A brewery boss has called for changes to the UK's beer- glass measures to encourage a new range of glassware suited to modern-day drinking.
Mark Woodhouse, managing director of Hall & Woodhouse of Dorset, said the pint is an "inappropriate measure", especially for diners who want to enjoy beer with a meal.
Current Weights & Mea-sures legislation prevents the sale of draught beer in anything other than multiples of specified Imperial measures.
But Woodhouse believes different glassware sizes and design can influence drinking behaviour.
He believes drinkers are currently forced to use glasses that are largely dull and unsuited to the occasion.
"While wine drinkers revel in the gloriously fine outsize glasses, which help to accentuate the wine and the experience, I am left supping the nation's favourite drink out of a thimble or a bucket," Woodhouse said.
He maintained that banning the pint might be construed as a step too far, but current legislation is preventing the industry from developing other sizes of glassware.
"The unfortunate demise of the UK glassware industry leaves us with a very limited choice of glassware designed for the Imperial pint to fill measures.
"The Weights & Measures Orders state that only multiples of one-third or one-half of a pint may be used.
"Banning the Imperial pint is not the answer, as there are times when pints are totally appropriate," Woodhouse added. "But a change in the law to allow the use of correctly stamped metric glasses would provide an opportunity for innovation in glassware and may help curb some
of the more uncivilised drinking tendencies."
The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) said it was opposed to any attempt to scrap the Imperial pint measure.
"The use of metric measures alongside Imperial measures in the same
pub would be confusing
for the consumer and for the bar staff," said a Camra spokesperson.
Xy xy yx y xy yx y xy y x.
Time for a radical overhaul of glasses? or hands off the pint?
These brewers and pubcos were largely against the prospect of changing the Imperial pint measure. What do you think? Please email your thoughts to ma.editorial@william-reed.co.uk
David Grant, managing director, Moorhouse's Brewery, Burnley
We have already turned metric in butchers' and grocery shops but people still ask for goods in pounds and ounces. Are we going to see litres of beer suddenly appearing in bars?
The industry is tired of being messed around, and licensees have already spent fortunes on the smoking ban.
Now people are talking about changing pub glasses.
Peter Wells, sales & marketing director, Charles Wells Pub Company
This would be a huge burden to pubs and pubcos changing glassware would confuse customers. There would be confusion on pricing and alcohol units.
We are very aware of initiatives to reduce binge-drinking but this can't be achieved by going metric.
Drinking a pint is part of England's heritage.
Brian Hickman,
managing director,
Daniel Thwaites
There are already plenty of opportunities for changes under the current legislation, in terms of glassware variety and design.
Thwaites has removed some old-style glasses, such as the straight-sided half-pint glass. The changes may be very costly and there are more effective ways of tackling this image problem.
Alistair Darby, managing director, Marston's Beer Company
I think that we would risk upsetting a lot of beer- drinkers if the Imperial pint measure was not protected.
However, I would be sympathetic to the idea of offering alternatives.
It's rather like the
Union Jack and the pound note - if you changed it you would get a huge consumer reaction.