Smartcellar backs down over National Measurement Office claims

Smartcellar, the beer flow kit manufacturer, has backed down over initial claims the government's National Measurement Office (NMO) had concluded a series of tests on its equipment.

Mike Lawton, Smartcellar's business development manager, had said the NMO had concluded the results of its evaluation into the accuracy of the technology were "consistent with those claimed by the company".

However, it transpires the NMO subsequently asked the group to clarify its comments and in a new statement Smartcellar said that while the tests had not been completed the results had so far confirmed its own claims that the kit was 97 per cent accurate when telling apart keg beer, water and line cleaner.

"Cask beer volume recognition was slightly lower, but Smartcellar are confident this will be improved as part of their continued work at the NMO," Lawton said.

"Our keg accuracy figure is highly unlikely to change, with the target of cask accuracy being improved over the next few weeks," he added.

Lawton also said the NMO had felt there was a "faint hint" in an announcement from the group regarding the accuracy of its equipment that the Office was endorsing its product, something it was happy to correct.

A spokesman for the NMO said the organisation had no issues with Smartcellar's revised claims.

Lawton said he believed a final NMO report on the group's equipment, which he said was fitted in more than 200 pubs across the UK, would be ready "by the end of July".

He added that Smartcellar was making progress to sign up new customers for its products and was currently undertaking system trials in a number of operators whose estate size ranged from 10 to 60 pubs.

Smartcellar was recently acquired by Derek Collin, the man who founded Brulines but no longer has any ties to the business.