Hic

The BBC tells us that its spend on drink, supplied centrally rather than claimed on expenses, is down 40% in calendar year 2015, at £27,640. Unhelpfully, this figure doesn't include drinking for the purposes of 'journalism, art or literature', which, outside looking for love, must surely be the three of the biggest drivers of toping. Here's the excuse...

BBC expenditure on alcoholic refreshments can be classified as non-production related ‘spend’ and production related ‘spend’. Where the ‘spend’ is for production related purposes (e.g. in the case of an end of series , party) the information requested falls outside of the scope of the Act because it is held for the purposes of ‘journalism, art or literature.’

If you want to be on trend with BBC staff here's their top purchases..

Lager

PERONI NASTRO AZZURRO NRB 2,664 £3,201.60

Top ten white wines, dominated by sauvignon blanc...

OYSTER BAY SAUVIGNON 42 £341.57
BRANCOTT SAUV' BLANC 51 £356.49
MUD HOUSE SAUVIGNON BLANC 54 £363.97
CUVEE DE RICHARD BLANC 74 £441.90
VILLA BERTA GAVI 90 £601.20
PINOT GRIGIO BREGANZE 96 £611.04
BOURG CHARD CHENAUDIERES 92 £647.31
MARLBOROUGH RIDGE SAUV 145 £959.86
THE NED BLACK LABEL SAUV' 136 £964.53
SILVER GHOST SAUVIGNON BLANC 206 £1,023.97

And no champagne, but still plenty of prosecco

UNDURRAGA ROSE 3 £19.98
PROSECCO LA MARCA TREVISO 4 £31.96
SOFFIO NO.3 ROSE 6 £37.96
PROSECCO ROMEO & JULIET 5 £43.25
CODORNIU BRUT NV 7 £47.45
PROSECCO RIVAMONTE 7 £47.45
DEFINITION PROSECCO BRUT 6 £58.44
PROSECCO ZONIN 9 £75.91
LINDAUER BLANC DE BLANCS 12 £127.80
UNDURRAGA BRUT 25 £171.45
PROSECCO SALATIN TREVISO 23 £198.95
PROSECCO FRIZZANTE MARCA 37 £232.32
PROSECCO SOFFIO NO.3 34 £234.74
PROSECCO LA GIOIOSA TREVISO 90 £657.51
NYETIMBER CLASSIC CUVEE 42 £1,007.16
FRENCH SPARKLING WINE 60 £1,139.13