Anyone Understand This?

I read in The Publican that SABMiller saw its UK beer volumes rise by 15% in the first six months of the year. The article goes on to say that lager volumes fell by 1%, but gives no clue as to how the overall rise in volumes is derived.

Well one might conclude that this rise is ale volumes, as they don't brew stout, but can that really be true?  To me this just doesn't add up.

Footnote: A look at SABMiller's trading statement leaves me none the wiser, except to conclude that the Publican is mixing up world and UK positions.

Twother Anyone?

The Government is set to change the law and allow two thirds of an imperial pint to become a legal measure in the UK. The industry believes it will offer greater flexibility for serving draught beer and cider, especially those with a higher alcohol content. “There is no question of replacing the British pint, but introducing the option of a new imperial measure is good news for consumers, providing them with more choice," said Science and Innovation Minister Lord Drayson.

I suppose there is a logic to this as thirds are a legal measure, but I suspect this is not so much a widening of choice, but a part of the continual demonising of alcohol by pushing smaller measures overall. I don't know of anyone who has campaigned for this and I've never heard it as a topic of conversation among drinkers, or indeed the trade. Will it make a difference? Well being of the persuasion that suspects the worst, it may be that some unscrupulous sellers of beer will use this as an excuse to either sell two thirds for the current price of a pint, or will sell two thirds not at pro rata, but at a premium. I can imagine that glass manufacturers will be trying to design a glass that looks as much like a pint glass as possible. I rather doubt if it will be done by using lined glasses with the two thirds being an option. The on trade has always resisted such glasses and as the push apparently comes from the trade, who have never bothered with using thirds, you have to suspect motives, especially when the Government goes along with it.

What do you think?

It isn't known when this will happen, as it needs a change to primary legislation.

The World's Gone Mad

Seems my favourite pub snack is attracting attention. Cheese and onion - cheese and bloody onion - crisps have overtaken ready salted as the UK's favourite crisp flavour. This is madness.

And why is there some kind of crisp apartheid going on on the UK? You can get smoky bacon crisps - my favourite - in virtually any pub in Scotland, even JDW, but down here in England? No!

I despair!

Walker's new hoisin and duck are nice though, as are the fish and chips. The cajun squirrel ones are crap and I haven't tasted the rest. I'm too cool to actually vote in their "competition" though.

Odd Spat at Makro

Makro is a giant Cash and Carry wholesaler, selling just about everything you can think of to those who run their own businesses, including pubs and off licences. They carry a large range of drinks and have also recently been running a Love the Pub Campaign to help pubs offset the current crisis, by looking closely at the prices they pay for key products in order to make crucial savings. They say "That’s why we’ve launched the Love The Pub campaign with support from our industry partners, because in the current climate every penny really does count, and that’s where we can all help by committing to offer the most competitive prices to help pubs cut costs."

So you could, like me, just see this as a grab for market share, an invitation to break the tie and an open swipe at the supermarkets, but here comes the bizarre bit. According to E-Malt.com, Makro has removed all 275 ml bottles of Carlsberg Export from its shelves to punish Carlsberg for the fact that supermarkets were selling it at 30p a bottle, while pubs would be expected to sell it for around £2.40 a bottle. A miffed Carlsberg retorted that they were being "singled out" and that they don't set prices, customers do. You can just about see their point a little, as they are hardly alone in this respect, though they are, quite possibly, along with Stella, the worst offender.

Frankly I can't make head or tail of these odd shenanigans, but I thought it worth sharing.

Not Stonch

I had been at our pub briefly for a quick word with the landlady and I was driving back down the rutted and pot holed lane, in driving rain, beyond the sole house along the lonely one mile stretch from the main road to the pub. Going back to the road, a half mile away up the steepest part of the lane and heading towards the pub, my headlights (the lane is unlit at this point) picked out a bedraggled figure plodding upwards. Nothing too unusual about that, except this geezer was on crutches.

Was it Stonch looking for a decent pint and overdoing his exercise. Alas no. This guy was better looking and taller, but it was odd all the same!

As You Were in Scousely?

It seems while I have been away that there has been some clarity injected into the situation at the collapsed Cain's Brewery. Or was it the brewery? No. It was the Beer Company - I think. The Southport Drinker mentions it in this article in which he says: "In a slippery switcheroo that can only happen in the world of business, there are rumours that the Dusanj brothers could emerge from the collapse of Cains with the brewery, the very profitable canning operation and 10 pubs."

It seems the brothers Dusanj had the foresight to put most of Cain's assets, including the brewery and the ten original Liverpool pubs, in a separate company which has not gone bust and indeed, may be owed money by the collapsed company, as they leased the brewery and some of the pubs separate to the Robert Cain Beer Company. The administrators need bids by tomorrow and it seems the Dusanj brothers are the favourites for the brewing and canning operation! I'd guess too that the brands must be owned by the brothers, making the liquidated Beer Company worth twice the sum of bugger all to anyone else. Well well.

Depending on your point of view this was sensible risk mitigation or the unacceptable face of capitalism. Maybe they have learned from their years in Scousley that you have to play it a bit clever sometimes! Either way, these two lads are smarter than you think and Cain's beers may well be around for a bit yet!

Tyson Falls to a Technical Knock Out

If like me you have been wondering why Tyson's posts have suddenly dried up, I have the answer for you. It seems the Google Gremlins have been at him and he can't upload posts for the present. Or indeed since his last post. But he will be back as soon as he can get it sorted.

So for the time being, you'll have to put up with me and the rest of us bloggers, but he assures me he is still supping and isn't even a bit dead.

He's gone down the knocking shop to think the problem through. I think that's what he said!

My New Chums

I note that along with other bloggers, this blog has been linked to Stella Artois' UK Digital Newsroom. Well I never!

Want to see if your blog is included? Click here.

Want a job in Marketing? Change your name to Emma!

I note from the Beer Buzzing blog that the Marketing person at Adnams is called Emma. JW Lees' marketing guru is called Emma, as is Hyde's. I feel uneasy about this. How many more Emmas are out there doing this stuff for Independent Brewers. Is there something sinister going on? I think we should be told!