According to research commissioned by French winemakers, beer in Britain is losing its popularity among traditional male drinkers, with more set to be consuming wine rather than lager by 2039. More than half of men in the UK said that they are likely to drink less beer than wine in the future.

The survey, which questioned 1,000 regular male pub goers, revealed that after one pint at the beginning of the evening, 54% of men said they moved onto wine, with 68% preferring a lighter drink rather than a second or third pint due to the bloated feeling after drinking beer.

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The Conservative Party claim guidance for tax inspectors reveals plans to impose higher business rates on pubs that back activities like quizzes and darts. The plans from the Valuation Office Agency, a division of the Inland Revenue, will be finalised in 2009 and take effect in 2010.

Guidance on calculating rates for pubs advises inspectors to record whether the pub appears “friendly and popular”. They must also log pool and darts facilities along with details of beer gardens, play areas, bowling greens, TV facilities, quiz nights and football teams.

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The Good Pub Guide 2008 claims pubs are in danger of pricing themselves out of the market because of the cost of their food.

A two-course pub lunch with a glass of wine now costs an average of £20 (as at 15.10.07). Forking out £40 just for a meal for two will be “quite a deterrent” to customers, says the guide. The guide says pubs need to rein in their rising prices to keep their loyal customers – and attract new ones.

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‘Breweries & the Beer Market’, a report by market intelligence providers Key Note, has warned that the beer market in the country will do well to remain static in growth terms in the coming years.

The report, issued today (3 October), said that growth was hard to achieve last year, with consumption volumes regularly falling since 2003. While prices paid for the average litre of beer have risen by 10.2% since 2002, beer’s dominance of the alcoholic drinks market in the UK “is constantly under threat from continually changing drinking fashions”, the report noted. In the five years to 2007, beer has lost market share to drinks such as white wine, RTDs and cider.

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