Here's an interesting press release. Fuller's hosted 8 employees of
the British Beer Company (a pub chain in Massachusetts) in London,
England; exposing them to the pub culture and schooling them in cask-
conditioned beer handling.

I'd be interested to know exactly what they learned, if they feel
comfortable handling real ale now, and how much of what they learned
is currently being applied at their pubs. Or was it just a fluff trip
for a being a good account? No disrespect intended, I'm just curious.
Anyway ... I guess I can ask BBC and O'Grady next week (7/31) at the
Distinguished Brands Brewer's Dinner in Walpole; featuring Fuller's.

Regardless, I hope this is the first in many certifications; the US
really needs some help when it comes to real ale. And thumbs-up to
Fuller's/Distinguished Brands for taking steps in educating their
accounts. Sounds like it was a fun trip, to boot.



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Fuller's & BBC Build Cultural "Beer Bridge" Across the Atlantic

Fuller's Hosts BBC Managers for Training, Tasting and Touring - First
Americans to Receive Fuller's Cellar Management Certification

Littleton, Colo. - Award-winning British brewer Fuller, Smith and
Turner, PLC recently hosted eight employees of the British Beer
Company (the BBC) on a London excursion designed to give the BBC pub
managers a true taste of pub life in Great Britain. The trip was the
first step in building a cultural bridge between the two companies.

Among the more notable aspects of the trip is the fact that the BBC's
managers were the first ever group of American publicans to receive
the training necessary to achieve certification in Fuller's Cellar
Management program for the care, handling, presentation, food pairing
and history of cask ale and keg beer, from a UK perspective.

"Pub life is an essential part of Great Britain's cultural fabric,"
said Joe O'Grady, vice president of Distinguished Brands, the U.S.
importer of Fuller's. "We are thrilled that a company of BBC's caliber
is recreating the experience for Americans to enjoy."

"The BBC has been committed to unique employee training programs
through cultural exchange since our earliest days. In this, our tenth
anniversary year, we've upped the level of exchange in order to really
give our staff the critical cultural immersion in British pub life
that enables them to truly differentiate their own establishments back
here in Massachusetts," said Gary Simon, managing partner, the British
Beer Company. "We can't thank the good people at Fuller, Smith and
Turner enough for their fabulous commitment to hosting our people in
the UK and to their incredible planning and effort in allowing the BBC
managers to steep themselves in the richness and variety of pub life
in England."

In addition to their training at the Fuller's brewery in the Chiswick
section of London, the BBCers, who represented every pub in the BBC
"Empire", spent time touring the sites of London on foot, on water and
by bus, tube and taxi. Given that this was a first-time experience for
many of them, the tour included everything from Westminster Abbey and
the Tower of London to the late night flash of Soho and the
traditional pub at Churchill Arms (as fine an example of a top flight
pub and pub manager as any). Every pub manager is eager to convey what
they saw, felt and learned during the trip to their pub staff and to
their customers.

In Great Britain, Ireland, and across Europe, the pub or "local" is
the center of town life: a place to relax, refuel the body and spirit,
share news and be entertained. The pubs and restaurants of the British
Beer Company deliver that same atmosphere and service to Americans
today. An eclectic menu, unparalleled beer and cocktail choices, and
an array of music and entertainment nightly, make the British Beer
Company the local destination for English pub-style fun, relaxation
and refreshment. The British Beer Company restaurants and pubs can be
found in Hyannis, Sandwich, Falmouth, Plymouth, Cedarville ,Pembroke
and Walpole with more on the way. For more information, including
menus and entertainment schedules, please visit our website at
http://www.britishbeer.com

Fuller's brands are brewed by England's award-winning brewer, Fuller,
Smith & Turner PLC. Fuller's is imported and marketed in the USA by
Distinguished Brands International (DBI) of Littleton, Colorado. In
addition to Fuller's, Distinguished Brands prestigious portfolio
includes: Erdinger Weiss Beers from Bavaria, Germany; O'Hara's Irish
Stout from Carlow & Cork, Ireland; Veltins from the northern village
of Grevenstein, Germany; Andechs from the Benedictine Andechs
Monastery, Bavaria, Germany; and New Orleans' own Dixie Lager, Jazz,
and Voodoo, all brewed by Dixie Brewing Company.

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