Stuffing the supermarkets

More than 10 brewers and a pubco have offered their support to licensee Tony Brookes and his bid to "Stuff the Supermarkets" at their own game in the run-up to Christmas.

Cask ale brewers including Black Sheep, Caledonian and Thwaites, as well as Czech lager brand Budweiser Budvar, have all agreed to back promotions across Mr Brookes's Head of Steam pub estate in Yorkshire and the North East.

The promotions will see customers take home free bottles of beer through a collector-card mechanic.

For example Thwaites is offering two free bottles of beer to consumers who have bought six pints, while Caledonian is offering a free bottle of its Golden Promise beer to anyone who buys four pints.

According to Brookes, customers will not be allowed to drink their free gifts in the pub. He hopes customers will save up their many collector cards and claim their free beer and cider for Christmas, enabling them to enjoy quality products they wouldn't be able to buy in the supermarket over the festive period.

Cran Kennedy, account manager for Black Sheep, explained why the Yorkshire brewer got behind the scheme.

"We're fully behind any initiative which encourages people back to their local pub to enjoy traditional cask ale and Head of Steam's promotion is doing just that. The aim is to help our customers stock up on bottled beer for the Christmas period, whilst enjoying their pint in the local.

"Our sales of cask ale to Head of Steam have increased by 80 per cent on last year as a result of previous similar campaigns and feedback from customers has been excellent."

Tynemill Pub Company in Nottingham has also agreed to join up with the campaign and now Brookes wants other pub retailers to follow their example and join in his crusade against supermarkets.

"I want to see lots of pub groups jump on the bandwagon with this and arrange similar deals with their local suppliers. Together we can really achieve something and hit supermarkets where it hurts," he said.

Brookes believes that supermarkets are the biggest culprits in the binge-drinking debate. "I talk to taxi drivers in Newcastle and they all say when people come in for a night out in town they are out of their skull already from drink consumed at home," he said.

How are will you be competing with the supermarkets this Christmas? Let Adam know on adamw@thepublican.com or at 020 7955 3715​