Blog Tracker
12-05-2016, 07:50
Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2016/05/call-for-cheaper-beer.html)
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PF3avGvPrc8/VzGfn1_OguI/AAAAAAAAZzU/d13WX-oyzLMc6kDjgk03bW4dRZF8kxL1gCLcB/s400/Portsmouth_United_Breweries_Mild_Ale.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PF3avGvPrc8/VzGfn1_OguI/AAAAAAAAZzU/d13WX-oyzLMc6kDjgk03bW4dRZF8kxL1gCLcB/s1600/Portsmouth_United_Breweries_Mild_Ale.jpg)
I think that’s something we could all agree on. Who wouldn’t want cheaper beer?
But this article isn’t what it first appears to be. It’s not si much a call for cheaper beer as weaker beer. I’ll explain why after.
“CALL FOR A CHEAPER BEER
At a special meeting yesterday the board of the Licensed Victuallers’ Central Protection Society of London was agreed to recommend to the brewers the brewing of standard 6d. mild ale instead of a 7d. beer, which it was felt would generally beyond the reach of the working man.
In those areas where a lower-price beer was in demand it was recommended that Beer should brewed for sale at 5d. per pint.”
Portsmouth Evening News - Wednesday 16 September 1931, page 3.
You have to understand the context. This is just after the disastrous Snowden emergency budget of 1931. It put the price of beer up by about 1d a pint,. The strongest type of Mild Ale, which sold for 6d a pint, went up to 7d. Or would have, if brewers hadn’t cut the strength so they could still charge the old price.
Do I have any evidence of this? Of course I do. Lots of it.
This is how Milds looked in 1930:
Mild Ale in 1930
Year
Brewer
Beer
Price
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
1930
Leney & Co
L.A.
4d
1025
1007.4
2.28
70.40%
1930
Buddon Bigg
Ale
4d
1026.5
1930
Mackeson
L.A.
4d
1027
1005.4
2.80
80.00%
1930
Portsmouth & Brighton Breweries
L.A.
4d
1027
1001.9
3.27
92.96%
1930
Whitbread
LA
4d
1027.2
1010.0
2.28
63.27%
1930
Style & Winch
Ale
4d
1028.2
1930
Shepherd Neame
Ale
4d
1028.5
1929
Barclay Perkins
A
4d
1028.7
1007.5
2.80
73.83%
1930
Mason
Ale
4d
1030.4
1930
Tamplin
L.A.
4d
1031
1007.4
3.06
76.13%
1930
Isleworth Brewery
RA
4d
1032
1011.2
2.69
65.00%
1930
Kemp Town
L.A.
4d
1034
1006.7
3.55
80.29%
1930
Fremlin
Ale
4d
1035.7
average 4d
1029.3
1007.2
2.84
75.24%
1930
Hammerton
Ale
5d
1033.7
1930
Wells Watford
Ale
5d
1033.7
1930
Courage
X
5d
1035
1009.5
3.30
72.86%
1930
Wenlock
Ale
5d
1036.1
1930
Cannon
Ale
5d
1039.7
average 5d
1035.6
1009.5
3.30
72.86%
1930
Truman
X
6d
1042
1008.9
4.30
78.81%
1930
Whitbread
X
6d
1042.4
1010.0
4.28
76.40%
1929
Barclay Perkins
X
6d
1042.6
1012.5
3.98
70.65%
1930
Mann Crossman
X
6d
1044
1007.2
4.80
83.64%
1930
Taylor Walker
X
6d
1044
1013.3
3.98
69.77%
1930
Watney
X
6d
1044
1011
4.28
75.00%
1930
Hoare
X
6d
1046
1014.4
4.09
68.70%
average 6d
1043.6
1011.0
4.25
74.71%
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Whitbread brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numberLMA/4453/D/01/096.
Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252
Barclay Perkins brewing records
And this is what they were like in 1932:
Mild Ale in 1930
Year
Brewer
Beer
Price
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
1932
Wells Watford
Ale
4.5d
1028.7
1932
Truman
Ale
4d
1029.07
1932
Whitbread
LA
5d
1026.0
1006.5
2.58
75.00%
1932
Watney
Ale
5d
1028.8
1932
Fullers
Ale
5d
1030.1
1932
Ind Coope
Ale
5d
1030.7
1932
Young & Co
Ale
5d
1032.8
average 5d
1029.6
1006.5
2.58
75.00%
1932
Hammerton
Ale
6.5d
1032
1006.4
3.32
80.00%
1932
Whitbread
X
6d
1032.6
1009.0
3.12
72.39%
1932
Cannon Brewery
X
6d
1034
1012.2
2.82
64.12%
1932
Taylor Walker
X
6d
1034
1013.4
2.66
60.59%
1932
Watney
X
6d
1034
1010.2
3.08
70.00%
1932
Charrington
X
6d
1035
1011
3.11
68.57%
1932
Courage
X
6d
1035
1012.2
2.95
65.14%
1932
Mann Crossman
X
6d
1035
1009.6
3.29
72.57%
1932
Meux
X
6d
1035.5
1932
Barclay Perkins
X
6d
1036
1009.3
3.46
74.17%
1932
Truman
X
6d
1036
1008.8
3.53
75.56%
1932
Hoare
X
6d
1038
1008.9
3.78
76.58%
1932
Wenlock
X
6d
1038
1012.2
3.34
67.89%
1932
Mann Crossman
X
6d
1041
1010.4
3.97
74.63%
average 6d
1035.4
1010.3
3.26
70.94%
1932
Whitbread
XX
7d
1039.0
1012.5
3.51
67.95%
1932
Taylor Walker
XXX
9d
1048
1015.4
4.22
67.92%
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Whitbread brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numberLMA/4453/D/01/098.
Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252
You can see that in 1932 the average gravity of 5d Milds was virtually identical to the average gravity of 4d Milds in 1930. And a 1932 6d Mild was the same as a 1930 5d Mild.
Note how few examples there are of 7d Mild – just one. Though top marks to Taylor Walker for having a Mild almost of pre-EWW I strength.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2016/05/call-for-cheaper-beer.html)
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PF3avGvPrc8/VzGfn1_OguI/AAAAAAAAZzU/d13WX-oyzLMc6kDjgk03bW4dRZF8kxL1gCLcB/s400/Portsmouth_United_Breweries_Mild_Ale.jpg (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PF3avGvPrc8/VzGfn1_OguI/AAAAAAAAZzU/d13WX-oyzLMc6kDjgk03bW4dRZF8kxL1gCLcB/s1600/Portsmouth_United_Breweries_Mild_Ale.jpg)
I think that’s something we could all agree on. Who wouldn’t want cheaper beer?
But this article isn’t what it first appears to be. It’s not si much a call for cheaper beer as weaker beer. I’ll explain why after.
“CALL FOR A CHEAPER BEER
At a special meeting yesterday the board of the Licensed Victuallers’ Central Protection Society of London was agreed to recommend to the brewers the brewing of standard 6d. mild ale instead of a 7d. beer, which it was felt would generally beyond the reach of the working man.
In those areas where a lower-price beer was in demand it was recommended that Beer should brewed for sale at 5d. per pint.”
Portsmouth Evening News - Wednesday 16 September 1931, page 3.
You have to understand the context. This is just after the disastrous Snowden emergency budget of 1931. It put the price of beer up by about 1d a pint,. The strongest type of Mild Ale, which sold for 6d a pint, went up to 7d. Or would have, if brewers hadn’t cut the strength so they could still charge the old price.
Do I have any evidence of this? Of course I do. Lots of it.
This is how Milds looked in 1930:
Mild Ale in 1930
Year
Brewer
Beer
Price
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
1930
Leney & Co
L.A.
4d
1025
1007.4
2.28
70.40%
1930
Buddon Bigg
Ale
4d
1026.5
1930
Mackeson
L.A.
4d
1027
1005.4
2.80
80.00%
1930
Portsmouth & Brighton Breweries
L.A.
4d
1027
1001.9
3.27
92.96%
1930
Whitbread
LA
4d
1027.2
1010.0
2.28
63.27%
1930
Style & Winch
Ale
4d
1028.2
1930
Shepherd Neame
Ale
4d
1028.5
1929
Barclay Perkins
A
4d
1028.7
1007.5
2.80
73.83%
1930
Mason
Ale
4d
1030.4
1930
Tamplin
L.A.
4d
1031
1007.4
3.06
76.13%
1930
Isleworth Brewery
RA
4d
1032
1011.2
2.69
65.00%
1930
Kemp Town
L.A.
4d
1034
1006.7
3.55
80.29%
1930
Fremlin
Ale
4d
1035.7
average 4d
1029.3
1007.2
2.84
75.24%
1930
Hammerton
Ale
5d
1033.7
1930
Wells Watford
Ale
5d
1033.7
1930
Courage
X
5d
1035
1009.5
3.30
72.86%
1930
Wenlock
Ale
5d
1036.1
1930
Cannon
Ale
5d
1039.7
average 5d
1035.6
1009.5
3.30
72.86%
1930
Truman
X
6d
1042
1008.9
4.30
78.81%
1930
Whitbread
X
6d
1042.4
1010.0
4.28
76.40%
1929
Barclay Perkins
X
6d
1042.6
1012.5
3.98
70.65%
1930
Mann Crossman
X
6d
1044
1007.2
4.80
83.64%
1930
Taylor Walker
X
6d
1044
1013.3
3.98
69.77%
1930
Watney
X
6d
1044
1011
4.28
75.00%
1930
Hoare
X
6d
1046
1014.4
4.09
68.70%
average 6d
1043.6
1011.0
4.25
74.71%
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Whitbread brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numberLMA/4453/D/01/096.
Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252
Barclay Perkins brewing records
And this is what they were like in 1932:
Mild Ale in 1930
Year
Brewer
Beer
Price
OG
FG
ABV
App. Atten-uation
1932
Wells Watford
Ale
4.5d
1028.7
1932
Truman
Ale
4d
1029.07
1932
Whitbread
LA
5d
1026.0
1006.5
2.58
75.00%
1932
Watney
Ale
5d
1028.8
1932
Fullers
Ale
5d
1030.1
1932
Ind Coope
Ale
5d
1030.7
1932
Young & Co
Ale
5d
1032.8
average 5d
1029.6
1006.5
2.58
75.00%
1932
Hammerton
Ale
6.5d
1032
1006.4
3.32
80.00%
1932
Whitbread
X
6d
1032.6
1009.0
3.12
72.39%
1932
Cannon Brewery
X
6d
1034
1012.2
2.82
64.12%
1932
Taylor Walker
X
6d
1034
1013.4
2.66
60.59%
1932
Watney
X
6d
1034
1010.2
3.08
70.00%
1932
Charrington
X
6d
1035
1011
3.11
68.57%
1932
Courage
X
6d
1035
1012.2
2.95
65.14%
1932
Mann Crossman
X
6d
1035
1009.6
3.29
72.57%
1932
Meux
X
6d
1035.5
1932
Barclay Perkins
X
6d
1036
1009.3
3.46
74.17%
1932
Truman
X
6d
1036
1008.8
3.53
75.56%
1932
Hoare
X
6d
1038
1008.9
3.78
76.58%
1932
Wenlock
X
6d
1038
1012.2
3.34
67.89%
1932
Mann Crossman
X
6d
1041
1010.4
3.97
74.63%
average 6d
1035.4
1010.3
3.26
70.94%
1932
Whitbread
XX
7d
1039.0
1012.5
3.51
67.95%
1932
Taylor Walker
XXX
9d
1048
1015.4
4.22
67.92%
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Whitbread brewing record held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document numberLMA/4453/D/01/098.
Truman Gravity Book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number B/THB/C/252
You can see that in 1932 the average gravity of 5d Milds was virtually identical to the average gravity of 4d Milds in 1930. And a 1932 6d Mild was the same as a 1930 5d Mild.
Note how few examples there are of 7d Mild – just one. Though top marks to Taylor Walker for having a Mild almost of pre-EWW I strength.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2016/05/call-for-cheaper-beer.html)