According to the Independent Family Brewers of Britain (IFBB), abolishing the beer tie would lead to further pub closures and the loss of traditional breweries.

In a document to the Office of Fair Trading in response to the Campaign for Real Ale's super-complaint, the IFBB says it also believes that removal of the tie would increase the power of global brewers. The IFBB, whose 27 member breweries represent 4,200 pubs, told the OFT that the tie creates job by providing a low entry cost for tenants setting up in business.

The same super-complaint was branded an 'unnecessary distraction' by the British Beer and Pub Association,while the Society of Independent Brewers supported the idea of a reform of the tie arrangement, rather than total abolition.