The recent decision by the Welsh government to include single-use glass bottles in its Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has been criticised by the WSTA, which called the policy costly and ineffective.
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The Scottish Government has announced that it will be increasing business rates relief for hospitality and music venues from 15% to 40% for the next three years (subject to a £110,000 cap per business).
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In a new ‘proactive’ market audit, industry regulator Portman Group has found “near universal” adherence to high standards of alcohol marketing.
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The WSTA has called on the government to end the “doom loop” caused by its decision to continue to increase alcohol duty at the last Budget (as Harpers reported).
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The government has revealed a support package aimed at helping pubs and music venues in England, worth £80m.
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Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the hospitality sector employed 8,784 fewer people in December 2025 compared to November 2025.
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Last week’s reports that pubs will see great business rates support has been followed by a chorus of industry figures urging the government to extend the relief to all of hospitality.
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Leading charity Drinkaware has welcomed a consultation from the Department for Transport (DfT) which proposes reducing the safe alcohol limit at which driving becomes an offence in England and Wales, as part of a broader strategy to improve road safety in the UK.
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Trying to extract any optimism from the autumn Budget is potentially a fool’s errand. Alcohol duty will increase in line with RPI – a move many in the sector had pleaded with the government not to make. With RPI currently set at 3.66%, according to the WSTA, this will see duty go up 11p on an average bottle of Prosecco, 13p on a bottle of red wine and 38p on a bottle of gin. This, combined with the cumulative strain of the inflationary pressures of the past five years on consumer buying power, will likely continue to inhibit spend on alcohol.
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Trade body UK Hospitality Scotland has revealed new analysis, suggesting that the Scottish hospitality sector is on course for a £69m business rates hit in 2026/2027 without action from the Scottish Government in its January Budget.
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Packaging waste matters and policy that can reduce it is vital. This would be a view held by most across the drinks trade. Despite this, implementation and policy design matter too. The introduction of extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy for some in the sector has been far from satisfactory. In many ways this comes down to a case of unfortunate timing – the policy’s introduction coinciding with a raft of other cost-increasing measures, namely alcohol duty and NIC hikes. But also, legitimate concerns exist regarding the policy’s minutiae.
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In a statement from Huw Irranca-Davies MS, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, the Welsh Government has announced that it has begun the process of finding a Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) to run its Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).
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In an entirely predictable move, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed that alcohol duty will rise with the Retail Prices Index (RPI) in 2026, provoking near-universal concern across the drinks trade.
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The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is calling on the government to get rid of plans to raise alcohol duty, to avoid further price rises that will fuel inflation.
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Fresh figures from HMRC’s latest alcohol duty receipts (published 19 September) show that revenue is down -4.3%. This will frustrate many in the drinks industry who faced a February hike of wine and spirits duty.
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The United States-European Union Joint Statement announced by EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič has confirmed a 15% tariff on European goods exported across the pond.
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The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has warned that the Welsh government's “confusing proposal” to create a unique Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) “risks creating significant market distortions”.
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Projections from Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) show that the Italian wine sector could lose over €317mn over the next 12 months due to the 15% tariff on EU exports to the US.
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The government’s announcement of its new Industrial Strategy has been met with frustration from figures inside the hospitality trade. UKHospitality has noted that the sector is among the industries not included in the Strategy’s energy bill reduction plan.
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New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) can reveal that the number of payrolled employees decreased by 109,000 in May compared to the previous month. The employment drop comes after April’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs) policy changes.
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