Siba to provide cellar services
Siba, the small brewers group, has teamed with the country's leading technical services group Innserve to provide cellar services and dispense help for licensees selling its members' beers.
Building on the success of its direct delivery scheme, Siba will act as facilitator between licensee, local brewer and Innserve, and bill the brewer for Inn-serve's work.
Siba's latest step towards raising professional standards among its members addresses complaints from large brewers that Siba members have been enjoying a "free ride" with technical services.
Nick Stafford, of Siba, said: "Many small brewers have had their beer going though someone else's lines, and this is the way for them to take full responsibility for their own dispense.
"Yes, our members will now have to pay, but this is a cost-effective service, which provides a level playing field for beer dispense.
"If we didn't do this, it might have led to a meltdown in help from national brewers, and quality would have taken a nose dive."
Siba's annual report, out this week, says that 70% of members are not happy with the level of dispense equipment service they are able to provide for their pub customers, and that two-fifths of these brewers currently seek help in this vital area.
