Beer flows at BBC as bar tab is revealed

Peroni rules the roost in the function rooms and at the office parties of the BBC, as the corporation’s alcohol bill for 2014 is made public.

Peroni is the drinks brand favoured most by the beer-loving broadcaster (Photo: Peroni)

The Italian beer tops the list of alcohol brands consumed by BBC staff and guests last year, with 9,532 bottles cracked open at a cost of £12,216.

Beer is the leading category overall, with 11,544 bottles consumed last year at a cost of £15,338, while 1,307 bottles of red wine worth £10,060, 2,100 bottles of white at £15,161 and 238 bottles of rosé at £1,432 flowed at the corporation in 2014.

That gives a total of £45,732 spent on booze by the publicly-funded broadcaster.

The figures, published by the Daily Mirror, show the impact of the corporation’s 2012 ban on Champagne in order to cut hospitality costs.

It followed years of sky-high bar tabs racked up at the company, with a peak of £118,500 spent in 2007.

A spokesperson told the newspaper, “The BBC has clear policies to ensure spend on hospitality is proportionate and they have been progressively tightened to ensure value for money.

“Drinks may be purchased where there is an appropriate business purpose. For example production teams may provide hospitality for programme guests.”