Beer sales in supermarkets and off-licences fell 11 per cent in the first quarter compared with the same period last year – the biggest first-quarter decline since 1997 – debunking the theory that pub-goers are staying at home to drink.

By comparison, 2008 first-quarter beer sales in the off-trade rose 13.2 per cent, according to the quarterly beer barometer compiled by the British Beer & Pub Association.