Newcastle Breweries bottled beers in 1931

Not the snappiest title, I know. More Snowden budget stuff, I’m afraid. This time the effect it had on the bottled beer range of Newcastle Breweries.

This is how they announced the change. First, with an “article”:

“NEWCASTLE BREWERIES.
After due consideration the directors of Newcastle Breweries Ltd., say they intend to pursue their established policy of giving the public the best possible value and they have accordingly adjusted their prices to this end. Newcastle pale ale is now replaced by a light pale ale retailing at 7s. a dozen (pint bottles) and an entirely new line will marketed called amber ale, retailing at 8s. a dozen (pint bottles). Minimum increases have been made as Newcastle brown ale, mild ale and home brew, particulars of which will be found in our advertisement columns.”
Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Thursday 01 October 1931, page 3.

You know what it sounds like happened? That they had Pale Ale selling for 7d a pint bottle. After the tax increase, they replaced it with a weaker beer at the same price. It wouldn’t surprise me if the new Amber Ale were the old Pale Ale rebadged.

A few pages later, there’s the related advert:

“Announcement
NEWCASTLE Bottled ALES
The Newcastle Breweries, Ltd., announce the introduction of two new Bottled Ales, which they have named

Newcastle AMBER ALE and Newcastle LIGHT PALE ALE.

These new Ales will be available on Monday, October 5th, while after Saturday, October 3rd, no further supplies of Newcastle PALE ALE will be distributed. The three other bottled Ales brewed by The Newcastle Breweries, Ltd., namely Newcastle Champion BROWN ALE, Newcastle MILD ALE, and Newcastle HOME BREW will still be supplied as before.

The prices of these five “Newcastle” Ales have all been adjusted to give that same good value for money, and that same high standard of quality and purity, which has characterised “Newcastle" Ales in the past, and which has earned for them the well-merited title of 
BRITAIN’S BEST BEERS!

Newcastle Champion
BROWN ALE.
Pint Bottles - 10/- doz.
Half Pints - - 5/6 doz.
Splits - - 3/6 doz.

Newcastle
AMBER ALE 
Pint Bottles - 8/- doz. 
Half Pints - - 4/6 doz.

Newcastle MILD ALE.
Pint Bottles - 8/- doz. 
Half Pints - - 4/6 doz.

Newcastle
LIGHT PALE ALE.
Pint Bottles - 7/- doz.
Half Pints - - 4/- doz.

Newcastle
HOME BREW 
Strong Ale
Reputed Pints- - 12/- doz.
Half Pints - - 8/6 doz.
Splits - - 6/- doz.

For Trade & Retail supplies-
Relton Bottling Co.,
Lowthian Rd., West Hartlepool.”
Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Thursday 01 October 1931, page 7.

It would be nice to know more about those beers, wouldn’t it? It just so happens that I have analyses of almost the full set from exactly the right period.

Newcastle Breweries bottled beers 1925 - 1932
Year	Beer	Style	Price	size	OG	FG	ABV	App. Atten-uation
1925	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	6.5d	pint	1038.5	1006.4	4.18	83.38%
1928	Brown Ale	Brown Ale	9d	pint	1060.1	1012.5	6.21	79.20%
1929	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	1040	1010.75	3.79	73.13%
1929	Brown Ale	Brown Ale		pint	1062.75	1014.3	6.32	77.21%
1931	Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	1040	1009.5	3.96	76.25%
1931	Brown Ale	Brown Ale		pint	1059.5	1014	5.93	76.47%
1931	Light Pale Ale	Pale Ale		pint	1035.25	1007	3.67	80.14%
1931	Mild Ale	Mild		pint	1040.5	1013.5	3.49	66.67%
1931	Amber Ale	Amber Ale		pint	1042	1010.5	4.09	75.00%
1931	Brown Ale	Brown Ale		pint	1056.5	1013	5.66	76.99%
1931	Brown Ale	Brown Ale		pint	1056	1014	5.46	75.00%
1932	Stout	Stout	8d	pint	1036	1010.2	3.34	71.67%
1932	Mild Ale	Mild	8d	half	1036	1011.5	3.17	68.06%
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Thomas Usher Gravity Book document TU/6/11 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive
Younger, Wm. & Co Gravity Book document WY/6/1/1/19 held at the Scottish Brewing Archive

After digging a little further, I wasn’t quite right about Pale Ale. Up until late 1931, Newcastle Pale Ale cost 6.5d a pint, just like Newcastle Mild Ale. While Newcastle Brown Ale was 9d per pint.*

The first two 1931 analyses are from early in the year, before the budget. The others are from October.

The new Pale Ale was 5 gravity points weaker and 0.5d more per pint. Mild Ale looks like it stayed at the same strength, but went up 1.5d per pint. While Brown Ale went up just 1d per pint, but had its gravity cut by 3 gravity points.

All in all, quite a complex response to the tax increase. Most breweries just cut gravities across the board. While Newcastle Breweries had a mix of gravity cuts and price increases that were different for different beers.






* Adverts in Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail on Thursday 17 January 1929, page 7; Thursday 23 January 1930, page 9 and Thursday 03 April 1930, page 7.