Punch has become the first pubco to announce it will absorb the increase in duty included during this year’s Budget.
Punch confirmed there would be no wholesale price increase on wine this year while the pricing of Ready to Drink products (RTDs) will also be held at their current wholesale pricing (excluding any further duty changes).
John Healy, Commercial Director at Punch, said: “While we were very pleased to see duty on beer and cider frozen in this year’s budget, we appreciate that the rise in duty rates for wine may be a cause for concern for many. With this in mind, we’ve taken the decision to absorb these costs ourselves, ensuring our Publicans are not affected in any way. We are committed to supporting our Publicans wherever possible and this is a further example of this.
“For those Publicans keen to use this opportunity to reassess their wine offering, we will shortly be publishing our new wine brochure incorporating our most popular lines and featuring some new and exciting additions to the range.”
