Holy shit: England is already almost running out of beer
After a very strict lockdown and months of compulsory drinking in the garden pub, the real pubs in Great Britain have now been open for around three weeks. And what do you know? The enthusiasm of all the beer drinkers rediscovering their local pub and ordering one pint after another is proving almost impossible to keep up with in the brewing department.
In itself, that’s of course no surprise. Can you imagine the scenes of exuberance we’d see here in the Netherlands if the outdoor terraces didn’t have to close at 6:00 p.m.? But the fact that breweries (not insignificant ones, and certainly not the smallest) are already struggling to keep up with the drinking pace in the UK doesn’t bode well…
Percentage-wise, they’re drinking like mad
Figures from the Coffer CGA Business Tracker have already shown that consumption in local hospitality venues was only 24% lower than in the same week in 2019 (when there wasn’t a virus cloud in the sky), and in ‘drinking-focused’ pubs (where you don’t necessarily go for the amazing food), the figure was only 11%. However, it seems this wave of enthusiasm is moving a little too fast for at least one brewery that is honestly admitting as much—and it’s no small player:
Lovely and clear (but nearly gone)
Because our very own Dutch Heineken is a major supplier of, among other things, Birra Moretti (also available in the Netherlands!) and Amstel beer, two beers that are hugely popular on British taps. It seems a limit has been set of a maximum of three kegs of Birra Moretti per pub per week. In a statement to MailOnline, Heineken said that demand for these beers “has completely exceeded our most optimistic expectations” and that “their breweries are working around the clock to meet the explosively increased demand.” They also say they are working with their customers to offer alternative beers from their extensive range of Heineken UK brands while they try to ramp up production.
You can’t sell what you don’t have
A spokesperson for the Campaign for Pubs, Alistair Kerr, expressed his concerns: “Many pubs are now opening while the operators are deeply in debt, and a beer shortage is the last thing they need. Some of these pubs are also contractually tied to the brewer to sell precisely that beer”—so what are they supposed to do now?
Brew for your life
And this may only be the tip of the iceberg. In the UK, it is currently still only permitted to drink outside on the terrace. On May 17, hospitality venues are supposed to be allowed to welcome guests indoors again too (albeit with a limited number of visitors permitted). So we can only hope that by then pubs won’t have to deal with beer shortages, because if there’s one thing they need in these times, it’s revenue (and profit)! We also hope that pubs across the kingdom can benefit from the reopening—not only in the big cities, but especially the historic pubs throughout the country that are facing tough times. So come on, Heineken, step it up and brew for England!
Also read:
- These are the absolute no-gos when drinking beer, according to top beer sommeliers
- Eddie’s dining annoyances: reserving a terrace table
- Jopenbier expands: craft beer now available in cans too
Source: Food and Wine
