'Give us accreditation', says Brulines chief executive

Accreditation from Trading Standards would put an end to criticism of Brulines' beer flow meters, James Dickson, the group's chief executive believes.

Commenting on those licensees and beer tie campaign groups who accuse Brulines' technology of being grossly inaccurate, Dickson said that Trading Standards and the government's weights and measures department had given the group's flow meters "a clean bill of health".

However he said he believed full accreditation would be the "silver bullet" that would put an end to such claims.

Dickson said that following the recent BESC and BISC inquiries - both of which heard from a number of licensees who claimed Brulines' equipment gave faulty beer flow readings leading to their being accused of buying out of the tie - his company was working "voluntarily and openly with the appropriate authorities to establish what, if any, steps might be taken to improve our methodology, calibration or operating processes with a view to establishing some form of approval regardless of whether our services fall under the Weights and Measures Act".

He added: "There are certain parties opposed to the tie who will never be happy [with what we do]. But while the tie exists there will be organisations like us to help pub companies manage it. We will be completely open about what we're being paid to do."

Dickson said there was "growing interest" in the group's new i-Draught system, which measures beer quality, rather than just assessing quantity. Last October Suffolk brewer Greene King signed a deal for the system to be installed into its 1,400 leased and tenenated pubs.

"There are a number of tenanted pub operators and managed pub groups that are interested in the technology. Using i-Draught can improve a pub's yields, reduce its shrinkage and get a return on investment of around 150 per cent," Dickson said.

Brulines yesterday announced its turnover for the year to the end of March had risen four per cent to £19.9m, although operating profits had fallen seven per cent. The group said pub companies had generally had less money to spend on installing its equipment in the current financial environment.

However Dickson said the City believed the AIM-listed company had put in a "credible financial performance".

"We are making progress," he added.