Devon and Cornwall breweries unite to rebrand Best beers
James Staughton and Philip Davies
St Austell Brewery cask ale Dartmoor Best will become Cornish Best as the Cornish independent family brewer hands over the Dartmoor Best brand name to Dartmoor Brewery.
The Dartmoor Best brand originally became part of the St Austell range in 1993 when its former owner Carlsberg Tetley closed their brewery in Plympton and St Austell agreed to brew the beer in Cornwall.
St Austell Brewery is now passing the brand name to Dartmoor Brewery based in the heart of the Dartmoor National Park in Devon following a recent distribution deal between the two businesses. The deal means that St Austell has become the sole wholesale distributor for Dartmoor Brewery, significantly extending the distribution of Dartmoor Brewery’s Legend, Jail Ale and Dartmoor IPA beers to free trade outlets across the region. The deal further cemented St Austell Brewery’s position as the South West’s largest distributor of beers, wines and spirits.
James Staughton, Managing Director of St Austell Brewery, said: “Dartmoor Best was a popular beer within our range for a long time. Having been contracted to brew the beer for many years, St Austell Brewery decided to buy the brand name and trade mark in 2002, and I think if we hadn’t done so, it was at risk of dying out. We feel it is now time to pass on the brand to Dartmoor Brewery, so they can continue producing a beer under this well-known name.”
Philip Davies, Chairman of Dartmoor Brewery, said: “The addition of the Dartmoor Best brand within our beer portfolio is a natural fit and provides customers with clarity – it is a Dartmoor branded beer which will now be brewed on Dartmoor. We have developed a new recipe for the beer, which has been well received in trials and like all our beers it uses Dartmoor ingredients. We look forward to launching the new Dartmoor Best in Q1
with a new identity under the Dartmoor Brewery brand.”
St Austell Brewery recently won two prestigious industry honours for the third year in a row at the 2014 Publicans’ Choice Awards. The brewery was named UK Regional Brewer of the Year, and its flagship Tribute Ale won the title of Best Regional Cask Ale Brand. The brewery also received a further 21 awards in 2014 which were shared between some of its most popular beers like Proper Job, Tribute and Admiral’s Ale, as well as new and one-off brews including Big Job, 1913 Cornish Stout and Tamar Creek.
Dartmoor Brewery is the highest brewery in England and produces three award-winning ales – Jail Ale, Legend and Dartmoor IPA – using traditional brewing techniques and local ingredients.
