UK, London: A historic rebellion is brewing in the drinking houses of Britain, as feisty ales like "Wat Tyler", "Hobgoblin" and "Celtic Queen" rise to do battle with transnational lager superbrands, Reuters revealed on October 29. Peasant martyrs who challenged the tyrants of their day are the favoured figureheads of local cask-ale brewers, who say they face similar challenges in taking on the stock market-listed corporations. In their sights are brewing giants like InBev, the world's biggest brewer, which they accuse of putting profits before heritage and culture.

The two sides have failed to find a common language. Small brewers talk of globalisation and the loss of heritage, while the listed companies talk of profits and shareholder return. This week, Britain's third biggest union T&G voted to strike at Boddingtons brewery in the northern city of Manchester over InBev's plans to move production from the plant, which it says is old, inflexible and in decline. "It's an emotional case, but the business case is irrefutable," said a spokesman for InBev, which was formed from the merger of Belgium's Interbrew with Brazil's AmBev earlier this year.

"It's an inflexible, old cask ale brewery. The tide is that cask ale is declining, and we can't fight that." But the T&G union argues that the plant, which makes the "Cream of Manchester" is still profitable. "There can only be one reason for the closure, and it's pure corporate greed," said T&G organiser Franny Joyce. "Interbrew has shown little regard for the history and heritage of many of the local beer brands it has acquired, transferring them from pillar to post and often eventually axing them," he added.

While brewing corporations have been shelving and selling off small traditional breweries for decades to focus on internationally branded lagers like Fosters, Carlsberg and Stella Artois, traditional ales are booming. "If anything, the big boys moving towards nitro-keg has done the small brewers a favour," says Francis Patton of Punch Taverns, which owns over 8,300 of Britain's 60,000 or so pubs.

Rupert Thompson, whose Wychwood Brewery makes ales for Britain's Prince Charles and also the award-winning "Dog's Bollocks" brand, says the market is primed for ales that have been skilfully brewed and cleverly marketed. "Part of this is a reaction to globalisation," he said. "Drinkers want to support local people and not corporations."

03 November, 2004