Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Pandemic fails to halt UK distillery boom

Published: 09 February, 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has failed to halt the UK’s distillery boom with new figures showing a record number of distilleries were registered in 2020.

WSTA and SMEs call on Chancellor for further support in budget

Published: 21 January, 2021

Many of the UK’s best known wine and spirit SMEs have written a joint letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging him to cut duty while extended the hospitality’s VAT cut to provide further relief for those struggling with the pandemic.

Prolonged VAT reduction and duty cut will aid UK recovery, says WSTA

Published: 14 January, 2021

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is calling on the Chancellor to extend the VAT reduction as well as the duty cut for alcohol as it says businesses in the on-trade have been ‘unable to feel the benefit’ of the schemes.

Trade bodies call for revamp of alcohol duty system

Published: 01 December, 2020

UK Hospitality (UKH) and the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) have called on the government to “revamp and simplify” the system of alcohol duty in order to boost businesses and deliver on the government’s public health initiatives.

Cuts and extensions vital for future of hospitality

Published: 20 November, 2020

Extending the VAT cut and the business rates holiday are top priorities for the hospitality sector if businesses are to survive beyond the winter, according to new research by CGA for UK Hospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association and the British Institute of Innkeeping.

Beale: 'The threat of VI-1 forms is still very real’

Published: 28 October, 2020

The WSTA has warned that the threat of VI-1 forms is still "very real", saying that the policy, not just the timing, still needs to change.

WSTA Summit: ‘Once in a lifetime’ opportunity for excise duty review

Published: 15 September, 2020

Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has highlighted the potential of an upcoming government review into excise duty, which could have a major impact on the robustness of the industry to face challenging times.

Suppliers seek clarity over support

Published: 07 May, 2020

Key suppliers to the shuttered on-trade have called on the government to help them survive Covid-19, pointing both to clarification on reopening measures and greater financial support.

Living with lockdown – Enotria & Coe

Published: 24 April, 2020

Troy Christensen, CEO at Enotria & Coe, talks frankly with Andrew Catchpole about the impact of the current crisis on on-trade suppliers and the daunting challenges ahead for the hospitality sector.

CEEV puts together “wine package” to mitigate Covid-19 effects on EU industry

Published: 20 April, 2020

The Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV) has put together a Covid-19 ‘wine package’ in order to mitigate the devastating effects of the pandemic – present and future – on the wine sector.

WSTA survey reveals ‘overwhelming’ support for tax break

Published: 01 April, 2020

Almost 95% of companies taking part in a new members survey by the WSTA have agreed with the industry body’s call on the government to suspend excise duty for six months.

WSTA ‘assumes' duty payments due today (25 March)

Published: 25 March, 2020

The WSTA, which has relentlessly called on the Chancellor to suspend duty payments, last night said it assumed the payments would be due today (25 March) with no formal response from the Treasury to suggest otherwise.

Government confirms lease forfeiture moratorium for commercial businesses

Published: 23 March, 2020

The government has confirmed that it has extended the residential moratorium on lease forfeiture and debt enforcement to commercial leases.

Drinks companies join forces to plea for duty suspension

Published: 23 March, 2020

An initial 32 drinks companies (all WSTA members) have joined forces to plea for a cash lifeline, calling collectively on the Chancellor to suspend duty.

Hospitality industry reiterates urgency of lease forfeiture moratorium

Published: 23 March, 2020

The hospitality industry has reiterated the urgency of the implementation of a six-month lease forfeiture moratorium for commercial businesses to prevent landlords taking control of premises in the event of non-payment of rents.

Industry calls for alcohol duty suspension for at least six months

Published: 18 March, 2020

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is calling on officials to urgently suspend all alcohol duty to ease the tax burden on beleaguered businesses ahead of next week’s deadline.

Budget: Coronavirus relief for SMEs and employees

Published: 11 March, 2020

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered a bold response to the coronavirus crisis in his 11 March budget, with a raft of measures to support SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and their employees.

Budget: Chancellor announces freeze on all alcohol duty

Published: 11 March, 2020

Duty on wines, spirits and beers is to be frozen, new Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in today’s budget, allaying trade fears of another rise in line with inflation.