St Austell Brewery Cornish IPA

Supermarket "Own-Brand" Products are a strange concept in many ways. Produce sold by the chain with their own branding but often produced by a manufacturer to be put in direct competition with its own products. So why would any brewer do it?

Well, there are benefits. For instance, it allows the manufacturer a guaranteed market with a long

contract meaning solid income. And assuming that some of the consumers are curious enough to read the small print, it's good marketing too. The downside is that they could find the product they're making for Tesco is sat on the shelf right next to its very own branded product, which is probably more expensive.

In some cases it could be the very same product they manufacture for themselves, just re-branded for the supermarket. But many times it's a unique recipe they've agreed to produce. Either way it's swings and roundabouts and generally the pros outnumber the cons.

So in this way you will see beer badged as one of the big retailers but actually produced by some of the biggest names around, like Brewdog, Harviestoun, Marston's, Shepherd Neame, Black Sheep, Meantime and Adnams amongst many others. Though often you would have to look very hard to see proof of this on the label.

Marks and Spencer have done particularly well using this technique in recent times, supplying a much larger range of own-brand styles than the other retailers, all with strong labels that carry the manufacturers name up front and centre along with the M&S branding.

And luckily for us, M&S Malaysia stock a wide range of these great drinks. Since Christmas 2016 they've had available some amazing porters, stouts, wheat beers, pale ales, 5 or 6 different IPAs and 7 or 8 distinct yet wonderful ciders... all produced by renowned manufacturers in the UK.

Among this treasure trove is a lovely Cornish IPA, brewed for M&S by St Austell Brewery in Cownwall, a great brewer responsible for such beers as Tribute Ale and Proper Job IPA. The benefit of this arrangement to St Austell is clear as we're yet to see any of their fine beers imported directly to Malaysia. Yet next time you pop to get a pair of socks at M&S, you can pick one up anyway.

And the best thing for us as consumers is that not only can we try beers from manufacturers that are, as yet, unavailable in KL, but also in great value big old 500ml bottles. And when I mean great value, they are easily the cheapest imported ales you will find in KL. Thank you Mr Marks and, indeed, Mr Spencer.

As far as I'm aware, St Austell Cornish IPA is a recipe produced uniquely for M&S. It's a light and refreshing IPA, pale in colour with a foamy head. It's fully hopped with a nice bitter finish balanced with citrus. It's not overly strong at 5% but is satisfying and well balanced.

Imported beers and ciders are only available at the one or two M&S stores that allow alcohol sales. In my case that's at Gardens in Mid Valley, but it's worth the trip (and you can stock up on custard creams while you're there).

If you like the Cornish IPA, why not try Buxton Axe Edge too?

2022 UPDATE: M&S have certainly had some stocking issues with their beers and ciders over the pandemic. Although, to be fair to them, their stock does tend to get wiped out as soon as it arrives, so popular is it. But it's always worth a look if you're nearby just in case they have restocked. One worrying note is that their online stock seems to have doubled in price in the past weeks. OK, so that means the M&S are now roughly the same price as the other importer's craft beers in the country (which shows you just how good value they previously were.)

The problem is, the vast majority of M&S customers in KL don't go there for beer, or even food. Doubling the price means that the few people who did make a trip specifically for their imported beer may not do so now. And it may also deter those who weren't expecting to buy beer, but thought they'd take a chance. The concern is that if sales drop, which they will, M&S Malaysia may just stop brining in the beers altogether, which would be a shame as it's currently the only source of traditional and real ales in the country.