Drinks Retailing News mentions a recent report commissioned by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) revealing that the UK’s wine and spirits industry contributed over £76 billion to the economy in 2022, a significant increase from £49 billion in 2017. The study, conducted by economic consultancy Cebr, found the industry generated over £22 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) and supported 413,000 jobs in 2022. The UK maintained its position as the world’s second largest importer of wines and the largest exporter of spirits.
WSTA chief executive Miles Beale highlighted the industry’s importance and called for government cooperation to support investment, innovation, and growth. The WSTA outlined ’10 key asks’ for the incoming government, focusing on economic sustainability, environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
Key economic asks include making the temporary wine easement permanent, ensuring effective internal market functioning, enacting annual excise duty changes on a fixed date, and minimising post-Brexit regulatory impacts on trade. Environmental asks involve delaying the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme until fully prepared, ensuring interoperable Deposit and Return Schemes (DRS) across the UK, and reforming the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system to increase transparency. Socially, the WSTA urges the government to support responsible drinking initiatives, provide additional health and nutritional information on labels using technology, and simplify the regulations for no-and-low alcohol products.
