Backing the wrong horse

Not so much beery today. More 20-2-20 eyesight. Respectively.

More a demonstration of how the world changes. This must have made total sense on 1948.

"There are tremendous developments in connection with the steel trade taking place in Aberavon, a town where fortunately we have a representative number of licensed houses. There are similar developments it Llanelly, although not on quite such a large scale, where we are well represented. But it is to coal that we must look for the future, coal and everything that goes with it such as shipment of coal and the manufacture of steel and so forth. There has been an increase in production, although the returns from South Wales pits are by no means the best, and there has been during the first six months of this year quite a fair increase in the export of coal. Unfortunately I am afraid that the quality of the coal is very unsatisfactory, and the price appears to go up as the quality goes down. It is true that to some small extent South Wales ports are now being used for export trade, and that the modern cold storage plant at the Cardiff Docks, which was installed during the War, has been partially used by the Ministry of Food.

Also, there are new factories completed, some occupied and some not, but the amount of labour employed in these new industries bears no relation to the employment in the coal trade. When producers of coal realise their tremendous responsibility, then we shall have little fear of the future, and the prosperity that should follow and benefit all classes of the community."
Western Mail - Friday 17 September 1948, page 1.

Yeah - coal is the future.

I'm off to lie down now. Too long a park bench session with Mikey this arvo. Feeling a bit tired.  But not too emotional. Just tired, really.

Post-war legislation and the brewer

Brewers faced many challenges post-war. Some caused by the war itself, others of a more bureaucratic nature.

The late 1940s, like the war years were one of extreme government control. Pubs - and through them the brewers who owned them - were affected by multiple pieces of legislation.

One referred to post-war reconstruction:

"There are two items that I mention as causing some anxiety and they are the Licensing Planning Temporary Provisions Act, and the Town and Country Planning Act. The former usually applies to places that have been very badly damaged during the War, such as Swansea in this area. The position has been met by formation of a Committee of Licensed Property Owners (of which I happen to be the Chairman) which has prepared its proposals for the re-distribution of licensed houses, consequent on the re-planning of the town, and the more equitable distribution of licences into the new housing estates that are now in process of erection. This Committee has appeared before the Licensing Planning Committee, and is now in process of negotiation and confident that before long an agreement will be reached on plans that will be generally satisfactory. It is necessary to take a long term view of the matter, which may involve some sacrifice, but in the end there should be some compensation by the fact that old and unsatisfactory houses will be replaced by newer and better houses. "
Western Mail - Friday 17 September 1948, page 1.

Getting hold of licences in new housing estates was a key objective of brewers post-war. They were large, modern pubs with little, or no, immediate competition. And about a brewers only change of either building a new pub. Which is why they were happy to trade in two or three inner-city licences in return.

By "more equitable distribution" they mean making sure that every brewery got its fair share of the new licences. This is more from the chairman's speech at William Hancock's annual general meeting. I'm pretty sure Hancock was the largest brewery in South Wales, hence its chairman landing the top job in the Committee of Licensed Property Owners'

Surprisingly, in 1948 there were more pubs than in 1939:

Pubs in England and Wales 1939 - 1948
Date	Full	Beer / wine	Total Pubs
1939	56,112	17,460	73,572
1940	56,047	17,318	73,365
1941	55,961	17,249	73,210
1942	55,901	17,191	73,092
1943	55,868	17,137	73,005
1944	55,856	17,109	72,965
1945	55,875	17,085	72,960
1946	56,009	17,017	73,026
1947	56,305	16,927	73,232
1948	58,850	16,534	75,384
Source:
Brewers' Almanack 1971, page 83.

I'm amazed that only a couple of hundred pubs closed during the war, given the number that were either destroyed outright or so heavily damaged as to be unusable.

There was another advantage to building a totally new pub as opposed to enlarging an existing one:

"As to the Town and Country Planning Act. Under this Act no alterations or improvements of more than 10 per cent. of the existing area of the property can be allowed without payment of development charge. That may tend to retard improvements to licensed houses which would otherwise have bean put in hand, but in the case of an entirely new licensed house in a new district that is not the subject of a planning removal it is reasonable to suppose that the development charge will be merged into a charge for monopoly value."
Western Mail - Friday 17 September 1948, page 1.

And finally, that bastard Labour government wanted to protect the working conditions and wages of pub staff:

"There had been difficulties during the year concerning the Catering Wages Act, which treated licensed houses and hotels as factories and demanded a 48-hour week for catering staffs. It meant increased expenditure, but the employees generally were satisfied with the former system."
Western Mail - Friday 17 September 1948, page 1.

The lazy gits, just working 48 hours a week. See, they'd never complained before about worse conditions. They must have been happy to work 72-hour weeks.

Permitted output yet again

Companies' annual meetings can be great source of information. If you ignore the standard grumblings about the rate of taxation.  Something which features in pretty much every chairman's statement for the whole of the 20th century.

The following is taken from the annual report of William Hancock, one of the large breweries in Cardiff. When acquired by Bass Charrington in 1968, they owned over 500 tied house. Making them a large regional brewery.

"During the year in question the output of the company's breweries has been restricted to at 85 per cent. of the output for the year ended 3lst March, 1946, but in January, 1948, the output was further restricted to 82 per cent. of the output for the year 1946.

As a result of application to the Ministry of Food, an extra allocation was allowed in May of this year to firms operating in industrial areas, so we are now restored to the position at which we started. Even so, it is inadequate for our requirements. It is true, I think, that taking the country as a whole there has been a substantial fall in output of beer in recent months, although in this area, at any rate, the demand exceeds the permitted output for our beers, and the reason for the fall in output is that there is less money about, much less than there was a year ago. When the War came to an end people spent money freely, so that in recent months savings that had been effected in the War had largely been spent. Perhaps the culminating reason can be found in the two Budgets of November, 1947, and April, 1948. In both these Budgets there was a large increase in taxation on cigarettes and beer. There is no doubt that taxation on these two items has reached saturation point, and, in fact, even gone beyond it. There was also an increase in taxation on spirits but as spirits, or at any rate, whisky, has been in very short supply for a long while now, this would only be felt by comparatively few people, and nothing like to the same extent as the effect of taxation on beer and cigarettes.

The resultant cost of beer and cigarettes has now reached a totally unreasonable figure and a reduction in trade, therefore, can be expected, but, in view of the popularity of our own beers, I do not think we shall feel the effects for the time being, and I am hopeful that we shall still be able to maintain our output."
Western Mail - Friday 17 September 1948, page 1.

Fascinating that industrial areas were allowed an extra allowance of output. Though it's not clear by what is meant by "restored to the position at which we started". Was that the 85% of 1946 output or was it 100%?

The tax increases mentioned were the first since 1944 when the rate had been set at 286s 5.5d per standard barrel. This was put up to 325s 5d and then 364s 4.5d - quite a considerable increase. The latter rate wasn't in force long, being dropped back to 343s 4.5d in the April 1949 budget.

By 1948, the tax on a pint of beer had more than trebled. As the chairman of Hancock said:

"Col. Gaskell quoted the following rates of duty: Cheaper beers, now 9d. to 10d. (pre-war 3d.)"
Western Mail - Friday 17 September 1948, page 1.

The rate of tax had in fact more than quadrupled - in 1939 it was 80s per standard barrel - but lower gravities meant that per pint it had "only" trebled.

Bachanalia

Here's a random text I found with a great descriptrion of 19th-century pissheads. Two gallons in a sitting is pretty impressive. Especially as it was probably at least 6% ABV.

"This [something in Greek, I suspect "barley wine"], as my father called it — though I believe Xenophon called it so before him, when he found it amongst the savage tribes, in his retreat—as drunk in the country I am speaking of, was by no means a pernicious liquor, being brewed from the very best materials, and always with great care. At meetings of a certain description— some hunt-dinners, for instance — nothing but ale was put upon the table; and, strange to say, there was a chosen few of the old sort of Britons, commonly called Ancient Britons, who could drink thirty-two half-pints, or two gallons, at a sitting, and ride home afterwards. Never shall I forget a dose I had at one of these meetings (Iscoed Hunt), at which the king of Wales, as Sir Watkin Williams Wynn is called by the Welshmen, was present. Unfortunately for myself, I did not do as my next neighbour did, empty my stomach into the coat-pocket of my neighbour, but carried my load home; and the consequence was, I could not bear even the sight, much less the taste, of ale for the next six weeks.

Although cwrrw-dda, or Welsh ale, is very mild, it is very strong, and a Welshman is generally as proud of it as he is fond of it. I one day witnessed an amusing scene, in the county of Gloucester, where a glass of good mild ale is sought for in vain, owing to the nature of the water. An antiquated native squire, however, at whose house I was a guest, was not of my opinion; and, having by accident a Welsh parson at his table, ordered his butler to tap a fresh cask of ale for his reverence. The parson tasted it after his cheese, but praised it not; which called forth the question, " How do you like my ale, sir ?"—" Ale!" replied the ancient Briton, smiling; "we should call it very good small beer in Wales." There was not much of courteousness in this reply, but a great deal of truth."
"Fraser's Magazine, Volume 12", 1835, page 533.

The 19th century was a far more genttel time. As this attests: "empty my stomach into the coat-pocket of my neighbour". Charming.

Odd, isn't it how things change over time? Back in the early 19th century, apparently, Wales was famous for strong Ales. In the 20th century, it was famous for exactly the opposite. Though it is intersting to note that they were the same type of beer, Mild Ale.

Wrexham Pilsener

As I've already mentioned, there are plenty of articles to be found in late 19th century newspapers about Lager. This one is even more specific, being about Pilsener.

The Wrexham Lager brewery was an important player in the development of Lager-brewing in Britain. It was the first Lager-only brewery to survive for any length of time. Founded in 1881, it lasted right up to 2000 when its multinational owners finally pulled the plug.

"PILSENER LAGER BEER.
It is not so many years past since Lager Beer was practically unknown in this country. Travellers returning from Vienna, Berlin, Bavaria, and other continental towns, had gone into raptures over the famous "Beir Gardens," telling how the Burgomeister and the workman, the general and the private, the lady and her maid, the townspeople countryfolk, and strangers, not to speak of children and their nurses, all met on one common ground, straying under the Linden trees, listening to the strains of the military band playing Strauss' dreamy waltzes, or mayhap Wagner's "Lohengrin," the men drinking lager beer out of German tankards, iced, cold, and exhilarating. The number of tankards consumed at one sitting were generally in proportion to the credulity of the listener, sometimes it extended to gallons, as in the case of the famous student of Heidleberg.

It is a question if lager beer would have been introduced into England to the extent it now is, but for the fact that the German brewers first attacked the export trade of the English and Scotch brewers, and slowly but surely superseded them in almost every foreign market, particularly those under the British flag. Being successful, they then pushed the beer into England, and were assisted by the English residenters, who coming home brought the taste for lager beer with them. Up to this the German clubs in London, Manchester, &c, kept lager beer for their members, but outside of this there was no other trade to speak of. All this is now changed ; at present there are no less than thirty-five Continental lager beer breweries represented in London alone, and in England there are several breweries now making this beer. The demand for lager beer, especially the light Pilsener beer, has advanced with great strides. The public are finding out that this light beer is a very healthy beverage, acting as an exhilarating tonic, without any depressing effects, such as follow the consumption of heavier ales, and the taste generally is setting towards a light, palatable beer.

We have mentioned there are several breweries that brew lager beer in this country, among these the Wrexham Lager Beer Company (Limited), Wrexham, stands foremost, This brewery, built from the foundation on the German system, is complete in all its details, and has been very successful in brewing the light "Pilsener" beer for the past two years, their sales within six months having advanced nearly 50 per cent. The beer is a beautiful pale color, light and pleasant to the palate, and effervescing like good champagne, as a dinner beverage it is unsurpassed. The beer is matured in the Company's ice cellars for at least three months, the machinery at the brewery being capable of making from ten to twelve tons of ice per day. This being more than is required for brewing purposes, the company are now making the ice from pure town's water, and selling it to the public for trade or domestic use.

It is strange to think of the distant parts of the world to which the Wrexham Pilsener Beer finds its way. When one speaks of flowery Japan, China with her teeming populations ; the Malay Archipelago, including the Dutch island of Java, Rangoon, and British Burmah ; India, from Calcutta to the mountains, and in Ceylon ; all the principal Australian ports ; Africa, both east and west coast ; the principal ports in South America, both east and west coast ; Florida, New York, and Canada, it can be seen that it has a wide domain. At Home the principal large lines of steamers take it for passengers' use, both the great Australian lines and the famous Atlantic racers, not to mention Eastern bound steamers. In the United Kingdom, from Aberdeen in the north to Bournemouth in the south, and in the wild wests of Ireland to Hull in England, a large and growing trade is being done ; and like carrying coals to Newcastle it has even been sent to customers in Germany. We are informed that making use of their extensive malting floors and kilns the Company started malting last year, and made malt suitable for sale to other brewers. So far they have met with success, having sold all they malted for the purpose during the season. With the machinery and plant at their disposal, and the efficient staff of employés at present engaged, the Company Will have, and deserve, continued success in the future."
Wrexham Advertiser - Saturday 25 October 1890, page 5.

There are a couple of really interesting points in there. First, about the way German beer stole British export markets. Particularly export markets that were part of the British Empire. That I knew, but the next bit is an echo of how IPA arrived in Britain. Returning expats who had acquired a taste for Lager whilst abroad wanting to continue their Lager habit.

Then there's the number of Lager brewers with agents in London: 35. That's quite a lot. Though, given that only 50,000 barrels were imported in total in 1890 (source: Brewers' Almanack 1928, p. 115), many must foreign breweries must have been bringing in very small quantities of beer.

One significant change since the early days of the 1860’s was the type of Lager being imported and drunk. At first the Vienna style of amber Lager had been most popular, followed by the dark Munich type. By 1890 Pilsner had become the preferred Lager, which mirrored trends in the rest of Europe. The first Lagers brewed in most of European countries were Müncheners. Carlsberg in Denmark and Heineken in Holland are good examples. Neither initially brewed a pale Lager.

Despite this glowing writeup in the local paper, the Wrexham Lager brewery struggled to find much of a market for its beers in Wales of Britain as a whole. Which is why there's such a long list of export destinations. It's significant that the first "domestic" customers mentioned are shipping lines. Hardly really domestic consumption.

This is one of several advertorial type articles about the brewery that I've found in the Wrexham Advertiser. One was clearly written by a non-native English speaker. A dead giveaway of the brewery having been involved in its writing.

Where are we going to put it all?

My latest book-buying spree has delivered mixed results. Buying brewery histories is a total lottery. Some have nothing at all of interest. The corporate ones are the worst. Scarcely even a mention of beer.

I'm often very critical of other beer writing. You get the written equivalent of the shouting I do at the television. Programmes about all sorts of things get me yelling. History. Language. Music. Architecture. House restoration. The weather. And especially beer.

Brewery histories. Local histories. A lottery. I hope for old adverts. Easy illustrations to find and black and white. Perfect for such books. There's rarely more in terms of hard beer facts than what's in the adverts. At least you learn what beers they brewed. I order these histories and hope. (Don't tell Dolores about that. "What! You don't even know what's in these books? Ronald! Stop wasting our money on that crap. Where are we going to put it all?"

A book that doesn't make me squeak in despair. "Cardiff Pubs and Breweries" by Brian Glover. It's got some pretty handy bits. "That looks just like the boring crap you write, dad." was Andrew's opinion. He's not far wrong. Lot's of letters. X's. OG's. The stuff I collect. I've already begun the harvest. It is very sad, I know, that a grown man can get so excited at the size of a beer's gravity.

A definite keeper. *

Dolores gave me the you're-bankrupting-us-with-these-stupid-books speech today. But only for 5 minutes. I'm good for another dozen, I reckon. Books. Not being told off. I'm used to that. My mum. My brother. Various bosses. Lexie ("You alcoholic!"), Andrew. Pretty much every Czech waiter that ever served me.

Here's the beer details I've gleaned from "Cardiff Pubs and Breweries". Plus some others from the Whitbread Gravity Book.





I'm not going to comment much on these today. Just a couple of points.

Pre-WW I, the beers are pretty weak. Hancock's XX was just 1040 in 1905. That's very weak. The weakest Mild from most breweries was over 1050. Treherbert's XX was a pathetic 1032 in 1915. I've never seen a Mild gravity so low before 1918. Post WW I, gravities dropped less than in England. In fact they were barely lower then pre-war. The net result was that Welsh beers became much closer in strength to their English counterparts.

There's also a large number of different Milds from each brewery. Hancock's brewed 3 right up until 1960.

That's it for now. More recipes tomorrow, I think. What about a nice, weak IPA?

* I never throw a book away.