Brewer Laverstoke Park Farm slams 'vindictive' Portman Group
The responsibility body has written to retailers that are still selling Laverstoke Park Farm’s Ale and Lager, reminding them to stop placing orders for the products, after the beer’s packaging was found in breach of alcohol responsibility rules in the Portman Group’s Code of Practice in October 2012.
The product’s labels feature cartoon drawings, which were found to have particular appeal to young children and therefore inappropriate for marketing alcoholic drinks, following a complaint from a member of the public.
However, Laverstoke Park Farm founder Jody Scheckter said he has lost £230,000 after the responsibility body first issued a Retailer Alert Bulletin for his beer and it is “unjustifiable” that it has again reiterated the message.
'Vindictive attack'
The products are currently stocked by top restaurants and a small number of pubs, as well as the off-trade, but Scheckter said he is worried that the latest attack from the Portman Group will threaten “the little business I have left”.
“It is simply unbelievable to me that once again I find my business under this vindictive attack of the Portman Group,” he said.
“They have no concern whatsoever about the cost to a small business.”
Scheckter’s appeal to the High Court was rejected last year and all legal action by Laverstoke Park Farm against the Portman Group has been withdrawn. However, he said he is planning to contact the Office of Fair Trading and, despite the breach, will not change the product’s labels “on principle”.
“I don’t think anybody believes that our organic, high-level beer promotes irresponsible drinking. It’s just because they’ve got a code and they stick to their code,” he added.
'Strict rules'
A Portman Group spokesperson said: “Laverstoke’s ale and lager labels breached the strict rules that prevent alcohol marketing to children, and a Retailer Alert Bulletin was issued requesting retailers not to stock these products in their current packaging after 17 May 2013.
“We contact retailers who continue to stock products that have breached the Code as part of our routine compliance monitoring, and request that the products are withdrawn until the producer has amended the packaging.”
