Beer history comes back to life

Britain has its beer history back. The National Brewing Centre has opened in the cradle of modern British brewing - Burton-on-Trent.

The former Bass Museum closed a couple a of years ago under the cosh of Molson Coors cutbacks - apparently they reckoned they were losing £1m a year. At one time it attraced 120,000 visitors a year, but was much under promoted by the American beer monolith that now owns most of downtown Burton. This proud Midlands town was once home to the great brewers of the 1800s such as Bass, Worthington and Allsops. Today Marston and a handful of craft brewers make a valiant stand against the Coors might.

However, Coors eventually responded pretty wholeheartedly to what appeared to be an unexpected (to them that is) local outcry that followed the closure. Camra also weighed in supported by the British Guild of Beer Writers and eventually the tide of bad publicity reached even the bean counters at Coors HQ in Boulder, Colorada.

Now the international lager brewer has put £200,000 into the new venture, whch will be run by Planning Solutions, a company with a good track record in the visitor venue market. Coors will also further repent their actions by with £100,00 a year funding: so very well done Coors then.

The main attractions will be housed in a Grade II listed former joiner's shop and vistors will be welcomed by 'Pepper's Ghost' a holographic presenter who will take them on a journey through British brewing complete with a model of Burton in its heyday. There will also be vintage vehicles and a steam locomative along with a mock up of a Victorian railway station platform. Adults (children also welcome) will be able to sample four beers in a tutored tasting master class and there will, of course, be bars and resturants to repair to for further refeshments.

Actors in period costume will interact with visitors while keeping in their Victorian era characters. And shire horses Major and Trooper will also be on parade for weekends and school holidays.

It is planned to move the White Shield brewery into the premises. For the past few years former Bass master brewer Steve Wellington has run the micro brewery to keep the famous brand alive and will be able to produce 100 barrels a week, including Red Shield.

Roger Protz, editor of the Good Beer Guide, who campaigned for the museum to be re-opened, said: "This is exciting news. Burton changed the face of brewing in the 19th century with India Pale Ale and then Pale Ale for the domestic market - the first pale beers brewed anywhere in the world. Brewers came to Burton from Austria, Bavaria and Bohemia to see how pale beer was made and used the knowledge to fashion the first golden lagers.

“The museum will celebrate this rich heritage but it will also be a truly national centre that will celebrate beer styles from all over country.Britain remains a major brewing country and the importance of beer - its past, present and future - will be promoted by the museum. All beer lovers should raise a glass in celebration.”

Spot on there Roger. We will.I will certainly be hot-footing to Burton soon clutching my nine quid and a bit of beer money.

Shock & horror - BBC reports on benefits of the Great British Pub as Nick leads politicians support

Yesterday I was privileged to share, briefly, in my next door neighbours’ diamond wedding anniversary. Sixty years together is a terrific achievement and a time for a little of reflection amongst the celebrations, the helium balloons and congrats from HRH.

Funnily enough, while perambulating down memory lane, we got to talking about pubs. My neighbours recalled that when they married, our small Cheshire village supported five pubs among a butcher, a baker and, if not a candlestick-maker, a sub-post office. The nearest pub was only about 30 seconds brisk walk away. It is now a private house and antique shop.

These days there’s no post office, no butcher, no baker and just one pub left. It still operates decently - through very hard work - despite being under the cosh of a national pub company with a punitive beer tie and swingeing rents.

Of course, the social landscape has changed dramatically since the first half of the last century. For a start, in the countryside there were a lot more thirsty people about then. And boy, did they deserve a pint or what? Many worked in agriculture or 'service' and families of six or seven and more were commonplace, often living in cramped two bedroom cottages (no bathrooms). So the pub must have been a real haven, even if the ale was moderate. Trade was regular, beer was cheap and rents were low.

These days across the UK there are some forty pubs closing each week due to a complex web of trading problems. Much of these are due to the aforementioned pub companies. Then there is the fall out from the smoking ban, unfair beer tax and general lack of Government support - well until the very recent and sudden appointment of a 'Minister for Pubs' (was that the niff of general election in the air?)

On top of all that the incentive to go to the pub isn't the same. Social circumstances are very different from the forties and fifties.There's much more competition for our leisure time (and money) and we also have much more comfortable homes, with touch-of-a-button entertainment.

Meanwhile, out in the countryside, supermarket delivery vans clog the lanes to bring us all the exotic food and cheap booze we desire.Why bother going out at all eh? But, to repeat a point that is well worth repeating, the pub is a special place that other countries just don’t have (See Move Over Darling blog below).

Just the other week I helped organise a music night in our village local. The terrific Cork based band Two Time Polka performed. I recommend them. The place was hammered, even attracting people who rarely venture out in the evenings. As I enjoyed a post event pint, I heard one of them remark that it was brilliant to be in the pub again, socialising with people that they otherwise rarely see. Now that’s what the pub is all about.

Media bashing
And at a time when pubs are taking an almost constant - albeit largely unjustified - media bashing, it was enormously refreshing to hear a wee piece on Radio 4 (yes indeed, the BBC) yesterday. This programme poignantly and positively pointed up just what is great about the British local.

It seems there’s a pub down in Birmingham near Selly Oak hospital playing an important role in rehabilitating our horrendously injured servicemen on their return from Afghanistan.

The NCO ‘in charge of the pub run’ was quoted roughly thus: “It does wonders for them. Many have had life changing injuries and going to the pub gives them the confidence to socialise again.” There we have it. We need the pub. It is an essential part of our social fabric – and what’s more it does you good.

So, just as I was rather hoping all the political parties were taking note as we head towards May 6th, it was cheering to read today's morning's Morning Advertiser bulletin; over 500 prospective parliamentary candidates — including Lib/Dem leader Nick Clegg — have signed up in support of the Campaign for Real Ale's Beer Drinkers and Pub Goers Charter.

The charter calls for MPs to back "radical reform" of the beer tie and to speak up for community pubs, local brewers and consumers. Among the supporters are Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas, Labour's Ruth Smeeth (who? She's a 29 year old Burton candidate), Conservative Nigel Evans, a nice chap from the Parliamentary Beer Group, and good ol' Cleggy.

For me it was more than little interesting to see this support. I was at Moorhouse’s Brewery when the party-leader-of-the-moment visited the famous Burnley brewer earlier this year (see photograph) and ebulliemt MD David Grant was able to bend his ear a bit. Good result David.

On that occasion the youthful 'Nick' (to friends and fellow party leaders) assured me that he had had a liking for cask ale since his student days. Signing up to the charter he said: "I am proud to be a signatory to the charter and to help bring attention to the much-needed support required for well-run community pubs, local brewers and consumer rights which all contribute to community life and boost the local economy." I think that means he likes pubs as well.

CAMRA chief executive Mike Benner proclaimed the support was "great news" for beer drinkers and pub goers. "We expect the next parliament to contain a huge number of MPs who have committed to vital reforms which are necessary to save the UK pub industry," he said. Let’s hope you are right Mike.