A Moretti match

While many British pubs are making more of a feature of beer and food, never let it be said that we're too proud to pick up a few pointers from the experts. The Italians, although rightly praised for the way a drop of Chianti washes down a pizza, also know a thing or two about beer.

With Italian-style menus increasingly popular in pubs and bars, Heineken UK has been drawing on the experience gained with its Birra Moretti brand in the Italian restaurant market to expand the beer's standing in the wider on-trade.

In particular, one feature of many pizzerias is that they tend to be a bit on the pokey side when it comes to beer storage and dispense facilities.

The draught option​

In response, an innovative self-contained unit has been developed for Birra Moretti, giving outlets without traditional cellar cooling facilities the option to serve quality draught beer. Typically, offering the beer on draught has been shown to bring higher margins as well as meeting consumer demand.

The Musketeers in Great Dunmoe, Hertfordshire, opened in December 2005. Licensee Martin Rudd and his two partners saw an untapped market for a wine bar in the town. The venue was formerly an upmarket café, which did not open in the evenings.

Martin and his partners were looking for a draught lager which would fit with their vision for the bar, and came across Birra Moretti at a trade show.

"We loved the taste of it, and we thought an authentic Italian lager would be a bit special for our customers," says Martin

The Musketeers has 60 to 70 covers in the restaurant and an additional 50 to 60 in the newly refurbished garden. "We're never going to get through the same amount of lager as a pub - and we don't have a cellar area - so the smaller system is perfect for us," says Martin. "We're stocking about 10 different bottled lagers, but we felt it was important to have a draught lager too."

Perfect with food​

"The best bit, though, has been the reaction of our customers," continues Martin. "They've loved it. We haven't had a single bad word about it, and it's genuinely being talked of around the town as 'Dunmoe's finest pint'. Because there's no after-taste and it's not too gassy, it's perfect for us to serve with food."

The Musketeers uses Birra Moretti branded glasses to keep the authentic feel, and features Moretti mirrors and plaques on the wall too. "We've been seriously impressed with Birra Moretti as have our customers," adds Martin. "I can't fault it!"

At Number Seven in Cheltenham, Gloucester, manager Judy Kim introduced Birra Moretti to accompany the bar's food offer two years ago. Even with a wide range of bottled beer and an extensive wine list to choose from, Birra Moretti is very much in demand among lunchtime customers.

Judy says:"Usually we sell around one case of Birra Moretti a week. But it varies - sometimes we sell two. It is very popular with our 20 to 30-year-old clientele. They really do love the light taste and it complements a light lunch."

Number Seven also uses Birra Moretti branded glassware to capture the authenticity of the brand.