CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE

• Take it to the Top
• Mild make a May comeback
• Roy Rides, from Ashwell to Sandy
• CAMRA Beer Club

Following complaints over their new corporate pub signs, Greene King plan to replace them over the next few years with more traditional pictorial pub signs illustrating each pub individually, and carrying a less prominent Greene King logo. The new offending signs had been installed mainly at pubs with little existing Greene King signage, such as the George Hotel in Huntingdon, acquired as a part of the Old English Inns chain.

Scottish and Newcastle have assured their investors that it is business as usual, despite takeover speculation. Scottish and Newcastle have denied that they are in discussions with any bidder despite reports of talks with SABMiller and Diageo and interest from Danish brewer Carlsberg, already the owner of the UK’s Tetleys brewery. In line with the other global brewers operating in the UK, Scottish and Newcastle appear to following a strategy of withdrawal from the cask beer market. John Smiths Bitter is their only cask beer following their recent disposal of the Courage cask brands to Wells and Youngs of Bedford.

Harveys cask beers have returned to Greene King’s Lewes Arms in Lewes, Sussex, following an outcry at their removal. Greene King have admitted that they underestimated the level of local feeling about Harveys beer at the pub, formerly a member of the Beard’s chain, all of which sold only Harveys beers for many years. The ‘Friends of the Lewes Arms’ group, which had mounted a vigorous campaign, including a boycott, won praise from their local MP but are now happy to have returned to the pub to drink Harveys.

Japanese lager Sapporo is set to be launched into UK pubs in 650ml cans, following a new distribution deal with importers SDB. Sapporo has been mainly only available in restaurants in the UK but the new deal is expected to see the brand become much more visible in pubs.