North v South: St Edmunds provokes debate

l Greene King St Edmunds is bringing new customers to the beer market, particularly the sought-after female drinker

April 17, 2008: The latest addition to Greene King's portfolio, St Edmunds, is sparking debate, but is also bringing new drinkers to the beer market.

Launched last year, St Edmunds — dubbed beer of the month by none other than ale guru Roger Protz — breaks new ground in beer retailing by having a method of dispense that can pour the beer either as southerners like it, with a crown of loose bubbles, or the northern way, with a tight creamy head.

The Trinity, in Southwark, hosted the launch of St Edmunds in October and was one of the first pubs in the UK to offer drinkers a choice of how they would like their pint served.

The beer has — controversially in the minds of some ale aficionados — been specially brewed to be served cooler than traditional cask beers, between 6 – 8° Celsius, making it a keen contender in the summer market.

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	l The unique St Edmunds pump offers a choice of northern or southern styles of serve

Bar manager of The Trinity, Henry Tootal, said: “The head-to-head choice of two serve styles and the distinctive ‘on-bar theatre’ has made St Edmunds a great talking point for both customers and bar staff.

"The unique design of the pump really catches the eye because it looks special and really stands out on the bar. St Edmunds has also been particularly popular with drinkers in their early 30s.”

Greene King has supported the pilot of St Edmunds with sampling events at selected pubs across the country. Following one such event at The Trinity, Fiona Hope, Greene King Brewing Company marketing director, said: “Drinkers at The Trinity were amazed by the difference in taste between the two serves.

"Of the wide variety of customers who tried the beer, including regular drinkers of wine, spirits, premium lagers and cask ales, 80% said they’d consider buying St Edmunds again in the future. Three quarters (73%) said they enjoyed the cooler temperature of their pint.”

St Edmunds’ unique choice of ‘North’ or ‘South’ serve styles is causing head to head debates in pubs up and down the country.

Ron Blackmore, owner of The Fox, in Bury St Edmunds, said: “The choice of two styles of serve has created a point of difference from other beers. Our customers have been keen to try both styles of serve, and despite our southern location, two-thirds of our drinkers prefer the northern serve.

"There has also been a marked preference for the cooler temperature, and the fact that the beer is light and easy on the eye makes it an especially good tipple for females.”

Owner of The Cadogan Arms in Ingham, Stuart Clements, added: “St Edmunds has proved to be an extremely popular drink and has created a great deal of interaction between the staff and customers. In the head-to-head battle between North and South serve styles, the North is edging ahead, but most customers like to try both in order to make up their minds.”

St Edmunds is also stirring up a debate in pubs in Cambridge. Owner of The George, George Wortley, said: “The southern style head seems to be coming out on top among our customers, but offering a trial of both styles is a great selling point and certainly gets a debate going. It also encourages those who wouldn’t normally drink cask ale to try it.”

However, Jason Barker, bar manager at The Anchor, said, “Customers are always taken aback when asked how they would like their pint served — it’s not a choice they’re used to being given.

"While many of our customers may think they are southerners at heart, it seems that when they follow their ‘head’ their preference is for the north. The vast majority of our drinkers prefer the northern serve, with about 90% choosing the creamier head after trying both styles.”

As well as creating debate among cask ale aficionados, St Edmunds is also attracting new drinkers to try the different serve styles.

Kenneth Kelly, landlord of The Nag's Head, in Woodborough, said: “Not only is St Edmunds enjoyed by our regular cask ale drinkers, but it also has a lot of younger fans. Being north of the Watford Gap, the northern head is proving popular in this area, but the southern serve also appeals to some of our lager drinkers.

Manager of The Sherwood Ranger, in Ravenshead, Terry Pownall, added: “St Edmunds has attracted a lot of interest — the choice it offers really draws new customers in and encourages them to try it.”

Fiona Hope said: "Looking ahead to summer, St Edmunds is undoubtedly going to continue to hot up the debate over the North v South serve styles. With its cooler temperature, it’s a perfect summer alternative to lager, and is attracting more women and younger people to give cask a try.”