PC name change for beer that brewed up parliamentary storm
AN award-winning ale which once featured a picture of a buxom blonde bunny girl has been rebranded again – amid concerns it is still too offensive.
Slater’s best-selling ale Top Totty will be renamed 1Hop from next month.
But bosses have moved to reassure drinkers that the recipe will not change.
Stafford-based Slater’s first brewed Top Totty back in 1998 as a one-off summer special.
However, due to its popularity, the decision was made to keep Top Totty as a permanent beer – and it has since gone on to win many awards.
The original pump badge was of a cartoon blonde woman wearing only white lingerie, a pink bow tie and bunny ears. Slater’s said it was designed to be humorous.
But it came to national attention in 2012 when it was banned from Parliamentary pub Strangers’ Bar after Shadow equalities minister Kate Green claimed she was “disturbed” by the label.
Following feedback and a “change in times”, the bunny girl was axed four years ago.
Now, the ale is undergoing yet another rebrand.
A Slater’s spokesman said: “Top Totty is Slater’s Ales most successful ale. The original bunny girl was designed to be humorous and never intended to offend anyone.
“But following feedback, and with the change in times, the deci- sion was made 2014 to remove bunny girl. “We acknowledged that this wasn’t appropriate for the beer market and modern society. “During the following four years we have argued within ourselves about what is the correct thing to in the do with Top Totty, bearing in mind its popularity with drinkers and the feedback received from detractors.”
“As a result of focus groups we have hosted, the decision has been made to completely rebrand the beer to ensure as a brewery that we are doing all we can to ensure all customers are happy drinking our award-winning ales.”