Marstons Takes the Knock. Whither Draught Bass?

Well, I suppose it was inevitable - but sooner than anyone expected - Carlsberg Britvic announced that Marstons Brewery in Burton on Trent will close.  We used to call Whitbread out for their tour of destruction of British breweries, but this closure is of a different order.  

Carlsberg has already, in various guises closed  a lot of big breweries.  Tetley Walker at Warrington - and that was a big brewery - Joshua Tetley in Leeds - ditto, Banks' in Wolverhampton and now the last large cask brewery in Burton on Trent, Marstons.

The intent of this blog isn't to wonder and postulate as to why this has happened, but to have a look at the consequences.  Suffice it to say that you get into the lion's cage with one of the big boys, expect to be eaten.  

Carlsberg says  “As part of the proposal, we are also considering the long-term future of a number of traditional ale brands currently produced at our Burton upon Trent brewery. We recognise the importance of the traditional ale brands associated with Burton upon Trent and the loyalty they inspire among consumers, publicans and communities. While no final decisions have been made, we are in active engagement with potential partners with the aim of finding suitable long-term custodians who can give these brands the specialist focus and dedicated stewardship they deserve. This proposal does not mean that Carlsberg Britvic is withdrawing from ale. We will continue to sell and support ale brands including Hobgoblin, McEwan’s and Brooklyn, and remain committed to the UK beer and pub sector.” 

Mealy mouthed words.  In the UK, Carlsberg is mainly a lager company first and soft drinks next.  Ale is very much an afterthought.  

In a letter to CAMRA Chairman, Ash Corbett-Collins - a native of Burton, Carlsberg said "  We do not underestimate the brewery’s significance to the town and those who care deeply about Burton upon Trent’s brewing heritage. While it is too early to confirm specific plans for the future of the site, we understand its importance to Burton upon Trent and will give careful consideration to its heritage assets and place within the local community. 

That probably just means they won't knock down the brewhouse, just sell it, allowing it to be converted into posh flats!

But it seems that Carlsberg will consider transferring the brands it will no longer brew to others. I suppose these brands will be at a guess, Banks's, Courage, Brakspear, Ringwood, Eagle (Waggledance etc.), Tetley and I suppose the Marstons brands such as Pedigree. The big questions is who would want them and who has the capacity to brew them?  Is there really much appeal when the brands are twice or more removed from their former heartlands?

Even if they are sold, handed over, contracted out or whatever, that's more difficult than you might think. There aren't many large ale breweries left.  And then there is the question of what happens to Draught Bass which accounts for around 40,000 UK barrels of the current output of the estimated 240,000 barrels being currently produced at Shobnall Road.

So what is the shortlist for Bass?  The list isn't that long assuming the volumes are correct:

Camerons in Hartlepool is a possibility, with a capacity of around 150, 000 barrels a year. They already have the contract to brew Doom Bar and brew other lines for Carlsberg already I believe.

Greene King who have the current capacity, but are moving their brewing to a new site, where the capacity is vastly reduced. Seems an unlikely candidate.

Asahi. The Fullers Brewery could maybe, just about squeeze Bass in, but it would take them to the limit,so unlikely. 

Damm in Bedford. A bit of an outsider. I don't know what their new cask ale facility for the Speckled Hen brands can handle.

Any of these would have to heavily Burtonise their water to mirror the original. Maybe not such a big ask,but who knows?  

There may be others, but it is hard to see who they are, though an outsider might be Molson Coors who would need to instal a cask racking line. Maybe the one from Marstons?  That would solve the water problem, but again is it really likely?

We shall have to wait and see, but it may well be that the Bass revival is coming to an unexpected end. There are huge problems arising from this brewery closure and the ripples for cask brewing in the UK will continue for a while until decisions are made.

In the meantime I suggest you get out and drink Burton Brewed Draught Bass while you still can. Its days may be numbered. 

Of course it leaves Marstons PLC, the pub company, with a problem too. Who is going to brew their brands? I assume there is a supply agreement with Carlsberg. I bet the lawyers are on that case already.

On the above note, I can't remember when I last saw Pedigree on a bar. The figures for output at Burton are vague.

And finally, will this present an opportunity for small brewers to get stuff on the bar? Err. No. 

You Can't Take It With You!

We were in London most of last week as I was judging beer for the International Beer Challenge. The trip didn't start off too well as the train into Euston was over two hours late. A broken down train in front of ours at a network choke point seemingly you know.  It wasn't so bad at first as the aircon was set high and I was in shorts and a t shirt,but oddly after two hours I was getting cold.  Still, we get our money back and there was a free coffee and some Scottish shortbread -  is there any other kind? - and I was more or less first in the queue as we were in the coach next to the buffet car.

In London, of course, when we'd sorted out the post and established our flat was in one piece, we headed to the Aldgate Tap. It was Monday night and quieter than usual and we enjoyed our German lager. There was one cask beer on, but it was still around 30C outside, so I wasn't taking that chance. No real gamble with Bitburger and Tegernsee Helles.

Tuesday saw a tube trip to the Oval where the judging was held. A quick walk to Aldgate tube, change at Moorfields and a hop down to Oval. I've never seen a big cricket ground close up before and was impressed. My mate Nigel Sadler (left) was Table Captain and while it was good to see people I know, we weren't blessed with any great beers. Frankly, you rarely are at these events. It is more experience than fun, but you usually learn something.

At the end we went to a local pub. Not a bad place inside. It was clearly Star Inns and Bars given the supping options though. A few of us opted for Taylor's Landlord which was absolutely rancid and exchanged. It should never have been offered for sale in the first place. I had a replacement pint of Brixton Lager - forgettable at best - went back to the tube, completing the circle round the Oval. It really is big.

After that I was cured of cask ale.  What's the attraction of a gamble at around six quid a pint? Let me answer - none.  

A couple of other notable points. We went out to Bethnal Green to the King's Arms one afternoon.  They were one of the first to get Augustiner Helles and though the pub was quiet, most people were on it. It was fab. A lovely beer which we enjoyed outside in the shade watching the locals vie for the few parking places available. £7.40 a pint and in the circumstances, well worth it. Proper glass too.

We walked back along Bethnal Green Road, down Brick Lane and intended to have a pint in either the  Carpenter's Arms or the Pride of Spitalfields. We decided on the latter, but on a sunny early evening, you couldn't even see the front door of the pub for the crowds outside. What then?  Enter The Buxton, a hotel and bar with an open front, a bit of a terrace and a free spot looking out on the Brick Lane crowds. Lovely service and the Lost and Grounded Keller Pils, again £7.40, well worth the money. As an aside, it isn't hugely Germanic, but boy is it a good beer.  At least in good weather, we'll return to the Buxton too.

So what did I learn?  Thirty odd degrees and cask - in London any - just don't mix and looking around, I don't recall a single pint being sold in my presence.  The other big take is that you sometimes have to pay more for quality, but we all knew that didn't we?

We also visited, just to see it, the Grapes in Limehouse. Co-owned by actor Sir Ian McKellen, it is a cute little place, dating back to 1583 apparently. The area is really lovely and a huge contrast to Commercial Road, just a short walk away. There was two people drinking cask there, but they were when we arrived. It looked a bit dodgy.

And there are no pockets in shrouds, hence the title. 

I Waters the Worker's Beer

 

"Now a drop of good beer is good for a man
Who's thirsty and tired and hot,
And I sometimes has a drop for myself
From a very special lot;
But a fat and healthy working class
Is the thing that I most fear,
So I reaches my hand for the water tap,
And I waters the workers' beer."

 

 I've used this title before - back in 2009, don't you know - and the little ditty above. Then it was in a slightly difference context, but I like it and it is fitting for this little piece. 

Molson Coors - not my favourite of the big boys though there isn't much to like about any of them - have announced that Carling lager will reduce to 3.4%  for their packaged versions . Packaged essentially means in bottle and nowadays, much more commonly, the can.  It is for UK only and the lucky Carling drinkers in Ireland and elsewhere won't be subjected to this.  It will not apply to the version sold in the pubs and is being done to keep Carling competitive with its rivals such as Carling Pilsner and Fosters in the supermarkets.

 

The figures are quite startling. To reduce the alcohol by volume  to under the threshold of lower duty, set at 3.5% will save the brewer - the brewer pays the duty - 20.35 pence per 440 ml can. Multiply this by the millions of cans produced and you can see the logic.  Will this saving be passed on to the dedicated Carling at home drinker? Well,if history is anything to go by,no.

 

Now you'll likely be saying "So what?" I drink cask ale in the pub and at home I am discerning enough to buy something stronger and better. No doubt, but if like me you are a believer in the slippery slope/ thin end of the wedge the you will see that this considerable saving is not just attractive to Carling producers but to others. Already we see a rash of 3.4% cask beers in free houses and is that difference passed in to customers? I would suggest not. Are most of them thin and watery? Yes.

 

To add another cliche while I'm in the mood for them, there is the law of unintended consequences.  Beerwise, it is most famously manifested in the aftermath of the Beer Orders. on a smaller and more insidious scale it is happening to our beers. The strength of big brands brewed here is almost always weaker than the same beer brewed abroad and I doubt if you will find many preferring, say, UK brewed Stella to the Belgian version. And so on.

 

So watch out. Your pint is already being attacked and affected in so many ways, but you might want to add abv reductions to your risk register. 

 

In case you are wondering, the reduction in duty gives a saving of 25.13p a pint.  Not to be sniffed at for some.

 

I just spotted this from my local brewery JW Lees: hhttp//x.com/Will_LJ/status/2082758472886542524?s=20t tps://x.com/Will_LJ/status/2082758472886542524?s=20

https://x.com/Will_LJ/status/2082758472542524?s=20 

 

After months of wrangling we decided to retain Original at 4% and Manchester Craft Lager at 5% and guess what? They both managed to grow their volume over the last 12 months - 3.4% is not necessarily the answer - zig when the big boys zag!

— William Lees-Jones (@Will_LJ) July 30, 2026

A Couple of Things

We had our CAMRA Rochdale, Oldham and Bury committee meeting at the Baum in Rochdale last night. It used to be our main branch venue until changes made it too small for our needs, but it was good to be back. The beer there is always excellent and as if to prove it, in addition to our meeting, I presented an award for 20 consecutive years in the Good Beer Guide. In my few kind words, I recalled the heady days of a Good Beer Guide entry and subsequent Pub of the Year award, leading ultimately to that toppest of top gongs - CAMRA National Pub of the Year. The year? 2012, though then it was revealed to the world at large in February 2013.  How time flies, but it was good to remember it and see the evidence that standards haven't slipped since. Go there if you can. It's a smashing pub.

Now the Baum is one of the few outlets I know of for Hoegaarden Witbier. I didn't have any as I'd forgotten about it and anyway there was a cask beer well worth drinking, namely Thornbridge Twin Peaks. American Pale Ale at 5%.  This was a fab beer. Clear as a bell and with a fresh cask just on, it was beer of the night by a considerable distance. Like the Baum, seek it out.

Is that the two things then? Well no and here I'd like some feedback. The barman told me that Hoegaarden in draught (keg) form is ceasing UK distribution. Wow.  I can't find anything on t'internet confirming this though. Does anyone know if it is true? 

I have an urge to buy some Hoegaarden now, so maybe I'll check that out tomorrow or even go back to the Baum, where to add weight ohis story, the barman told me they had got several extra kegs in. 

The Baum is next to the Co-op Pioneers Museum. That's another story though. 

Too Hot or Not?

How has the weather been suiting you?  Is the so called heat wave a good or bad thing, putting aside, if one can, the fact that when we are all brown bread, it will likely be even hotter?  At my age there is nothing I can do about it anyway - if ever I could have in real terms. Well, for me, I love it. I delight in getting up and seeing sunshine. I feel lifted by it even when hot, though hot and humid probably takes the edge off it for me.  Dry heat is fine, sticky heat less so. But on the whole, I give it a big tick.

Getting back to two of my favourite things, pubs and beer, how has the heat treated pubs and how are pubs treating cask beer?  Starting with pubs,it seems on the whole it is a good thing. A variable of course was the World Cup which has distorted things a tad. it is a variable that only comes once every four years, but it has coincided with the lovely sunshine and has undoubtedly boosted things until the home teams exited. I noted my local brewery, JW Lees, report a mixed and inconclusive picture of World Cup games over normal trade.

Speaking to various landlords and landladies too - even handed me - the picture is again rather mixed with pubs with beer gardens or at least usable outdoor space doing well, though inside has been quieter.  Just as you'd expect I suppose.  My own observation backs this up.  Approaching pubs I've noted the busy exteriors and the not so busy interiors.  It is difficult to tell whether those who would normally sit inside have just decanted to the outside, but chatting to the bosses, trade is slightly up with a noted shift to lager, soft drinks and rosé wine.  

What of cask beer quality I hear you ask?  Well, perhaps surprisingly, pretty damn good overall. Clearly some are better than others, but the only really warm stuff I've had was in a Liverpool pub. I got chatting to the manager there who apologised. A bit of further chat revealed that only the lagers were pythoned to point of dispense, with the cask beer through an old fashioned chiller and like as not half inch uncooled beerline. Not a winning formula. Not spending money on correct dispense and cooling is a poor idea.

Given that cask is still a pretty big thing in my area, it would interesting to know how the cask experience manifests itself in the rest of the country. Do let me know and more generally, how the trade  seems to you to be doing in your area.

On a different tack,  I see little to no evidence in the pubs in my area of zebra striping or whatever, with low alcohol or zero drinks not a thing with the possible exception of Guinness Zero.  Is that availability or lack of demand. Does one trigger the other? is it different elsewhere? You tell me? 

One thing I do miss, given the preponderance of family brewers in my area is a decent imported German or Czech beer.  Not that the house brewed lagers are bad, but they don't quite hit the same spot. 

A Good Point by B and B

Boak and Bailey made a point a couple of weeks ago which struck a chord with me.  They said "We’ve decided to spend a week blogging like it’s 2008 again: more posts, shorter posts, and more bouncing off other bloggers."  Ah the good old days.

Back then when I used to post a lot - and I've been having a look at my old stuff and you should too - it's great stuff and a lot of it short. A remark about a pub or two, or a beer, or a little industry comment.  Maybe a longer piece about a more complex subject.  Much more enjoyable and frankly a lot easier to do.  It doesn't take much to see my enthusiasm for blogging has slowly but surely declined and actually I'd like to arrest that. I'll never get back to the heady days of hundreds of posts, but on the basis of little and often I think I might manage a few more.  I still have plenty to say and for many reasons,I don't find the writing time - or the inspiration and inclination - so easy to find. Among other things, you can probably blame YouTube for that. There though, I can also find a lot of beery stuff -  much of it wrong or too obvious - but either way, I am kind of drawn in.  You can learn a lot from YouTube, though not all of it worthwhile even when it hooks you in.

So, on that basis, I recommend to you all this channel.  WandoJames is co-owner of the Big 6( Big Six sometimes) pub in Halifax and he specialises in how British pubs and pub culture have changed since the Beer Orders and are changing and adapting still.  If you want to get a better grasp of how pubs operate, the different models and pressures as well as the subtle changes that many will only notice after they are pointed out then his channel Pubs, Pints and Places is for you.  

So I won't rattle on. And James doesn't either. His stuff is just a few minutes long. Why not have a look at Wando James and you can thank me later by letting me know in the comments what you think.  

According to CAMRA, the Big 6 is derived from a mineral water company that operated here a century ago, whose memorabilia adorn the walls.  It isn't (as I originally thought) its street number.

My only visit was to attend the funeral of the late Tony Allen of Phoenix Brewery fame.  I must go back when it isn't so crowded. In the meantime Retired Martin wrote about here. It is rightly in his top 100 pubs.

Understanding Gen Z

I was pretty struck by an article in the Sunday Times this week.  Written by Charlotte Ivers, it discusses the toxic effects on Gen Z caused by their use of smartphones and by extension, social media. Seemingly Gen Z suffers from Obsessive Compulsory Disorder (OCD) in astonishing numbers.  This particularly affects young women for whom the percentage is 6.1% against a national figure of 2.2%.  As a whole, mental health issues are suffered by almost a third of the Gen Z cohort. That is, those born between 1997 and 2012.

It seems for Gen Z that short form video sequences and addictive social platforms make this generation, which has known nothing else, find focussing difficult and affects their ability to think and interact with others on a one to one basis. A little bit of googling takes the matter further, explaining that this generation fears judgement, suffers stress in dealing with other people and that they counter this subconsciously by maintaining a blank expression or averting their gaze, simply as a way to organise thoughts and process what is needed in interactions. Looking people, in particular older people, in the eye can be a step too far for many.

This brings me back to beer and pubs.  I have, from time to time, moaned about this sort of thing, but I suppose I'm saying that maybe I should look on it a bit more benignly than I have hitherto. Perhaps I'm realising it isn't as easy for some of the youngsters of today as it was for me as a 19 year old when I first worked in a pub - though it was a still very daunting. Different times - different pressures.

Then we were from a generation - the first after the Second World War - that was expected to sink or swim. It was the world we knew. Being told to chat to customers and perform in a certain way was accepted. That was how it was everywhere. It was tell, not show.  In the 1970s West of Scotland, the Boss did explain the various niceties as being designed to bring repeat custom, but in the main at work in those days, it was "Dae as yer telt." Nowadays, it seems that a more egalitarian way, such as "You all right there?" is seen by Gen Z as perfectly acceptable to both give and receive in most circumtances. 

Things have moved on - for better or worse and now I'm sort of concluding that pushing back and complaining about lack of interaction or proper training in pubs is somewhat pointless and the current position should be regarded as just how it is now. Reacting to the staff concerned or even to the management isn't going to change anything, and if what I read is true, likely just to add to the mental pressure that some young people feel. 

Oh I know this isn't universal and that a bit of gentle "show and explain" training wouldn't be a bad thing at all, but I'm just going to try and get over it.  For my generation, we can just say with certainty "Life is too short" and go and quietly sup our pints. Elsewhere if needed. And know, as all generations do, that we did it better.

Unless they are being deliberately couldn't care less, or cheeky, or offhand, or lazy, or just ignore you........... Well that didn't last long! 

Monopoly Hidden in Plain Sight

In late June, we headed up to the North East last week for a couple of nights to celebrate the E's birthday. Now, I used to spend a fair bit of time in Newcastle back in my working days, but the Northumberland coast? Completely unknown territory. What would we find apart from dodgy weather?

Our home for two nights was The Olde Ship Inn in Seahouses. Central, it does food, and it offers nine cask lines, though I doubt if E considered the latter aspect when booking us in.Well, you never know, I suppose, but she didn't mention it. On checking in, we err, checked out the bar. The board was a bit of a samey sea of IPAs, goldens, and bitters. Still, a first scan of the wickets threw up a surprise: Hadrian Border Brewery. I thought they’d gone under years ago! Gladly corrected, I went for their Farne Island Blonde which after a long drive was very welcome. I asked why there wasn't a single dark beer on and the barman looked at the pumps like he was noticing this for the first time. "Oh, sometimes we have them, just not right now." Right then. The stout revolution clearly hasn't made it up this far north yet.

We went for the obligatory seaside wander. It’s your classic British coast setup: loads of chippies, a couple of ice cream spots, two curry houses, and that familiar, comforting touch of souvenir led tackiness. Despite the recent heatwave, Seahouses was a bracing 17°C, made even more atmospheric when the sea haar (that thick coastal fog) rolled in.

Naturally, after a wander - spoiler - there's not a lot to see -we fancied a pre-dinner pint, hoping for the best we nipped into The Bamburgh Castle Inn opposite the harbour and our digs. It’s a massive, modern lounge-style place owned by The Inn Collection Group. Very food-led. They had a couple of handpumps from Alnwick Brewery - a name we’d end up seeing almost everywhere -but it was overall a tad underwhelming. A quick glance at the rest of the bar gave the game away: the whole offering was from Molson Coors. Carling, Madri, Staropramen, Worthington, and Blue Moon. Hmm. I choked down a poorly presented Alnwick Amber, followed it with a Blue Moon, and decided then and there I wouldn't be repeating the experience.

To make matters worse, as the place filled up, a proper queue formed. That didn't prevent the staff shouting "Who's next?" into the crowd. If the beer had been any good, I might have braved the line and walked straight to the bar for another. It wasn't, so we left. It was probably for the best.

Back at a heaving Olde Ship, a fellow imbiber tipped us off that a fresh cask of Timothy Taylor Boltmaker had just been tapped. It was in absolute pristine nick. They also told us to check out The Black Swan which we did, stumbling round the back streets in an eerie fog to get there and were rewarded with a brilliant pint of Kirkstall Three Swords. A decent pub overall which we knew we'd return to.

The next day we walked over to Bamburgh along miles of pristine sandy beaches and the sun came out. Surprising me somewhat  Bamburgh is a tiny village dominated by a big, proper "fuck-off" castle. I had imagined it as a sort of decent sized market town or something like that. Well, you live and learn I suppose.

There are three pubs here, and a bit of digging revealed a depressing pattern. Two of the pubs sit just 80 metres apart, owned by the exact same company, serving the exact same Molson Coors lineup alongside those same underwhelming Alnwick beers. Someone has clearly spent serious money turning these places into smart, glossy gastro-pubs, but the beer selection is an absolute crying shame. Nothing imported, all Burton or Tadcaster brewed and all uninspiring. I suppose we should have tried the third Bamburgh pub, but we only had time for two as the buses aren't exactly frequent. 

So, why does is Molson Coors so dominant in this neck of the woods? When I looked into it later, it all made sense:

• The Tadcaster Connection: Molson Coors owns the massive ex- Bass Tadcaster Brewery not so far away in North Yorkshire. Being local keeps their distribution costs and carbon footprint incredibly low.
• Deep Roots: They’ve been brewing at Tadcaster since the 1880s, building unbreakable, historic ties with the region's working men's clubs and independent boozers.
• Loan Ties and  Volume discounts: As a global drinks giant, they can offer massive financial incentives and cheap wholesale prices to pub groups in exchange for total exclusivity on the taps.

On the bus back to Seahouses (free for us old gits - nice), we hit the remaining local pub. The Schooner Inn was a forgettable, unwelcoming keg-only boozer (Molson Coors/ABInBev dominating again, shocker), so I had a swift half of Guinness and moved on. I don't think E enjoyed her Staropramen, or was it Pravha? Does it really matter?

Finally, we popped back to The Black Swan which was rather handily next door. It's another pub that's had a fortune spent on a fancy refurbishment, and while two of their three pumps were inevitably devoted to Alnwick, the Kirkstall Three Swords was still firing on all cylinders. Plus, the atmosphere was cracking.with proper friendly, chatty denizens, admittedly all visitors like us.

On that and related subjects, CAMRA has today launched a bit of pop at the multi nationals* over denying the market by tying up pumps by discounts, exclusivity agreements and many other underhand tricks.  You can read it in the above link. My own additional view is that surely it can't be in the long term interests of businesses to limit their offer for short term gain on supply prices?

The moral of the story? When drinking on the Northumberland coast - and elsewhere for that matter - read the pumps carefully, be wary of corporate monopolies, and when you find a good pint of Kirkstall or Timothy Taylor or whatever - stick to it!

I know I'm having a dig at Alnwick Brewery here which may be unfair. Suffice to say they brew a broad range of beers, but the same two were everywhere. Maybe that's the deal with Molson Coors, and certainly the beers could have been better presented, but you can only speak as you find.

* Extract from the CAMRA Beer Report

Critically, artificial barriers have been constructed that leave independent local and regional producers excluded, in effect, from large parts of the UK beer market, in particular the on-trade. These include,but are not limited to, controls on the range of beers that a licensee is contractually allowed to source at a competitive price, and the draught
beers they are allowed to sell through their dispense equipment. 

All Change? Happen not.

The news broke late yesterday morning that Humphrey Smith had passed away.  The doyen of Samuel Smith Brewery was only 81 - though to some he had been around forever - and seemingly had been in poor health for some time though details are, as you'd expect rather scarce. Some insiders refer to him having been in palliative care for a short while, but whatever the circumstances, he is no more, so let's look back a little before looking forward.

The brewery was established by his predecessors in 1758 and Humphrey took over in the early 1980s. Until then the brewery had run its 300 or so pubs mainly as tenancies, where the business was let out to individual landlords, while still tied to the brewery. Over a relatively short period all were converted to managed houses, which allowed Humphrey free reign to set his own rules and impose them on his managers.  This slowly but surely resulted in his somewhat idiosyncratic ways of enforcing the banning of mobile phones, music, televisions, laptops and of course, swearing at their pub estate. Over the years his iron rule was characterised by unannounced visits at all sorts of odd times of the day. I'm told that particularly, closing time was one to be especially on your guard. Subsequent peremptory sacking of managers for not following his rules to the letter was meted out.  That is all fairly well known though, as are the outcomes. Disobeying his edicts, which are usually displayed clearly all over the pubs, seemed to make him particularly crabby if the sackings and closures are anything to go by. Following such dismissals, a large number of his pubs were closed and remained so, some for many years and many are still. (Up to fifty percent.) But we know all this I think.

New to me yesterday was that he was an old Etonian, which I suppose explains a lot - or doesn't depending on your point of view. While it has been seen before in smaller measures, there was a fair old outpouring of support for him from some former colleagues and pub managers, mostly along the lines of "If  you obeyed the rules, you got on fine with him". The consensus, such as I could make out is that those who fell foul of him didn't think highly of him at all, while those who hadn't did. Despite ups and downs, the mayor of Tadcaster was pretty effusive in his praise of the man saying, according to the BBC, " Humphrey was a "true gentleman" and a "man of principle"."I've known him all my life and he's a respected person. He had Tadcaster at heart. He's done many things in Tadcaster unseen that people don't know about.There's a lot of amenities in Tadcaster that, if it wasn't for Mr Smith and the brewery, we wouldn't have. We've got a lot to thank him for."

As I've mentioned before in this blog, I've met Humphrey once and seen him in a local pub on one other occasion.  He was a dapper man, both times dressed in a dark blue suit and very busy looking. I last wrote about Sam's here in 2022 and I commend it to you and my two accounts of meeting the man. The first in 2009 when I actually spoke to him and the other ten years later when I was next to him and didn't.  I have also written fairly extensively about Sam's and their pubs when I was good at this blogging game. I commend all to you, particularly where I discuss his London estate, which was mostly acquired from one of the first Pub Companies, Henekeys, and operates on a modified model of the Humph regime.

I could go on, but I won't, but what will happen next?  His London estate run by his son, Sam gives us a clue. There the rules still exist, but are applied more in the breach than the observance. Mobile phones are used willy-nilly, as are laptops and swearing -  though I think anything excessive is jumped on - as it should be in any licensed premises.

My view is that is what will happen in the rest of the Smith Empire. While not encouraged, phones will be tolerated for simple things like silent scrolling, finding out the next bus and ordering an Uber etc. There is unlikely to be Juke boxes,TVs or live music. Illegal and ad hoc sackings and closures will become a thing of the past. Pubs will be able to attract managers more easily and more closed ones will re-open. I predict that young Sam will not throw out what makes Smiths different, but he will tone it down while keeping the best bits. That would be fine as I'm sure most of us still want the nod to the past that typifies Sam's pubs. If that does happen that is the optimum outcome and while not what Humphrey would have done, it is what he should have done,  

So farewell to Humphrey Smith.  A character, an oppressor at times, but a man who knew what he wanted and was not afraid to do just as he liked. Not always admirable traits for sure, but old school from a time breweries were full of such larger then life individuals, particularly family owned ones and Humphrey was probably the last of them in terms of running the business as a fiefdom.

They don't make them like Humphrey Smith any more and while that is a good thing, he certainly leaves a legacy to live up to. Or live down.

At times like this I miss my old mate the Pub Curmudgeon who would no doubt have also written about this. It has dragged me out of semi-retirement too.

Humphrey was very wealthy man. Rumour has it he was one of the first to see the value of the then derelict London Docklands, was also a landowner in Yorkshire and elsewhere, and freeholder of most of his pub estate including London. Lad did all right for himself.

I haven't used any photo of the Humph as I am unsure about copyright, but easily googled.

 

A Slippery Slope

Way back in the past I wrote about how the modern mannerism "You all right there" at the bar had become a kind of of substitute for previous greetings such as "what can I get you?" or "what would you like?" For the record, it was a short blogpost, as this one will be, and it was over fifteen years ago and, inevitably, in the way of things, it has got worse. Fifteen years ago, I was by my measure of the day an old git - and I quote myself there. Nowadays I'm an even older old git and while generally good natured, I am slightly wound up, inwardly at least by how bar staff have become even more slapdash.  

I was reminded of this in no uncertain terms the other day at the bar of a local brewer's pub - not JW Lees - though their contribution to this kind of thing is not exactly an ungenerous one - but a local rival. The young woman in question approached from around fifteen or more feet away as I waited to be served at the end of the bar.  No jolly repartee was expected, but I suppose deep down I had hoped, nay expected a tad more than a curt upwards nod in my direction, which I took to be an offer to trade, though expressed in somewhat minimal terms. I did not reply and we had a slight stand off. Then things looked up. "OK?" she said. To add insult to injury, I was silently presented with the card reader and before the approval had been signalled, she had returned to gossip with her fellow bar operatives, proving at least she could string a few words together when it suited her.

Now I know when I'm beaten, so I retreated to my seat to moan to E who has heard it all before. Am I wrong in this?  Should I expect less these days? I was almost nostalgic for "you all right there?"

I wrote here about how different things were when I worked in the pub when God was a boy and society was totally different. That has changed and of course social media hadn't then robbed so many of us of the little sense we started out with, but the basic principles remain. The customer, especially in these difficult times, is all of the business. Treat that person with a bit of respect. 

If you run a pub or bar, please reach your staff that. It really does make a difference. Especially to old gits.

Another YouTube recommendation from me.  James runs and co-owns the Big Six pub in Halifax a pub I've been in and would return to in a heartbeat. His thoughts on pubs are really excellent. 

It's times like this when I miss the Pub Curmudgeon. 

 

 

A Marginal Existance

I was talking to a local pub landlord recently and during the conversation, was disappointed, but not surprised, how in winter particularly, when it is pissing down as it often has been in recent months, just how many times he had to make recourse to his reserves to pay the bills as the pub was so empty.  Now you might liken this a bit like when you pay your monthly ransom to the power companies, using the excess built up in the so called warm months, to offset the cost in the chilly winter months, which if you are like me, you'll consider that is most of them. But you'd be wrong. it isn't really like that. Let's have a look at it. 

It’s Friday night, the local is packed. The place is going like a fair and the atmosphere is just what you want on a good night out. To the casual observer, it looks like a gold mine. You’d be forgiven for thinking the landlord is currently scouting for a second home in Marbella. But talk to anyone behind the pumps, and you’ll find a much grimmer reality. The "busy pub" is becoming a bit of a mathematical mirage. Here is the sobering truth about why that bustling atmosphere isn’t making the boss a fortune.

Input Costs

While the price of a pint has crept up toward the £6 or £7 mark (and beyond in that there London), the landlord isn’t seeing the benefit of that extra few quid. He or she has to think about the fixed costs of the operation. That is the things that can't be avoided, or discarded: 

Energy: It’s not just the lights. Cellar cooling, glass-washers, heating, kitchen appliances are all energy-hungry beasts. For many, standing charges and unit rates have doubled or tripled since 2022. And nobody wants a cold pub, though you like me, will have noticed plenty of times when the pub isn't as warm as it should be. If your pub is cold, it is likely that cost which makes it so.

The Beer: Barley, hops, wages and more suffer from inflation too. Brewers have had to pass on their own rising costs, meaning the "wet rent" (the price the pub pays for the cask or keg of beer has continually increased to its present high level..  

The Chancellor's Cut: This is where things really bite. The UK has some of the highest Beer Duty rates in Europe. When you buy a pint, you’re effectively paying a stealth tax. and unlike the supermarket where you buy your cans of lager, pubs have to pay 20% VAT on every pint, snack and plate of chips sold. 

Business Rates: The system is archaic. Pubs are often taxed based on their "fair maintainable trade" (basically, how much they could make), which penalises successful, busy locals.  It also makes the somewhat unrealistic assumption of how much of turnover is profit.

Dry Rent: What you pay to occupy the building. Typically, there will be an initial deposit then a monthly rent, agreed for (say) a three to five year term.

The Minimum Wage & Staffing Costs: Nobody should grudge hardworking bar staff a decent wage, but it all costs. A busy pub needs bodies. With the National Living Wage rightly increasing to support workers, the wage bill for a fully-staffed shift has ballooned and of course, that doesn't just apply to busy Fridays. The irony is that to serve the crowd that makes the pub feel alive, you have to hire more staff, which often eats the very profit those customers are generating.

Back to my landlord friend. Everything costs more he tells me and people need to be enticed out of their homes to come to the pub. A musician for example, will often attract customers and fill the pub, but the £300/£400 bill for that needs a hell of lot more drinks to be sold, just to break even. It is done though to make the pub more attractive,  and in the hope the customer will like it and come again at other times, but ......

Supermarkets- the elephant in the room: One of Tim Martin of Wetherspoon's pet hates, this is where the "pre-drink" or "instead of" culture is the enemy of margin. In the 90s, the gap between a supermarket beer and a pub pint was a manageable jump. Being very old, I can remember when that gap was tiny and hardly game changing. Today, it’s a veritable chasm.   If a customer stays for two pints instead of four, either because they can't afford more, or because they drank a cheap few cans at home first (or intend to after) to offset high pub prices, the pub still has to pay the same fixed costs for the heating, the live band and everything else.  

And then there is food. Pubs often rely heavily on food sales to survive, but food carries additional and  higher overheads  - chefs, wastage, supply chains with their own struggles - and of course VAT. No wonder so many have decided that game isn't worth the candle, but maybe, looking on the bright side, the pub snack may make a comeback as seems to be happening in some cases? Filled rolls and Scotch eggs anyone?

Margins in the hospitality industry used to hover around 10% to 15%. Now, many independent publicans are operating on a knife-edge of 3% to 5%. One broken glass-washer or gas boiler, or a quiet rainy midweek is enough to wipe out the profit from a successful weekend.  While brewery owned pubs and national chains have different issues, it all is very costly for them too. Debt is everywhere in the pub trade since the Beer Orders.

These are just some of the issues which vary from pub to pub depending on size, location, local authority, type (managed/ leased/free or whatever) and so much more, but fixed costs are a killer. 

The type of beer sold has different costs and margins, so that affects things too. It all boils down to margins being squeezed and viability on a knife edge. If you can just about come down on the right side, then you are surviving at least.

So, next time you see your local packed to the rafters, don't begrudge them that extra 40p+ on a pint. Most of them aren't getting rich; they’re just trying to keep the lights on, preserve tradition and hopefully make a few bob so we all have somewhere to go when want a bit of conviviality rather than drinking alone in the house.

 

This is just a brief dip into what is a very complex area.  Price of a pint? You tell me. It varies so much, as there are so many factors to take into account.

What is also for sure is that the drinker has to get value out of their experience too and that isn't helped by pricing them into the supermarket.  The government has to make its mind up here. Do they want to preside over more and more closures? Chances are they will continue to screw hospitality and just hope for the best, so probably.

Apologies too for the Ai photo use, but I felt the Mr Macawber definition needed suitable illustration.