News
Blinkered thinking is wrecking pubs
While the government has banned pubs from selling take home beer, retail outlets -- including petrol stations -- are free to sell alcohol. Twice as many pubs closed in 2020 compared to the previous year and it's expected many more will close as a result of the restrictions. Pictured, the King William IV in St Albans, now closed, while three retail outlets yards away can sell alcohol all day and evening.
Added: Friday, January 8th 2021
Roscoe: great victory for all pub lovers
Carol Ross, landlady of the Roscoe Head in Liverpool, is finally victorious. She now owns the historic pub after years of struggle with Punch Taverns and New River Retail. She is now free to sell the beers she favours, not those imposed on her by giant pub companies. Carol is full of praise for her supporters throughout the country who backed her in her battle for freedom
Added: Monday, December 28th 2020
Roger Ryman, a proper job brewer
Roger Ryman, who has died at the tragically early age of 52, turned round the fortunes of St Austell Brewery with two beers that have achieved national sales. Tribute, first called Daylight Robbery, was meant to be a one-off monthly brew but sales "went ballistic". It was followed by Proper Job, considered to be one of the finest of the new wave IPAs.
Added: Monday, June 1st 2020
Carlsberg & cask: remember Burton Ale?
Carlsberg is the dominant partner in the new brewing group formed with Marston's -- and the Danish giant does not enjoy a good track record where cask ale is concerned. It closed the major Tetley Brewery in Leeds and axed the award-winning Draught Burton Ale and there are now concerns for the future of Draught Bass, which Marton's brews for AB InBev
Added: Tuesday, May 26th 2020
Merger: will Marston's lose its pedigree?
The merger between Carlsberg and Marston's gives the Danish giant the upper hand. "Synergies" will mean accountants will be looking for cost-cutting and savings and this could be bad news for some of the breweries and brands in the Marston's group. And the future of Draught Bass, brewed by Marston's for AB InBev, could be in doubt. Left, the main brewery in Burton-on-Trent
Added: Saturday, May 23rd 2020
Lockdown: what to do with waste beer
A pint of Landlord gives hope for cask
Bobby Neame, stalwart of Kent beer
Robert Neame, better known as Bobby Neame, former director of Shepherd Neame, Britain's oldest brewery, has died aged 85. In a long career with the family brewery, he helped safeguard its independence and introduced Spitfire ale that became the company's biggest-selling beer in cask and bottle
Added: Thursday, December 5th 2019
Beer giant's clumsy treatment of Bass ale
Bass Pale Ale and Draught Bass, once leaders in their field, have been sidelined by owners AB InBev. The draught beer is brewed under licence by Marston's and what was once the biggest-selling cask ale is now hard to find. The bottled version was once sold world wide and featured in Manet's Bar at the Folies Bergeres (pictured) but is now a filtered beer produced at a keg plant in Lancashire a long way from Burton-on-Trent
Added: Thursday, September 12th 2019










BrewDog saga leaves a sour taste
BrewDog was meant to offer something different in the world of beer. It attracted young drinkers with Punk beer and encouraged them to invest in the brewery with an Equity for Punks scheme. But now employees have accused founders James Watt and Martin Dickie (pictured) of creating a toxic atmosphere at the company with a "growth at all costs" attitude. And a large parcel of shares have been sold to investment companies based in the tax haven of the Cayman Islands
Added: Wednesday, July 7th 2021