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In a move that will cause dismay, sadness and possibly evenanger amongst beer connoisseurs, brewing giant Carlsberg Marston’s BrewingCompany - CMBC, have announced the retirement of the four remaining union sets atMarston’s Burton-on-Trent brewery. The reason behind this decision is the usualbig-brewery excuse of cutting costs, although CMBC hide behind the claim that fermentingbeer in the union sets is no longer viable. They argue that low volumes, causedby the decline in the UK cask market, means fermentation using the sets nolonger makes economic sense, although they fail, dismally to explain why this shouldbe.
The sets which constitute the Burton Union System, werefirst developed in the Victorian era, and were essentially a means of removingyeast from the beer, as the fermentation came to an end, and also a method ofcollecting it for use in subsequent brews. The system particularly suited therather powdery yeast strains traditional in Burton on Trent, and because of thevery clear beer it produced, it ended up being used by most of the breweries inthe Burton area. The largest of the Burton Union Systems was at the Bass Brewery (sadly closed in 1982) which boasted 1,560linked, 150-gallon oak casks, in double rows of 30, making 60 casks per set.Each set produced 200 barrels of beer at a time, and I was fortunate to witnessthe awe-inspiring sight of this system in action, during a visit Imade to the Bass Brewery, in the late 1970’s.
The reason for the closure and destruction of this thissystem was one of cost-cutting – penny pinching by the company’s accountants, whoheld the simplistic belief that switching to more conventional fermentationmethods, would have little or no effect on the finished product. Despite thisargument being debunked by brewers and beer connoisseurs, Bass went ahead withthe closure, leaving their Burton neighbours, Marston’s, as the last brewery inEngland to utilise this tried and tested method of fermentation.At the time, Marston’s were proud to remain as the solecustodians of this unique system, and this pride was echoed in the company’spromotional material, at the time. Unfortunately, today’s Marston’s company bearslittle resemblance to the one that existed right up until the turn of the century, because in 1999, Marston, Thompson & Evershed Ltd, as it was then known, was takenover by West Midlands based, Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries Ltd. Whilst the latter were certainly a major player in the region, withtheir Banks, and Hanson beers, Marston’s was the better-known brand – due tothe company's large, tied-pub estate, which ranged from Hampshire in the south-east, toCumbria in the north-west.Themerged company became known as the Marston's Beer Company, but this is not theend of the story.

Before continuing, it is worth taking a breath and stoppingto look at the Burton Union System in detail, to find out what made it unique, andso successful when it came to the brewing of Burton pale ales. At the brewery, fermentation begins in conventional, rectangularfermenters and after two days the partially fermented wort is transferred into24 interlinked, 150-gallon oak barrels, known as a Burton Union Set. Thishistoric process invigorates the yeast, clarifies the beer, and leaves unwantedflavours and dead yeast cells behind. The beer ferments in the sets forfive further days, with the yeast bubbling for the initial two to three daysthrough stainless steel “swan neck” pipes into a yeast trough above. Thisoffers a protective blanket of CO2 for the beer, and at the end of the process,the yeast is collected to be used for other beers or sold for Marmite.
Given this, why would you want to even consider, scrappingthis unique system? The answer lies in the corporate world of multi-nationalbrewing, because in 2020, Marston's disposed of its brewingoperations, selling the assets to a newly formed joint venture with the Danish CarlsbergGroup to create the Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC). Marston's plcholds a 40% share in the new group, but there are no prizes for guessing thatit is the producers of “probably the blandest lager in the world” who wear thetrousers. Since the merger, CMBC has closed the following localbreweries that were part of the former Marston's Beer Company. Jennings of Cockermouth (2022),Wychwood of Witney (2023) and Hampshire-based Ringwood (Jan 2024), blamingin all cases fierce competition and the need to cut costs. CAMRA NationalChairman Nik Antona, said at the time, "CMBC’s proposal to close Wychwoodbrewery in Witney this November is the latest in a growing list of casualtiesat the hands of global brewers. It comes fresh off the heels of closing theJennings brewery in Cumbria and selling off Ringwood brewery in Hampshire, andit is worrying to see the UK’s brewing heritage slowly erode. The diminishingconsumer choice at the hands of the commercial giants is of great concern.”
When viewed against such a background, the scrapping of theBurton Union System comes as little surprise, especially given the reach of themulti-national Carlsberg Group. Currently, Pedigree destined for cask sale isfermented to completion in open fermenters, before being blended, prior topackaging, with beer brewed in the Union Sets. This practice will now cease,and conventional fermentation will be the order of the day. CMBC claim this willhelp ensure a high-quality cost product (whatever that means), while deliveringimproved sustainability and efficiency at the brewery, by reducing water andenergy consumption. “Greenwashing” in other words!

The group’s director of brewing, Emma Gilleland went on to saythat CMBC take great pride in the quality of their beers, and by moving caskPedigree across to stainless steel fermenters, they will be able to deliverconsistent, strong quality for their customers, going forwards. Does that mean that Pedigree brewed in theUnion Sets was of lower quality? Because that is what she appears to be hinting at.The final piece of big-brewery, doublespeak is the statement, “We will invest in preservingtwo Union Sets which will remain at the brewery, so they can continue to bepart of its future as enduring iconic symbols of British brewing.” In otherwords, these items will be on show as a museum piece, and nothing more than an empty,and rather cynical gesture to 150 years of brewing history at Burton – the formerbrewing capital of the world. A Facebook page titled “Save the Burton Unions” has beenformed, and already has attracted over 200 members. Its opening statementdescribed the decision as a sad day forBurton, but the plan is to show Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company thestrength of feeling in a considered and professional way.

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