No place like home

Global consolidation in the beer market has led to an increase in brands being brewed under licence, but is the beer the same? By Ben McFarland.

The recent news that the keg production of Boddington's is to be moved from its Strangeways home to Wales was been difficult to swallow for some.

The potential loss of more than 68 jobs at the Manchester brewery was overshadowed by criticism of Interbrew's decision, with many arguing that the "Cream of Manchester" will not be nearly as gorgeous if brewed in Magor.

What's more, the Belgian brewer may once more have to endure the wrath of ale drinkers if, as has been mooted within the trade, it decides to brew draught Bass at its Strangeways brewery as soon as the beer's contract at Burton, owned by Coors, expires in three years.

It is not the first time that this debate has reared its head and it is unlikely to be the last. Twelve months ago, Greene King was rebuked by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for relocating its Ruddles Ale and Old Speckled Hen brands. The organisation even banned them from the 2001 Great British Beer Festival.

CAMRA argued that the beers, bought by Greene King from the now-defunct Oxfordshire brewer Morlands, lacked the "natural ingredients" and "local taste" they once had and claimed Greene King's actions were tantamount to professing a wine is from Bordeaux when it comes from Cleethorpes.

However, according to Dr James Murray, an international brewing consultant for Brewing Research International, advances in brewing technology have made it possible to recreate a beer, regardless of location.

"As long as you are aware of the beer's characteristics and have the raw materials it's possible," he said.

"If we're talking about the intrinsic values of a beer, the flavour, aroma, appearance and the way a beer pours, then they can be replicated. There's no reason why it can't be done - it just needs due care and attention."

Of the top 10 lager brands in this year's Publican Brands Report, Beck's is the only contender that is not brewed under licence in the UK - it's been produced in Bremen since 1874.

However, pub-goers may be forgiven for assuming otherwise if the advertising for some of the major brands is to be believed.

In recent years, only one brand, Cobra, has fallen foul of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rule that "no advertisement should mislead by inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration, omission or otherwise". However, some are sailing closer to the wind than others.

Carlsberg-Tetley, for example, claims in its advertising for Carlsberg Export that the lager brand is so good the Danes "hate to see it leave". Luckily, our Scandinavian friends can put their hankies away and sleep easy as the vast majority of the lager is brewed in Northampton.

Stella Artois is brewed in Wales but originates from Belgium, although its "Reassuringly Expensive" campaign, featuring French-speaking peasants, suggests otherwise.

Kronenbourg is another brand to draw heavily on French imagery despite the fact it's brewed in Reading, although since its relaunch earlier this year a small amount of 1664 drunk here does indeed make the trip from Strasbourg.

For another Scottish Courage brand, Foster's, it's a case of he who thinks Australian drinks Berkshire, while the all-American Budweiser is produced down the M4 in Mortlake, West London.

Other unlikely pairings include Holsten, Oranjeboom and Kingfisher and the sedate Kent town of Faversham, while Bedford is home to Red Stripe, Kirin and Cobra. Booming sales of the top brands suggest that the issue of brewing under licence isn't a major concern for mainstream beer drinkers, but those brands that can boast genuine imported status are held in high esteem by a growing number of speciality beer devotees.

Authenticity, heritage and the word "imported" on a label are all valuable weapons in an increasingly eclectic speciality beer market, where consumers are generally more discriminating and discerning.

Heineken recently decided to replace its standard strength UK Cold Filtered lager with a new five per cent version of Heineken imported from Holland, earmarked for release next year.

Richard Bradbury, on-trade sales director, said: "We wanted to get the message across to the consumer that there's been a change and one effective way of doing that is returning the brand to its country of origin. But we won't be labouring the fact as Heineken is a global brand and has never really been sold as a Dutch beer."

Budweiser Budvar, on the other hand, has placed its brewed at source credentials at the forefront of all its marketing and advertising.

"If Budweiser Budvar had a list of commandments certainly one of the most important would be 'thou shalt not brew under licence'," said chief executive John Harley (pictured)​.

"This is not simply a matter of image and integrity - although of course they come into it. A more fundamental issue is at the core of our thinking, that is you simply can't brew Budweiser Budvar anywhere else but in Ceske Budejovice.

"It certainly cannot, as some experts would have it, just be reduced to a recipe that can be knocked up in anybody's corporate kitchen so long as they have the right equipment and I believe that more and more drinkers are understanding this."

Budweiser Budvar is also calling on other brewed at source beers on sale in the UK to come together and shout the fact from the rooftops.

One potential partner is Löwenbräu. Two years ago, Refresh UK replaced Löwenbräu Premium, brewed in the UK, with a stronger version, Löwenbräu Original, imported direct from Munich as part of a brand relaunch.

"We believed that it was necessary to return Löwenbräu to Munich as it's the centre of the brewing world and that going back to its roots was very important in terms of differentiating the brand from its competitors in the UK market," said chairman Rupert Thompson.

Rupert is in the midst of finding a new home for the Brakspear portfolio of beers recently acquired following the closure of the Henley Brewery earlier this year.

"I believe that for some brands geographic location is important but it is possible to move brands," he argued.

"We believe that Brakspear is a brand that has a very loyal following and its local roots are very important and that's why we're going to build a specialist brewery in the Thames Valley area and we will source the raw materials from local producers."

He was sceptical about a possible alliance with other genuine imported beers, however.

"Authenticity and location are both important in developing a point of difference but I'm reluctant to support any campaign that may knock other brands as it may undermine the credibility of the beer sector overall.

"Unless, of course, there are brands pulling a fast one. I do have reservations about advertising which implies very strongly that a beer is imported when it's not. If brewers don't respect the issue of integrity then what chance is the consumer going to have?"