Cerveceros de España, the entity that represents almost all production in Spain, hopes that the revival of the hospitality industry after the removal of restrictions in several autonomous communities will help to boost the beer sector, strongly linked to the hospitality industry and for which consumption accounts for between 25 and 40% of the net income of the bars.
The latest data from Fedishoreca, the entity that represents the main companies of distribution to hospitality, reveal that the sector is still far from pre-pandemic levels, with a cumulative decline in sales to September of 25%, when compared to the same period of 2019. The data also shows that only 90% of the fixed establishments were open that month compared to the same month before the pandemic.
Jacobo Olalla Marañón, general director of Cerveceros de España points out that the hotel and catering sector, hard hit by the pandemic, will play a fundamental role in the recovery of the economy and employment. It will also play a key role in the recovery of the beer sector. Therefore, it is essential to recover a competitive hospitality, and without restrictions but safe, and have a fiscal stability that does not slow down consumption in the hospitality industry, he adds.
The decline in beer consumption and other associated products can be explained by the way beer is enjoyed in Spain: on-trade, in company and with other foods. In this regard, last year saw a historic drop in beer sales in the on-trade channel of 37%.
The association also adds that the restrictions on the on-trade meant that in 2020, consumption in the home (56%) exceeded that of the on-trade (44%) for the first time, although until 2019, around 70% of beer was consumed outside the home and 70% of beer consumption occasions took place during lunches or dinners. However, the slight increase in home consumption did not offset the fall in overall consumption, as around 30% of beer purchases in the on-trade or other channels were lost over the year.
Finally, they stress that the restrictions on the on-trade have hit small breweries hard, as they are more dependent on the local on-trade and in many cases do not have significant access to other sales channels, such as export or even distribution in food establishments.
