More than one millions pints were poured on Sunday night during England’s football World Cup clash with Mexico.
The BBPA, using figures from Oxford Partnership, states that a third of pubs who were able to take advantage of the blanket easement opened last night/morning – that is the easement that the Government granted last Friday – using a new Act of Parliament that the BBPA had worked with MPs to pass at the start of this year for such events of national significance.
Almost six million pints were sold on Sunday night, the England-Mexico match fuelling an extra 1.25 million pints being sold.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said:“Selling 1.25 million extra pints on Sunday night beats our initial expectations of pint sales figures and reflects the fact that the Government used an Act of Parliament that the BBPA worked with MPs to put in place to provide a blanket easement for pubs to allow football fans to cheer on England in their local.
“Pubs will now be restocking their beer ahead of the next England-Norway match because as every football fan knows, there is no better place than to cheer on the Three Lions than down your local.”
Elsewhere, Heineken UK data showed that managed operator Star pub sales value was up 67% year-on-year as fans gathered for England’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico
Beer and cider both performed strongly. Cider sales were up 127% year-on-year, lager rose 76%, and stout increased 44%. Within lager, Cruzcampo once again led the way, with value sales up 127% year-on-year in like-for-like accounts, followed by Birra Moretti at 91% and Heineken at 80%.
Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Heineken UK’s Star Pubs said: “This is a brilliant reminder of why pubs matter. Even with a 2am kick-off, fans still turned out to watch the match together, creating an atmosphere you simply cannot recreate at home.
“For pubs, it was a welcome and meaningful boost, not just at the bar, but across food too, and it shows the powerful role pubs continue to play in bringing communities together for big national moments.”
