Power in a Union

Burton Union Systems may be expensive to run, outdated, maintenance heavy and inefficient, but the recent decision by Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) to retire the remaining four sets at their Albion Brewery on Shobnall Road in Burton upon Trent has been steeped in controversy, as it marks the end of a chapter in Burton’s brewing history that stretches back to the mid-1800s.

In simplistic terms the Burton Union System is a method of fermentation that takes place in an interconnected series of paired barrels, swan neck pipes allow the yeast to feed into a trough above where it is retained, and clear beer can run back into the barrels. It was once the predominant method of fermentation in Burton in the 1880s and 1890s, back when it was the Brewing Capital of the World: Bass had them, as did all the other big breweries: Allsopp, Truman, Hanbury & Buxton, Worthington, Ind Coope, Eadie, Andrew Barclay Walker … and of course The Trustees of the Late Peter Walker on Clarence Street, the man that history records as inventing, or at least patenting, an early version of the Burton Union System in 1838.

Over the years the Burton Union System was deemed no longer viable and confined to the scrap heap, or in the case of Bass, the carpark of the now defunct National Brewery Centre on Guild Street. Ind Coope and Allsopp decommissioned theirs in 1959, Trumans closed their Burton brewery in 1971 and with it went their Unions. The last mash took place at Bass No.2 Brewery (formerly the New Brewery) on 16th August 1982, the Union System was then abandoned, leaving one brewer committed to their use Marston, Thompson & Evershed.

Ever since then the various incarnations of Marston’s have been proud of their Union Room, calling it the “Cathedral of Brewing.” In 1991 their commitment expanded with the installation of more Unions. “No Burton Union. No Pedigree. End of.” Not my words but those on marstonsbrewery.co.uk.

Marston’s premium bitter Pedigree has had a long association with the Burton Unions. Originally called P or P Quality, a competition took place in 1952 to rename the beer and the moniker Pedigree was chosen. By the 1980s it was marketed as “The King of Bitters” albeit one that ruled locally as Pedigree was a notoriously bad traveller, I remember being told that if it’s journey was broken up more than twice the flavour would be affected. I started drinking Pedigree in the mid-80s (it was my first legal pint) when it possessed the Burton Snatch, a massive sulphurous smell that was popular in Burton but not so suited for the rest of the country. Pedigree was marketed on TV in 1995 and the brand became a national concern but with this the recipe was toned down for the wider palette and the beer was never quite the same again. But it was still brewed in Burton Unions.

The last decent pint I had was in the summer of 2016, by which time it had been rebranded from a Pale to an Amber Ale. I’d been shown around the brewery as I was writing a book and ended up in the now closed Visitors’ Centre for refreshment. I was assured at the time every single drop of cask Pedigree was Union brewed but since then, I couldn’t say. For research purposes I tried a Pedigree a few days ago and it was that bland I left half of it. Since the formation of CMBC in 2020 I’ve read comments that I cannot substantiate that Pedigree has been brewed at Wolverhampton and that the cask version has been blended with beer brewed in Squares, all I know is it isn’t the beer I used to love so maybe it’ll be impossible to tell that it’s not Union brewed.

Why the fuss about the retiring of the Burton Union System at Marston’s? These are not just any old Burton Union Sets, these are the last working sets not only in Burton, but the world. Now let that sink in for a moment. We are talking about a pivotal moment in world brewing history; if the Burton Union System was an animal, it would have been protected under law.

Over the last decade I have grown tired of using the word “tragically” when referring to Burton’s brewing history and it hasn’t escaped me that I am writing in what will probably be the end times. In the last eighteen months we’ve lost the National Brewery Centre, Worthington White Shield and now this and that is the problem when foreign companies buy into our industry, they may pay lip service to the importance of our history but ultimately it isn’t theirs and money talks louder. Granted there are easier ways to brew than the Burton Union System, but for the sake of tradition it should continue, I see no sense in stopping a process that is the last remaining example in the entire world, surely this should be a cherished asset and not something to be disposed of because the accountants deem it poor value for money. This is so short-sighted that I’m contemplating booking CMBC an eye test.

Having been at Ind Coope when Carlberg merged with Allied Breweries, I witnessed their treatment of Ind Coope Draught Burton Ale, which had won CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain in 1990. Their attempt to sideline the brand and persuade drinkers that Carlsberg’s products were preferable showed a lack of understanding of the real ale market and it’s a worrying sign that nearly 30 years on, little appears to have changed. The unique selling point of Pedigree was it being the only beer to still be Burton Union brewed, take that away and the brand will likely see sales decline further before being quietly withdrawn, but hey at least we can drink Carlsberg Lager instead.

History will record that the Burton Union System was ended by CMBC and that’s not “Probably …”