No Flat Beer Here

Thursday 28 June 2018

Fizzy beer will still flow across the Channel Islands as a local producer says the CO2 shortage has not hit them.

Multiple CO2 production facilities across Europe are currently shut down and this has combined with extraordinary demand for beer and soft drinks to slake thirst as people settle down for World Cup matches and the heatwave – resulting in a spiralling level of shortages in the UK.

Cardon dioxide is used to put the gas in beer and cider. In recent days Coca-Cola and beer maker Heineken have reported disruption. Food wholesaler Booker, owned by Tesco, has also capped its customers to 10 cases of beer and five of cider or soft drinks.

In the UK, Ei Group - which has some 4,500 properties, said some of its outlets were running out of certain beers as the C02 shortage really began to bite. Some Wetherspoon pubs were also temporarily without draught John Smith's and Strongbow cider.

But Channel Islanders need not head out to panic buy, as main local producer reported it is business as usual.

Jersey-based Liberation Brewery and Victor Hugo Drinks Managing Director Tim Hubert said there was no need to worry. 

“We do hold CO2 here at the brewery for our kegs and dispensing for the pubs. We have been told by our suppliers that supplies are due to get back on track soon, but we have not had any issue. 

“If we didn’t get any deliveries of CO2 now, we would have enough until the end of July. We were due to get a delivery next week, but that has been pushed back to the following week. We also have sufficient stocks of soft drinks for our customers, as far as we are concerned there is no need to panic buy.”