Trading Standards say Marble’s can of ‘Pint’ is 68ml short

A Manchester brewery could be forced to rebrand one of its beers after Trading Standards received a 'silly' complaint about the size of its cans.

Red Bank-based Marble Brewery - which was founded in 1997 and operates the Marble Arch pub and 57 Thomas Street bar in Manchester city centre - has been brewing it's 3.9% 'Pint' session ale since 2009.

Early in 2017 the brewery also began selling the ale in 500ml cans, however, one eagle-eyed stickler (with probably not much else to do) reported that the cans fell 68ml of the required amount.

The Weights and Measures Act 1985 stipulates that a pint of beer should be exactly that - a measure of 568ml.

Speaking to the Morning Advertiser, Marble head brewer James Kemp said the dispute was 'a bit silly', because the beer is also served in 'schooners and half pints'.

Marble Brewery Pint Credit Rad Beer
500ml can of 'Pint' Radbeer

Trading Standards contacted the brewery in the summer, stating that the subject would be discussed in the (sexy sounding) Trading Standards Metrology Focus Group. 

The issue appeared to have gone flat, until the council wrote to the brewery in December stating that the group had arrived at a unanimous decision that 'calling a can containing 500ml of liquid 'Pint' could be considered 'misleading' under Regulation 5 of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.'

Marble director Jan Rogers has called the process a 'bureaucratic nightmare' and suggested on Twitter that the brewery release a 'beer called 500ml' instead. Rogers said the brewery would respond officially after the Christmas break.

In the mean time, beer lovers across the world are asking: 'what happens if Marble serve '500ml' in a pint glass... what if we want to buy a 330ml can of '500ml'... and is there real punk in Punk IPA?'

Marble Arch Pub
Marble began life at the Marble Arch pub on Rochdale Road