Future of union set hits point of no return

Last month, the drinks business reported on efforts to find a new home for the historic six-barrel union set gifted by the Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (now Carlsberg Britvic) to Epochal Barrel Fermented Ales in Glasgow. Now, the union’s default owners have confirmed that it is crunch time for this incredibly rare piece of brewing heritage.

Harry Cairns of Cairn Property Solutions, who came into possession of the union set earlier this year, told the drinks business: “We have been trying to get someone to purchase this from us as we need the space. Unfortunately despite a couple of enquiries we have got nowhere. Early in the new year we will have to sell it to a scrapyard to clear the space. It’s sad as we thought someone would want it.”

The union is one of only four known original sets left in existence. The piece in question was one of two six-barrel units adapted from the four 30-barrel unions housed in the Aplin Room of the former Marston’s Brewery in 2024. Carlsberg kept one full set which has been decommissioned and stored with aspirations to put it on public display in the future, but the remainder was disposed of.

The final set was preserved from the Bass No.2 Brewery for display outside the National Brewery Centre. It is still visible from the street, although the centre was closed in 2022.

Will it be scrapped?

That makes the Glasgow union one of just two operational union sets in the UK. Cairns said that a local scrap merchant has offered the developer £6,000 for the union’s metal frame. While that figure has not been independently verified, it is assumed that any potential buyers will need to make an offer in that area to save the union from being sold off for parts. Any interested parties will also have to carefully consider the costs of transportation and installation, which will undoubtedly run to several thousand pounds.

A further fly in the ointment are the barrels themselves. The union, and its six 30-year-old barrels, require careful and constant maintenance. Having been left clean but fallow for at least 8 months carries the risk that the German oak is no longer fit for purpose – something that might only be confirmed if and when the union is put to use again.

Time is running short for the Glasgow union set. If a buyer cannot be found in the next couple of weeks then it will be lost forever, leaving the Thornbridge Union in Bakewell as the only authentic Burton union set left in operation.

Interested parties can contact Harry Cairns on harry@cairnc.co.uk.

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