Charles Wells' Bedford brewery sells to Marston's

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terrym

terrym

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Anyone have a view.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-39959394
Marstons now covers Marstons, Banks, Wychwood, Ringwood, Jennings plus the new Charles Wells and Youngs additions (do I count Youngers and McEwans as well?)
My only comment is that Marstons holding company do tend to keep the local breweries running with their own identity rather than buying them and shutting them down as many of the bigger brewers used to do (typically Greene King).
 
terrym said:
Anyone have a view.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-39959394
Marstons now covers Marstons, Banks, Wychwood, Ringwood, Jennings plus the new Charles Wells and Youngs additions (do I count Youngers and McEwans as well?)
My only comment is that Marstons holding company do tend to keep the local breweries running with their own identity rather than buying them and shutting them down as many of the bigger brewers used to do (typically Greene King).
Click to expand...
Before Marstons took over Banks's ,the Original (MILD) was our go to drink when up in the midlands on our fishing holidays. I am damn sure it doesn't taste the same now,could be wrong however. Youngs is certainly not quite the same as it was when in Wandsworth,it can't be because of the water,it was the water that made Youngs beers,still a good beer but not the same.
 
I was going to say that McEwans and Youngers were part of S&N which was bought up by Heineken and Carlsberg so who knows where they are now but...I understand that Wells and Youngs bought both brands from Heineken UK in 2011, so...presumably they are now owned by Marstons.

All these mergers and sales seem to detract from the fact that the beer always seems of a poorer quality after an acquisition. Unless it's just our memories playing tricks on us or the Head Brewer doesn't give the real recipe to the new owners :lol:
 
Pavros said:
All these mergers and sales seem to detract from the fact that the beer always seems of a poorer quality after an acquisition. Unless it's just our memories playing tricks on us or the Head Brewer doesn't give the real recipe to the new owners :lol:
Click to expand...

I don't think our minds are play tricks, I remember not long after I moved to Gloucestershire (1994) having a pint or three of Hobgoblin, it was a formidable pint and very tasty. Now days it's a bit meh, I don't dislike it but it's just not as good.

I can't see any positives coming out of these acquisitions really unless the brewery was on the verge of bankruptcy and this was the only way it could be saved.

Luckily we have the likes of BrewDog etc. giving the whole industry a bit of a kick up the backside at the moment, innovate to survive.
 
I find the notion of a head BREWER at many of these established breweries, mildly amusing. The bean counters have been running breweries for decades and have had a greater influence on end product than any brewer has.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
 
chub1 said:
Before Marstons took over Banks's
Click to expand...
It was actually t'other way round. Wolverhampton and Dudley breweries (Banks and Hansons) bought out Marstons and its subsidiaries about 20 years ago.
The main company was still known as Wolverhampton and Dudley breweries until a few years ago when they changed it to Marstons, presumably because it had a wider known and better national branding image.
I was a 'Man of the Midlands' many years ago and a mild drinker for a while but mine was mostly M&B Mild which was available where I was and not the Banks and Hansons milds.
And the last time I had Banks Bitter it seemed to be a shadow of its former self but maybe my tastes have changed.
 
terrym said:
It was actually t'other way round. Wolverhampton and Dudley breweries (Banks and Hansons) bought out Marstons and its subsidiaries about 20 years ago.
The main company was still known as Wolverhampton and Dudley breweries until a few years ago when they changed it to Marstons, presumably because it had a wider known and better national branding image.
I was a 'Man of the Midlands' many years ago and a mild drinker for a while but mine was mostly M&B Mild which was available where I was and not the Banks and Hansons milds.
And the last time I had Banks Bitter it seemed to be a shadow of its former self but maybe my tastes have changed.
Click to expand...
Ah ok thanks for putting me right!.Well i am a suverner:lol:
Never keen on Hansons,not tried M&B.
The Banks's bitter always seemed to give me gut ache,hence drinking the mild.Also a light coloured mild which i found pleasant. We lived on the stuff all week every year we went,(good session ale:thumb:) to Bewdley/Arley for around 25 years or so. Now base ourslves near Worcester.Found some good ciders around there last year:lol:
Just spotted you live in Sussex,guess you are a Harvey's man?
 
Graz said:
I don't think our minds are play tricks, I remember not long after I moved to Gloucestershire (1994) having a pint or three of Hobgoblin, it was a formidable pint and very tasty. Now days it's a bit meh, I don't dislike it but it's just not as good.
Click to expand...

I was about to say the same thing.

Hobgoblin used to be a beer of beauty, I remember when it appeared in various pubs as a guest beer and it was incredible. A year or two ago, I'd got off the train and was waiting to be picked up so shot into a Marstons pub and had a crafty pint of Hobgoblin, it was a pale imitation of the old one despite being kept well.
 

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