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News Article Comments : 'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy'
Search hard enough amongst the gloom of what’s happening in the pub and beer market right now, you’ll find the odd shaft of light. cask ale is enjoying a renaissance, outperforming every other sector.
This is especially welcome since as yet Tesco et al haven’t worked out how to give their shoppers the true “beer at home experience”.
So cask ale is still a real reason to visit the pub. Cause to celebrate perhaps?
You’d think that the beardy weirdies of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) would be happy that their favourite brew is seemingly coming to the rescue of at least part of the British pub scene.
But no! Apparently, according to the malcontents of Camra’s sandal-clad, whisker-stroking stormtroopers a guest ale’s not a guest ale unless it comes from some oddball brewery down a country lane and is served with bits in it under a name like Knackered Old Cripplecock.
At Marston’s we have five proper breweries, six brand families, 88 beers brewed in total, 35 ales available pe
46 Posts(s) found for this thread: Now displaying page 4 of 5
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kevin o'connor 15/03/2009 19:03:25 |
'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' I don't differentiate between any of my customers, they cover a wide range of tastes, ages and backgrounds. Many do not drink alcohol at all. The problem lies not with my regular trade but with the real alees who look down their noses and exclaim that Tetley Cask is not a real ale at all. We shift around 3-4 nines a week, serve it cold, with a big creamy head, use plastic cask breathers and tilting stillages all the things CAMRA hate. Whats your opinion of Tetley Cask? Looking at yesterdays till reading we sold around 2.4 brewers barrels around 50% of that would have been Carlsberg, and 90% of that would have been extra cold but then thats our market. We did try stocking a range of bottled real ales priced at around the same as draught, ended up knocking them out cheap to get rid of them. As for Marstons, don't think I have ever been asked, does not have a big market precence in this part of the world This post replies to Phil Liddell > 'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' |
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| kevin o'connor 15/03/2009 19:35:36 |
'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' My point regarding the closure/moving of the Tetley brewery was simly that CAMRA members etc do not consider the real ales produced by the big brewers as being the real deal and don't drink them. Then when these same brewers announce that they are closing, moving or whatever these same people then <stop>****</stop> to the world about wicked brewers, cannot have it both ways. This post replies to Phil Liddell > 'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' |
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| kevin o'connor 15/03/2009 19:45:21 |
'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' Double post edited by: kevin o'connor at: 15/03/2009 19:45:49 This post replies to Phil Liddell > 'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' |
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David Pott 15/03/2009 22:24:38 |
'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' While I agree that not every pint is going to be in tip-top condition the beer on average should be of a high standard, which in the two pubs that I am talking about is not the case; especially as there are a number of pubs within a stones throw that serve a consistently good pint are not listed. There are now many pubs selling real ale; far too many don't know how to keep it or think that the more different ales on sale are more impressive than one or two maintained at their best. Simply for the reason that so many pubs sell ales now it is not practical for Camra to sample beers in every one. So it stands to reason that as the guide is not representative of the what is available its days as being any use as a good beer guide have gone. This post replies to Phil Liddell > 'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' |
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Phil Liddell 16/03/2009 16:53:03 |
'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' Kevin, if you check out the GBG, Tetleys is a listed beer in many, many entries. Tetley's nor any other National Brewer is detrimentally treated, and pubs serving their beer are listed on merit. CAMRA members do not shun the Nationals - Green King IPA won Best bitter a couple of years ago. Many others have won previous awards - though many of those breweries have been closed by bigger global companies. I always preferred Tetleys brewed in Leeds, rather than Warrington where my local pubs got it from. Also by choice I prefer to taste a local brewery beer rather than a National brand, or mass produced, chemically enhanced fiz, but that is my choice. And yes some is inferior to Tetleys and the like. But if it wasn't for CAMRA, I wouldn't have that choice. Before the massive takeovers of the 70's where the Country ended up with the Big six Brewers, beer was a very regional affair - the local breweries supplied the local tenants, who supplied the locals with their favourite tipple. I'm sure Tetleys in Devon probably didn't exist. CAMRA do have policies I don't agree with, legislation for a full pint is one, cask breathers is one I'm undecided on. But on the whole they promote cask beer well, and don't deserve the stereotyping (tar and brush) that Oliver has stooped to, and that you support. This post replies to kevin o'connor > 'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' |
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| Phil Liddell 16/03/2009 17:34:48 |
'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' Ewan, why the pulled post? This post replies to this thread |
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| kevin o'connor 16/03/2009 17:38:17 |
'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' You have had better experiences with these people than I have. As it is a market you are more involved with that would be right. Tetleys arrived here I would guess via Tolchards/Allied Brewery who then became part of Carlsberg Tetley. As regards full pints, well we have been doing it for years, long before it became an issue with CAMRA. Cask breathers are more hygenic and keep the flavour of the beer better. They do promote cask beer very well but sometimes.........You may not agree with Oliver but I would not disagree with one word he said, but we are looking at it from totally different viewpoints so I guess we will not be agreeing with each other. Hope Ewan puts back your post, most odd it was deleted This post replies to Phil Liddell > 'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' |
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| martin kay 16/03/2009 17:51:59 |
'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' At least Phil, the Beer Orders helped to break the vertical integration supply arrangements that you and I appear to remember that limited the locals to their favourite tipple; but only that. edited by: martin kay at: 16/03/2009 17:53:03 This post replies to Phil Liddell > 'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' |
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| Phil Liddell 16/03/2009 18:34:09 |
'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' That's right, the Beer Orders intention was good, just that the Breweries second guessed the outcome, and created the Pub Cos. And they'll second guess again with the latest enquiry - I think they already have by creating smaller 'divisions' in their estate. The Beer Orders prevented a product, hence price <stop>****</stop> in single Brewery saturated areas, but they spawned the Pub Cos who still have a monopoly on pub ownership. Hence the price of beer is still 'fixed' due to high supply price to tenants. However, the number of pubs that are being offloaded by the Pub Cos in 'fire sales' is creating a nice freehold market that never existed before. But that doesn't bode well for the likes of me as a lease holder, nor for tenants unless attitudes within the Pub Co's change. This post replies to martin kay > 'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' |
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| Phil Liddell 16/03/2009 19:53:16 |
'It’s hard to keep the gobby hobbits happy' And back to the thread, how a man in Oliver's position, can have the audacity to publicise what I presume are his, not his Company's views, on an organisation which have actively supported and promoted the Breweries that have recently been purchased by Marstons (Jennings, Ringwood, Wychwood, Brakspear), is beyond me. Don't forget, his Company by a previous name W & D, purchased Mansfield and Marstons, closed Mansfield Brewery and rationalised Marstons products and bases. Is that what he plans for the above? What does he fear from CAMRA that he has to resort to vile insults, stereotyping a consumer organisation that should be applauded for keeping British traditional brewing on the map. His Company may contract brew for Carlsberg and the like, but his main products are cask beers. I say let the bearded, beer bellied (maybe), possibly sandal wearing Mr Protz have his say in the M.A. and not be sensored as this forum is. Then again, I'd doubt Mr Protz would stoop to Oliver's level. This post replies to this thread |
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