Leeds MP calls for Carlsberg boycott over Tetley's move

Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland has called on the people of Leeds to boycott Carlsberg lager following the decision to move Tetley's cask ale production to Wolverhampton.

Mulholland, who led the campaign to keep Tetley's in Leeds, said he was "bitterly disappointed" by the decision to outsource brewing to Marston's brewery in Wolverhampton (Tetley's cask ale moves to Wolverhampton​).

Tetley's Smoothflow will continue be brewed by Molson Coors in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.

"This is an appalling decision by Carlsberg UK, which brings a sad end to over 180 years of brewing in Leeds.

"It's a decision made purely in the interests of corporate greed with no regard for Tetley's heritage as a famous Leeds beer.

"I am calling for the good people of Leeds to boycott Carlsberg lager to show how we feel about them moving Tetley's away. I hope they will join me in not touching another drop of Carlsberg."

Mulholland added that Tetley's would no longer be Tetley's in much the same way as Boddington's is not Boddington's now it is no longer brewed in Manchester.

"The future is in the fabulous smaller breweries in Leeds such as the Leeds Brewery and the Wharfebank Brewery who will carry on the brewing tradition in Leeds."

Careless of heritage​

All Party Parliamentary Beer Group chairman and Selby MP John Grogan also slammed the decision to move cask production.

"I think that Freddie Trueman, who used to advertise Tetley's Bitter, will be turning in his grave at the thought of cask ale production being moved to the Midlands.

"By transferring Tetley's cask ale out of Yorkshire, the brand will never be quite the same again.

"I just cannot believe that there was no viable option to produce cask ale in God's own county. Carlsberg has always been very protective of their own heritage but rather careless of other people's.

"The least they could do now is to consider very seriously proposals for at least part of their Leeds site to be sold off to another independent brewer."

No option​

Carlsberg UK marketing director Darran Britton stressed that the majority of Tetley's volume would still be brewed in Yorkshire.

"We wanted to brew cask in Yorkshire but the capacity was not available so we had to look at the next best option," he said.

"We respect everybody's heritage but this was not an easy decision to make. The UK beer market is very challenging with further duty increases and regulatory burden and pubs closing.

"As a brewer we need to respond and maximise efficiency. In a difficult market, we have to make difficult decisions."

Britton also said the traditional square fermenters and Tetley's unique dual-strain yeast would be used by Marston's.