Website ‘A Healthy Perspective on Beer’ detailing the benefits associated with moderate beer consumption

BBPA supported the low alcohol and alcohol-free sector in the lead-up to the pandemic and throughout, both through consumer and public engagement activities, including our own updated website ‘A Healthy Perspective on Beer’ detailing the benefits associated with moderate beer consumption.

Consumer work has included partnership work with ClubSoda who are a UK-based social enterprise group promoting mindful drinking and in particular through the availability and awareness of low alcohol and no alcohol beers in the on-trade. BBPA backs the research and guides published by ClubSoda particularly those supporting increased consumer awareness of the availability of these products through an on-trade pub guide. ClubSoda has also produced staff and venue guides to help on-trade retailers make the most of the opportunities presented through ensuring visibility, understanding and awareness of low alcohol and alcohol-free products.

In early 2020 BBPA hosted a roundtable event alongside ClubSoda to understand the challenges and opportunities associated with growing the alcohol free and low alcohol beer sector, particularly consumer access through the on-trade. The roundtable was attended by producers and hospitality site operators and invitations were also sent to the UK Government Department for Health to attend.

In addition to the roundtable event, we also worked with ClubSoda in 2020 on a national ‘Radio Day’, including both live and pre-recorded interviews, to highlight the availability of low alcohol and alcohol-free beers in the UK.

Ongoing work, which ClubSoda continues to support, includes calling upon the government to implment a change in the UK low alcohol descriptors to bring these in line with definitions for alcohol-free drinks used in other global markets, including the UK. The UK Department for Health is broadly expected to release a consultation on this issue later in 2022.