A Spanish beer boss has accused British brewers of ‘dishonesty’ over selling beers that appear to be Spanish despite being made in the UK.
The boss of Estrella Galicia, Aitor de Artaza, said a ‘lack of transparency’ among UK beer firms is causing confusion amongst customers.
It comes after the likes of Madrí Excepcional, which promotes itself as ‘the soul of Madrid’, has become increasingly popular in the UK.
This is despite the fact that it is brewed at the Tower Brewery in Tadcaster, Yorkshire, by Molson Coors who own Doom Bar and Carling.
‘There is a lack of transparency because they use a big famous city in Spain, but they don’t produce here. This is confusing for the consumer,’ Mr Artaza told the Telegraph.
Madrí Excepcional markets itself as a Spanish beer but it is actually brewed in Yorkshire (stock image)
Aitor de Artaza (pictured) accused British brewers of ‘dishonesty’ over selling beers that appear to be Spanish
‘They [Madrí] did a very nice job in terms of marketing, that’s for sure. But it’s a little bit tricky because people think they are drinking a Spanish beer but it’s not. They are not very clear and not, to my point of view, very honest.’
Sales of Madrí have reportedly soared since its launch, with Molson Coors revealing supermarket purchases have topped £100m.
This comes after it was revealed that seven out of ten alcoholic drinks sold in the UK’s pubs, bars and restaurants are short measures, a survey by watchdogs has found.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute said its members carried out 137 test purchases of beer and wine nationwide. Some 96 – marginally over 70 per cent of the total – were shorter than the full measure.
The findings come at a time when the price of alcoholic drinks is at an all-time high. According to the Office of National Statistics, the average price of a bottle of red wine has increased 8 per cent in the last year, while the typical cost a pint of lager is up 5.6 per cent.
The largest short measure was a deficit of 15 per cent found on a 175ml glass of wine in Walsall, with the drink costing £3.20.
The company that owns Madri, Molson Coors, have reported how supermarket purchases have topped £100m
The next largest short measures were a deficit of 13.4% found in Belfast, on a glass of wine costing £7.20, and the third largest deficit was of 12% and found on a 175ml glass of wine purchased in Havering, costing £5.75.
Estrella Galicia has brewed beer in the Spanish region of Galicia for more than a century.
Alongside Madri, international lagers such as Birra Moretti, Corona and Cruzcampo are brewed in the UK.
MailOnline has contacted Madri for comment.
