Who can name the most famous brewing town in the country? Well, according to the makers of the UK’s number one beer, there’s only one answer – Burton-on-Trent.
To prove the point, Carling’s latest national promotion places this Staffordshire industrial town on the River Trent centre stage across the nation’s televisions.
Molson Coors, which brews top selling lager Carling, has launched a TV advert celebrating its ‘made local’ heritage, focussing on where it is brewed… in Burton, which it calls the ‘brewing heart of Britain’.
And it’s no pint-sized claim to fame; just over a century ago it was Britain’s undisputed brewing capital, home to scores of breweries, as well as the world’s most famous beer brand, Bass pale ale.
Known worldwide as the home of pale ale brewing, in its heyday during the late 19thcentury Burton on Trent brewed a quarter of all beer sold in Britain.
While the industry may have changed over the last century, Burton is still an important brewing town, something celebrated in the new Carling advert, which features a view of the Molson Coors brewery, where Carling lager is brewed, as well as views across the picturesque River Trent, including Burton Bridge.
Indeed, water played a key role in the town’s brewing success thanks to rocks that lie beneath the town giving Burton its unique water, which Benedictine monks originally discovered was perfect for producing superb strong ales.
Today’s visitors to Burton can learn more about how this market town earned its worldwide reputation at the National Brewery Centre, which incorporates the original Bass Museum. It reveals the real life experiences and stories of the people who helped to build Burton’s world-renowned brewing reputation.
Offering daily guided tours, it hosts Britain’s largest brewing collection, featuring historic equipment, vintage vehicles and pub memorabilia, as well as the William Worthington microbrewery, Standard ticket prices, including a guided tour, free car parking and three beer-tasting vouchers (equivalent to one pint) per adult, are: £11.95 adults; £6.95 children; and a family ticket (up to five people, maximum two adults) £29.95.(www.nationalbrewerycentre.co.uk)
For information about things to do and where to stay in the areavisit www.enjoystaffordshire.com.