Distillers from across the UK are visiting Westminster today (2 September) to warn against a hike in duty at the Budget. 

Led by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on UK Spirits (APPG), which was set up in July 2025, distillers are calling for a complete freeze on duty at the Budget. They said anything else “will not be enough to save an industry that is already on its knees”. 

Carolyn Harris MP, chair of the APPG, said: “We know that distillers across the country are having a really challenging time, and if we could do one single thing to help it would be a proper duty freeze. 

“That means a real freeze, and not an increase dressed up as a freeze in line with inflation.” 

The previous Budget saw spirits duty frozen in line with inflation, which resulted in a 3.65% rise in duty. This came on top of a 10.1% increase imposed by the previous Conservative government. 

On the impact of duty, Kathy Caton MBE, founder and MD at Brighton Gin, said: “Brighton Gin isn’t just a distillery; we help to grow the local economy, create skilled jobs, drive tourism and lead in sustainability whilst building a global reputation for quality. However, successive duty increases have not only led to our artisanal spirits being priced out of local pubs and restaurants, but they’re stifling potential growth.” 

Karl and Cathy Mason, directors of Masons Gin, likewise commented: “We are being hit from all sides. From National Insurance contributions to excise duty and sustainability requirements, our ability to grow our business is being stifled.” 

Similarly, Ben and Kate Marston, co-founders and directors at Puddingstone distillery, added: “As a local producer and small business owner, we have witnessed firsthand how punitive spirits duty rates have impacted our business and the entire supply chain – from the farmers growing our botanicals to the skilled craftspeople in our distillery.  

“With the right support from the Government, we can continue to be ambassadors for British excellence both at home and internationally. It’s time for fair taxation that backs innovation, not stifles it.”    

Laurence Conisbee, director of Wharf Distillery, continued: “As one of England’s smallest whisky distilleries, the team here at Wharf has felt the effects of a fundamentally broken duty system in full force. We are proud to stock our spirits in Northamptonshire and beyond, but the government continues to let us down with eye-watering duty increases, which exist as blockers to the UK’s most exciting potential growth sectors.”