THE great British pint – beer not milk – is enjoying a continuing revival following a decade of decline, according to figures released this week.

And this is good news for local brewers and pubs, says Bill Ottoway, the spokesman for the Worcester branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) revealed a 1.5 per cent increase in beer sales in the past year following nine consecutive years of decline, which saw beer sales slide by a devastating 24 per cent – the equivalent of 6.7 million fewer pints sold a day.

One of the major factors in the decline was a 42 per cent hike in beer duty from 2008 to 2013 under the beer tax escalator policy which sent the typical duty on a pub pint from 38p to 56p.

During that period 7,000 pubs in the UK closed and 58,000 jobs in the pub industry were lost.

BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds says the figures highlighted the need for continuity from The Treasury in its tax policy for beer, which has seen a historic hat-trick of beer duty cuts that have hugely helped to stabilise the sector and safeguard the future of many of Britain’s pubs.

"The market is still fragile as the industry continues to recover from the damaging beer duty escalator and UK beer duty rates remain among the highest in the EU.

“That is why we need the right tax policies so we can continue to boost jobs and create investment in an industry that employs 900,000 people and is worth £22 billion to our economy.”

Bill Ottoway says: “Definitely Camra’s own findings show there has been an increase in real ale sales. One of the reasons is that there are more real ales available. You often find two or three hand pumps in a pub these days. Because there is more choice, there are more people drinking real ale.”

He adds that, apart from the larger better known local breweries like the Wye Valley Brewery, the Teme Valley Brewery and Hobsons, there are a growing number of micro breweries with owners brewing beer as a hobby.

In some cases their businesses have grown and the owners have been able to turn to full-time brewing.

“The bigger breweries have got people interested in real ale and the greater demand for real ale has benefitted the micro breweries.

“Anything that can be done to make beer cheaper in the pubs such as reducing the duty and helping to support small businesses is always going to help,” he says.

“Also if we get a few weeks of good weather people will be drinking more beer.”

• The beer and pub sector supports almost 900,000 jobs in the UK - 46 per cent are 16 to 24-year-olds

• 82 per cent of the beer sold in Britain is made in Britain

• One job in brewing generates 18 jobs in pubs, one in agriculture, one in the supply chain and one in retail.

• Pubs rely on beer sales - seven in every 10 pub drinks sold is beer.?

• The first two, one penny beer duty cuts secured 16,000 jobs.

• Beer prices increases in pubs are at their lowest since the 1980s.