES BANG ON! GUIDE TO FISHING
- Charles Wells Ltd placed in league for Top 250 Private Companies
- Wells and Young's hires following axquisition of McEwan's and Younger's ale brands
- WELLS AND YOUNG’S ACQUIRES McEWAN’S AND YOUNGER’S
- HISTORIC BREW BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE
- 'New cask drinkers offer lifeline' to struggling pubs
- BOMBARDIER BEER LAUNCHES BANG ON! GUIDE TO COOKING
- Charles Wells Ltd purchases 40% stake in Wells & Young’s Brewing Company Limited from Young and Co PLC
- Estrella Damm unveils elegant new bottle design
- Wells and Young's Gear Up for the Great British Beer Festival
- Bombardier Beer Launches Bang On! Guide to Golf
- Only the Best for Courage
- Estrella Damm reveals ‘pop-up’ gastronomic experience at ‘Taste of London’ festival
- Gold Rush for Wells and Young's
- Bombardier Beer Launches £4Million Marketing Communications Campaign
- Wells and Young's host European Beer Bloggers Convention
- Winner announced in Bombardier Beer Writing Competition
- Call for freeze on beer duty
- Firewalk for Charity
- Wells and Young's comment on Kirin Ichiban, Japan
- The Great English Knees Up
- £2,000 up for grabs in writing competition
- Wells and Young's Product Recall
- Push for Young's Bottle Conditioned Ales
- Wells and Young's Appoints Karmarama
- Charles Wells Ltd Results
- It's MO Joke as Wells and Young's celebrates Movember
- Jingle Ale the Way with Bombareindeer
- Eagle Beer Makes Its Mark At The Bedford Blues
- Ask The Brewer Part 1
- Estrella Damm Launches Cinema Adverts
- Wells and Young's Announcement
- Wells and Young's support for Keech
- Chatterbox Britain - Brits Spend Four and a Half Hours A Day in Conversation
- Young's Ram Rod makes a return to Cask
- Wells and Young's Accredit Supply Chain to ensure Best Cask Beer Quality
- Bedford's Beer Eagle swoops in for success
- Courage Appoints Boom
- Pubs Come Top in Poll of Englishness
- Young's Beers Triumph in Marketing Awards
- Bombardier Reveals Biggest Ad Campaign
- Red Stripe Launches Major Digital Push on Last.FM
- Wells and Young's is First Stop for Tory Campaign Trail
- Young's Launches £0.5 million campaign
- The Publican Awards 2010: Winners revealed
- Estrella Damm Joins Wells And Young's Speciality Beer Portfolio
- Biggest ever campaign to encourage responsible drinking announced
- Bombardier Poster Campaign Triumphs in National Ad Awards
- New Bombardier Can Completes Off-Trade Range
- Wells and Young's Add Weight to Licensed Charity Golf Tournament
- Wells and Youngs Celebrate Cask Ale Week
- Young's Launches New Beer for Cask Ale Week
- Banana Bread Beer Heads to Korea
News
Call for freeze on beer duty
21st March 2011
Newly released figures by leading economists Oxford Economics, have shown that the beer and pub sector sustains almost 9,000 jobs in Bedfordshire and is capable of generating many more given a supportive duty regime. The analysis also shows that the local economy is £176 million better off thanks to the industry.
Paul Wells, chief executive of Charles Wells (pictured right) which owns the Bedford-based pub company and Wells and Young’s Brewery, says these new figures show the need for the Government to scrap the controversial beer duty “escalator” in next week’s Budget.
The recent VAT increase (6p per pint), followed a 26 per cent increase in beer duty since 2008. The vast majority (85%) of pubs are small businesses which cannot absorb these tax shocks, further increasing the price differential between pubs and supermarkets. With the current high rate of inflation the sector is facing a further, huge 7.1 per cent beer tax increase via the “escalator” in March. This would result in beer duty having increased by 35 per cent in three years.
Paul Wells is supporting a joint campaign led by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), to freeze beer duty and scrap the controversial beer duty escalator ahead of this year’s Budget.
Wells said: “We have been brewing and running pubs in Bedfordshire for over 100 years but the Government is making it harder and harder for our industry. As one of Bedfordshire’s largest employers and with the beer and pub sector injecting over £176million into our local economy each year, I urge the Government to think twice about the destructive duty escalator in the forthcoming Budget.”
Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the BBPA, adds: “The broad support for our campaign reflects the strategic importance of beer and pubs in Britain. The beer and pub sector is ready, willing, and able to create jobs and help lead the country out of recession – but we need the right tax policies from the Government.”