Beer trade helps leave econony ale and hearty

The figures were revealed in a study commissioned by the British Beer and Pub Association.

The borough has 53 pubs and one brewery – Lytham Brewery, now based in St Annes.

Fylde MP Mark Menzies, a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, attended an event in the House of Commons where the new figures showing the impact were unveiled by the BBPA.

The study was carried out by leading independent analysts, Oxford Economics.

It revealed 1,460 jobs rely on the pub industry in Fylde - some 1,145 directly in the hostelries.

Of those, 478 are taken by 16 to 24-year-olds.

And there’s big money involved.

Some £29.8m is contributed towards GDP by the pubs and brewery, £14.7m is paid out in wages, and there’s a £6.7m contribution to taxes every year.

Fylde MP Mark Menzies said: “The meeting really showed the economic impact our pubs have in Fylde and the country as a whole.

“The Government has supported the beer and pub industry by cutting duty on beer in the last three budgets.

“Not only do our pubs make a massive contribution to the economy, they also help social mobility, providing places for people to meet and chat – such as the Lytham St Annes Friendship Club at the Lord Derby in St Annes.

“And Fylde got its first community asset under the Localism Act thanks to dedicated campaigners who saved the Victoria Pub in St Annes from closure.”

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the BBPA, said: “The economic impact brewing and pubs has on the UK economy is clear for all to see, but on a local level the large number of people earning a living from the trade has a huge impact.

“This new data drives home how important our sector is for a vibrant and thriving local economy, alongside the huge importance of pubs to our local communities.”