Yes, we are so committed to our historic cask beers, that we are
closing Boddingtons (brewing since 1700s) and moving Bass out of the
brewery that has been its home also since the 1700s, IIRC :~)
_________________________________________________________________________
from ThePublican.com (long URL)
http://www.thepublican.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=16680&d=32&h=24&f=23&dateformat=%25o%20%25B%20%25Y

Interbrew injects £11m into cask ales
Published 17th March 2005

Interbrew UK is aiming to make cask Bass and Boddington's great again
after announcing a £11m investment programme during 2005.

The two beers are classic cask ale brands but have recently become
symbols of the decline of British brewing following a steady fall in
sales of Bass, and the closure of the Boddington's brewery in
Manchester.

Bass barely scraped into the top 200 in this year's Publican Brands
Report (available on the site on Monday).

Both brands have recently been given new homes, with Bass being brewed
at Marston's brewery in Burton and cask Boddington's moving to
fellow Mancunian brewer Hydes.

Now Interbrew has said it will be putting its full support behind the
cask ale category.

Colin Pedrick, on-trade sales director at Interbrew UK, said there was
a clear opportunity to grow ale sales in the pub trade: "We are
committed to driving the maximum quality of our cask ale brands and
believe this will play a key role in slowing the decline of the
category."

Interbrew is trialling new beer engines for pubs, as the brewer
believes that current models can adversely affect quality serve.

United Advertising Publications
_________________________________________________________________________

"MikeMcG"  wrote in message
news:1112131791.334412.171750@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Yes, we are so committed to our historic cask beers, that we are
closing Boddingtons (brewing since 1700s) and moving Bass out of the
brewery that has been its home also since the 1700s, IIRC :~)

Actually you can't really say that recently Bass was being produced in the
brewery that has been its home since the 1700s. Bass production has moved
around quite a bit in recent decades, from the old burton unions to the
newer Bass brewery that replaced them, then on into the ex Ind Coope brewery
(formerly the home of DBA) and now down the road to Marstons.

On 29 Mar 2005 13:29:51 -0800, "MikeMcG" 
wrote:

>Yes, we are so committed to our historic cask beers, that we are
>closing Boddingtons (brewing since 1700s) and moving Bass out of the
>brewery that has been its home also since the 1700s, IIRC :~)
>_________________________________________________________________________
>from ThePublican.com (long URL)
>http://www.thepublican.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=3D16680&d=3D32&h=3D24&f=3D23=
>&dateformat=3D%25o%20%25B%20%25Y
>
>Interbrew injects =A311m into cask ales
>Published 17th March 2005
>
>Interbrew UK is aiming to make cask Bass and Boddington's great again
>after announcing a =A311m investment programme during 2005.
>
>The two beers are classic cask ale brands but have recently become
>symbols of the decline of British brewing following a steady fall in
>sales of Bass, and the closure of the Boddington's brewery in
>Manchester.


I think it's a good thing if InBev decide there's money to be made out
of flogging cask beer, especially if it means they're going to pay
attention to quality. In many outlets there's little alternative to
these beers. There have been good reports of Marston's brewed Bass,
and the brand is still strong despite extremely variable quality over
the last few years. I'm afraid Boddingtons has lost all credibility
and is doomed though, even if Hydes do a great job of contract brewing
it, which they probably won't.

It'll be interesting to see how Interbrew market cask beers, given the
witless 'Wife Beater - Reassuringly Chavvy' campaign used to promote
Stella (not).

Best regards, Paul
--
Paul Sherwin Consulting     http://paulsherwin.co.uk

"Michael Jones"  wrote in message news:<vDk2e.874$C23.482@newsfe1-win.ntli.net>...

> "MikeMcG"  wrote in message
> news:1112131791.334412.171750@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Yes, we are so committed to our historic cask beers, that we are
> closing Boddingtons (brewing since 1700s) and moving Bass out of the
> brewery that has been its home also since the 1700s, IIRC :~)
> 
> Actually you can't really say that recently Bass was being produced in the
> brewery that has been its home since the 1700s. Bass production has moved
> around quite a bit in recent decades, from the old burton unions to the
> newer Bass brewery that replaced them, then on into the ex Ind Coope brewery
> (formerly the home of DBA) and now down the road to Marstons.


Furry nuff that production of Bass has changed (from Unions to
conicals now, I'm guessing? and as a hop-merchant told me a few years
back, from using good English ale hops, to buying whatever is cheapest
on the international market!) but as to moving production itself - I
thought it had stayed pretty much on the same site?

AFAIK Bass bought the neighbouring Station Street brewery (in 1997
from Carlsberg-Tetley, the former Ind Coope & poss. Allsopps brewery?)
& simply expanded the Bass brewery over the enlarged site (i.e.
broadly speaking the beer has been brewed on the same site)?

A quick google search didn't confirm or deny this. Anyone have an
answer?

BTW, in answer to Paul, yes I agree that big companies putting money
into promoting cask ale & encouraging quality is a good thing, (doing
so while also closing down cask ale breweries is IMO less good ;~)

cheers
MikeMcG.

<snip>


> the last few years. I'm afraid Boddingtons has lost all credibility
> and is doomed though, even if Hydes do a great job of contract brewing
> it, which they probably won't.


Hydes were contracted to reproduce exactly the "quality" of Boddies bitter. 
AIUI they have done that, and people can't tell the difference. Some hope 
that once the quality "restriction" ends, they might attempt to reproduce 
the Boddies bitter of old which some of us fondly remember. I guess it's too 
much to ask for them to reproduce the infinitely superior mild though...

Brian