A leading brewer has been criticised for extending its supplier payment terms to over three months.

Molson Coors, which brews brands such as Carling, Grolsch and Cobra, apparently wrote to suppliers informing them that invoices would not be processed for more than 90 days from receipt to make the company “more consistent with the industry standard”.

But the Forum of Private Business urged Molson to reverse the decision, which unfairly squeezed suppliers. “Maintaining a healthy cash flow is hugely important to small businesses, especially in the current economic climate, and many SMEs simply can’t afford to wait months and months to be paid for work they have carried out,” spokesman Phil McCabe said.