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The coronavirus pandemic, among other ravages, has caused a lot of
damage to British breweries and pubs. An estimate of over 70 million
pints of beer will have to be flushed down the drain because it will be
unfit for consumption by the time the lockdown ends.
The shutdown orders enforced on restaurants and pubs to restrict the
spread of the novel coronavirus have severe economic implications.
Huge quantities of beer have been spoiled as they go past their shelf life.
The nation started its lockdown vigil on the 21st of March and is
supposed to remain shut until the 4th of July at least. The impact of this
lockdown is causing heartbreaking damage to UK pubs.
70 Million Pints Of Beer Spoilt, £265 Million Down The Drain
The beer kept in storage in the various breweries and pubs had to be
immediately abandoned owing to the lockdown. Brewers fear that the
entirety of this quantity will be spoilt, making it unpalatable to
customers post lockdown.
Members of BBPA (British Beer and Pub Association) have laid out the
estimate that around 70 million pints of beer will be spoilt, situating the
damage at £265 million. In spite of the government’s assurance that the
losses can be claimed back in due time, BBPA continues to remain
skeptical. According to them, this would be an enormous task for
everyone in the beer industry.
All That Beer To Be Destroyed, Heartbreaking Damage
St. Austell Brewery’s Managing Director, Andrew Turner, mentioned
the recovery of 15,000 casks from his firm’s supply chain. He’s
expecting to recover 5,000 more casks. With a total of 1.5 million pints,
the beer will be flushed down the drain as they are no longer fit for
consumption. Andrew Turner adds that it’s heartbreaking for brewers to
empty such massive amounts of kegs into the drains.
Some brewers are finding other measures to save their products by
creating organic fertilizers for agriculture or using it in animal fodder.
However, the overall economic blow to the pub industry is devastating.
The coronavirus closure leaves many pub owners and brewers amidst
utter despair. BBPA Chief Executive, Emma McClarkin states that
without government support, the pub industry will not be able to recover
from this damage on their own.
The industry has no qualms in maintaining COVID-19 government-
mandated regulations. However, it demands government backup to
survive this double-pronged economic blow.
The UK Treasury has issued a statement mentioning a relief package for
all businesses affected by COVID-19. This is a measure to safeguard
people who have lost their jobs owing to the pandemic. It grants tax
reliefs for businesses affected by the global pandemic.
The BBPA hopes for more government assistance to make up for this
sector’s losses. Hopefully, things will change soon, and the world can
resume recovering from all the blows. Till then, we beer-lovers can only
mourn the 70 million pints of beer, and many thousand pints more being
wasted around the world.
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