The latest beer sales statistics from the BBPA show a reduction in the rate of decline of on-trade sales, which were 4.5% lower in the second quarter of 2011 compared with the same quarter last year. This is attributed to the good weather in April and the effect of the Royal Wedding. They were 6% down over a full year. Off-trade sales were 15% down in the quarter, although that was probably due to a blip last year caused by the World Cup, and 8.3% down over a full year.
In the year to June 2011, total on-trade beer sales were 13.9 million bulk barrels, compared with 18.5 million in the year to June 2007, the last full year before the smoking ban. This represents a fall over four years of almost exactly 25%. In comparison, over the previous four-year period they only fell by 13%, and 12% in the one before that.