The 'Brulines stand-off' between Enterprise Inns and beer tie campaigners group Fair Pint looks set to continue.
In a seven-line letter sent to Fair Pint - replying to a lengthy request from the group sent last week - the pubco's tie compliance manager Ben Jones said that his company "does not consider it necessary to respond to your campaign group relating to the commentary to the letter, save to say that we don't accept the contents".
In the letter, seen by The Publican, Jones said that Enterprise was "content with the policies and best practices we have in place to deal with compliance with contractual purchasing obligations in our tied estate".
And in a comment that suggests the pubco does not recognise the legitimacy of Fair Pint he wrote: "We continue to deal with our individual tenants and their authorised representatives and act in accordance with our published code of practice and the terms of individual leases."
Enterprise's letter follows Fair Pint's request that it confirm that Brulines' beer flow monitoring is "not wholly accurate" and that it "cannot directly identify different fluids and cannot properly or accurately measure two phase flow".
In its previous correspondence with the pubco Fair Pint also asked Enterprise to write to all of its lessees and tenants "to make it clear that the data produced by Brulines plc for you and them is capable of manual adjustment and by necessity will almost certainly have been the subject of such adjustment and that you will amend your company's code of practice accordingly".
In a statement after receiving Enterprise's letter the campaign group said it was writing to bosses of the following pubcos and brewers requesting they confirm that Brulines kit is accurate:
Enterprise Inns; Punch Taverns; Marston's Pub Company: Greene King Brewery: Admiral Taverns; Everards Brewery: Brakspear Pub Company: Fuller, Smith & Turner; SA Brain: Arkells Brewey; Holdens Brewery G1 Group (Iona Pubco); Hall & Woodhouse; Trust Inns Limited and Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company.
"In addition," Fair Pint said, "the IFBB and Wells Youngs (Paul Wells being Chairman) have been copied in along with Neil Robertson and Martin Grant of the BII".
Fair Pint said it hoped that "someone, somewhere in the industry who utilises the equipment will be able to go on record answering the questions raised, confirming that Brulines is accurate. Brulines and Enterprise Inns to date have failed to answer the questions".
"Fair Pint would urge all tenants with allegations of buying out and suggestions of a fine being imposed based on Brulines data to contact them as a matter of urgency and copy in the BII," it added.