News

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 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

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

Publicans and brewers are worried over what to do with unused beer during the coronavirus lockdown and closed pubs -- can they claim back for lost sales and pre-paid duty? The chairman of a leading regional brewer offers his advice

Added: Sunday, April 5th 2020

Should cask beer be treated as a premium product, as suggested by James Calder, the chief executive of SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers? A pint of Taylor's Landlord at £3.50 in a backstreet pub in Dartford, Kent, keeps in the reach of people on low incomes.

Added: Monday, March 30th 2020

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

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

Greene King, one of Britain's oldest breweries dating from 1799, has been sold for £2.7 billion to a Hong Kong property developer called CK Asset Holdings.The new owner has no roots in brewing or pubs and there are fears the tied estate of 2,700 could be drastically reduced, throwing a question mark over the future of brewing at Bury St Edmunds.

Added: Tuesday, August 20th 2019

A pint of bitter is Britain's favourite style of ale yet a growing number of major brewers are re-branding both their bitters and pale ales as "amber". The trend started with Marston's Pedigree, which is a classic Burton pale ale, using no darker malts in its recipe, but is now labelled "amber". This is making a mockery of centuries of brewing tradition and traducing a beer style famous throughout the world

Added: Wednesday, May 29th 2019

Carlsberg has created media interest in its new Danish Pilsner and its admission that it may not brew the best lager in the world. It has also unleashed criticism from drinkers that the beer lacks flavour and character. But it has also sparked a debate over what constitutes proper lager beer and whether it can be brewed as quickly as ale or whether long maturation is still best.

Added: Friday, April 19th 2019