No Taste at Brewery Tap

Dreadful customer relations, certainly a pub to aviod. Well done for bringing it to our attention. The Wetherspoons in Skegness has a similar policy.

Phil.

Just think of the money that some pubs save on short pints?

I know of a pub where the beer quality varies, so a tasting there is almost essential.

Far better to have a tasting than argue over a duff pint afterwards.

I can usually tell from a sniff when a beer's off - then the barman can keep it for the next unsuspecting customer.

E.

I very rarely ask to try before I buy, but I regularly see other people do so. Personally, if I were refused a taster when I requested one, it would discourage me from returning to the pub in question.

The best argument that I can come up with for refusing tasters would be on cost grounds, but even that doesn't stand up to much scrutiny, as a publican could surely build the cost of 'free' tasters into his/her overheads should (s)he be so inclined.

I think that Cask Marque-accredited pubs are obliged to give a taster if requested (though I may be wrong). For any pub, though, it is good customer service to offer a taster on request, even if they don't seek to advertise the policy.

Thanks.

Martin.

I thought giving tasters was a JDW national policy?

Personally, I wouldn't describe it as dreadful customer relations - in my experience it's just the norm in the majority of pubs - to me, those that do offer tastings are the enlightened exceptions.

If I was a landlord in a "tickers pub" I'd probably be a bit peeved if several people came in every day in order to tick off the new beers & hardly bought a drink, but (a) I think most tickers are also drinkers :~) (b) you'd soon work out who was taking the mick & (c) maybe I'd offer a taster or 2 & then 3 x third-pint glasses so the tickers could still tick?

The brewpub I worked at a while back would give a taster or 2 free, or sell a tasting tray of all 5 beers we had on, for the price of a pint, I think. cheers MikeMcG

In article , MikeMcG writes

A rather different situation, of course, bit when I am selling my cider at an outside event such as a show or market, I *always* offer a taster to anyone who shows any interest in what we are selling.

Although one tends to dispense a fair amount free of charge, it often results in a sale where just standing there behind the table fat dumb and happy (as the expression is) would not.

Even if there is no sale, the punter has experienced one's product and may well come back later, or perhaps seek it out elsewhere.

There is a pub in Wantage, Oxon, where the landlord follows the same policy, and he is busy all the time.

Mind you, at a recent show in our village, where I had about six different ciders and perries on display, some cheeky youth said, 'I want a taster of all of those.' He didn't get any!

Roy.

Has anyone mentioned the pub does a tasting tray of I think third pints with a dish of cheese at a very reasonable price?

This from memory and cannot find anything via Google, but I believe above is correct.

On balance, with the tasting tray offer I'm marginally with the management here in not offering free tasters.

David

The Vane Arms, Sudborough did tasting trays when I visited my sister in that area about 10 years ago. Seems Everards have bought it now.

Of fond memory :o)

Sadly no longer true :o(

Indeed. All they had was Tiger last time I was there...

Yes, just about all of them do give tasters. This one must be an exception. I was told by the manager that it was 'his' policy. Needless to say I left without drinking. This was about a year ago, so maybe it's changed now. I don't know.

Cheers, Phil.

In message , Roy Bailey writes

I think cider is different, because ciders differ much more than beer does. Nobody could like all of them. I usually offer tasters of "weird" (ginger, lambic etc) beer but not of normal beer styles.

No hay reglos fichos though; if a customer's dithering when you could be serving someone else, forcing a taster on them allows you to leave them with it and come back later.

,MikeMcG writes

(Hi Roy) yep, I do the same at every market, show, etc, but I was getting a bit PO'd at a recent food & drink fest where I gave away a total of about 50 bottles, (some of which to people whose body language seemed to say "I have no intention of buying, I'm just here to taste"! Ho hum - I sold out, so can't complain too much.)

I'm convinced that especially where one's beer/cider is not well- known, this 'active' selling results in much more sales than would otherwise happen , plus it's more fun than quietly freezing your proverbials off on a cold market stall.

(or recommend it to someone else)

at some of my regular farmers' markets we have regular tasters who are alcoholics & seemingly penniless (or at least much more willing to spend their few pennies on industrial rocket fuel than craft-brewed ales) I'm too polite to refuse them a taste, but give them small ones & finally tell them to bugger off if they're taking the P.

cheers MikeMcG