Drinks Sector News

Deposit return schemes (DRS) should be consistent across all four nations of the UK to make it easy for businesses and the public, according to an influential committee of MPs. In its response to the government’s consultation on a DRS for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the environmental audit committee (EAC) called for Defra to…

Argentinian wines and hard seltzers are among the lockdown drinking trends that look set to take root in hospitality following the reopening of the sector. Retail sales data for 2020 shows sales of wines from Argentina, such as Malbec, soared 41% compared to the year before and are up more than seven-fold compared with 2016.…

Pubs and bars will be able to become ‘certified net-zero’ following the launch of two new initiatives this week. The net-zero pubs and bars initiatives will help businesses tackle net-zero, from defining what it means for the on-trade to providing guidance on emissions reductions. There will also be a standard against which outlets can achieve…

A row over calorie labelling on alcoholic drinks has heated up after reports claimed the government is planning to force large businesses to publish calorie information at the point of sale. Citing leaked Department of Health plans, The Sun claimed pub menus or even pump labels would have to carry the information where businesses employ…

The 2020 Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards were presented on Thursday in front of a live virtual audience to rapturous applause. The Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards is the barometer for sustainability and responsible business practice for the drinks industry and represents the annual celebration of businesses and individuals making a difference to sustainability in the on-trade drinks sector and…

Some 87m pints of beer have been thrown away since the pandemic started, the British Beer and Pub Association estimates. As Footrpint reported last month, many businesses have found enterprising ways to put this waste beer to good use: providing energy, animal feed or even a rich gravy for a takeaway pie. Heineken this week…

People drank less in the early months of the covid-19 pandemic, when restrictions included the closure of pubs, bars and clubs, compared to the same months in previous years. Research published this week showed a 6% reduction in total alcohol sales in Scotland, England and Wales in the period from March 15th to July 11th.…

Companies with science-based targets have reduced their combined scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25% since 2015, according to new research. To put that in context:there has been an increase of 3.4% in global emissions from energy and industrial processes over the same period. Commitments from companies in the food and beverage sector continue to…

With the rollout of covid-19 vaccines taking on a fresh sense of urgency, hospitality businesses have offered to turn their unused premises into vaccination centres to support the government’s vaccination programme. Brewdog is in talks with the UK and Scottish governments over using its bars for deployment of the vaccine, while the #SaveNightclubs campaign, a…

When is a drink really alcohol-free? It’s a debate that has bubbled up now and again but with no- and low-alcohol (No-Lo) drinks in fashion this time it could get serious. “The misinformation and confusion created by inaccurate and misleading labelling of some no- and low-alcohol drinks threatens to undermine consumer confidence in the No-Lo…