THE CARLSBERG Marston’s Brewing Company has announced the decision to axe a number of its beers sold in pubs.
Eleven beers are affected, including ales such as Bank’s Mild, which was among one of the first beers made by the 150-year-old Wolverhampton brewery.
As well as Bank’s Mild, Bank’s Sunbeam will also no longer be available to pubs.
A full list of the affected beers include:
- Banks’s Mild
- Banks’s Sunbeam
- Bombardier
- Eagle IPA
- Jennings Cumberland Ale
- Mansfield Dark Smooth
- Mansfield Original Bitter
- Marston’s Old Empire
- Marston’s 61 Deep
- Ringwood Boondoggle
- Ringwood Old Thumper
However, the brewers have said some beers will continue to be available in other forms after being taken out of production in cask or keg format.
Banks’s Mild will still be sold in keg, and in can, and Bombardier Amber Beer will be available in cask and in bottles.
Jennings Cumberland ale, Marston’s Old Empire IPA and Ringwood Boondoggle will continue to be sold as bottled beer.
A spokesperson for Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company said: “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.”
The campaign group Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has voiced their disappointment at the decision, claiming it is “another example of a globally owned business wiping out UK brewing heritage”.
CAMRA’s Cider and Perry Campaigns Director and Vice Chair, Gillian Hough said: “I hope 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.”
This comes as earlier this year, the Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company announced it would close Banks’s Brewery in Wolverhampton as part of restructuring.
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