BREWING and pub groups’ bosses have rallied round Burton’s Tory MP after his political rivals accused him of failing to support the industry.

A Labour Party leaflet claimed Conservative Andrew Griffiths had backed a massive hike in beer tax in this year’s Budget and had shown himself to be a Tory ‘lackey’.

The leaflet also accused Mr Griffiths, chairman of the parliamentary beer group, of not standing up for Burton’s brewing industry at a time when pubs are closing and ‘hard-working families are suffering’ due to Government austerity.

The MP, who was elected in 2010, hit back with statements of support from the Burton-based Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which represents giants including Molson Coors, Marston’s, Punch Taverns and Spirit Pub Company.

The leaflet, which is being circulated mainly in Uttoxeter, said: “Andrew Griffiths has shown himself to be a lackey of his party masters as he puts the party whip before his duties to his constituencies by backing a massive hike in duty on beer.

“At a time when pubs are closing and every hard-working family is suffering the effects of the Tory-led Government’s vicious cuts on public services — carried out to fund tax cuts for their rich pals — we had hoped Andrew Griffiths would stand up for the brewing industry in his own constituency.”

SIBA chairman Keith Bott retorted: “The support given to the brewing industry by Andrew Griffiths has been second to none.

“As chairman, I have worked closely with Andrew who has shown unparalleled support for British brewing.

“I know his frustration with the unfairness of the current duty system has led him to make sure the subject is high on the political agenda.”

BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds added: “Andrew has been a great friend to the brewing industry. He is a powerful advocate for a fair deal for beer in the tax system and to remove the current ‘tax escalator’ which was introduced by the previous government.

“With so many jobs in Burton dependent on the industry, I know he will continue to work to support our campaigns.”

The All Party Parliamentary Beer Group presented its inaugural award for the “Beer Sommelier of the Year” to Nigel Sadler at the Annual Beer Awards dinner held in Westminster last night.

Commenting on the Award, Andrew Griffiths MP, Chairman of the Group, said “Too many people lose sight of the pivotal role that beer plays in the UK economy – and of its contribution to the British way of life. The Beer Academy has done a fantastic service for the appreciation and promotion of beer by establishing this new Beer Sommelier qualification, which will create a pool of ambassadors with the knowledge, communication skills and, most importantly, the passion to inspire people to rediscover our national drink.

I am delighted that the Beer Group’s first Beer Sommelier of the Year award is going to Nigel Sadler, who has been untiring in using his new found status as a Beer Academy Sommelier to build public awareness of the enormous diversity of beer styles and the opportunities to partner beer and food. ”

Moody Systems have had a hand in making Jason Hill and Stephen Mitchell’s brewery plans turn into reality by helping to set up their five barrel brewery in Penrith, Cumbria. Eden Brewery first started brewing with the help from specialists Moody Systems Ltd in March 2012 and are now enjoying the benefits from the equipment provided.

After discussing his plans with Kerry Piper, Internal Sales Coordinator at Moody Systems, they were able to put together a five barrel brewery due to the excellent standard of equipment on offer. Part of the Moody group of companies, Moody Systems have been suppliers and service providers to the brewery industry for over 35 years.

“As soon as we got in touch with Moody Systems, we realised they had the right solution for us. They even arranged for me to visit to another brewery to see their equipment in action. There were many questions we had, particularly as this was our first brewery project, but they had plenty of reassurance to guide us through the process. We are now into full production with a couple of great beers and plans for further product development very soon.,” said Jason Hill, co- owner and Head Brewer at Eden Brewery.

Kerry commented, “We try and schedule visits to breweries for our customers to ensure they know exactly what they are getting. This has proved very productive and customers can get some excellent answers. Eden Brewery is a very good example of how we have worked on a start-up brewery project and have found our customer to be very satisfied indeed!”

For more information on our brewery equipment on offer, please contact Kerry Piper on 01777 712110 or email kerry.piper@moodyplc.com

The FINANCIAL — Jonathan Neame, the chief executive of Kent-based brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame, is to become the new chairman of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

Neame’s appointment follows the departure of Molson Coors chief executive Mark Hunter, who is taking up a role as head of a new, Europe-based business unit following Molson Coors’ acquisition of StarBev. A handover will take place before the end of June.

Neame is currently a BBPA vice-chairman and executive board member and moves from his current role as chairman of the BBPA’s future beer group, where he has led the BBPA’s high-profile campaigning against excessive beer tax rises, and its championing of beer as a category.

Neame joined his family company in 1991. He was company secretary until 1999 when he was appointed managing director. According to Caterer and Hotelkeeper, he became chief executive in 2003. He is a barrister and was a managing consultant with COBA Group from 1987 to 1991. He is also a non-executive director of the St Austell brewery company.

Neame said: “In Britain we should all cherish and celebrate the role of beer and pubs. They are vital to the country’s economic, social and cultural life and with the right support should be a driver of growth, investment and job creation. I am passionate about the industry and honoured to step into the role at this time.”

BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds added: “I am delighted to welcome Jonathan as our new chairman. He brings huge experience of brewing and pubs. He is already a great champion of British beer, and also of the need for the industry to work closely together to ensure our voice carries weight with Government.”

Stefan Orlowski (Heineken UK managing director) is to become BBPA vice-chairman and Paul Wells (chief executive, Charles Wells) a BBPA director.

The Beer Academy has created a new annual award of “Honorary Beer Academy Sommelier” to recognise people who have made an exceptional contribution to promoting the public understanding of beer.

The two first recipients are Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery in New York  and Bill Taylor, Chief Brewer at Lion Breweries in Australia -  two brewers who have been untiring ambassadors for beer both in their home markets and internationally.   Their biographies are attached below.

Beer Academy Director, Simon Jackson said “The Beer Academy is all about building public knowledge about  beer.  I can safely say that no one in the world has done more to champion beer than Bill and Garrett.  They are brewers with that rare skill of being able to make a very complex subject inspiring to the non-expert. Such is their ability that their influence extends far beyond their home markets of Australia and North America; they are internationally recognised as two of the finest beer communicators of their generation.

The Beer Academy is increasingly acknowledged as the world’s leading provider of consumer beer education and these two exceptional ambassadors will allow us to take the beer message to even more people.”

In a drinks industry first, glass packaging specialist Croxsons has generated QR codes for its full range of promotional bottle designs.

Visitors to Croxsons’ stands at both Packaging Innovations at the NEC and the SIBA Annual Conference in Stratford were the first to test the innovative approach to marketing. By scanning the QR code on bottles with a smartphone, full details of the bottle design can be accessed online.

Tim Croxson, director of the family-run business, said: “Matching the right packaging to the product is essential for food and drink producers, and to meet that need we offer a wider range of designs and specifications than ever.

“Having recently completely updated our website, it made sense to make further investment in new ways for customers to access information about our full range of bottles, jars and closures, as well as our bespoke design services.”

By scanning the codes, stand visitors at Packaging Innovations and the SIBA Conference were able to share information with colleagues, as well as save details of designs on mobiles and laptops. Tim added,  “In a fast-moving industry, quick communication is essential. The combination of our website and the QR codes gives our customers the competitive edge they need.”

Croxsons celebrates 140 years in business in 2012, with Tim Croxson the fifth-generation of the family to work in the company. He said “Our investment in the latest technology demonstrates that it’s possible to combine traditional standards of customer service with cutting-edge marketing.”

Exceptional beers and brewers recognized in the largest global competition

BOULDER, CO • May 5, 2012—Brewers from around the world received awards from an elite international panel of judges in the 2012 Brewers Association World Beer Cup. The ninth bi-annual competition boasted the strongest field of entrants on record, with 799 breweries from 54 countries and 45 U.S. states entering 3,921 beers in 95 beer style categories. A 17.7 percent increase over 2010, the entries were eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards in their respective categories. Judges presented a total of 284 awards.

A detailed analysis of the entries and awards can be found in the 2012 World Beer Cup Fact Sheet (PDF).

“It’s called ‘The Olympics of Beer Competition’ for good reason,” said Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association, the U.S.-based trade association that has put on the competition every two years since 1996. “The event brings together great brewers from all corners of the globe. Plus, the awards are highly regarded. A brewer who wins a World Beer Cup gold award knows that their winning beer represents the best of that beer style in the world. Congratulations to all the winners of the 2012 World Beer Cup. The Brewers Association and the proud sponsors of our event thank all participating brewers for their involvement.”

Judges

The 2012 judging panel was the largest and most international in the history of the World Beer Cup. Judges from 27 countries conducted blind tasting evaluations of the beers to determine the winners. Drawn from the ranks of professional brewers and brewing industry experts, these 211 judges came mostly from international breweries, with some 67 percent from outside the U.S. In addition to the judging panel, over 250 volunteers helped sort beer entries and steward the competition.

The judging criteria are exacting—some categories are not given the full slate of awards if the panel decides that the entries do not merit recognition.

Award Highlights and Trends

Highlights from the competition:

• The average number of beers entered per category was 41.
• The category with the most entries was American-Style India Pale Ale, with 150 entries. The second most-entered category was Imperial India Pale Ale, with 93 entries. The German-Style Sour Ale category had the fewest number of entries at 11.
• The 2012 World Beer Cup saw substantial growth of entries in the American-Style India Pale Ale category. Category entries grew 41.5 percent over 2010 to make it the largest category of the 2012 competition.
• Additionally, Champion Brewery and Champion Brewmaster awards are given in each of five brewery categories based on the awards won by each brewery in the given size category.

The five Champion Brewery/Brewmaster award winners are:

Small Brewing Company Category
Brauerei Michael Plank, Michael Plank

Mid-Size Brewing Company Category
Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Matthew Brynildson

Large Brewing Company Category
AB InBev, Claudio Ferro

Small Brewpub Category
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant-Media, Iron Hill Brewery Team

Large Brewpub Category
Pelican Pub & Brewery, Darron R S Welch

The complete list of award winners is available for download.

Presenting Sponsor Krones, and Partner Sponsors Ball, Barth-Haas Group, Sahm, Siemens and Verallia, proudly supported the 2012 World Beer Cup.