Tetley's To Close?

Post by **cnosni** » Fri 04 Dec, 2009 10:01 pm

The Parksider wrote: railnut wrote: Yorkshire Post has a feature on Carlsberg this as far as I am aware, Northampton is a lager production centre. So what IS going to happen to the proper beers? They will be continued to be brewed by Daleside, Skipton, Timmy's, Leeds, Rudgate, etc.......We're far better off for beers nowadays than in the Tet's heyday. Very good point sir,very good

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Fri 04 Dec, 2009 11:16 pm

I read somewhere that Coors, the American owned multi-national that now owns what used to be Bass actually subcontract the production of Bass bitter, the former namesake and pride of the group, out to one of the specialist "independent" brewers (I think it was Marstons, but I could be wrong).It's no secret that Carlsberg are thought to be looking to do the same with Tetleys.Production of all John Smith cask ale was shipped over to Lancashire a few years ago, with only "Smooth" still being produced in Taddy. I also know of at least one pub landlord who was repeatedly encouraged by his area rep to replace cask with smooth rather than selling both as the smooth is easier to produce, keeps forever and doesn't need looking after like a proper beer.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Sat 05 Dec, 2009 9:22 am

raveydavey wrote: I read somewhere that Coors, the American owned multi-national that now owns what used to be Bass actually subcontract the production of Bass bitter, the former namesake and pride of the group, out to one of the specialist "independent" brewers (I think it was Marstons, but I could be wrong).It's no secret that Carlsberg are thought to be looking to do the same with Tetleys.Production of all John Smith cask ale was shipped over to Lancashire a few years ago, with only "Smooth" still being produced in Taddy. I also know of at least one pub landlord who was repeatedly encouraged by his area rep to replace cask with smooth rather than selling both as the smooth is easier to produce, keeps forever and doesn't need looking after like a proper beer. I was down the A38 last week for the first time for a few years on an ancestor hunt. The brewery you can see on the left which used to say Bass now says Coors. On our holiday in Wales in September I drank quite a lot of Bass, and TBH most of it wasn't remarkable, but then one afternoon in Ross on Wye - yes I know it's not in Wales, we stopped for a drink in this little back street boozer, and I had a pint of draught Bass, it was the best pint of the week. I wouldn't be surprised if Coors are getting a craft brewer to brew Bass. Whoever now owns Boddingtons gets either Hydes or Holts I think to brew cask Boddies. Presumably that's what Carlsberg will do when Hunslet closes. I don't drink much Tetleys these days, Leeds Best, Taylors Landlord, Ossett Excelsior are all great drinks.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Thu 10 Dec, 2009 1:51 pm

raveydavey wrote: I also know of at least one pub landlord who was repeatedly encouraged by his area rep to replace cask with smooth rather than selling both as the smooth is easier to produce, keeps forever and doesn't need looking after like a proper beer. That's nothing new, in the seventies Tetley's reps tried to get landlords to buy sterilised, gas pumped "keg" and the equally "processed" tank beer (places like the Oak and Fforde Grene took this, pumped like oil from tankers).By the mid seventies they were nearly sucessful in strangling their own products of cask bitter and mild, in the relentless pursuit of not giving the customer what he/she wants, but giving them what Tetley's wanted them to drink for profit. Indeed other breweries in what was a market with a few big providers, were complicit in trying to ensure that there was no choice at all. Keg, Tank or nothing.John Smiths ended up offering no real beer and at the Queens Hall beer festival a large John Smiths sign was placed over the toilet block.Tetleys were FORCED back into the cask market by CAMRA and market customer pressure but they did not like it and tried to get Tetleys accepted nationally as a keg drink, and all the directors were rubbing their hands when "smoothflow" was introduced, thus linking back to your post.Whilst retaining the name "Tetleys" no beer can remain what you want it to be unless it's actually brewed with the waters and the yorkshire squares of the REAL Tetley brewery?Do we really think it's a good idea to give a penny of our money to Carlsberg PLC or one of their sub contractors in pursuit of some sort of mistaken nostalgia? As good as Tetley's may have been to many it was provided to you by a corporate giant uncaringly.And if you want to buy a fake pint of fake nostalgia doesn't that then kick the Ossetts, Skipton's and Leeds Breweries in the teeth?Just a personal view.........

simonm · Post by **simonm** » Thu 10 Dec, 2009 2:17 pm

imho, Tetley's death throes are at an end. The only thing remotely Tetleys, is the name.

Si · Post by Si » Thu 10 Dec, 2009 3:06 pm

simonm wrote: imho, Tetley's death throes are at an end. The only thing remotely Tetleys, is the name. ...or the tea.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Thu 10 Dec, 2009 3:17 pm

The Parksider wrote: Tetleys were FORCED back into the cask market by CAMRA and market customer pressure but they did not like it and tried to get Tetleys accepted nationally as a keg drink, and all the directors were rubbing their hands when "smoothflow" was introduced, thus linking back to your post. Oh dear I've found myself agreeing with you However I disagree on one small point, in the seventies Tetley's cask was all but wiped out, but there were some bright spots. At the time I lived in West Ardsley - and within walking distance of one of them the Hare and Hounds - he never took the handpumps out - unlike the Stump at Morley which took them out in April 1977 and put them back in October 1977. The landlord of the Hare was dedicated to the quality of his beer - he used to drink it himself. He wouldn't have pork scratchings in the place - he said it spoiled the head on the beer! As for John Smiths - not only did they eradicate cask John Smiths, they (or their owners Courage) also bought Barnsley Brewery and ended production of Barnsley Bitter. Why they had this keg/tank beer policy in Yorkshire defeats me - you could go down south at the time and buy Courage Directors and Best on handpump in many pubs. I think CAMRA's greatest victory was over Double Diamond (you never see it these days - I wonder why?) At the time Double Daimond were issuing badges with catchy slogans on like DD4Me etc. CAMRA came up with DD is K9P and effectively killed Double Diamond as a brand name. Perhaps they'll revive it to sell in Leeds's Tetleys pubs!

Loiner in Cyprus · Post by **Loiner in Cyprus** » Thu 10 Dec, 2009 8:18 pm

Trojan wrote: The Parksider wrote: Tetleys were FORCED back into the cask market by CAMRA and market customer pressure but they did not like it and tried to get Tetleys accepted nationally as a keg drink, and all the directors were rubbing their hands when "smoothflow" was introduced, thus linking back to your post. Oh dear I've found myself agreeing with you However I disagree on one small point, in the seventies Tetley's cask was all but wiped out, but there were some bright spots. At the time I lived in West Ardsley - and within walking distance of one of them the Hare and Hounds - he never took the handpumps out - unlike the Stump at Morley which took them out in April 1977 and put them back in October 1977. The landlord of the Hare was dedicated to the quality of his beer - he used to drink it himself. He wouldn't have pork scratchings in the place - he said it spoiled the head on the beer! As for John Smiths - not only did they eradicate cask John Smiths, they (or their owners Courage) also bought Barnsley Brewery and ended production of Barnsley Bitter. Why they had this keg/tank beer policy in Yorkshire defeats me - you could go down south at the time and buy Courage Directors and Best on handpump in many pubs. I think CAMRA's greatest victory was over Double Diamond (you never see it these days - I wonder why?) At the time Double Daimond were issuing badges with catchy slogans on like DD4Me etc. CAMRA came up with DD is K9P and effectively killed Double Diamond as a brand name. Perhaps they'll revive it to sell in Leeds's Tetleys pubs! I'm reasonably certain that the Leeds Rugby League Supporters club never had their pumps taken out. I remember going there in there 70's for what me and my drinking friends regarded as the best pint of Tetleys in Leeds. Incidently, me and my drinking friends were all Rugby Union players at the time!!

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Thu 10 Dec, 2009 8:35 pm

As has been said, if Tetleys is set to continue in name only by being brewed elsewhere by a different company, then what is the point?I'd rather have a pint of Landlord or Pale Gold or Leeds Best or Golden Pippin and support a real Yorkshire Brewery, rather than giving money to Carlsberg for something that isn't what it says on the pump clip.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Thu 10 Dec, 2009 8:50 pm

raveydavey wrote: As has been said, if Tetleys is set to continue in name only by being brewed elsewhere by a different company, then what is the point?I'd rather have a pint of Landlord or Pale Gold or Leeds Best or Golden Pippin and support a real Yorkshire Brewery, rather than giving money to Carlsberg for something that isn't what it says on the pump clip. The problem is that to Carlsberg it's just a brand name. Just because Kit kat isn't made in York does that stop it being Kit Kat? That's the way corporations like Carlsberg look at things. Their beer is a worldwide brand, it doesn't have to be brewed in Denmark no matter what the adverts say. The problem is that with cask beers, to retain their character they really do need to be brewed in their traditional home. Speckled Hen doesn't taste the same since Greene King moved it to Bury St Edmunds. They don't care. it's just a product to them. That's what we're up against I'm afraid.