Cheers to the Great British pint!

YESTERDAY was National Beer Day – the UK’S annual day to celebrate the nation’s alcoholic drink of choice. Celebrated each June 15, it is an opportunity to recognise the benefit that brewing, pubs and pints give to Britain.

Burton, being the capital of British brewing, knows better than most just how important this industry is to our local economy and the employment it continues to offer to thousands of local people.

Burton is home to both large and small independent brewers, and last week I met with the Society of Independent Brewers – SIBA – in Parliament to discuss what more can be done to support small brewers.

In the last Budget, it was welcome news that the Chancellor announced beer sold in pubs would pay five per cent less duty from next year.

This will be a significant and positive change to the industry, but the draught measures will not apply to smaller casks of 20 litres and 30 litres.

I will be writing to the Chancellor to see what can be done to ensure this duty change is beneficial to all brewers, particularly small independent brewers, by including all containers of at least 20 litres in size in the new draught duty rate.

A welcome return that can be celebrated this year is the recent announcement from the Government that the St. Edward’s Crown symbol can once again be placed on pint glasses.

For centuries, British pint glasses were marked with a crown stamp as a mark that the glass accurately measured a pint. In 2006, the crown stamp was replaced by the CE mark, which was a new conformity marking required by EU legislation.

The crown symbol is fondly remembered by many people as an image that they associate with traditional pint measures. In recognition of that heritage, and now we have left the EU, the Government has issued guidance on how manufacturers can apply a crown symbol to beer glasses as a decorative mark on a voluntary basis.

Now that is something to raise a glass to! Cheers to the Great British pint!

In 2006 the crown stamp was replaced by the CE mark, which was a new conformity marking required by EU legislation.

■■The views and opinions of guest columnists do not necessarily represent those of either the Burton Mail or its staff