Beer festival sells 'tax free pints'

23rd March 2009, 12:56pm

A CAMRA beer festival in Leeds sold 'tax-free' pints over the weekend, as a way of explaining why beer costs so much in pubs.

Some beers sold were discounted by the amount of tax that you would normally pay to the chancellor.

The Chancellor currently takes around 33% of the cost of a pint in tax, but this is due to rise to about 40% with the Budget in April.

Last year the Chancellor announced an alcohol duty escalator which will increase the duty on beer by 2% above inflation each year.

Speaking at the festival Carl Lockwood of the Leeds Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale said: "With the current economic climate and the continuing increase in pub closures, this year we wanted to promote pubs as the place to drink and as a way of explaining why beer costs so much in pubs. Therefore, some beers will be discounted at the festival by the amount of tax that you would normally pay to the chancellor."

Figures from the BBPA show that over 2,000 pubs have closed in the last year, resulting in around 20,000 jobs lost.

Recent figures also show that the rate of pubs closures are on the increase, with a record 39 closing every week, nearly six a day.

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