Business is booming at Horsham-based brewer WJ King but the chief executive has called for Chancellor George Osborne to “get sensible” about beer duty.

An increase of almost 40 per cent over the past three years is hurting an industry that creates a “huge amount” of British jobs, Nigel Lambe told Insider.

Lambe, named as Entrepreneur of the Year at Insider South East Dealmakers Awards 2011, purchased WJ King with business partner and head brewer Ian Burgess from Bill King in 2010.

“I’d love to think the Chancellor would get sensible about beer duty, but it is probably a forlorn hope. Beer duty has increased by about 40 per cent in the last three years, which I know is an easy target in recession time, but it really doesn’t help the industry that does create a huge amount of British jobs.

“It’s approaching half of our revenue that goes straight back to the government before we see a penny to pay our staff, pay the electricity bill or pay the farmer’s that grow our barley.”

Read the full article here –  Insider Media