THERE was good news from the Chancellor's budget last week for East Lancashire micro-breweries as wine and beer prices were frozen for the second consecutive year.
And a pint of ale brewed by one of the 400 UK micro-breweries should cost up to 14p less, thanks to Gordon Brown's tax freeze.
Mick Jacques, manager of the Moonstone brewery in Burnley, said: "We all work on very small profit margins and it will help us all.
"Some of it will be passed on to the customers but it is impossible to say exactly how much until we are given the customs and excise report."
Robert Bell, manager of Blackburn's Three B's brewery, said: "We were hoping for the Chancellor to bring us good news because around a third of the wholesale cost of our beer goes straight to the Exchequer. Elsewhere in Europe there is reduced tax rate for micro-brewers. They should really abolish it all together."
Other micro-brewers in the area include the Hart Brewery in Ecclestone run by John Smith, Brysons brewery in Heysham run by Dave Porter, and the Moorhouses brewery in Burnley.
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