Pubs, bars, hotels and other businesses can pre-register to use platform at returnyourbeer.co.uk from today
The British Beer & Pub Association, the leading trade body representing Britain’s brewers and pubs has today launched a cross-industry platform to enable participating brewers to manage the safe destruction of their brands in pubs and for the millions of pounds in excise duty from unsalable beer to be reclaimed and the appropriate and agreed recompense passed back to licensees.
Licensees with spoilt beer and cider in their cellars can access the platform by visiting www.ReturnYourBeer.co.uk via mobile, tablet or computer and creating a profile. Once their profile has been created they can follow guidance and instructions on the platform to seek permission from the brand owner to destroy their beer and cider in an environmentally friendly manner in compliance with local water authorities.
Licensees can also record destruction through the platform enabling duty to be claimed back by brewers, who will then agree the means of reimbursing the customer
By using the platform, businesses such as pubs, hotels, bars and clubs will be able to destroy draught beer and cider that has become spoilt as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown and free up space for fresh deliveries, enabling them to restock and get cellars ready for re-opening.
Brewers who have signed-up to the platform to list their brands and suppliers include Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, Heineken, Molson Coors, Carlsberg, Asahi and Marstons, C&C (excluding Tennants), St. Austell, Adnams, Timothy Taylor, Innis & Gunn, Black Sheep and JW Lees. More brewers are expected to join the platform, making it even easier for licensees to help clear their cellars and re-stock in preparation for re-opening.
Originally created and developed as a concept by Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, the site has been handed over and further developed as a wider industry platform by a BBPA steering group composed of brewers and pub operators.
From launch, the site will be administered on behalf of the sector by the British Beer & Pub Association. Whilst the site has been developed for broad use across the sector, licensees who run a Managed or Leased & Tenanted pub are reminded of the need to check with their pub operator first before attempting to use the site to clarify whether an alternative approach is preferred.
As many as 70 million pints of British beer from UK pubs will have to be destroyed after they were forced to shut due to COVID-19. Being able to reclaim excise duty on this beer will be worth tens of millions of pounds to the on-trade.
Pubs were amongst the very first businesses to be shut down due to COVID-19 in the UK, having been ordered to shut on March 20th. They will not open until 4th July at the earliest according to the Government’s recently published roadmap. That time period will mean that much of the beer left in storage in pubs will be spoiled or out-of-date by the time they re-open.
Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said:
“We’re encouraging businesses with spoilt beer they need to destroy to visit www.ReturnYourBeer.co.uk and pre-register. The platform will provide guidance and instructions necessary to destroy beer, as well as crucially recording that destruction to enable duty to be claimed back on it. We estimate this could be worth tens of millions of pounds of credit flowing back to pubs and the wider on-trade. Crucial at this hugely challenging time.
“This cross-industry platform is free to use and should help businesses of all shapes and sizes who serve draught beer as they re-stock and re-fresh ahead of re-opening.”
