Making

headway ScotCo's new head injection tap was billed as the biggest innovation since the widget.

John Harrington considers its impact one year on There has never been a more important time for licensees to take beer service seriously.

Drinks suppliers and retailers agree that improvements must be made if pubs are to remain the home of beer drinking in the wake of tough competition from the take-home sector and other drinks categories.

Scottish Courage answered the call to improve standards with its head injection tap (HIT) dispense system, billed as "the biggest innovation since the widget".

The device was the brainchild of ScotCo's innovation and new product development team, led by team director Stuart Catchpole.

It took nine months from the concept to be developed to the tap's pub debut a year ago, when ScotCo began a £10m national rollout of HITs across its Foster's, Kronenbourg 1664 and Miller brands.

HIT allows bar staff to pour a consistently cold pint with a tight head that lasts until the drink is finished.

The liquid is dispensed as normal, and then a smooth head is laid across the surface of the beer when the HIT button is pressed.

And the unique O-ring cooling system, a water-cooled jacket which wraps around the lines from the python to the point of dispense, ensures no heat is picked up as the lager makes its way to the spout.

This means that each pint is guaranteedto be cold.

Brand manager Russell Browne says HIT gives the consumer what they want from a lager, but what has been denied to them in the past.

"People want cold, refreshing and great tasting lager, and people want this all the way through and every time they order a pint," he explains.

"Traditionally, the first pint poured can often be warm.

But with the HIT tap, the average temperature of a pint is reduced by three degrees."

With the HIT system, there is no need for the glass to be swirled during pouring to get a good head.

Browne explains the advantages: "You often see bar staff swirling the pint to make a head.

It is a habit that occurs on both sides of the bar.

But all they're doing is knocking the carbon dioxide out.

If they had HIT they wouldn't need to do that.

A sign of a good pint is that it leaves a head all the way down, and HIT makes this possible."

Communications manager David Jones says HIT is especially useful for novice bar staff.

"For part-time bar staff this is a godsend.

It means they can pour a pint as well as someone who has been in the trade for years."

Browne is critical of other attempts to keep a head intact, particularly through the use of nucleated glasses that feature ridges on the base which help stimulate bubbles to keep the lager fizzy and the head intact.

"A lot of companies invest in nucleated glasses to keep their lagers fizzy.

But, in fact, this just allows all the fizz to escape.

It's a sneaky way to make the pint look good."

As well as producing a better quality pint, HIT also reduces wastage.

The O-ring cooling system ensures that the first pint of the day does not end up as a pint of cream.

This is often the case in non-HIT systems, where the first pint is frequently dispensed at room temperature.

And the fact that HIT cuts the need to swirl while pouring means less of the liquid is spilt.

ScotCo estimates HIT will mean around 2% less wastage from fobbing.

Coupled with a 10% volume difference compared to non-HIT Foster's, the company estimates the average pub that stocks Foster's can save £3,687 a year with the HIT system.

One year on and HIT has had a big impact.

So far, 190,000 taps have been installed in 35,000 outlets.

But it hasn't all been plain sailing.

Browne explains the challenge they have faced ­ and continue to face ­ to establish HIT in the minds of licensees: "Like all innovations, you will get some people who grasp the idea and some who resist.

"If you've been in the trade for 30 years and have always poured lager the same way, you will naturally be wary.

We often receive comments along the lines of, we don't need the tap to get a head'.

That's true, but you won't get the same level of consistency without HIT ­ and consistency is key.

A cultural change is what is really needed."

Jones says even the most experienced pint pullers can gain from HIT.

"To give a comparison, a top chef wouldn't turn down the chance to have the best set of knives.

It doesn't take away from their skills but rather it helps them to be as good as they can."

Browne emphasises the importance of raising standards of service in British pubs to boost the draught beer market, which has fallen by six million barrels in 10 years.

"Poor draught beer quality has always been a driver of decline.

The problem is that people see lager as being served in a pretty standard way, especially compared to other categories such as wine, spirits and cask ale.

People don't pay attention on how they pour.

"Our aim with HIT is to make sure service is up to people's expectations.

This is especially important because of competition from the off-trade and from premium packaged lagers, which both give guaranteed consistency."

For Cask Marque director Paul Nunny, HITrepresents a positive move as the trade strives to boost standards.

"Any innovation to improve the presentation of beer is to be applauded," he says.

"I'm pleased that companies like Scottish Courage are investing in dispense.

They've acknowledged that presentation of the product is key.

"I was also impressed by how they were rolled out quickly across pubs.

It is the cost of implementing that was needed to support it, and they put their money where their mouth was.

"The Image of Beer campaign is about raising standards and making beer a more affluent product like wine.

Investments like these show [suppliers] are moving in that direction.