Month: April 2022

“Elated, surprised, gobsmacked … I didn’t think we were in the running at all … I can’t believe it, I just don’t know what to say,” says a genuinely surprised Julie Latham, Landlady of The Roebuck Inn on hearing the news that her pub has won ‘The Best Bass in Burton 2022’ competition, which was held last Saturday on ‘National Bass Day’.

After taking a few minutes to compose herself, Julie continues: “My staff and I are so pleased to have won this, I’d like to thank everyone behind the bar for their hard work on Saturday and of course the Judges for holding our Bass in such high esteem and recognising what our regulars have been telling us for years.”

A short list of six permanent Bass houses was drawn up following a vote on Social Media: The Constitutional Club, The Coopers Tavern, The Devonshire Arms, The Elms Inn, The Roebuck Inn and The Waterloo Inn all made it through for the chance to be scored by groups of independent Bass aficionados, to answer a question that has been debated countless times, who serves the best Bass in Burton? 

Out of all the Burton beers, Bass is the most historic and important. The link between Burton and Bass stretches back to 1777 and without Bass the town wouldn’t be what it is today. Very little is left of the Bass empire: two breweries on Station Street (one disused), Bass House on High Street, some offices, a few Maltings, the Water Tower next to the Washlands … not much to show for a company that once spanned the whole town.

Bass may have ceased as a brewer over 20 years ago but the beer Draught Bass is still produced in Burton by Marston’s under licence from owners AB-InBev.

“Yes the Bass of today isn’t exactly the same as I remember drinking in the 1980’s, but it is still one of my favourites,” reckons competition organiser Ian Webster. “Marston’s do a fantastic job, they have captured that nutty malty taste perfectly.”

The result was incredibly close, the margin between first and second being only a few marks.

“At one point I thought it was going to be a draw,” laughs Ian. “The standard of the Bass from all six pubs was incredibly high, I noticed slight variations in each pint which is down to the cellaring technique, the way that the beer is served and so on.”

The runners-up are The Devonshire Arms, the pub being a few hundred metres along Station Street from the winner.

“First of all we’d like to congratulate Julie and her team at The Roebuck Inn for the title of ‘The Best Bass in Burton 2022’, I’ve drank it a few times ‘up the road’ and it’s always top notch,” says a gracious Carl Stout, who along with his wife Nicki keeps The Devonshire Arms. “Secondly we’d like to thank everyone who took part and those who took the time to vote for us.

“In the three years since buying The Devvie, it is the most Bass we have sold in one day. On a personal note, to finish second in the Burton and South Derbyshire CAMRA Pub of the Year and now second in ‘The Best Bass in Burton 2022’ is an achievement we at The Devvie are very proud of.”

The competition is set to become an annual fixture for Bass fans.

Julie: “Now for the hard part, defending the title next year.”

The next ‘National Bass Day’ and ‘The Best Bass in Burton 2023’ will be held on Easter Saturday 8 April 2023, why not save the date and if you are a Bass lover why not come and join the Judges next time?

National Bass Day | Facebook

I went to the Constitutional Club in Burton upon Trent recently; it sits literally a stone’s throw along High Street from Bass House and was founded by monies from Lord Burton. It proudly serves one beer on draught, what else but Bass? Newly acquired Bass drip mats are on every table, the club printed them up themselves as they can’t get hold of the official versions. Now let that sink in for a minute, Bass is the tenth best selling cask ale in the country and the brewery do not produce drip mats! There are also no posters, adverts in the press, pump clips are hard to come by, the only item a publican can get hold of are pint glasses. There’s something wrong here.

Generally, I try to keep a cordial relationship with breweries, but I have given up with AB InBev who own Bass as I have never come across such apathy towards a brand. It’s not like its just any brand either, it is Bass for goodness sake! The Red Triangle! It is the most recognisable Trademark in the world! The label for Bass Pale Ale was trademark number one (the Red Triangle itself was number 913)! Bass was once the greatest brewer in the world and AB InBev really couldn’t give a toss. There’s something really wrong here.

Marston’s, once arch rivals of Bass have brewed the beer under contract since 2005 at their Albion Brewery on Shobnall Road; Lord Burton would have wept. Marston’s do an excellent job too; it has that malty nuttiness that I remember from when I first drank it in the late 1980’s. It’s not “Bass” Bass but it is Bass and a damn fine drink too. Many argue that it is better than Pedigree and they are right.

There’s another form of Bass, an imposter in a Bass bottle. It is brewed at the Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I Brewery at Salmesbury (aka Shamelessbury), Preston and pales (pun intended) in comparison to the Marston’s brew. The only time I’ve had it in the last ten years was on the cancelled 2020 National Bass Day when there was no Draught Bass in the world to be had. There’s something really really wrong here.

So today is the first National Bass Day, not a bright idea from the AB InBev Marketing Department, but of one man, a Burtonian now living Bakewell way called Ian Thurman and it’s developed a life of its own. Think about it, tenth best selling cask ale in the country and it is being promoted by a passionate amateur, one who gets no support from the owners? I’d be embarrassed, no wonder the triangle is red, it is blushing.

Hang your head in shame AB InBev. If you don’t want the brand, sell it.

I originally wrote this at speed a few weeks back, apart from the odd tweak here and there and the removal of a “fucking”, I stand by what I wrote, so here it is.