CAMRA criticises CMBC’s plans to delist 11 beers from pubs
Eight cask beers and a further three keg brands will no longer be available to pubs, regardless of whether licensees wish to order them, including big names like Banks’s Mild and Bombardier
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has reported that pubs will soon be unable to stock 11 beers, including Banks’s Mild, following the Carlsberg buy-out of the last of Marston’s UK brewing operations.
CAMRA has expressed concern that powerful global brewers could “hugely reduce consumer choice in the UK” as Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing company (CMBC) axes eight classic British cask beers.
It stated that the decision to delist these brands by the end of the year further proves that the conglomerate, which now owns a sizable chunk of the UK brewing scene, will have a “huge impact” on both pubs and pubgoers. Having already closed Jennings Brewery, sold the Eagle Brewery, and announced the closure of Banks’s Brewery, according to CAMRA, this latest move by CMBC delivers “another blow to brewing, consumer choice, and industry jobs”.
Despite an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority finding that the merger of Marston’s and Carlsberg would not have negative effects, CAMRA said that it is now confirmed that the consolidation of the businesses will be followed by the consolidation of their brands, resulting in “a huge loss of choice at the bar for consumers”.
According to CAMRA, eight cask beers and a further three keg brands will no longer be available to pubs, regardless of whether licensees wish to order them, including big names like Banks’s Mild and Bombardier.
However, Carlsberg argued that several of the beers will be available in other formats, with the delisting for either a cask or keg format of that beer. For example, Jennings Cumberland ale and Marston’s Old Empire IPA will no longer be sold in cask, but will continue to be sold as bottled beer. Similarly, Bombardier Amber Beer will no longer be available in keg, but will continue to be available in cask.
Gillian Hough, CAMRA’s Real Ale, Cider and Perry Campaigns director and vice chair, said: “This is another example of a globally owned business wiping out UK brewing heritage. I hope that this change will mean space on the bar for licensees to stock guest beers from local independent breweries, but realistically, I suspect this isn’t what CMBC plans.
“This loss of consumer choice is the inevitable outcome of a brewing conglomerate run by accountants and the bottom line. This is a sad and disappointing decision that puts both the history and the future of British brewing in jeopardy.”
A Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) spokesperson told Catering Today: “As the UK’s largest cask ale brewer, CMBC is passionate about cask ale and delivering a sustainable, successful future for this important part of British beer culture. Like any brewer, we are always reviewing our lines to best appeal to our consumers and help grow cask ale while delivering the highest quality brews.
“Understandably, where demand has sadly declined we do have to make the difficult choice to delist beers. We continue to invest in and launch new cask ales as well as support popular traditional cask ales ranging from Banks’s Amber Bitter to Marston’s Pedigree.”