Episode Details

Beer is holding steady in the UK. So why are pubs still closing at a rate of one a day?

In episode #44, Brent and Danielle talk with Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association and Chair of the World Brewing Alliance, about what it means to be a pub, why the cost of doing business is crushing the sector, and what has to change to protect the place where communities come together.

In this episode:

• Market update: why the world isn't short of barley, but malting barley is tightening and costs are rising
• Why pubs and breweries are closing, and the energy, supply chain and tax pressures behind it
• What makes a pub a pub, and why venues are rethinking how they're classified
• The £30 billion social value of pubs, and a new UK government pledging support
• Low and no alcohol: how it's becoming a draw for the pub rather than a threat
• Drought, heat waves and the future of malting barley
• Why beer needs to tell its story, from farm to pint, and how to bring more women to the beer table
• Emma's one wish for the industry, her five-year vision, and her perfect pint (hint: an amber ale in a field)

Timestamps
00:24 Welcome and episode intro
00:47 Market update with Brent
03:23 Interview with Emma McClarkin begins
05:57 State of UK beer volumes and the on/off-trade balance
07:24 How are UK pubs really doing?
09:15 What makes a pub a pub?
11:20 Costs, supply chains and government support
13:43 Low and no alcohol as a way to bring people in
15:46 Barley, hops and the impact of drought
18:03 Beer awareness and the "beer proud" mindset
21:37 Emma's one wish and her five-year vision
25:39 The perfect pint
27:24 Key takeaways: social connection and pub survival

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