Thursday, September 9, 2010

Local Beers: Taste the difference....

I think I may have mentioned that I revived my life long like for beer (well adult long anyway) at the beer festival held at the rugby club early on in the summer. With over a hundred different beers to choose from from all over the south east who can blame me. I even searched out, such was my new found obsession, a small brewery whilst on holiday called Lizard Ales who had a wonderful golden ale called Frenchman's Creek, named after the Cornish novelist, Daphne Du Maurier's, book by the same name. It's all very well wanting to support your local small breweries but try buying the wonderful, lovingly produced stuff when there isn't a beer festival on though. I don't go down the pub that much these days but I've discovered a liking for bottle conditioned beers which most of these breweries now supply. The trouble is that Sainsbury's and Waitrose only have a very limited number of them on the shelves prefering, for the most part, to stock the big breweries brands. I suppose, in a way, you can't blame them because that's where the bulk of the sales will inevitably come from due to large advertising and marketing budgets etc. but surely there should be more than one choice, out of the many Kent breweries, in each of the main supermarkets of Tonbridge. How do the little guys get a foothold in the market without being available for sale in the bigger outlets? Come on Waitrose and Sainsbury's lets have more and better choice of beers on your shelves with a local bias; every little helps and you really can taste the difference!...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can't we get it right in the local pubs first. They are in a shocking state round here.

Paul Bailey said...

Last time I looked in Waitrose they were selling bottled beers from both Westerham and Whitstable breweries; both of whom are relatively local. Sainsburys sell Hopdaemon beers, which are brewed just outside Canterbury.

Morrisons normally stock a good range, although I accept that their nearest outlet is at Crowborough.

When I ran the Cask & Glass, I stocked one of the largest ranges of bottled beers in the area, including local ales from Harveys, Hepworths, Kings, Nelson and Rother Valley, together with the aforementioned Westerham and Whitstable.

It is worth remembering TB., that not all local breweries bottle their beers. Larkins and Goachers are amongst several that do not. Equally, not all local breweries wish to deal with supermarkets, given the latter's insistence on large discounts. Although not a local brewery to Kent, Sam Smiths of Tadcaster only supplied their bottles to independent retailers, such as myself, for this very reason, and I believe this is why Harveys also refuse to deal with supermarkets.

Tonbridge blogger said...

PB: shows how much TB knows then!

Paul Bailey said...

I'm sure you're a quick learner, TB. Welcome to the world of decent beer!!

Anonymous said...

Get on the Duchy Originals Old Ruby Ale, on special at Waitrose and is very very good.