I have written about politics quite a bit in this column recently, largely because warehousing became an unexpected focus on Andy Burnham’s campaign to become Prime Minister. I want to change tack a bit this time and focus on a different subject: beer.
Warm weather and sport for many people mean thoughts of a nice cold beer. As with any major football tournament, the World Cup drove a spike in sales, with the British Beer and Pub Association estimating that pubs poured an extra six million pints during England’s defeat to Argentina in the semi-final.
Pubs are not the only place consumers drink beer, of course, with NielsenIQ releasing figures showing that retailers sold the equivalent of 314 million pints of lager in the four weeks to 11 July.
Why am I talking about beer? Because I think it’s a fascinating example of a modern supply chain.
Let’s start with the product itself. The UK imports much of its food, but when it comes to barley, the basis of beer, we produce more than we use. UK maltsters buy about 2 million tonnes annually from British farmers to prepare for both the beer and whisky industries.
The story is different for hops, however, another key ingredient of beer. While the South East of England was historically the centre of hop growing, today 90% of hops used in brewing are imported.
Using these ingredients (plus yeast and water), the UK produced 3.8 billion litres of beer in 2024. It imported about 1.1 billion litres, while exports of UK beer were around 440 million litres.
Beer is an interesting product, because UK production remains strong, and online sales are a relatively small part of the total – only 13% of online alcohol sales are beer, according to IBISWorld.
I am now getting to the point that interests me most – logistics. There was a time when beer was sold close to where it was brewed and delivered to pubs by horse-drawn cart, but as we have seen, it is now the result of a large supply chain involving agriculture, manufacturing, shipping, ports, warehouses and haulage.
Brewery and pub chains have sadly dispensed with horses, and now UKWA members handle their deliveries. Carlsberg Marstons, JD Wetherspoons and others are supported by DHL, while GXO signed a 10-year extension of their contract with Greene King earlier this year.
These are just a couple of examples: if you enjoyed a pint, can or bottle during England’s victories (or the final defeat), I’d bet a UKWA member was involved in getting it to you.
Beer illustrates perfectly how even a simple product involves much more than its final sale to the consumer.
It is easy to understand the new Prime Minister’s desire to support pubs and clubs, but the food and drink they sell don’t arrive by magic. Andy Burnham enjoys the odd pint. Every time he brings one to his lips, he should be thinking about the transport planners, warehouse operatives, forklift and truck drivers who made sure it got to him.
Clare Bottle
UKWA, CEO
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