Britain’s purchasing company Beacon has urged UK Chancellor Philip Hammond to reduce or freeze duty on beer, wine, and spirits to support pubs, hotels, and restaurants.

According to Beacon, if Hammond increases the duty on spirits and beers at the level of inflation, it could see an addition of around £0.07 to the price of a bottle of wine.

Beacon managing director Paul Connelly said: “We are currently seeing a real impact on the licensed trade as people look to consume alcohol at home rather than in our fantastic pubs, bars, restaurants, and hotels, due to the impact of low-cost alcohol in supermarkets.

“In a market where food and drink prices are already rising, hospitality businesses, especially those independent operators such as those we represent, are being adversely affected.

“If this trend continues we could see more pub and restaurant closures.”

“If this trend continues we could see more pub and restaurant closures and we call upon the chancellor to recognise this issue and consider it when looking at alcohol duty in the upcoming budget.”

Established in 2000, Beacon has been engaged in providing solutions for its customers that add value but reduce cost.

Beacon currently manages a spend portfolio of about £100m on behalf of its customers.

It supports nearly 2,000 customers across a range of sectors including hospitality, leisure, and care home markets.