UK: Pub giants stock beer over fears of no-deal Brexit

About �6 million of Spanish lager Estrella Damm was snapped up by Marston�s pub chain ahead of the original March deadline for our EU exit � scheduled for October, the Daily Star reported on May 25.

The Wolverhampton-based firm said it had banked about three months� worth of stock.

While most of Marston�s drinks are brewed here, the popular lager is imported from Barcelona.

Now, other pub chains say they are preparing for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.

Greene King, which runs 2,900 pubs, said it was continuing to monitor the withdrawal negotiations and had identified �key areas of risk� to its business from the feared outcome.

A spokesman said: �We�re working closely with our supply-chain partners to safeguard the continued supply of goods to our pubs and breweries, as well as the export of our beers.�

The UK�s pub and brewing industry supports almost 900,000 jobs and contributes more than �23billion to the economy.

But Brigid Simmonds, head of the British Beer & Pub Association, which represents pub chains, downplayed fears of beer shortages.

She said: �Around 82% of the beer sold in the UK is brewed here, mainly using British hops and barley. We can produce as much as 10million pints of beer per day, so drinkers needn�t worry about running out of beer.�

Earlier this year Tim Martin, the Brexit-backing boss of the Wetherspoon pub chain, banned several imported lagers including Denmark�s Tuborg and the Czech Republic�s Staropramen to show his support for British beer.

A third of EU beers are no longer on draught at its 900 pubs.