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Pubs, bars, and suppliers kept up the recent pattern of modest year-on-year drinks sales growth in early September, CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker shows.

Average drinks sales in managed on-trade venues in the week to Saturday, 6th September, were 1.3% ahead of the same period in 2024. This follows growth  of 0.4% in the previous week to 30th August, and of 1.9% in the seven days to 23rd August.

The latest numbers conclude a reasonable summer of trading in the on-trade. After periods of slow trading in May and June, sustained spells of sunshine had a positive effect on long alcoholic drink (LAD) categories in particular through July and August.

Sales have now been ahead year on year for five of the last six weeks — though all of the increases have been below the UK’s 3.8% rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index.

The Tracker shows daily sales beat the equivalent days in 2024 on eight days of the latest fortnight, while dropping  on six —a sign of the up and down nature of trading at the moment. Spikes in growth coincided with high temperatures, and England’s football World Cup qualifier against Andorra on 6th September helped to deliver a 3.8% boost.

As was the case throughout the Summer, LAD categories powered year-on-year increases. Beer sales rose by 2.2% and 3.4% over the weeks to 30th August and 6th September respectively. Cider had an even better fortnight, beating inflation with growth of 5.8% and 3.9%. Soft drinks were another notable winner, rising 3.9% and 3.1%.

“Five weeks of year-on-year growth out of six represents a solid late summer and early autumn for on-premise suppliers and operators — especially in LAD categories,” said Rachel Weller, CGA by NIQ’s commercial lead, UK and Ireland.

“However, with inflation still relatively high, real-terms growth is proving challenging. Alongside sharp increases in costs, it is adding to the pressure on some businesses’ bottom lines, and the trading environment is unlikely to improve anytime soon.

“Nevertheless, there are still plenty of growth opportunities for brands and venues with the right positioning in the crucial last few months of 2025.”

The beer will be in a giant marquee in the clocktower enclosure, where there will also be German-inspired food stalls.

Entertainment will include the Bavarian Strollers oompah band and hilarious drag artist Velma Celli.

“A thigh-slapping, foot-stomping, feel-good time is guaranteed,” says the brewer. “Dancing is encouraged, as is the wearing of lederhosen, dirndls, or any other fancy dress!”

Greene King has unveiled policy proposals on business rates that could unlock millions of pounds to drive growth through investment in UK communities.

In a new report, the pub owner and brewer lays bare the growing financial challenges facing pubs, from escalating National Insurance contributions to unsustainable business rates. It says these are limiting the sector’s ability to invest in communities.

Five months before the chancellor delivers her Budget, Greene King is calling for an overhaul of business rates as an urgent priority.

With a business rates bill of almost £60m across its nearly 1,500 managed pubs in England, Greene King is asking the chancellor to introduce a specific, lower business rates multiplier for all pubs, giving them a 20p discount on their current rate. This change would deliver immediate relief for the whole sector in England in the next financial year.

For Greene King, it could realise £13.7m in immediate annual savings. Across the group’s managed pub estate, this equates to £10,000 per pub, or:

1.1 million hours of work per year, providing employment opportunities in pubs;
3,250 Level 2 apprenticeship positions, supporting careers within the hospitality sector;
More than 30 pub investments in Greene King’s managed estate; and
60 Pub Partner investment projects, helping to grow small business and creating social spaces in communities.

In the longer term, Greene King is also calling for a fundamental reform to the system sothat rates are calculated based on a pub’s profits, rather than its turnover.

Currently, the rateable value of a property is based on the turnover a pub is expected to achieve, whereas profit is a much fairer measure to base it on due to the high running costs of a pub.

Together, these changes could unlock in excess of £20m a year from Greene King alone and create a fairer system that accurately reflects the social and economic contribution of pubs to communities, as both employers and hubs for people to meet and socialise.

Nationally, the 39,989 pubs in England and Wales account for just 0.4% of business turnover, but pay 2.1% of the national business rates bill. If taxed proportionately, the pubs sector would pay £130 million instead of the £637 million it currently pays.

“The government has made growth its number one priority, and the chancellor now has the opportunity to make changes that will immediately unlock millions of pounds to do just this,” said Greene King chief executive Nick McKenzie.

Financial struggles laid bare
“We will be able to go even further and faster with our investments, creating new jobs, refurbishing pubs, and breathing life back into communities up and down the country.

“While we welcome the commitment for long-term reform, this now needs to happen to ensure the system is fair and fit for the future, rather than stuck in the past.”

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “This report lays bare the financial struggles pubs and brewers are enduring, thanks to policies which stifle growth and undermine investment, jobs, and vital community spaces.

“It has never been more urgent for government to overhaul the outdated and unfair business rates system as our sector, which makes huge economic contributions and has priceless cultural value, is one of the most highly taxed industries in the UK.

“These real stories should make government and policy makers sit up and face the reality that, unless they act now, they could oversee irreversible damage to our beloved pubs and brewers.”

Accommodation and food services saw a monthly uplift of 0.3%, and a 0.5% increase over the last three months, according to new GDP figures.

These compare well to the overall figure for consumer-facing service, at just 0.1% growth. Within the headline figure, food and beverage services grew 0.8% month on month.

“Better weather makes a huge difference to consumer spending, which can be seen in the monthly GDP growth across accommodation and food services of 0.3%,” said Saxon Moseley, partner and head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK.

“This offsets the sharp fall in January 2025 and puts the sector back roughly where it was at the end of last year, with food and beverage services driving the recovery.

“Given the hit of significant cost increases in April, this growth is good to see and should help operators balance the books. While this was mainly driven by unseasonably sunny conditions in April, we all know how unpredictable the Great British weather can be, so any ‘recovery’ is not guaranteed.”

He added: “Calls from leisure and hospitality businesses for further government intervention were not specifically met in yesterday’s Spending Review, but greater investment in local and regional transport could boost future footfall which will help to support growth in the longer term.”

UKHospitality has welcomed investment in skills and training, and transport, announced in the chancellor’s Spending Review.

Rachel Reeves announced spending of more than £16bn across both sectors, the lion’s share going to transport.

“Thriving high streets and hospitality are absolutely essential to the government’s mission of renewing Britain, and there were some announcements in today’s spending review that can contribute to that ambition,” said UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls.

“Significant investment into skills development and apprenticeships should be accessible to hospitality businesses, and we’re encouraged by the potential for improvements to regional transport to benefit venues, consumers, and workers alike.

“However, it remains the case that the overwhelming challenge holding back hospitality from meeting its potential is the current tax burden imposed upon it.”

She added: “As we look towards the Budget and the rest of the Parliament, it must be a priority to bring down the cost of doing business. The business rates reform being finalised this autumn will be a critical element of that, and there needs to be the maximum level of discount applied to hospitality businesses.

“With the Industrial Strategy set to be published imminently, hospitality’s ability to deliver socially productive growth must be recognised and harnessed to deliver economic growth, jobs, and regeneration in towns and cities right across the UK.”

Beer is outperforming other drinks categories in terms of sales, says Heineken in a new report.

Lager continues to be the UK’s most popular pint, but there has been a revival of interest in stout and classic bitter ales, says the brewer.

“The report re-emphasises the importance of the category to the on-trade, with so many consumers viewing beer as critical part of the pub going experience,” said Will Rice, on-trade director at Heineken UK.

Brew Propco, backed by a loan from Hodge Real Estate Finance, has acquired 83 long-leasehold pubs across South and West Wales.

The pubs are leased to Marston’s and were formerly part of brewer Brains’ estate.

Revenue at Young’s was up 24.9% to £485.8m in the year to 31st March, the pubco has reported. Adjusted operating profit increased by £14.1m to £71.4m.

The company says it has made a fast start to the new financial year, with revenue for the first nine weeks up by 8% year on year.

Coney, Brew York’s award-winning hazy session IPA, has gone on sale nationwide in ASDA, in individual cans and four-packs.

Brewed with a vibrant trio of Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops, Coney has bold citrus notes, juicy mango, and stonefruit flavours.

It has won two SIBA awards, a gold at regional level, and a national silver.

“We’re incredibly proud to see Coney hit the shelves of ASDA stores across the UK,” said Wayne Smith, managing director of Brew York. “This is a huge milestone for us, and one that reflects the hard work our team puts into every brew.

“We’re grateful to ASDA for the opportunity to bring our craft to a wider audience and help more people discover the flavour, quality, and creativity that defines Brew York.”

Big Smoke Brew Co and TUI Airways have collaborated on an exclusive new beer available for travellers on board all flights from the UK and Ireland.

Brewed and canned at Big Smoke Brew Co’s headquarters in Esher, Surrey, Sunbound is a fruity 4.3% ABV pale ale. Bursting with tropical fruit aromas, it offers hints of mango and citrus, and a lasting, gentle bitterness.

“We really enjoyed developing Sunbound alongside the TUI team,” said Big Smoke Brew Co founder Rich Craig.

“The brief was to brew a beer that captures the essence of a summer holiday. Sunbound is the result, and we love how it’s turned out. A fruity, session pale ale that tastes as good as it looks. I’m looking forward to trying one at 30,000 ft soon.”

I spent an enjoyable afternoon at the Chelmsford Social Club, attending the second annual Chelmsford Craft Beer Festival. Organised by Hopsters—well-known for their craft beer establishments in Leigh-on-Sea, Ipswich, Woodbridge, Felixstowe, and Chelmsford—this event promised a delicious experience for craft beer lovers.

Choosing the Saturday afternoon session, i entered the venue after paying a great value £5 entry fee. Inside, i was welcomed by a lively crowd of around 200 attendees, filling the intimate yet comfortable space with an unmistakable buzz of excitement.

The festival operated on a simple token system, with tokens available for purchase at the door in £10 increments. This hassle-free approach made it easy to sample a variety of offerings from the participating craft breweries during the five-hour session.

Though small, the brewery lineup was exceptional. Featuring Duration Brewing, The Kernel, Burnt Mill, Radio City Beer Works, Phantom Brewing, Three Hills, Time & Tide, Braybrook Beer, and Northdown Brewery, each showcased at least four unique brews. It was clear that breweries brought their latest and freshest creations, with few standard core beers in sight.

Expertly managed by Ed, the driving force behind Hopsters Events, the festival offered an outstanding tasting experience. A DJ kept the atmosphere lively with great music, while a kitchen kiosk served up simple yet satisfying food, ensuring a well-rounded event for all the senses.

The standout beer of the day for me was Plenty of Clouds by Phantom Brewing—a fantastic 8% DIPA—closely followed by Burnt Mill’s magnificent BA imperial stout, The Weight of Brunch. Hard plastic glasses were provided, proving to be a much better option than the flimsy ones often found at events where glasses are prohibited.

In conclusion, the Chelmsford Craft Beer Festival was a resounding success, providing a fantastic platform for local brewers to showcase their craft while fostering a strong sense of community among beer enthusiasts. I eagerly look forward to future editions and applaud the organisers for a job well done.

Hepworth Brewery, based in Sussex, is using a Greensteam heat pump, developed by Surbiton start-up Futraheat, to deliver low-carbon heat to fuel the brewing process.

Unlike most heat pumps, which deliver hot water up to around 80°C, the Futraheat heat pump can produce steam up to 130°C – vital for the brewing industry and believed to be a first for the UK. 

The prototype heat pump is the latest step in a long-term sustainability drive by the independent brewer.

Hepworth Brewery expects the new heat pump will reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with wort boiling by up to 90 percent, whilst lowering fuel costs by up to 40 percent, with potential to roll out the groundbreaking technology across the whole brewing process.

Heat, delivered through high temperature steam pipes, is a vital component of brewing, and many other industrial processes, and is usually delivered by boilers running on gas or fuel oil. 

With the new system, Hepworth Brewery can now recycle waste vapour from the brewing process, normally vented to atmosphere, and boost it via Futraheat’s heat pump to deliver useful steam back to the brewery at 130°C.

This will reduce the brewer’s reliance on a CO₂-emitting oil boiler and enables it to switch almost all of its heat requirement for wort boiling to the electrically powered heat pump, which runs on a green electricity tariff.

In future, the pilot project could be scaled up site-wide to offset almost all of the fossil fuel generated heat used at the brewery.

The key to the heat pump is a novel, patented turbo compressor, known as TurboClaw, which sits at the heart of the Greensteam system and can boost temperatures by up to 60 degrees.

The ground-breaking heat pump is one of a number of initiatives being adopted by the brewer as part of its commitment to sustainability.  Other measures include solar panels, a reed bed and a new waste system which will convert organic matter in wastewater into biomethane. 

Hepworth Brewery Chairman Andy Hepworth said: “This pilot project is demonstrating how Hepworth Brewery can adopt innovative technology to switch off our oil boiler and use a reliable new way to recycle our waste heat with minimal emissions. 

“The high temperature heat pump from Futraheat will help us cut costs and CO₂ and is straightforward to integrate within our existing processes. If this technology were adopted across the whole brewing process, it would reduce our emissions significantly.

“Sustainability has driven the way we do business from day one. We have always looked to source our barley and hops locally wherever possible, to minimise our food miles, and since moving to our current brewery in 2016 we have put in place a number of measures to make us a more sustainable business.

“This heat pump trial is an important next step on our sustainability journey.”

Futraheat believes their technology can be applied to many industries beyond brewing.

Around 70 percent of all UK industrial energy demand is for heat, and much of this can be delivered via high-temperature heat pumps.

Futraheat CEO Tom Taylor added: “Heat is a major component of a huge range of industrial processes, from pharmaceuticals to food and drink, and vast amounts of this is delivered by steam. 

“Until now, heat pumps have been both unaffordable and unable to deliver heat at the temperature that industry requires. This project demonstrates the technology can now be implemented within a brewery. 

“We’re confident it can then be rolled out across a range of industries, in the UK and worldwide,” Taylor says.

The current project has been delivered in partnership with Hepworth Brewery and the Department for Energy Strategy and Net Zero’s Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator (IEEA) programme, managed by the Carbon Trust.

Futraheat secured £2million investment in 2023 from backers including the Clean Growth Fund to develop and deploy their next-generation machine, which will incorporate two TurboClaw compressors to deliver heat up to 150 degrees.  

Futraheat is in discussions with a number of industrial end users who could adopt this next iteration of the heat pump technology.

The acquisition will see the pub undergo an extensive multi-million pound refurbishment to create 150 internal covers with a further 60 external covers.

Originally two adjoining cottages built in 1727, the pub first started serving guests under the watchful eye of retired police officer Henry Wale in 1868. The historic pub is well-known locally and is reputed to have one of the smallest bars in England. Heartwood’s refurbishment will preserve the listed building’s quaint features whilst infusing it with Heartwood’s signature cosy, quirky style where guests will be able to enjoy their seasonally changing, ethically sourced menus.

The acquisition of The Woodman, expected to open Summer 2025, joins Heartwood’s acquisitions of The Royal Forest, Epping Forest and The Prince of Wales, East Barnet in North East London and continues Heartwood’s ambitious plan to grow to over 60 sites with a turnover of £133 million by 2027 and joins four sites already confirmed by Heartwood to open in 2025.

Richard Ferrier, CEO of Heartwood Collection, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to acquire this charming pub which has clearly been central to and much loved by the local community for so long. We have been looking at The Woodman for a number of years and feel it will make an outstanding Heartwood Inn.”