The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has urged the UK Government to move beyond short-term interventions and take a longer-term strategy for pubs.
The appeal comes after the association’s latest figures showed 161 pubs across the UK closed in the first three months of the year, equating to an average of almost two a day.
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The industry body said the closures across England, Scotland, and Wales resulted in more than 2,400 job losses.
The BBPA also highlighted the sharp rise in closures compared with last year.
Over the same quarter in 2025, 128 pubs closed, meaning this year’s total represents a 26% increase.
The association said the rate of shutdowns shows why the pub-specific business rates relief that began in April was critical for the industry.
However, it added that the support is temporary and called for a more durable framework to help safeguard pubs that it describes as central to local communities.
The association said the beer and pub sector generates more than £34bn ($46bn) for the UK economy in a single year.
It supports more than one million jobs, with workers aged 16–24 making up about half of the workforce.
On that basis, the BBPA argued that the government should sustain its focus on the industry.
According to the trade body, protecting pubs over the long term will require several structural changes.
These include permanent reform of business rates for pubs, cuts to beer duty and VAT, and a reduction in regulatory costs.
BBPA CEO Emma McClarkin said: “The scale of these closures is avoidable because pubs are doing a brisk trade, but their profits are wiped out by a disproportionate tax burden and huge costs.
“We want to work with the government to establish a permanent, long-term plan that will deliver permanently lower bills, a fairer system and ultimately protect this treasured sector.”
Regional data from the BBPA show that London and the South East recorded the highest net rate of pub closures in England, at 0.5%. The East of England followed with a net closure rate of 0.4%.
The North East saw the smallest impact, at 0.1% net closures. In Scotland, 41 pubs were lost over the period, equivalent to 1% of its total pub estate.
