This advert provides an interesting snapshot of what types of beer were on offer in the late 1950s.
BEER is BUST - wide open!
Maybe you KNOW us best as WINE MERCHANTS but we can also tell you ALL there is to know about BEER - if you're interested. What's mere, we STOCK far MORE different BEERS than MOST brewers — because we have NO "ties" at all. We are not bound to sell ONLY this beer or that: we stock ALL the good been you are likely to ask for - BECAUSE hate to lose a sale.
Worthing Gazette - Wednesday 26 June 1957, page 9.
First, the standard beers. Where they don't even bother mentioning the individual types, just the brewery.
We stock all SIMONDS beers, 3/- qt; all TRUMANS beers, 3/1 qt. ; all WATNEYS, 3/1 qt; all WHITBREADS, 3/7; also Fremlins, Tolly, Mackesons, Friary, Younger's, Eldridge Popes, Benskins, Flowers, and Uncle TOM COBLEY's too if you even SUGGEST you might want it.
Worthing Gazette - Wednesday 26 June 1957, page 9.
Fascinating that Whitbread was sold at a premium price compared to the other breweries. Especially surprising as two of the other brewers - Truman and Watney - were Whitbread's direct rivals.
Next a selection of Burton Pale Ales.
BASS, of course — both Red and Green labels - in pints 2/7, half-pints 1/4, and nips 1/-; WORTHINGTON, same prices; Double-Diamond 1/4 ; TAVERN Ale, 1/3.5; Ben TRUMAN 1/3.5; and all other best ales.
Worthing Gazette - Wednesday 26 June 1957, page 9.
As relatively strong beers for the period, this set is much more expensive: 1/4 for a half pint when the standard beers sold for 3/- per quart.
I love the way the strongest ones are described as "he-man" beers:
And the HE-man beers: Simonds 5-X at 1/4 per nip; Stingo 1/6 nips: Barley Wine 1/8 nips. Lay in some beer at HOME and get the GARDENING done this weekend.
Worthing Gazette - Wednesday 26 June 1957, page 9.
A bit unusually, they still sold beer in casks.
If YOU like it from the WOOD - for real BEERMANSHIP - we can cope with that too: try a "PIN" (4.5 gallons), it should last you ALL evening! SIMONDS 30/-; Whitbreads Bitter 57/-; Younger. Scotch Ale No. 3 57/-, Worthington 57/-. Or any OTHER brew you fancy, in ANY size you like from a PIN to a HOGSHEAD (72 gallons - lasts MANY people a whole WEEKEND).
Worthing Gazette - Wednesday 26 June 1957, page 9.
Though they got the size of a hogshead wrong: it's 54 gallons. I'm guessing that the Simonds beer must have been Mild Ale, given the price relative to the other ones mentioned.
They were very keen on cans. I doubt any advert today would mention the method of can disposal suggested.
Beer in CANS is excellent - tastes BETTER than beer in bottles - honestly, And SO handy! NO empties to return. Just chuck them over the hedge; easy to CARRY, to OPEN, to DRINK. Keeps perfectly for MONTHS - if nobody sees it - and we can even POST a dozen cans to you and you get them NEXT morning - NO charge for postage or packing. We STOCK 8 kinds of BEERS in CANS - biggest seller is TAVERN at 16/- dozen. For a BARBECUE up the CREEK take some CANS in your CANOE.
Worthing Gazette - Wednesday 26 June 1957, page 9.
Wow - 8 types of canned beer. The crazy bastards.
Of course, Lager was also on offer. Only a couple of types, mind.
It you like it LIGHT and mild, fresh and FROTHY, how about LAGER? We stock Barclays 1/3; TUBORG and Carlsberg 1/5; HEINEKEN'S 1/7. One LAST try to get YOUR order.
Worthing Gazette - Wednesday 26 June 1957, page 9.
Finally, a selection of Stouts. 20 different ones, no less.
About STOUT now, which we nearly forgot to mention. We stock GUINNESS of course, in 4 sizes: 4/3 qt., 2/2 pt., 1/1.5 half-pint, 11d nip. MACKESONS, in bottle or can. OATMEAL Stout, PLAIN stout and FANCY stout - perhaps a score of them. Very good for NURSING MOTHERS. Very good EXCUSE for nursing mothers. We deliver to you IMMEDIATELY if you say so throughout the TOWN area; and regularly EVERY WEEK in all COUNTRY districts. A postcard brings us RUSHING to your door.
DOMINIC
Peter Dominic Limited
Worthing Gazette - Wednesday 26 June 1957, page 9.
How quaint, ordering by postcard.
Next time - some details of the beers mentioned.
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6 comments:
It is even more entertaining if you imagine Keith Floyd reading it.
I'm surprised that neither you nor any of your readers have shown any sense of shock at the vendor's suggestion that empty cans be disposed of by chucking them over the hedge. Peter Dominic's market (by the 1960s at least) was firmly anchored in the Home Counties middle classes, so the suggestion that its customers would/should behave like yobs is truly amazing. As for sending them a postcard, at the time the advert was placed, postcards were still charged at a concessionary rate and blank ones - without a picture on the front - were a popular means of sending short messages without the formality of a letter. According to the Great Britain Philatelic Society, in June 1957 it cost 2d to post a postcard, 20 percent less than the 2½d that a letter would have cost. Perhaps more quaint to modern minds is the higher level of trust that operated in British society in those days - just fancy sending a new customer a consignment of alcoholic drink without prepayment! And there were no credit ratings agencies in 1950s England.
Chap,
I did mention the can disposal method. I thought it rather shocking.
Interesting the narrowing of the price differential for postcards and letters. For the first hundred years of postage stamps, it was 1d for a letter and 0.5d for a postcard.
Ron,
You're right - I missed it. Sorry.
I'm a bit mystified at the phrase "He-Man" showing up--the cartoon had its origins in 1976 according to Wikipedia, so did this term exist beforehand? I always assumed it was made up for the show--seems like a silly portmanteau to have come from the early 20th century.
Michael, the term “he-man” precedes the cartoon by decades. I’ve seen it used in the 1920s and I imagine I could find earlier if I bothered to look.
What I came here to say is that the “chuck it over the hedge” method of beer can disposal was still popular when I was growing up in the 1970s!
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