LONDON (AFP) - The Bank of England is cutting down on wine and has started serving beer instead since Canadian Mark Carney took over as governor last year with a promise to sweep away the cobwebs, the bank said on Friday.

An unusual bank data release showed the City institution had bought 648 bottles of beer for official functions so far this year for £758.16 (S$1,541) - up from just 24 bottles in 2013.

But the bank said it was cutting down on supplies of wine and champagne in another sign of the times after the decline of bubbly-fuelled partying in the City in the wake of the global financial crisis.

A total of 180 wine bottles including champagne have been purchased this year for an average of £9.95 each, compared to 756 bottles in 2013.

"There has been a change in that we are now serving beer at various functions, in addition to other beverages. Hence the reason for the increase in beer purchased for 2014," a central bank spokesman said.

Carney gave up another time-honoured Bank of England tradition earlier this year when he announced that cricket would be abandoned in favour of rounders as part of the bank's annual sports day.

The 49-year-old former Bank of Canada governor was the first non-Briton to be appointed head of the Bank of England since it was founded in the 17th century.