Andrea Shultz who runs an Austrian theme bar in the Cardinal’s Hat in Worcester, has been bullied and threatened with prosecution by Trading Standards officers for selling Austrian beer in the traditional Austrian "flutes" by the litre, as well as the pint.

Andrea didn't know which way to turn and the Metric Martyrs Defence Fund are rallying behind with support. If a customer wants to buy beer by the litre they should have the freedom of choice to be able to do so.

Yet again, this highlights the absurdity and hypocrisy of the whole metrication programme.

Surely, Trading Standards have more important things to be concerned with in society today than the total dog's breakfast made of the enforcement of the metrication regulations in this country.

We believe in pro-freedom and pro-choice. What we want is restoration of common sense and sanity and the total quashing of the criminal convictions of the Metric Martyrs.

Andrea Schutz, who runs the Amaday Austrian restaurant at the Cardinal's Hat pub in Worcester (www.amaday.co.uk) has been threatened with prosecution for selling Austrian beer in traditional steins and flutes. John Dell, the Worcester Trading Standards Officer, told her to sell her special Austrian beer only in pint and half-pint glasses. Andrea said her customers love drinking in her Austrian bar with traditional glasses. (But she also sells in pints and half pints in order to please all her customers).

The British Weights and Measures Association says this is yet another example of the idiotic laws that have been imposed upon us that destroy our right to simple, harmless choices.

In 1995 it became illegal to sell spirits in gills, they have to be sold in metric measures. Publicans had their imperial optics confiscated by trading standards officers. But the same law says that beer and cider - but not shandy - must be sold in pints and half-pints. This is all a part of the bureaucratic nightmare that wilfully destroyed the lawful choice we had enjoyed since 1897. That was when parliament made both metric and imperial systems lawful for use in trade.

The British Weights and Measures Association is helping the Metric Martyrs to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights against the ban on selling bananas by the pound - a clear infringement of their right to free speech.

The BWMA will support Andrea Schutz in claiming her right to use customary measures in her pub. The vast majority of the population want choice in measures, just as we always used to have. This is what the British Weights and Measures Association stands for.

How much is a "flute"?

METRIC' LICENSEE TOLD: YOU'RE BREAKING THE LAW
By Owen Fairclough, PA News

The licensee of an Austrian-style pub was today preparing to replace her traditional flutes and steins with conventional pint glasses after falling foul of Britain's weights and measures laws. Andrea Schutz, who runs the Cardinal's Hat in Worcester, has been told by trading standards officers that she must serve beers from her native country in half-pint and pint glasses rather than half-litre and litre measures.

Unlike most other goods which have to be served in metric quantities to comply with European regulations, drinks poured from a pump must still be in imperial measures. Mrs Schutz, who took over the historic pub two months ago, said she would comply with the law rather than face prosecution, but intends to take the matter to the European Parliament to defend her right to use steins and flutes, which connoisseurs say are integral to the flavour of the beer.

Mrs Schutz said: ``The customers love the fact that we serve our beer in flutes and steins because it is part of the appeal of drinking in an Austrian bar. "Some of them have told me they will buy their own flute and
steins and ask me to serve their beer in them."

Mrs Schutz, who imports four varieties of Austrian beer, added: "I have contacted family in Austria who are going to look at the possibility of taking this to Brussels to see if we will be able to continue using flutes and steins. But this will take months and months, I imagine, and I am sure they have more important things on the agenda than beer. We will use pint glasses because we do not want to be prosecuted,
but it is a shame and I think it's a crazy situation."

John Dell, of Worcestershire trading standards department, conceded the legislation governing alcoholic drinks was "bizarre" given that bottled drinks in pubs were all served in metric measures. Mr Dell added: ``It must be one of the only situations where we enforce imperial measures and we have some sympathy with the pub in question.

"However we have to enforce the law. If we make an exception in this case it would set a precedent and we would have pubs up and down the country demanding the right to be able to serve their drinks in half-litres and litres."

Quote from BWMA:
"The BWMA will support Andrea Schutz in claiming her right to use customary measures in her pub."

I thought the pint was supposed to be customary in the UK not the litre.

We sometimes use the expression "customary" to refer to imperial units. Presumably, in the above case, metric is "customary" to the idea of a themed Austrian outlet.

I see so you regard freedom to choose as the over-riding principle rather than the actual choice.

Therefore metric is OK in the right context?

Yup, call me a fascist or whatever, but rightly so.
The Trading Standards Office needs to be able to follow his revenue, to see if he rips off customers or not.
Selling beverages in a non-standard size will require a conversion factor determined by the pub owner himself, passed on to the Tradding Office.
That obviously evades the aforementioned concept since then again the pub owner has a parameter to tweak.
Even though in this case the conversion factor is known and set, the principle counts and I can understand that they don't want to set a "precedent".

Ralf

There are no price controls on drinks, are there? If one is free to sell a pint of beer for 500.00, one could presumably also sell a half-liter for, say, 400.00. If no one is forcing you yo set a specific price, the measure shouldn't matter, as long as the customer knows exactly what he's getting.

Well, that's exactly the point, with non-standard size the customer might *not* know exactly what he gets. Also a price comparison is completely out of the question unless he wants to sit down with pen and paper in the pub and start calculating.

Ralf

But both pints and liters *are* standard measures.

It's not as though they're making up their own units. And even if they do, so long as the customer understands what he's getting, what's the issue?

Commercial transactions are specific to the parties involved; as long as they both agree to the terms of their deal, what right has the state to interject itself?

Setting default presumptions in case of ambiguity is one thing; allowing regulation to override the terms of private contracts is quite another.

I agree with you - you are a fascist.

What if the State would simply post a sign at the door:

"QUAFF AT YOUR OWN RISK
We the State have not intervened
to verify the volumes here."

would the contending Thirsts for liberty and control
be slaked simultaneously?

Obviously BWMA are now supporting this person to demonstrate that their 'freedom of choice' argument is not simply a cover for pro-imperialism.

I would be interested to know why there were not similar groups to the 'Metric Martyrs' in existence when TSO brought actions against metric traders in beer prior to 2000.

BWMA does not require a cover for being "pro-imperial". Our consitution states that the purpose of BWMA is to protect and promote traditional UK units, while recognising that metric has a role to play (or words to that effect).

Just to remind everyone how absurd this is:

1) Ale, cider, lager, stout that runs from a pump must be served in pints [or half pints] (but NOT 568ml)

2) Shandy must be served as 568ml (but NOT a pint). However the customer may refer to this measure, in the case of shandy, as a "pint" but must be served 568ml.

If I said that this would happen in Britain in 2002 10 years ago I would be labelled an anti-european extremist and dismissed as one.

Makes you think...

I say that by 2010 EVERYTHING will be served in millilitres, and everybody labels me a pro-European extremist...

No, You are a pro-EU extremist.

Imagine that *NOW* is 1972 for a moment (you'll need to get your flairs out, bounce about on an orange thing and mourn the loss of the beatles but be happy that Elvis is still strutting his stuff)

- How many people would be saying that we sould still measure ourselves in ft/in and st/lb in 30yrs time?
That common language would still be imperial?
That opinion poles would show an increased preference to imperial?
That there'd be *less* "illegal" metric signs on the roads?


There's realism for you!

Conrad: "Everything will be served in millimetres".

You may be right. Hitler said the trains will run on time and new motorways would be built. Stalin said that communism would be achieved and killed 30 million or so people in the attempt. Muslim militants in Britain raise banners saying: "Islam will dominate the world" - and they certainly make sure Islam dominates wherever it is in the majority.

A better slogan would be: "We will allow traders and their customers to choose which set of measurements they prefer to trade in".

Isam isn't near;y as bad as some make out.

This whole debate has inspired me to ask the question: Enoch Powell- Great man, or rascist bigot? I *have* read the "Rivers of Blood" speech, by the way, but am curious as to your views on it. A little ot, but still a bit related. I for one remeber one part where he talked somewhere along the line of the cost of a lb of butter!!!

Government is today handling the whole immigration issue exactly as Mr Powell had described the situation back in the 70's, 80's.

History repeating itself but being listened to this time?

I personally do not find Powell to be the man that many others do ie. a racist wally-knob.

A bad press can turn you into anything

Yeah, just look at Hitler...

These things take time, but the changes will eventually be evident.

Hitler got a good press - mainly coz he owned it.