The average UK pub stands to sell 1,240 extra pints this World Cup
Key Points
- How many extra pints will UK pubs sell during the World Cup? The average pub is expected to sell an extra 1,240 pints - around 14 additional kegs
- How much beer duty do England fans pay per pint? 54p, the highest among England's Group L opponents and more than four times Croatia's 12.6p.
- How much could the World Cup be worth to UK pubs? An estimated £275m in additional sales, according to the BBPA.
The average British pub is set to pour an extra 1,240 pints over the course of the World Cup, according to new analysis from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
The trade body estimates that around 55 million additional pints could be sold nationwide if England reach the final – equivalent to roughly 14 extra kegs per venue across the tournament.
The BBPA puts the potential sales boost to the sector at £275 million, helped by the Home Office’s decision to extend licensing hours for the duration of the competition.
The same analysis found that England fans face one of the steepest beer taxes of any nation at the tournament.
Drinkers in England pay 54p in beer duty per pint, the highest among England’s Group L opponents. Ghana levies 44p per pint, while Panama and Croatia charge 13.8p and 12.6p respectively – meaning the duty on an English pint is more than four times that paid by Croatia fans.
The findings form the basis of a renewed BBPA call for the government to cut beer duty, which the association argues is necessary to keep pubs viable as venues for live sport.
Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the BBPA, said the tournament would be “an important boost for Britain’s pubs and brewers.”
She added that the government could go further in supporting the trade by “cutting beer duty to the European average so we can keep a pint affordable for all.”
The BBPA notes that despite the projected World Cup uplift, pubs continue to contend with high employment costs, energy bills and some of the highest beer duty rates in Europe.
The organisation says it is pressing the government for a long-term plan to lower costs across the sector, including reductions to beer duty and VAT and a lighter regulatory burden.
