W&DB launches Banks's brand in Birmingham
Wolverhampton & Dudley (W&DB) is looking to take up the slack in the Midlands ale sector with the launch of a new version of its Banks's ale brand.
Banks's Dark Mild Ale, 3.3 per cent ABV, is to be released exclusively into Birmingham as a local alternative to widely drunk, yet neglected, brands such as Carlsberg-Tetley's Ansells Best Bitter and M&B Mild and Brew XI from Coors Brewers.
Alistair Darby (pictured), managing director of W&DB Brands, described the new arrival as a "classic beer for hard-working folk". He added: "In Birmingham there's still a substantial market for dark and mild brands and we felt that there was a place for a darker beer in the Banks's portfolio.
"We have had a long-term ambition to increase our presence in a city that's right on our doorstep. The likes of Ansells and M&B are widely drunk but are not pivotal brands within the Carlsberg-Tetley or Coors businesses and therefore we see a big opportunity as a West Midlands brewer to appeal to local drinkers."
The introduction of Dark Mild Ale, which will be available from late summer solely in keg, preludes a number of changes for the Banks's brand, according to Mr Darby.
For the first time since the early 1990s, the Midlands brewer is giving the brand a much-needed and "dramatically different" makeover. More than £1m has been set aside to update the Banks's image, revamp the bar mounts and convert pumps to hand pull.
"With Banks's Bitter, Banks's Original and now Banks's Dark Mild Ale, customers in Birmingham will be able to buy all their beers from the only surviving brewer in the West Midlands," added Mr Darby.
Meanwhile, Mr Darby has dismissed media reports that W&DB is withdrawing Harp lager from its portfolio. Despite claims that the iconic brand was to be scrapped, W&DB is keen to reassure licensees that Harp will remain available.
As part of a new "flexible" agreement with Diageo, for whom W&DB brews the brand, marketing support for Harp will be reduced and Carlsberg will replace the brand in the W&DB managed estate.
However, Mr Darby added Harp lager will remain available to pubs where the brand has a following and to licensees who see it as an alternative to mainstream brands.
