Beer Blog

Fancy a Pint down at Morrisons Café?

Here’s a bit of news that puts another perspective on the argument that supermarkets are undercutting the on-trade and keeping people at home drinking their bargain booze.

What about supermarkets selling pints of draught beer and letting you sit in their cafe drinking instead of down the pub?

But you can’t get pints of beer in a supermarket can you?

Well, you can now because Morrisons supermarket at Guiseley near Leeds have put a hand pull on their cafe counter dispensing Saltaire Blonde. I haven’t been and I haven’t spoken with anyone who has, so there’s no photos at the minute. Like many other pub tickers, I reckon I’ll be popping over to sample a pint, if only for the novelty value.

Leeds City Council Licensing Committee granted a variation on the existing off-licence, transforming it to an on-licence on Tuesday 19th September, which means the café and barista area can supply alcohol for consumption on the premises between 0600 and mid-night. Committee members were told that this was a trial store for this type of licence, which if successful would be rolled out across the country.

I only heard at our local CAMRA branch meeting on Tuesday, but the venue has already been entered onto WhatPub so you can already submit your NBSS scores. I wonder how long it will take before a supermarket café gets in the Good Beer Guide?

9 replies »

  1. Good idea. Be very interested to know how many pints get pulled. Will husbands (or wives) get to sit out the shopping run ? Guiseley is less appealing now the original Harry Ramsden is closed.

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    • New Harry Ramsden’s is atrocious – Murgatroyd’s, Yeadon is the new Harry Ramsden’s – very excellent chip ole. They go on bus trips to it – a bit like the old H Ramsden’s

      Liked by 2 people

    • “Will husbands (or wives) get to sit out the shopping run ?”

      That was my initial thought. Much as I love my wife the one thing we cannot do together is shop. I’d happily accompany her when she goes shopping if I could plonk myself down somewhere to have a pint whilst she wandered around the store and/or other shops.

      Cheers

      Liked by 1 person

    • This rather reminds me of the earlier days of CAMRA, when it was constantly egging on restaurants and small hotels to put real ale on, even though they had neither the turnover, expertise or cellar facilities to keep it properly. Very hard to see it having sufficient sales – surely a selection of bottles and cans would be more appropriate.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Guiseley is a hot bed of real ale – Coopers (MTT) and Guiseley Factory Workers Club being the most accoladed (GBG & Previous Leeds COTY).

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