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uk Evening Post, Wednesday, June 10, 2009 15

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Also in
day2day
Australians wouldn’t give a XXXX for anything else,
yet British beer drinkers have called time on the once- TODAY ’S
popular Castlemaine XXXX brand. With other big CHOICE 11.45 CASH
(R)

brands such as Cobra being saved at the last-gasp,

We
12.15 BA
1.00 BBC

CHRIS VISSER reports on what really whets the (C)

1.30 REGION
We
AL

appetites of Lancashire’s beer drinkers 1.45 DO

2.15 DIA
(R)
CT

TWO HALVES...The Samlesbury brewery has 3.00

seen its lines suffer...but micro breweries like : (FIVE,

NEIGHBOURSfeels
3.05

Bowland (left) are enjoying greater popularity 5.30pm) Zeke 3.25

B
REWED in Samles-
bury, yet long associat-
ed with down under,
Castlemaine XXXX
once formed a strong alcoholic
bond with British beer drinkers
thanks to its catchy advertising
slogan.
But with sales slumping,
Castlemaine has become the
latest casualty drowned out in a
beer market thirsty for busi-
ness.
Beer sales are at their lowest
levels for 40 years, and an aver-
age of 39 UK pubs are closing
each week – it is easy to see
why brands such as XXXX and
Cobra, recently saved at the
last minute from administra-
tion by Molson Coors, have
been struggling to survive.
Yet while the strongly adver-
tised, international lager
brands are struggling, one part
of the beer market is doing
much better: real ale.
In the last year there have been
80 new breweries set up and,
for many, business is booming.
Among the smaller firms that
are enjoying strong sales is
Lancashire’s Bowland Brew-
ery, where owner Richard
Baker says his sales have shot
up by 20%. I think people are foods and it’s “As long as it’s com- struggling to sell at all. That’s At-a-glance
recognising that local is best
and if we have got something
the same for
beers.”
petitively priced it
will sell. There
the view of Gordon Smith, of
the Campaign for Real Ale TV guide
within 30 miles, it is going to be But not have been no fluc- (Camra).
fresher.,” he said. everyone tuations in drink- He says: “People are just not PAGE 34
“In a national pub network agrees that ing trends.” going into pubs for various rea-
beers go all over the place and the likes of And the same is sons, and supermarkets are
can be in places for five or six Foster’s and true of students selling cheap beer. Everyone is
weeks. Kronenberg downing pints at working harder and longer
“People know what’s going in need worry The Ship Inn in hours so people can’t get to the
our beers and we find people in just yet Fylde Road, Pre- pub to drink.
Lancashire tend to like their about sales ston, which has “The problem with pubs clos-
beer below 4% whereas in drying up seen high levels of ing is that the beers these mi-
West Yorkshire it is between 4 yet. lager sales despite crobreweries are selling you
and 5%.” Graham the recession. can’t buy in the supermarkets
The brewer also said that Lan-
cashire customers were moving
Rowson,
landlord of
The pub’s general
manager Gary
as they need a hand pump.”
Increasing tax and health cam-
Puzzles
away from blander mass mar-
ket brands towards fruitier
Continental-type beers.
the Plung-
ington
Hotel in
Wright said: “We
only sell main-
stream lagers –
paigns to cut drinking may be
having an effect. Figures show
& Stars
He adds: “I think people are Lytham Foster’s for the that in the first three months of with Russell
changing the way they drink. Road, students and Car- 2009 beer sales fell by 8.2% on Grant
People want to go out and Plunging- ling for the oth- last year, with 1.7 million few-
enjoy their beer and are look- ton, says ers. We can easily ers pints drunk every day from
ing for quality.” these get through 88 January to March than in the
Paul Riggs, landlord of the brands pints of Foster’s same period in 2008.
Stag’s Head in Goosnargh, have contin- in 24 hours.” The amount of wine being
agrees. He says of mass mar- ued to per- Howver, despite bought in UK pubs and clubs is PAGE 35
keted beers: “I think people form at a “con- brewers flooding the also shrinking by as much as
are a bit tired of them and want stant level” in the past 12 market with new twists on old 1%, but shops have sold up to
something a bit different. months. brands – such as Carling C2 1% more in the last 12 months.
“People like to know where He adds: “We tried selling cask with 2% alcohol strength, and It seems that in current times
stuff comes from and there’s ale but couldn’t get rid of it, but Beck’s Vier, containing 4% al- drinkers really do give a
more interest in local produce. down the road it goes down a cohol – perhaps the real prob- XXXX about what they pour just a click away
We sell lots of locally sourced storm. lem is that beer in general is down their throats.
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