Budget Latest: WSTA's Miles Beale says Chancellor has given drinks industry "perfect result"

Miles Beale, chief executive, of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association has described the Chancellor's decision to freeze wine duty and cut spirits by 2% as "just about the perfect result" it could have hoped from its Drop the Duty campaign.

Budget 2015: Chancellor cuts duty on cider and spirits by 2% and wine duty frozen

The Chancellor George Osborne has today cut the duty on cider and spirits by 2%, frozen duty on wine and cut beer by a penny a pint for the third year running in his last pre-election Budget.

Industry welcomes Treasury plans to review business rates

Industry bodies have welcomed the government's ambitious review of business rates, which were laid out today by The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander.

Drop the Duty!: WSTA thanks industry for support as it waits for Budget Day

Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association has commended the drinks industry for uniting behind the WSTA's Drop the Duty campaign and producing a compelling case for a 2% cut in duty.

Distillers City Debate to explore how innovative whisky is compared to other categories

Is the whisky category sufficiently innovative and how does it compare with other drinks categories will be the key issues up for debate at the Distillers City Debate 2015 organised by the Worshipful Company of Distillers.

Independents winning battle against shop crime but alcohol still a major target for thieves

Investing in crime prevention measures like CCTV has seen the number of independent retailers that have been victims of shop theft fall from 91% in 2012 to 74% in 2014, but alcohol still remains one of the major problem areas, according to new figures.

Artisan gin producers throw weight behind WSTA campaign

Artisan gin distillers have joined the Wine and Spirit Trade Association's campaign calling for a 2% cut in alcohol duty.

Pernod Ricard's Denis O'Flynn urges senior industry figures to sign up and back WSTA

More senior businesses and figures in the UK wine and spirits industry need to get behind the work of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association to try and protects its future growth, according to Denis O'Flynn, managing director of Pernod Ricard UK, and the trade body's new chairman.

Denis O'Flynn, Pernod Ricard UK, why we need to get behind the WSTA

Denis O'Flynn, managing director of Pernod Ricard UK, talks about his plans as the new chairman of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association.

WSTA's Call Time on Duty campaign wins major PR award

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association's Call Time On Duty campaign, which helped see the end of the duty escalator on wine and spirits in last year's Budget, has won a prestigious national public relations award.

Now or never call by WSTA's Miles Beale for trade to back Drop the Duty campaign

With less than three weeks to go before the Budget, Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association, has made an empassioned appeal to the industry to act now and get fully behind its campaign to persuade the Chancellor to cut alcohol duty by 2% in his March Budget.

Major trade figures urge whole industry to act now and back the Drop the Duty campaign

Senior trade figures are rallying around the Drop the Duty campaign and urging everyone in the sector to play their part and lobby their MP to call on the Chancellor to cut alcohol duty rates by 2% in the March Budget.

Hospitality and off-licence sectors throw weight behind Drop the Duty campaign

The hospitality and multiple off-licence sectors are throwing their support behind the trade's Drop The Duty campaign, as new research from CGA highlights the importance of wine and spirit sales to the UK on-trade.

Wine and spirits companies urged to tweet out their support for a Drop in Duty

Today Harpers is repeating its call to all wine and spirits producers around the globe that are frustrated by the high alcohol duty levels in the UK to put their name and voice behind the industry's Drop the Duty campaign and raise the issue with the Chancellor, George Osborne.

UK wine industry backs calls for alcohol duty cut

The UK's growing wine industry has called for the Chancellor to cut the high rate of alcohol duty rate by 2% in the upcoming Budget.

Calling on wine and spirits producers around the world to back Drop the Duty campaign

Today Harpers is calling on wine and spirits producers around the world concerned about the high alcohol duty levels in the UK to get involved in the Drop the Duty campaign and have their voice heard by the Chancellor, George Osborne.

The Benevolent offers magic, music and dancing at its March Ball

The Benevolent is encouraging the drinks trade to reward well performing staff with a night out at the industry charity's ball at London's Dorchester hotel on March 12.

Beer sales on the rise after 10 years of falling sales following back to back duty cuts

WSTA sets out its own general election manifesto to the main political parties

What the drinks industry wants from the next government is laid out today in the Wine and Spirit Trade Association's general election manifesto.

WSET honours top performing Diploma students at London ceremony

The brightest and most successful students who have taken part in the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma programme were honoured at a special ceremony this week at London's Guildhall.