Breweries duty row threat to craft beer
THE thriving craft beer industry is under threat in a tax row started by some of Britain’s bigger brewers.
They are pressuring the Government to make nearly 1,500 micro-breweries pay more.
If they win, popular small outlets which have cropped up all over the country would have to put prices up to survive. A coalition of more than 60 established breweries – including Black Sheep, Timothy Taylor, and JW Lees – want changes to the Small Brewers Duty Scheme launched by Gordon Brown in 2002.
It gives firms producing less than around 10 million pints a year reduced tax rates, to a maximum of 50 per cent for under 880,000 pints.
But now the coalition wants the top figure raised to around 35 million – bringing many of its members into the scheme.
And it wants the 50 per cent relief cut to under 176,000 pints – which would put many independent craft brewers in trouble.
Manchester-based Beer Nouveau owner Steve Dunkley said: “Small breweries run on tight margins. Without the relief they get now, they won’t be able to compete.” Justin Grant, owner of Big Clock brewery in Accrington, Lancs, said: “This just gives more power to the bigger breweries.”
But JW Lees boss William LeesJones said: “It’s not about crushing the competition, but creating a level playing field. People are using the duty advantage, which is massive, to undercut the competition.” are a lot of natural perils and many places for a lamb to get into bother.
Sometimes you can hear a lamb bleat and not be able to see where it is owing to the thick cover of heather and undulating ground.
We have put a few of the strong, early lambs outside in their plastic biodegradable macs.
They skip and gambol as lambs do, but it would be much better if it were in the sunshine.
There are a couple of pet lambs. But we lost one of our older yows and will attempt to find foster mothers to adopt them. Until then, we will bottle feed them.
It’s not ideal but the children like to have pet lambs to look after.
Last year things were dry and mild, this year it’s wet and hungry. But we will get through it. It will be harder and more expensive but nothing is insurmountable.