BRITISH beer sales are heading in the right direction this year thanks to a month of summer footie and a freeze in the level of beer duty.

British beer drinkers downed a colossal 31 million extra pints from April to June this year compared to the same period in 2015.

The main boost happened in beer drunk at home or other places rather than pubs, bars and restaurants. These sales went up by 4.8 per cent while sales on licenced premised slipped by 1.9 per cent – although this was one of the lowest second quarter drops for these types of sales in recent years.

According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), British beer sales have risen by 1.2 per cent over the past year, and have been relatively stable since early 2013 following years of decline.

It adds, the marked change in trend coincides with reductions in beer duty, which began with a pioneering one penny cut in the March 2013 Budget. This was followed by two further one penny cuts and a freeze this year, putting an end to years of steep beer tax hikes.

BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: “These are yet more encouraging figures and the football has given a real boost to sales. It is quite clear we owe a huge debt of thanks to the cuts in beer duty from 2013.

“I hope the Government continues with this pioneering change in approach and we continue to see support for fairer taxes for British beer.”

Angus McMeeking, director of real ale microbrewery Black Country Ales which runs the Imperial Tavern in St Nicholas Street, Worcester, said the company had definitely seen an increase in beer sales during the second quarter of this year.

“Real ale pubs and craft beer pubs predominantly had a good quarter. This was particularly down to the European Football Championships and some decent summer days, which were helpful. The real ale pubs are in considerable growth,” he said.

Mr McMeeking agreed that the freeze on tax this year and the penny tax reduction in the previous three budgets had seen beer sales turn a corner after eight years of duty increases amounting to a 40 per cent increase.

• The Imperial Tavern was relaunched as a Black Country Ales pub in August last year and was voted the Worcester Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) pub of the year in March 2016. “In our first year we were very pleased and grateful that the CAMRA members voted for us. We are very pleased with that,” added Mr McMeeking.