August 2008 Archives

Asked to confess a guilty pleasure, Speed and Miss Congeniality star Sandra Bullock reportedly replied "a good, strong beer".

Makes you wonder why such a smart gal hasn't relocated this side of the Big Pond, doesn't it?

Beer sales in pubs have slumped by 10 per cent to reach their lowest point since the 1930s, according to figures just released by the British Beer & Pub Association.

But the market for real ale is largely holding up, with sales down by just 1.3 per cent in the past year.

The Society of Independent Brewers is cautiously optimistic that the downward trend is levelling out. Chief executive Julian Grocock told the Campaign for Real Ale: "There is little doubt that our members are doing well by concentrating on quality local beers which offer cash-strapped drinkers something new and exciting to try as people turn away from standard quaffing lagers to quality real ales."

In the wake of new CAMRA research revealing just one in three Britons who drink alcohol have ever tried a pint of real ale, Greene King brewing director Steve Magnall today called on pubgoers to try their national drink.

And he urged MPs to set an example themselves by supporting the country's brewers: "The manufacturing base of this country may be disappearing but as a nation we're extremely successful at brewing. And we should be shouting about it from the rooftops.

"We need those already converted to cask beer to champion the great drink when they are in the pub, introducing it to friends and family and generally spreading the appreciation."

According to a report in today's Daily Express, above-inflation tax increases will land large parts of this land with a £5 pint within four years.

Still, it's not as if we're likely to be raising many glasses to British gold medalists during the 2012 Olympics, is it?

There are times I seriously wonder whether the current government would really prefer us all to stay at home, refraining from any pleasurable vices whatsoever, reducing our brains to blancmange in front of the latest reality television series.

Alton's Pride, from Hampshire independent Triple fff, was today judged Britain's best beer by a panel of brewers, beer writers and journalists.

The award was announced during the Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court, London, which runs until Saturday.

Alton's Pride (3.6 3.8%) is described in the 2008 edition of CAMRA's Good Beer Guide as a "clean-tasting, golden brown beer, full-bodied for its strength with an aroma of floral hops. An initial malty flavour fades as citrus notes and hoppiness take over, leading to a hoppy, bitter finish." It beat off competition from more than 60 finalists in seven categories (best bitters, bitters, golden ales, milds, speciality ales, winter beers and strong bitters), with entrants ranging from tiny micros to major regional brewers.

Roger Protz, one of the finalist judges and Good Beer Guide editor, called it "a magnificent victory for a craft brewery that opened in 1997 with a five barrel plant and has just opened a new brewhouse with a 50 barrel kit.

"[Triple fff] has grown due to consumer demand for its rich and complex beer and proves that the future for real ale in Britain is assured."

Graham Trott, Triple fff's head brewer said: "We are over the moon and delighted to put Alton as a brewery back on the map. I would like to thank everyone who is connected with the brewery and we look forward to more people enjoying our winning beer."

Cumbrian brewer Beckstones took the silver award for its Black Dog Freddy, whilst bronze went to CAMRA's current National Winter Beer of Britain winner Station Porter, from Gloucestershire's Wickwar Brewery.

Read on for the full results:

Pub closures in the Midlands are rocketing after beer sales hit their lowest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s, industry experts warn.

A staggering 417 boozers have shut in the region since 2001 - and the figures look set to rise as the economy heads towards recession.

The 400 year-old Mother Huff Cap pub in Great Alne, Alcester, Warwickshire, has recently closed its doors after being hit by a lack of trade.

Villager Sarah Townsend, 41, has lived next door for nearly 10 years and blamed lease-holders Punch Tavern as well as the credit crunch, rising beer prices and the smoking ban.

She claims that the brewers had not provided the refurbishment or support that was promised to the string of landlords over the past four years.

In an angry letter to Punch Taverns she said: "The residents of Great Alne are very proud of their village and are at their wits' end with the situation.

"What should be a focal point of our village is instead a blot on the landscape."

But in a letter sent to Peter Bostock, Chairman of Great Alne Parish Council, Punch Taverns said the reason the pub had to close was down to lack of trade from the community.

However, in a statement to the Sunday Mercury the company said it hoped to reopen the business, with a new landlord, as early as this Friday.

It added: "We recently spent £25,000 on structural repairs. The new licensees also have plans to develop and refurbish the property."

Last week, it was also revealed that the once-popular Bar Sport Midland chain, which had venues in Cannock, Walsall, Rugby and Lancashire, had gone into administration.

Despite pumping over £4 million pounds into his firm over the past 18 months, owner Scott Murray admitted he had struggled to stay afloat.

He part-blamed England's failure to qualify for the Euro 2008 football tournament for the company crash.

"It just hasn't worked out for us," Mr Murray said "We are looking at a number of different options now as to how to move forward."

Research shows that there are now 9,849 pubs in the Midlands, compared to the 10,266 that existed seven years ago.

Nationally, the figure has dropped from 60,000 to just under 57,500.

Experts have blamed flagging numbers of pub-goers on the crippling credit crunch, combined with the rocketing price of a pint - with punters paying close to £4 in some parts of the Midlands.

British Beer and Pub Association Chief Executive Rob Hayward said: "Beer sales are on the slide and tax increase in the budget has made it worse. This is hitting Britain's brewers and pubs hard. "

Drinkers are getting more value for money at the supermarket where the tax revenue from sales is over 50p-per-pint less than the pub, according to Ashley Cairns, of brewery marketing research firm CGA Strategy.

He added "pre-loading" was also on the increase - where people drink at home before they go out.