Micro makes waves

Brothers Jeff and Steve Pickthall aim, through South London's Microbar, to 'rescue good beer from weirdy-beardies'. Ben McFarland finds out more

Jeff and Steve Pickthall are men on a mission. The Cumbrian-born brothers have embarked upon a solitary crusade to convert the hordes of British drinkers from "bland beers" to more exciting and flavoursome craft-produced brews.

Four years ago, Jeff returned from a holiday in the US and, inspired by what was going on across the pond, decided to open the Microbar in Clapham, South London, - a small pocket of resistance against the seemingly unstoppable march of the big beer brands.

"We went to California and discovered what they were doing with their beers," said Jeff. "We knew there was good beer but didn't think it was easy to find - it was everywhere and it was a huge revelation to find that people were really voting with their tastebuds.

"We were dissatisfied with drinking at pubs that were selling mass-produced industrial muck with no taste and no flavour, and we had to do something about it."

Clear parallels can be drawn between the US market a few years ago and the current state of the British beer sector. The consolidation of the UK beer industry is set to continue and American brewer Coors predicts that by 2005, 75 per cent of the British beer sector will be commanded by just 10 brands - a statistic bemoaned by both beer lovers and proponents of consumer choice.

However, according to Steve, Jeff's younger brother and business partner, hope and inspiration can be drawn from the US beer market of yesteryear.

"In America they responded to the Anheuser-Busch and Miller stranglehold by creating a sub-culture of home-brewing. The consumers, who were utterly dismissive of Bud and Miller, began choosing not on price but on flavour."

For a similar beer-drinking revolution to take place on these shores, however, the Pickthalls believe the beer industry needs to abandon its infatuation with cask ale and tradition.

One of Microbar's principal objectives, as declared in the tent cards that adorn its tables and bar, is to "rescue good beer from the clutches of weirdy-beardies".

"British brewers and CAMRA are forever going on about tradition but the word is banned in our bar as it's not interesting," said Jeff. "It just doesn't appeal to intelligent people and never will. We could sell 'Ye Olde Peculiar Brewer's fart', but frankly no-one wants to buy it and I don't blame them," said Jeff.

"I believe that cask ale would be better off if it had been left to die in the 1970s and keg beers had been allowed to rule the roost - that way the small brewers could have started again in the same way they did in the US where they're not weighed down by tradition".

Jeff also points towards CAMRA's pre-occupation with low pricing as the major factor hampering the efforts of smaller brewers.

"When was the last time you paid for a pint of real ale that was more expensive than the mass-produced rubbish?" said Steve. "CAMRA is so parsimonious and they defend the status quo by campaigning for value for money - a euphemism for cheapness.

"Take Brakspear, for example. It's making loads of beer but not making any money. That's because of the simple fact that its core consumer is not paying enough."

This ethos is firmly reflected in the price list at Microbar with a pint of the two draught beers, Anchor Steam and Liberty Ale, priced at £3.60 and £3.80 respectively. "Our policy is drink less but drink better," added Steve. "It may be expensive, but it's less than two pints of crappy lager and you get more than two pints' worth in terms of satisfaction - Liberty Ale is the best beer in the world."

Although Microbar is nestled in the well-heeled district between Clapham Common and Battersea, Jeff admits that the price policy will not sit well with the mass market.

"We're not interested in satisfying everybody," said Jeff. "We don't really worry about 18-24 year-olds. If a person comes in asking for Stella, we're quite happy to tell him we don't sell it and we won't shed any tears if he goes off in a huff.

"We recognise a growing inkling among pub-goers that there is very good beer around, but they don't know where to get it and they think they're stuck with the mass-produced industrial rubbish."

Steve added: "There are a lot of people who want something different but need a helping hand - given the huge range of styles and strange names it can be quite intimidating."

For a bar that is heavily beer-led, Microbar has attracted a healthy female following with more than a third of its clientele being made up of the fairer sex.

"It's not hard to sell beer to women - they're looking for more vivid flavours and are far more adventurous than the men," said Jeff. "You often get a couple come in and the man assumes women don't like beer. Meanwhile, his wife or girlfriend is chatting with a member of staff about wheat beers or fruit beers."

One of the best-sellers at Microbar, a Belgian raspberry-flavoured beer called Liefman Frambozen and served in a champagne flute is particularly popular among the ladies.

The Microbar has also banned the traditional (yes that word again!) pint glass in an attempt to become more female-friendly.

"Glassware is really important - at first we thought it might be too intimidating for people but we were wrong.

Brewers need to avoid pint imagery and start getting intelligent and humorous women drinking beer and they won't do that with a pint glass," said Jeff.

Steve has other ideas. "Beer needs a revamp - it needs to get someone like Peter Mandelson involved so all his Islington media types can write about it."

The next step for the Pickthalls is expanding into consultancy, giving advice and sourcing beers for bars that are looking to improve their offering.

Steve said: "Earlier this year when a group of bankers spent £44,000 on wine in a top London restaurant, they drank two beers while waiting for their table - I think there's an opportunity there!"

The Microbar Manifesto​

Our mission is:​

• to rescue good beer from the clutches of weirdy-beardies
• to challenge you into realising there is more to beer than low-quality, mass-produced lager, bitter and "Irish" stout
• to make natural, high-quality, hand-made products easily accessible
• less is more. We encourage a "Drink Less, Drink Better" ethos. Not only is it better for you and your waistline, but your taste buds will thank you for it too
• no "big screen" sport, ever, and no TV screens
• we offer choice, an alternative and resistance to the relentless march of bland pub chains and their mass-produced mediocrity, whether it be an "olde worlde" pub (real or mock) or modern identikit bar.

BE PART OF THE BEER BACKLASH!