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24-01-2016, 07:13
Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2016/01/uk-beer-imports-1950-1952.html)
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I chanced upon a table in the Brewer’s Guardian which sheds some light on the British beer market in the 1950’s.
I say an interesting table. Actually, there were two of them.
UK beer imports 1950 - 1952
Month ended December
Twelve Months ended December
1950
1951
1952
1950
1951
1952
Bulk- Barrels
92,432
110,068
114,488
1,053,293
1,056,240
1,064,788
Value
£439,952
£533,341
£657,494
£4,941,434
£5,168,840
£6,138,665
Source:
Brewer's Guardian 1953, 1953, February page 80.
Looking at the bare figures, it seems that the UK was importing a considerable amount of beer – around four times as much as it exported. But the figures aren’t what they at first appear. That becomes obvious when you see the imports broken down by country of origin.
UK beer imports in November 1952
Country whence consigned
Quantity Bulk Barrels
Value £
Australia
6
Canada
3
Irish Republic
80,473
454,488
Germany (Western)
125
1,818
Sweden
5
85
Denmark
1,873
22,398
Netherlands
666
6,478
Belgium
107
1,931
Czechoslovakia
51
383
Total
83,300
487,590
Source:
Brewer's Guardian 1953, 1953, February page 83.
The overwhelming majority of the imports came from the Irish Republic, presumably almost all in the form of Guinness Extra Stout. Multiplying the November figure by 12, gives a rough idea of the figures on an annual basis. You’ll see that the total is pretty close to the real figure for 1952:
UK beer imports in 1952
Country
bulk barrels
%
Irish Republic
965,676
96.61%
Germany (Western)
1,500
0.15%
Sweden
60
0.01%
Denmark
22,476
2.25%
Netherlands
7,992
0.80%
Belgium
1,284
0.13%
Czechoslovakia
612
0.06%
Total
999,600
Source:
Brewer's Guardian 1953, 1953, February page 83.
The only countries that were exporting any sort of volume to the UK, other than Ireland, were Denmark and the Netherlands. This time in the form of Carlsberg, Tuborg and Heineken Pils. The total of European imports I get to be just under 34,000 annually. Presumably pretty much 100% Lager.
That gives you some idea of the small size of the UK Lager market at the time. Only a handful of British breweries produced Lager at this date: Wrexham, Tennent, Red Tower, Barclay Perkins and the Alloa Brewery. Total sales couldn’t have been more than a couple of hundred thousand barrels a year. At a time when consumption totalled almost 26 million barrels:
UK beer production 1950 - 1952 (bulk barrels)
UK
1950
1951
1952
Production
26,513,997
24,891,746
25,156,489
Consumption
27,311,390
25,597,793
25,850,381
Exports
221,210
275,433
267,390
Imports
1,018,603
981,480
961,282
Production Irish Republic
2,304,668
2,279,655
2,339,224
Sources:
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p. 50
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p. 57
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p.107-110
You can see that getting on for 40% if the Irish Republic’s output of beer was exported to the UK. Impressive. Especially as Guinness had a brewery in London churning out almost 1 million barrels a year.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2016/01/uk-beer-imports-1950-1952.html)
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I chanced upon a table in the Brewer’s Guardian which sheds some light on the British beer market in the 1950’s.
I say an interesting table. Actually, there were two of them.
UK beer imports 1950 - 1952
Month ended December
Twelve Months ended December
1950
1951
1952
1950
1951
1952
Bulk- Barrels
92,432
110,068
114,488
1,053,293
1,056,240
1,064,788
Value
£439,952
£533,341
£657,494
£4,941,434
£5,168,840
£6,138,665
Source:
Brewer's Guardian 1953, 1953, February page 80.
Looking at the bare figures, it seems that the UK was importing a considerable amount of beer – around four times as much as it exported. But the figures aren’t what they at first appear. That becomes obvious when you see the imports broken down by country of origin.
UK beer imports in November 1952
Country whence consigned
Quantity Bulk Barrels
Value £
Australia
6
Canada
3
Irish Republic
80,473
454,488
Germany (Western)
125
1,818
Sweden
5
85
Denmark
1,873
22,398
Netherlands
666
6,478
Belgium
107
1,931
Czechoslovakia
51
383
Total
83,300
487,590
Source:
Brewer's Guardian 1953, 1953, February page 83.
The overwhelming majority of the imports came from the Irish Republic, presumably almost all in the form of Guinness Extra Stout. Multiplying the November figure by 12, gives a rough idea of the figures on an annual basis. You’ll see that the total is pretty close to the real figure for 1952:
UK beer imports in 1952
Country
bulk barrels
%
Irish Republic
965,676
96.61%
Germany (Western)
1,500
0.15%
Sweden
60
0.01%
Denmark
22,476
2.25%
Netherlands
7,992
0.80%
Belgium
1,284
0.13%
Czechoslovakia
612
0.06%
Total
999,600
Source:
Brewer's Guardian 1953, 1953, February page 83.
The only countries that were exporting any sort of volume to the UK, other than Ireland, were Denmark and the Netherlands. This time in the form of Carlsberg, Tuborg and Heineken Pils. The total of European imports I get to be just under 34,000 annually. Presumably pretty much 100% Lager.
That gives you some idea of the small size of the UK Lager market at the time. Only a handful of British breweries produced Lager at this date: Wrexham, Tennent, Red Tower, Barclay Perkins and the Alloa Brewery. Total sales couldn’t have been more than a couple of hundred thousand barrels a year. At a time when consumption totalled almost 26 million barrels:
UK beer production 1950 - 1952 (bulk barrels)
UK
1950
1951
1952
Production
26,513,997
24,891,746
25,156,489
Consumption
27,311,390
25,597,793
25,850,381
Exports
221,210
275,433
267,390
Imports
1,018,603
981,480
961,282
Production Irish Republic
2,304,668
2,279,655
2,339,224
Sources:
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p. 50
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p. 57
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p.107-110
You can see that getting on for 40% if the Irish Republic’s output of beer was exported to the UK. Impressive. Especially as Guinness had a brewery in London churning out almost 1 million barrels a year.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2016/01/uk-beer-imports-1950-1952.html)