"One implication of this for us is that the bottling is done off site, so we've got the increased transport costs. Sales are increasing but it's more on the bottle side of things. He added: "It's almost a direct swap in volumes. Where it was tough before, it's even tougher now." Mr Campbell said the brewery's sales reflected the trend towards drinking at home. The smoking ban has had an effect on trade. "We were paying ?7 per kilo for hops, but the price jumped to ?21. A combination of factors are responsible.
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Dave Campbell, head brewer at Hurns Brewing Company, which produces Tomos Watkin beers in Swansea, said: "All brewers are finding it difficult. Welsh brewers reported similar trends in their customers' habits, with a dip in draught beers, yet an upturn in sales of bottles and cans, more commonly sold in supermarkets and off-licences. The figures, say the association, confirm a long-term trend towards drinking at home. The on-trade sold 144 million fewer pints during April to June this year compared with the same quarter in 2007 – down 1.6 million pints a day. In total, 107 million fewer pints were sold in April to June this year compared with the same quarter in 2007 – a fall of 1.2 million pints a day. The association's figures detail a drop in total beer sales by 4.5% in the UK this quarter compared with the same period last year, with beer sales in pubs down 10.6%, depriving the Treasury of ?88m in tax income. A visit to the local has become the latest victim of the credit crunch, according to the Quarterly Beer Barometer from the British Beer and Pub Association.
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DRINKERS are saving pounds by cutting down on visits to the pub in favour of enjoying their favourite tipple at home.