Corvus Beats Guinness in Blind Tasting Research
Corvus, the new 30 litre keg stout from brewers Wadworth in Devizes, Wiltshire, came out on top in recent research which included a blind tasting, with 65% of drinkers choosing Corvus over Guinness.
The independent research was carried out by the Oxford School of Hospitality Management which is the No 1 in Europe for Hospitality Research and No 1 in the world for Research Productivity.
Drinkers were asked to try both stouts, which were unlabelled. Having chosen their favourite, they were then asked to mark this out of ten. A remarkable 65% chose Corvus as their favourite, with the majority of respondents marking it 8, 9 or ten out of ten.
“This is fantastic news for Corvus and backs up the response we have had from the pubs,” said Wadworth Sales and Marketing Director Paul Sullivan. “Those pubs that have already introduced Corvus are finding that once customers have tried it, they are choosing it again and again.”
As well as providing optimum taste, Corvus competes very favourably with the heavyweight stout brands on price, with benefits for the publican and the customer. Because the ale is priced competitively, publicans can pass the price benefit onto the customer, while also increasing their own profit margins. On average, pubs can sell a pint of Corvus 30p cheaper and still maintain a higher cash margin per pint than Guinness.
Corvus is already available in over 100 pubs across the South West, and to the trade via Tolchards, Inn Express and Wadworth. The 30 litre format has been very popular with pubs, allowing those with a low stout turnover to ensure that they are always providing a good quality, fresh product.
Corvus, which takes its name from the Latin for Raven, offers beer drinkers a distinctly smooth stout, with a roasted malt body and subtle bitterness. It is only available in the keg.
“St Patrick’s Day gives publicans the chance to offer customers a choice of stout,” says Wadworth Sales and Marketing Director Paul Sullivan. “Our 30 litre keg format means that Corvus can be offered without too much financial outlay, and customers will appreciate the variety on this special day. It’s a stout with real character and depth, and we believe it offers some real individuality in the way of flavour – a belief that is backed up by the results of our independent research.”
