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01-06-2015, 07:08
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http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hSWqrUWepVE/VWWyrTA0OjI/AAAAAAAAXaI/wKFJVGhOz1c/s400/Barclays_Victory_Stout.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hSWqrUWepVE/VWWyrTA0OjI/AAAAAAAAXaI/wKFJVGhOz1c/s1600/Barclays_Victory_Stout.jpg)
It’s hard to imagine now, but life actually got worse in Britain after the end of WW II.
Rationing continued and there were shortages of many basic goods. Plus the country was broke, having to go cap in hand to the Americans and Canadians for loans to keep things going. It wasn’t the happiest or times.
It must have been particularly annoying to watch the strength of beer continue to fall after victory. While at the same time getting dearer through tax increases.
“Beer.—The basic Excise duty on beer before April, 1948, was £7 19s. 9d. per barrel plus 5s. 11d. per degree. The Budget raised the duty to £8 18s. 10d. per barrel up to a gravity of 1027 degrees, plus a surtax of 6s. 7.5d. per degree above that strength. Corresponding changes were made in the Customs duties on imported beer. The increase in duty was approximately equivalent to 1d. per pint on beer of average strength.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", pages 52 - 53.
Before WW I, the duty on beer was charged per standard barrel, a nominal 36 imperial gallons with an OG of 1055º. So a beer of 1100º would pay double the tax, one of 1027.5º half the tax and one of 1011º just 20% of the tax. But that was changed after the war and for beer, no matter how strong, the minimum tax was that for an OG of 1027º. For every degree above that, more tax was charged. It’s a good example of how legislation can change the type of beer brewed, because after that you never see a beer with a gravity lower than 1027º.
A penny a pint is quite a large percentage increase when an average-strength beer only cost around a shilling (12d).
There were also still restrictions on the supply of raw materials to brewers. Who were, of course, competing with food manufacturers for some items, such as sugar;
“The shortage of cereals and other brewing materials made it necessary to continue during 1947-48 the control imposed by the Ministry of Food on 1st May, 1946. Up to 31st December, 1947, the permitted rate of output of each brewer was equivalent in terms of standard barrels to 85% of production in the year ended 31st March, 1946. In order to save sugar the permitted rate of output was further reduced to 82% on 1st January, 1948. Owing to an uneven demand for beer during the summer months a redistribution of production was necessary and this was achieved by reducing from 1st January, 1949, the permitted level of production of each brewery to 78% of its standard barellage in the corresponding period of 1945-46 and arranging centrally for the balance of 4% to be allocated to brewers who could not meet their demand within 78%.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 53.
Note that it’s 85%, 82% and 78% of a brewery’s output in 1946. Which itself had been a percentage of the amount brewed in peacetime.
The government was forcing down beer production deliberately, but it had little option. There just weren’t enough raw materials to satisfy demand for beer and food.
This is one of the tables included in the article:
Home-made Beer : Quantities charged with duty, Average Gravities and Net Receipts
Year (ended 31st March)
Quantities charged with duty-
Average Gravity
Net quantities duty-paid
Net Receipts £
Bulk Barrels
Standard Barrels
Bulk Barrels
Standard Barrels
1939
24,674,992
18,364,156
1,040.93
24,187,883
17,935,568
62,370,034
1940
25,366,782
18,738,619
1,040.62
25,092,090
18,495,567
75,157,022
1941
26,203,803
18,351,113
1,038.51
25,773,766
18,121,618
133,450,205
1942
29,860,796
19,294,605
1,035.53
29,351,341
19,018,940
157,254,430
1943
29,296,672
18,293,919
1,034.34
28,971,014
18,044,678
209,584,343
1944
30,478,289
19,193,773
1,034.63
30,129,031
18,945,565
263,170,703
1945
31,332,852
19,678,449
1,034.54
31,031,814
19,475,061
278,876,870
1946
32,650,200
20,612,225
1,034.72
32,698,011
20,580,907
295,305,369
1947
29,261,398
17,343,690
1,032.59
29,226,070
17,427,961
250,350,829
1948
30,408,634
18,061,390
1,032.66
30,007,139
17,744,616
264,112,043
1949
26,990,144
16,409,937
1,033.43
27,048,281
16,319,126
294,678,035
You can see that in 1949 average gravity was just starting to creep up a little.
“As a result of all these factors the quantity of home-produced beer retained for consumption in the United Kingdom in 1948-49 amounted to 27.05 million bulk barrels compared with 30.01 million barrels in 1947-48, the average strength being about the same as in the previous year. The quantity and strength of imported beer changed very little between the two years ; imports from Continental countries continued during 1948-49 and substantial supplies continued to come from Eire.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 53.
They could just as easily have said Guinness as Eire. Because pretty much all of the imports, both from Ireland and the total amount, were Guinness Extra Stout.
Here are the remaining two tables, for imports and exports:
Imported Beer
Year (ended 31st March)
Quantities retained for Consumption
Net Receipts
Bulk Barrels
Standard Barrels
£
1939
838,269
793,516
3,210,822
1940
822,678
780,129
3,593,330
1941
789,787
726,614
5,603,976
1942
1,047,374
877,840
7,307,597
1943
837,788
670,521
8,017,919
1944
572,389
436,179
6,430,268
1945
765,602
615,361
8,854,345
1946
929,028
749,795
10,797,531
1947
860,161
650,365
9,369,294
1948
863,855
651,275
9,943,145
1949
875,548
690,090
12,639,747
Home-made Beer : Exports*
Year (ended 31st March)
Quantities
Bulk Barrels
Standard Barrels
average OG
1939
276,757
266,634
1052.99
1940
303,488
290,093
1052.57
1941
244,436
215,045
1048.39
1942
205,009
172,860
1046.38
1943
71,220
59,608
1046.03
1944
109,564
87,947
1044.15
1945
77,862
62,769
1044.34
1946
158,500
124,190
1043.09
1947
168,121
133,800
1043.77
1948
126,580
103,365
1044.91
1949
222,047
195,580
1048.44
* Excludes beer deposited or consigned under military control for H.M. Forces overseas.
Unsurprisingly, exports fell to almost nothing during the war. It’s a bigger shock that there were any at all. Especially as beer for the military is excluded from the figures.
The average OG column I’ve added. It was easy to calculate, given that both bulk and standard barrels are listed. You’ll note that export beer was quite a bit stronger than that sold domestically.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-hard-years-of-1940s.html)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hSWqrUWepVE/VWWyrTA0OjI/AAAAAAAAXaI/wKFJVGhOz1c/s400/Barclays_Victory_Stout.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hSWqrUWepVE/VWWyrTA0OjI/AAAAAAAAXaI/wKFJVGhOz1c/s1600/Barclays_Victory_Stout.jpg)
It’s hard to imagine now, but life actually got worse in Britain after the end of WW II.
Rationing continued and there were shortages of many basic goods. Plus the country was broke, having to go cap in hand to the Americans and Canadians for loans to keep things going. It wasn’t the happiest or times.
It must have been particularly annoying to watch the strength of beer continue to fall after victory. While at the same time getting dearer through tax increases.
“Beer.—The basic Excise duty on beer before April, 1948, was £7 19s. 9d. per barrel plus 5s. 11d. per degree. The Budget raised the duty to £8 18s. 10d. per barrel up to a gravity of 1027 degrees, plus a surtax of 6s. 7.5d. per degree above that strength. Corresponding changes were made in the Customs duties on imported beer. The increase in duty was approximately equivalent to 1d. per pint on beer of average strength.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", pages 52 - 53.
Before WW I, the duty on beer was charged per standard barrel, a nominal 36 imperial gallons with an OG of 1055º. So a beer of 1100º would pay double the tax, one of 1027.5º half the tax and one of 1011º just 20% of the tax. But that was changed after the war and for beer, no matter how strong, the minimum tax was that for an OG of 1027º. For every degree above that, more tax was charged. It’s a good example of how legislation can change the type of beer brewed, because after that you never see a beer with a gravity lower than 1027º.
A penny a pint is quite a large percentage increase when an average-strength beer only cost around a shilling (12d).
There were also still restrictions on the supply of raw materials to brewers. Who were, of course, competing with food manufacturers for some items, such as sugar;
“The shortage of cereals and other brewing materials made it necessary to continue during 1947-48 the control imposed by the Ministry of Food on 1st May, 1946. Up to 31st December, 1947, the permitted rate of output of each brewer was equivalent in terms of standard barrels to 85% of production in the year ended 31st March, 1946. In order to save sugar the permitted rate of output was further reduced to 82% on 1st January, 1948. Owing to an uneven demand for beer during the summer months a redistribution of production was necessary and this was achieved by reducing from 1st January, 1949, the permitted level of production of each brewery to 78% of its standard barellage in the corresponding period of 1945-46 and arranging centrally for the balance of 4% to be allocated to brewers who could not meet their demand within 78%.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 53.
Note that it’s 85%, 82% and 78% of a brewery’s output in 1946. Which itself had been a percentage of the amount brewed in peacetime.
The government was forcing down beer production deliberately, but it had little option. There just weren’t enough raw materials to satisfy demand for beer and food.
This is one of the tables included in the article:
Home-made Beer : Quantities charged with duty, Average Gravities and Net Receipts
Year (ended 31st March)
Quantities charged with duty-
Average Gravity
Net quantities duty-paid
Net Receipts £
Bulk Barrels
Standard Barrels
Bulk Barrels
Standard Barrels
1939
24,674,992
18,364,156
1,040.93
24,187,883
17,935,568
62,370,034
1940
25,366,782
18,738,619
1,040.62
25,092,090
18,495,567
75,157,022
1941
26,203,803
18,351,113
1,038.51
25,773,766
18,121,618
133,450,205
1942
29,860,796
19,294,605
1,035.53
29,351,341
19,018,940
157,254,430
1943
29,296,672
18,293,919
1,034.34
28,971,014
18,044,678
209,584,343
1944
30,478,289
19,193,773
1,034.63
30,129,031
18,945,565
263,170,703
1945
31,332,852
19,678,449
1,034.54
31,031,814
19,475,061
278,876,870
1946
32,650,200
20,612,225
1,034.72
32,698,011
20,580,907
295,305,369
1947
29,261,398
17,343,690
1,032.59
29,226,070
17,427,961
250,350,829
1948
30,408,634
18,061,390
1,032.66
30,007,139
17,744,616
264,112,043
1949
26,990,144
16,409,937
1,033.43
27,048,281
16,319,126
294,678,035
You can see that in 1949 average gravity was just starting to creep up a little.
“As a result of all these factors the quantity of home-produced beer retained for consumption in the United Kingdom in 1948-49 amounted to 27.05 million bulk barrels compared with 30.01 million barrels in 1947-48, the average strength being about the same as in the previous year. The quantity and strength of imported beer changed very little between the two years ; imports from Continental countries continued during 1948-49 and substantial supplies continued to come from Eire.”
"Brewing Trade Review, 1950", page 53.
They could just as easily have said Guinness as Eire. Because pretty much all of the imports, both from Ireland and the total amount, were Guinness Extra Stout.
Here are the remaining two tables, for imports and exports:
Imported Beer
Year (ended 31st March)
Quantities retained for Consumption
Net Receipts
Bulk Barrels
Standard Barrels
£
1939
838,269
793,516
3,210,822
1940
822,678
780,129
3,593,330
1941
789,787
726,614
5,603,976
1942
1,047,374
877,840
7,307,597
1943
837,788
670,521
8,017,919
1944
572,389
436,179
6,430,268
1945
765,602
615,361
8,854,345
1946
929,028
749,795
10,797,531
1947
860,161
650,365
9,369,294
1948
863,855
651,275
9,943,145
1949
875,548
690,090
12,639,747
Home-made Beer : Exports*
Year (ended 31st March)
Quantities
Bulk Barrels
Standard Barrels
average OG
1939
276,757
266,634
1052.99
1940
303,488
290,093
1052.57
1941
244,436
215,045
1048.39
1942
205,009
172,860
1046.38
1943
71,220
59,608
1046.03
1944
109,564
87,947
1044.15
1945
77,862
62,769
1044.34
1946
158,500
124,190
1043.09
1947
168,121
133,800
1043.77
1948
126,580
103,365
1044.91
1949
222,047
195,580
1048.44
* Excludes beer deposited or consigned under military control for H.M. Forces overseas.
Unsurprisingly, exports fell to almost nothing during the war. It’s a bigger shock that there were any at all. Especially as beer for the military is excluded from the figures.
The average OG column I’ve added. It was easy to calculate, given that both bulk and standard barrels are listed. You’ll note that export beer was quite a bit stronger than that sold domestically.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-hard-years-of-1940s.html)