Beer followers being ‘short-changed by low high quality’ booze on supply from large brewers
Campaigners from the Campaign for Real Ale are warning that the beer market is dominated by a small number of multinational breweries, leaving independent producers ‘excluded’
Campaigners have raised warnings about the direction the industry’s heading in(Image: Getty Images)
Beer lovers are being short-changed by a “low quality” market dominated by a small number of multinational brewers, campaigners say.
They are now calling for an investigation amid fears independent breweries are “being excluded” from pubs and bars due to the contractual power of larger rivals. The Campaign for Real Ale group (Camra) says “ordinary drinkers are being short changed when it comes to choice and quality” as a result.
Data from the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA) found that 137 independent UK breweries were closed last year, leaving just 1,578 open at the start of this year.
Camra chiefs, who have published a report on the issue, claim the strong reputation of British brewers is now being “trashed by big business”. It found that 80% of UK beer is now produced by foreign firms, with this predominantly from four major global brewers.
Camra chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “The Government needs to step up, start taking the issue seriously, and take action that matches up to their statements about supporting pubs and the communities they serve.
“Andy Burnham recently said that `people need to be able to look forward to a night out’. The best way he can deliver on that is by ordering a proper market investigation to sort this mess out and deliver a fair deal for publicans and drinkers, and the independent brewers that they want to support.”
Tim Webb, editor of the report, said: “The fact that a narrow clique of multinational corporations dominates the UK brewing industry is a national embarrassment. They only make beers that suit their production facilities, ignoring the types that beer lovers want to drink.
“They do not know how to reverse beer’s downward spiral, make little profit, and brew nothing worth exporting. They cannot grow the UK economy.”
Back in 1990, a whopping 96% of UK brewing was British-owned, but a raft of historic and fast-growing breweries have been gobbled up by global players in recent years.
Multinational brewers have also shut several of their British brewery sites to the fury of ale fans, particularly through consolidation efforts to combine factory operations.
Earlier this year, Molson Coors announced the closure of its Sharp’s Brewery in Cornwall, with production of Sharp’s beers, such as Doom Bar, moving to other production sites. Last year, the Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) shut the Banks’s Brewery site in Wolverhampton.
The report also found that seven of the top 10 selling “craft beers” in the UK are made by the four global brewing giants. Camra wants Government action to help generate growth among small brewers, arguing that this would support economic activity and create jobs.
A spokesperson for the Competition and Markets Authority said: “We will review the report and the concerns raised. Any decision on whether to take action will be based on the evidence and where we can have the greatest impact for consumers.”
