Austrian pub owners under threat for using litre steins
October 20 2002 at 5:57 PM
BWMA
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The following is from the Worcester Standard, dated Oct 20th, 2002
AN AUSTRIAN theme pub in Worcester which has been told by trading standards officials it is breaking the law by serving beer in traditional litre 'flutes' has won the support of the Metric Martyrs.
The Metric Martyrs Defence Fund, set up in 2000 to support the plight of Sunderland greengrocers who refused to sell in metric, has pledged to rally behind Austrian publicans Andrea Schultz and Anton Limlei who run the Cardinal's Hat in Friar Street.
Beer and cider is the only consumable in Britain not included in EU metrication laws and Mr Limlei and Ms Schultz have been told they have until Monday, October 21 to stop selling Austrian beer in metric measures.Ms Schultz said that with the backing of Metric Martyrs they would fight trading standards all the way. "We know of other places that sell beer in litres so it should not be any different for us," she said. "They can try and prosecute or fine us but we will fight for the right of our customers to have a choice in how they want to buy their beer."
Neil Herron, campaign director for the Metric Martyrs, said: "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. It is absurd that Anton and Andrea should have more to fear than drug dealers who still deal in pounds and ounces."
West Midlands Labour MEP Neena Gill said that EU Laws were designed to protect the consumer and ensure the drinker doesn't get ripped off. "Sometimes though, in trying to protect the consumer laws are not as flexible as they should be," she said. "I believe the time has come to review these arrangements in order that traditional beers served in traditional drinking vessels can be allowed to be served in litres."In this case I will be working with all concerned to try and resolve the issue."
METRIC MARTYR
A pub licensee under fire for serving her native Austrian beers in
metric measures has vowed to continue using traditional earthenware
steins
despite the threat of legal action.
Andrea Schutz, who runs the Cardinal's Hat in Worcester, said she
had
decided to ignore a 14-day deadline set by Trading Standards officers
for
her to switch to pint glasses, which has now expired.
Mrs Schutz said a petition signed by 1,200 of her customers and
support
from across Britain had persuaded her to defy weights and measures
legislation, risking the possibility of prosecution and a 2,000 fine.
By Owen Fairclough, PA News
A pub licensee under fire for serving her native Austrian beers in
metric measures today vowed to continue using traditional earthenware
steins despite the threat of legal action.
Andrea Schutz, who runs the Cardinal's Hat in Worcester, said she
had
decided to ignore a 14-day deadline set by Trading Standards officers
for
her to switch to pint glasses, which expired yesterday.
Mrs Schutz said a petition signed by 1,200 of her customers and
support
from across Britain had persuaded her to defy weights and measures
legislation, risking the possibility of prosecution and a 2,000 fine.
"They can fine me if they want to, but we will continue
serving our beer
in steins and flutes," she said.
"It is what our customers want. Some of them have said they
will rent or
buy a stein and ask me to fill them up if they have to.
"How can it be that an Irish pub in Austria can serve its
drinks in
pints without being prosecuted? It's a crazy situation."
Mrs Schutz said her plight had won the backing of the Metric
Martyrs -
the pressure group which has defended traders' rights to sell goods
in all
traditional mesures.
Campaign director Neil Herron said the organisation had offered to
pay
any fine and legal costs which Mrs Schutz may incur.
"This case with Andrea highlights the total absurdity and
hypocrisy of
the metric regulations. This has to go back to central Government for
ministers to sort out because it is a total and utter nonsense,"
Mr Herron
added.
John Dell, of Worcestershire Trading Standards, said officers were
still
deciding whether to bring legal proceedings against the Austrian
theme bar.
The consumer protection body ordered Mrs Schutz to change the
half-litre
and litre drinking vessels earlier this month, claiming beer served by
free-flow dispense must be pulled into imperial volumes.
Yes we are pro-imperial, but that does not stop us from being in favour of free choice which may include lack of opposition of Andrea Schutz selling steins and flutes of Austrian beer. We don't feel threatened by her selling in metric quantities as she is hardly some radical Anglophobe like you who want the entire UK to go metric. If she was, I'd just advocate going there no more than I advocate going to Esso (I am very concerned about the environment) or Sainsbury's type shops. But PLEASE, we don't need TSO threats
The crux of the matter both here and on market stalls throughout the land is how the Trading Standards Officers do their job. Their job of course is to ensure that the customer does not get ripped off.
If you look at you beer mug next time you go to a pub, you will notice that there is a crown on it which certifies that the mug has been approved by TSO's. (Ireland has an identical regulation, but they use harps instead).
If there was a system within the EU of mutual recognition of each other's certification standards, then Frau Shutz would have a let out - she could use steins that have been certified by a competent German or Austrian authority (I have two German stoneware beermug that have the mark "0.5l GERZ"). This would of mean of course that British pubs could use Irish beer mugs and vice-versa (A gimmick for selling Guiness?).
>>> "If there was a system within the EU of mutual recognition of each other's certification standards, then Frau Shutz would have a let out"
It has nothing to do with certification of standards. The certification of standards is equally accurate in all countries. It is the choice of units that is the question.
Incidentally, Andrea addressed the annual BWMW conference on Saturday just gone (May 24th).
On the contrary. TSO's have equipment to make certain measurements only. For example, if the TSO's are issued with standard metric weights only, how can they certify a set of scales that show imperiual only?
Why not ask the question - "why don't the TSO's keep a set of imperial weights as well as metric one's while imperial is still the preferred method of trnsaction?" rather than appear to back whatever the authorities dictate regardless of public opinion?
Should the TSO's be there to protect us or protect the state?
That is one of the more bizarre tales I’ve ever heard. Here’s a thought – why not have your TSOs simply measure the mugs to make sure they hold the amount of liquid they say they do? They are competent to do simple measuring, right? That’s what our government does when investigating trading standards – but then, what would we Americans and our mediæval measures know of efficiency… right, eric?
But slightly problematic. TSO's exist to enforce the law as set out by the Westminster parliament. They have to justify the way they spend their time to the Audit Commission. Blame the UK govt rather than the poor staff that are sent out to enforce badly drafted legislation.
I know, but I've dealt with too many bureaucrats who think of themselves as tin gods to cut them any slack. I hold people who can mess my life up in a legal sense to an extremely high standard of conduct – and I will not hesitate to let someone have it if they cross the line of morality, regardless of whether or not they are ‘just following orders.’ These fellows obviously approve of what they are doing, otherwise they’d quit. But, you’re right, harassing the poor bureaucrat is not the answer; you have to get the legislature to change the law. And THAT is hard. It’s better to keep stupid laws from being passed in the first place.
In the UK, TSO's do a lot more than Weights & Measures. It is just one part of the job. An average warrant card will have over 40 pieces of legislation on it - W&M is just one of them.
The only good thing about this botched conversion is that TSO's don't have to carry 2 sets of weights from shop to shop any more!