It’s the end of the line for the famous union sets used to ferment Pedigree beer at the Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Co (CMBC), in Burton upon Trent.
The company says the process is now longer viable because of a drop in cask volumes. Two of the sets will remain at the brewery as a piece of brewing heritage.
“We take great pride in the quality of our brews, and by moving cask Pedigree to stainless steel fermenters we will be able to deliver consistent strong quality for our customers and consumers going forward,” said director of brewing, Emma Gilleland.
“We are committed to protecting the legacy of the union sets, both for the brewery and for Burton. We will invest in preserving two union sets which will remain at the brewery so they can continue to be part of its future as enduring, iconic symbols of British brewing.
“We’d urge CMBC to find some way to preserve these historic pieces of brewing equipment rather than simply scrap them, or make the union sets available to another brewery which might be interested in preserving this tradition,” said Nik Antona, chair of CAMRA.
“We do understand the need for breweries to remain efficient and ensure quality at a time when we are sadly seeing many closures. CAMRA is reassured that this news is tempered by the fact CMBC has invested a significant sum, worth several millions, in the site, which hopefully will secure continued brewing and support the cask ales which have long been brewed in Burton-on-Trent.”
The Firestone Walker Brewing Company, in the USA, uses a modified, but not identical, version of barrel brewing, inspired by the Burton unions.
