Best Before Dates

Best Before Dates
Originally Posted on Jul 24, 2013

Best before dates appear on a wide range of food and drink. According to the NHS website, best before dates are about quality and not safety, meaning that when the date is passed it doesn’t mean that the food may harm you but that the flavour may be impaired.
 
Best before dates are a statutory requirement for beer in the UK but they do not appear on bottles of wine. They do not appear on some bottles of beer imported from outside of the UK, including the United States. Some beers will deteriorate over time whilst others will continue to improve for some time before the taste and quality deteriorates. Storage conditions, packaging and ingredients all help to determine the taste of a beer and how quickly (or not) it deteriorates. Because of this, best before dates can often be ignored when it comes to beer.
 
The beers in our clearance section are all offered at a reduced price because of the best before date stamped on them. It’s a great way to try new beers at a fraction of the cost.