Covid-19 is having a huge impact on small breweries in Hallam and across the country and I have been working hard to support these local breweries. But at this critical time, when small breweries so desperately need more support, the government is proposing the opposite – cuts to the support they receive through Small Brewers Relief (SBR).

SBR was introduced by Labour in 2002 to enable small brewers to exist in a market dominated by multinationals. SBR is the reason why such a diverse and exciting craft beer industry has flourished in the UK over the past two decades.

It’s shocking that the government is proposing these cuts which will threaten the whole industry on top of the huge challenges it is already facing in the pandemic. Right now sales have fallen by 80% and two small breweries are going out of business every week.

I have tabled an Early Day Motion, which you can read in full here, to raise the issues the industry is facing, campaign against the proposed cuts to SBR and call on the government to rethink this damaging plan.

If you run a small brewery in Hallam, please get in touch.