Who turned off the Tap?

01 January 2000
Who turned off the Tap?

By Andrew Sangster

TAP & SPILE, the chain of real ale pubs owned by Century Inns, is still reeling from the backlash of public anger at Century's decision to axe about 50 beer suppliers from its list.

Century Inns bought the Tap & Spile chain of 40-plus pubs from the Pubmaster chain last autumn, as part of a £35m acquisition of its 78 managed pubs.

Tap & Spile was the first chain to make real ale a feature of its sales pitch. It took the bare floorboards and basic furnishings approach and coupled it with what was the widest range of real ales in the market.

In a move that went against perceived trends, lagers and keg cider were taken off the bar top and stuck behind the counter. The emphasis was on selling as many as 12 draught real ales.

Tap & Spile was widely applauded by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) and other beer lovers. The chain quickly gathered a dedicated following and, the sincerest form of flattery, spawned a rash of imitators such as Whitbread's Hogshead pubs and Scottish & Newcastle's T&J Bernards.

The takeover by Century Inns, however, has led to a rethinking of the stocking policy.

Previously, managers in Tap & Spile outlets were ordering beers from breweries directly. In theory, this is fine. It means the manager can respond to the local demands of customers rather than react to a central office diktat. But in practice there were complications.

When Century decided to halt supplies coming from individual breweries, chief executive Alistair Arkley said it was to guarantee quality.

Quality is undoubtedly an issue - to stock as many as 12 real ales requires an enormous sales volume to ensure freshness. Reducing the number of hand-pumps can be done without cutting back the range of suppliers, however.

Limiting the number of suppliers - Bass for the mainstream beers, around 20 small brewers delivering directly, and wholesaler Beer Seller for other brands - means that Century knows exactly what is going in and out of its pubs. Such control is essential for any effective retail operation, and Century is demanding it.

Despite its restrictions, Century still claims it has the widest selection of beers available in a pub company.

This is probably true for the time being, but it is doubtful that it will remain so. Just as supermarkets have an ever-widening range (alongside selective rationalisation), so too will the big pub retailers as the market becomes more sophisticated.

In the interim, there is a gap for the wily independent operator. A well-thought-out guest ale programme can be a unique selling point for any bar.

If you are thinking of trying a beer, why not try one of the brews no longer listed by Tap & Spile? Daleside's Monkey Wrench is a rich, ruby beer that has just enough bitterness to balance its fruity sweetness. The beer won its class at Camra's most recent Winter Beer of Britain contest.

l Beer of the month: Monkey Wrench at 5.3% ABV. Available from the Daleside Brewery as casks of nine gallons for £62 plus VAT, or as pasteurised 500ml bottles costing £12.50 plus VAT for 12. Tel: 01388 710109. n

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