Ads not shown when logged in
Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst ... 234
Results 31 to 39 of 39

Thread: Why haven't beer prices come down?

  1. #31
    This Space For Hire
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Warwickshire
    Posts
    1,766

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by rpadam View Post
    Taylor Walker is part of the Spirit Pub Company, and that hasn't been taken over by Greene King... yet. The Greene King and Spirit shareholders voted to accept the deal last week (the 13th) by about 99.9% to 0.1% in both cases. However, the transaction has yet to be completed - possibly sometime next month (and by 31 May 2015 at the latest).
    I've mixed feelings about whether this is a good or bad thing. Four of the five nearest pubs to work are TW, after that its a toss up between GK and Fullers, then yet more TW outlets. It's legacy of Grotney's dominance of that part of London. All of the TW pubs suffer from poor beer quality, though they do ring the changes on the guests a bit for those who don't want Doombar or Pride. GK may well up the cellarmanship standards, but unless they adopt a liberal guest beer policy the chances of finding something you actually want to drink will be restricted.

  2. #32
    Pub researcher (unpaid) rpadam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in the Low Weald
    Posts
    4,950

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by NickDavies View Post
    I've mixed feelings about whether this is a good or bad thing. Four of the five nearest pubs to work are TW, after that its a toss up between GK and Fullers, then yet more TW outlets. It's legacy of Grotney's dominance of that part of London. All of the TW pubs suffer from poor beer quality, though they do ring the changes on the guests a bit for those who don't want Doombar or Pride. GK may well up the cellarmanship standards, but unless they adopt a liberal guest beer policy the chances of finding something you actually want to drink will be restricted.
    Agree with you about the mixed feelings, but - whatever you might otherwise think about them - Greene King can certainly do a good job with a liberal guest beer policy when they try. A few examples:

    Woodies, Leeds which is still a Greene King branded 'local pub' but which has apparently changed out of all recognition since the last review on this site and now adopts a very decent-sounding ale-house format with 12 handpumps (official site).

    Williams Ale & Cider House, E1 which shows what they can do with a sub-brand i.e. Metropolitan Pub Company in this case (official site).

    And, if you didn't know in advance, I doubt that 1 in 100 people would guess that The Bedford in Tunbridge Wells is still a Greene King pub (official site).

  3. #33
    Waterborne Beer Inspector Bucking Fastard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Grand Union
    Posts
    3,273

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by rpadam View Post
    Agree with you about the mixed feelings, but - whatever you might otherwise think about them - Greene King can certainly do a good job with a liberal guest beer policy when they try. A few examples:

    Woodies, Leeds which is still a Greene King branded 'local pub' but which has apparently changed out of all recognition since the last review on this site and now adopts a very decent-sounding ale-house format with 12 handpumps (official site).

    Williams Ale & Cider House, E1 which shows what they can do with a sub-brand i.e. Metropolitan Pub Company in this case (official site).

    And, if you didn't know in advance, I doubt that 1 in 100 people would guess that The Bedford in Tunbridge Wells is still a Greene King pub (official site).

    That's a very good point.I think what we need is a list of pubs owned by Greene King but which don't serve Greene King brewed beers
    "Good people drink good beer" Hunter S Thompson

  4. #34
    This Space For Hire
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Brentford
    Posts
    2,837

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by NickDavies View Post
    I've mixed feelings about whether this is a good or bad thing. Four of the five nearest pubs to work are TW, after that its a toss up between GK and Fullers, then yet more TW outlets. It's legacy of Grotney's dominance of that part of London. All of the TW pubs suffer from poor beer quality, though they do ring the changes on the guests a bit for those who don't want Doombar or Pride. GK may well up the cellarmanship standards, but unless they adopt a liberal guest beer policy the chances of finding something you actually want to drink will be restricted.
    In London GK has a very liberal policy on guest beers and I have found lots of guest beers in pubs I used to walk past.If you think about it from a business point of view its better to sell the competitors beer and make a profit rather than have an empty pub making no money.I doubt where they have a stranglehold on local pubs they adopt this policy.

  5. #35
    Still about Mobyduck's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Out saving pubs and enjoying it.
    Posts
    5,775

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by london calling View Post
    In London GK has a very liberal policy on guest beers and I have found lots of guest beers in pubs I used to walk past.If you think about it from a business point of view its better to sell the competitors beer and make a profit rather than have an empty pub making no money.I doubt where they have a stranglehold on local pubs they adopt this policy.
    I was suprised when I tried a fairly local pub to me about a year ago, in Farnham, The Jolly Sailor. A pub I previously avoided because it was a GK pub, after a tip off I found 6 hand pumps with only two with GK related beers the rest were two or three from decent local independents like Surrey Hills, Tillingbourne and Triple fff and one or two from further afield . I have returned several times since .
    "Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
    -W.C.Fields

  6. #36
    I'll stay on me own
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Nottingham
    Posts
    1,696

    Default

    GK pubs in the Nottingham area usually stock a guest beer from Nottingham brewery.
    We are all equal,but some are more equal than others

  7. #37
    Real Ale Drinker Brewguru's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Martock, Somerset
    Posts
    132

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mobyduck View Post
    I was suprised when I tried a fairly local pub to me about a year ago, in Farnham, The Jolly Sailor. A pub I previously avoided because it was a GK pub, after a tip off I found 6 hand pumps with only two with GK related beers the rest were two or three from decent local independents like Surrey Hills, Tillingbourne and Triple fff and one or two from further afield . I have returned several times since .
    Its one of their "local heroes" pubs, which is a move to be commended IMO
    http://www.localheropubs.co.uk/find-a-local-hero-pub

  8. #38
    Still about Mobyduck's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Out saving pubs and enjoying it.
    Posts
    5,775

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Brewguru View Post
    Its one of their "local heroes" pubs, which is a move to be commended IMO
    http://www.localheropubs.co.uk/find-a-local-hero-pub
    On this example I totally agree, and I was even more shocked to see The Antelope is involved ,one of my best pubs visited last year and also this year, full respect to Greene King on this score.
    "Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
    -W.C.Fields

  9. #39
    This Space For Hire
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Brentford
    Posts
    2,837

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mobyduck View Post
    On this example I totally agree, and I was even more shocked to see The Antelope is involved ,one of my best pubs visited last year and also this year, full respect to Greene King on this score.
    You may be even more shocked to find the Big Smoke brewery based at the pub is a joint venture with Greene King.

Similar Threads

  1. Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Beer prices (again)
    By Blog Tracker in forum Blog Tracker
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 03-03-2013, 08:08
  2. New Inn, Milford Haven
    By AlanH in forum That Doesn't Go There!
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 19-01-2012, 07:58
  3. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 17-10-2011, 20:29
  4. beer prices
    By hondo in forum Chit Chat
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 06-10-2011, 10:21
  5. Truck Haven not a pub
    By sheffield hatter in forum That Doesn't Go There!
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-04-2011, 17:18

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •