Asahi swallows Fuller’s Pride, but promises to keep historic brewery
IT WAS announced last week that respected British brewer Fuller’s of London has sold its brewing concerns to the Japanese brewing multinational Asahi.
Fuller’s Griffin Brewery in Chiswick is home to the famous London Pride which is popular all over the UK and often seen locally.
Fuller’s will now concentrate solely on running its pubs with Asahi as its primary supplier, so I expect that in the short term drinkers may not notice much difference.
Over the years, Asahi has taken over many other breweries, such as Meantime, also in London and is mainly known for craft beer, Grolsch in the Netherlands, Italy’s Peroni, and Pilsner Urquell from the Czech Republic.
As a truly international concern, it also owns many other brands not so well known in the UK.
Camra is always concerned when a piece of Britain’s traditional brewing heritage falls into multinational ownership, not for Little Englander reasons, but mainly because the breweries acquired in this manner are in the control of boardrooms thousands of miles away.
Decisions will be made by executives who are unfamiliar with the breweries concerned and who would be inclined to see them as little more than entries on a profit and loss account.
There have been all the usual reassurances about maintaining the production of the popular brands on their traditional site, and I do hope that those promises are kept.
However, beer drinkers with long memories will remember similar commitments were regularly made after takeovers in the past - and almost as regularly betrayed.
Asahi and Fuller’s have both expressed satisfaction with this deal and complete confidence in the future of their two companies.
As Mandy Rice-Davies might have commented: they would say that, wouldn’t they?
FESTIVAL NEWS
MORE happily, the 7th Camra Fleetwood Beer Festival will run from Thursday to Saturday, February 7-9 at the Marine Hall, The Esplanade, Fleetwood, Lancs, FY7 6HF.
As well as a range of approximately 100 real ales, including beers from local breweries, old favourites and a range of new and unusual beers, they will also have a range of ciders and perries, and a bar with beers from around the world.
There will also be a gin and prosecco bar and food will be available.
For more information, go to: blackpool.camra.org.uk. Southport & West Lancs Camrawebsite: www.southport. camra.org.uk.