Craft on Draft - vent

SevenOfNine

Went to Asda to pick up an ordered item & noticed a Craft on Draft area, presume a franchise renting space within Asda. Payment was direct to them, no cash & couldn't pay at Asda check-outs. Ales & cider not available on the high street (apparently).

Bought 2 bottles of ale, bottled before I knew they charge £5 for the 2 x 500ml bottles, on top of the £13.06 for the ales.  Didn't see any small print stating that, but doesn't mean there wasn't any so I'll take responsibility for that.  Advised I could obtain a refund of the £5 if I returned the bottles, not massively helpful as I don't shop regularly at all in Asda, it's furthest of all the supermarkets from my home, but perhaps serves me right for assuming the bottles were included in the clearly displayed ale prices.

Once empty (not by me) of the somewhat overpriced, & advised "mediocre contents", I weigh up whether I want to drive back to Asda for the refund or just cut my £5 loss & chuck the bottles in the recyling.  In the end decide to go to Asda, which turns out to be a problem, "card machine not processing refund". 

What! So no refund available yet they were still open & manning the area to make sales. A card machine that can take payments & but can't process refunds! Not the fault of the guy serving, he'd phoned the manager & my only choice is to leave the bottle & my card details or go back another day.

I give up, chucked the bottles in my recycling, I'd waste more in the current price of petrol on a 2nd trip to Craft on Draft in Asda for £5 refund.  Rant over, & good luck to the franchise if it carries on being harder to obtain the bottle refund than it was to pay for their product in the first place.

Ath_Wat

Their business model seems to be that you are expected to keep the bottles and get them refilled.  It certainly doesn't make sense for anyone not going there regularly.

At £13 for two 500ml bottles of beer though, I wouldn't be rushing to anyway.

Sandtree

Ath_Wat said:

Their business model seems to be that you are expected to keep the bottles and get them refilled.  It certainly doesn't make sense for anyone not going there regularly.

At £13 for two 500ml bottles of beer though, I wouldn't be rushing to anyway.

Though all the commercial press releases say they offer 1L and 2L options. 

As to £13 for 1L of beer? Really depends what it is, plenty of Imperial Stouts are over £7 for a 440ml can but then duty on high strength beers are much more than your standard pint as the fee per % goes up as well as the multiple

Ath_Wat

Sandtree said:

Ath_Wat said:

Their business model seems to be that you are expected to keep the bottles and get them refilled.  It certainly doesn't make sense for anyone not going there regularly.

At £13 for two 500ml bottles of beer though, I wouldn't be rushing to anyway.

Though all the commercial press releases say they offer 1L and 2L options. 

As to £13 for 1L of beer? Really depends what it is, plenty of Imperial Stouts are over £7 for a 440ml can but then duty on high strength beers are much more than your standard pint as the fee per % goes up as well as the multiple

I am not denying the existence of expensive beer, I am saying I don't believe it is worth buying.  

Andy_L

Sandtree said:

Ath_Wat said:

Their business model seems to be that you are expected to keep the bottles and get them refilled.  It certainly doesn't make sense for anyone not going there regularly.

At £13 for two 500ml bottles of beer though, I wouldn't be rushing to anyway.

Though all the commercial press releases say they offer 1L and 2L options. 

As to £13 for 1L of beer? Really depends what it is, plenty of Imperial Stouts are over £7 for a 440ml can but then duty on high strength beers are much more than your standard pint as the fee per % goes up as well as the multiple

Looks wrong, untapped says ~£5 for 500ml, did they ring up the wrong size on the till?

https://untappd.com/v/craft-on-draft-asda-milton-keynes/11004303

Sandtree

Andy_L said:

Sandtree said:

Ath_Wat said:

Their business model seems to be that you are expected to keep the bottles and get them refilled.  It certainly doesn't make sense for anyone not going there regularly.

At £13 for two 500ml bottles of beer though, I wouldn't be rushing to anyway.

Though all the commercial press releases say they offer 1L and 2L options. 

As to £13 for 1L of beer? Really depends what it is, plenty of Imperial Stouts are over £7 for a 440ml can but then duty on high strength beers are much more than your standard pint as the fee per % goes up as well as the multiple

Looks wrong, untapped says ~£5 for 500ml, did they ring up the wrong size on the till?

https://untappd.com/v/craft-on-draft-asda-milton-keynes/11004303

It varies by beer... they've got a £6.22 for 500ml listed as coming on soon and so that's getting fairly close to £13. Looking at our local Brewdog bar they've got a TIPA on at the moment that's £11.09/ 500ml

greyteam1959

Looks like it might be time to start brewing your own beer.
😁😁

SevenOfNine

Bought the bottles for son & DiL visiting. They brewed for years but lockdown both working from home, lack of space put paid to it.

We had 500ml of Amber Rye Red Ale 5.0% £6.16 & same size in a Cherry Ale, though receipt says Strawberry Sundae Sour 5.0% £5.90 (that was price of Cherry stuff).

Also 500ml, 2 x £5.00 listed as "Growler"! I expect I looked surprised at the total £17.06, & the first I heard of the bottle charge.

Looks like small franchise so I wish them success, but they're not having any more of my money & they can keep the bottle refund.

jon81uk

SevenOfNine said:

Bought the bottles for son & DiL visiting. They brewed for years but lockdown both working from home, lack of space put paid to it.

We had 500ml of Amber Rye Red Ale 5.0% £6.16 & same size in a Cherry Ale, though receipt says Strawberry Sundae Sour 5.0% £5.90 (that was price of Cherry stuff).

Also 500ml, 2 x £5.00 listed as "Growler"! I expect I looked surprised at the total £17.06, & the first I heard of the bottle charge.

Looks like small franchise so I wish them success, but they're not having any more of my money & they can keep the bottle refund.

Growler is the name of the bottle type. Usually has a swing-top lid (like Grolsch) or might be more of a jug with a handle.

Are you sure it wasn't sold by the litre though?
The press release mentions £5.90 to £8.20 per litre.
Also the image in the press release shows the price of 1L and 2L refillable growlers and also the price of 440ml cans at £3.
Asda becomes first UK supermarket to launch draught beer concept

Ath_Wat

SevenOfNine said:

Bought the bottles for son & DiL visiting. They brewed for years but lockdown both working from home, lack of space put paid to it.

We had 500ml of Amber Rye Red Ale 5.0% £6.16 & same size in a Cherry Ale, though receipt says Strawberry Sundae Sour 5.0% £5.90 (that was price of Cherry stuff).

Also 500ml, 2 x £5.00 listed as "Growler"! I expect I looked surprised at the total £17.06, & the first I heard of the bottle charge.

Looks like small franchise so I wish them success, but they're not having any more of my money & they can keep the bottle refund.

So £12.06 for the beer and £2.50 for each bottle.

jon81uk said:

SevenOfNine said:

Bought the bottles for son & DiL visiting. They brewed for years but lockdown both working from home, lack of space put paid to it.

We had 500ml of Amber Rye Red Ale 5.0% £6.16 & same size in a Cherry Ale, though receipt says Strawberry Sundae Sour 5.0% £5.90 (that was price of Cherry stuff).

Also 500ml, 2 x £5.00 listed as "Growler"! I expect I looked surprised at the total £17.06, & the first I heard of the bottle charge.

Looks like small franchise so I wish them success, but they're not having any more of my money & they can keep the bottle refund.

Are you sure it wasn't sold by the litre though?
The press release mentions £5.90 to £8.20 per litre.
Also the image in the press release shows the price of 1L and 2L refillable growlers and also the price of 440ml cans at £3.

https://untappd.com/v/craft-on-draft-asda-milton-keynes/11004303

This is it, I presume, Asda Milton Keynes.  Litre prices £8.11 to £11.78.  £4 for a litre bottle (just the bottle) so £2.50 for a 500ml bottle seems the same ballpark.  It is slightly cheaper by the litre.  

Cans would surely defeat the object.

jon81uk

Ath_Wat said:

jon81uk said:

SevenOfNine said:

Bought the bottles for son & DiL visiting. They brewed for years but lockdown both working from home, lack of space put paid to it.

We had 500ml of Amber Rye Red Ale 5.0% £6.16 & same size in a Cherry Ale, though receipt says Strawberry Sundae Sour 5.0% £5.90 (that was price of Cherry stuff).

Also 500ml, 2 x £5.00 listed as "Growler"! I expect I looked surprised at the total £17.06, & the first I heard of the bottle charge.

Looks like small franchise so I wish them success, but they're not having any more of my money & they can keep the bottle refund.

Are you sure it wasn't sold by the litre though?
The press release mentions £5.90 to £8.20 per litre.
Also the image in the press release shows the price of 1L and 2L refillable growlers and also the price of 440ml cans at £3.

https://untappd.com/v/craft-on-draft-asda-milton-keynes/11004303

This is it, I presume, Asda Milton Keynes.  Litre prices £8.11 to £11.78.  £4 for a litre bottle (just the bottle) so £2.50 for a 500ml bottle seems the same ballpark.  It is slightly cheaper by the litre.  

Cans would surely defeat the object.

I'm assuming then the prices and sizes have changed significantly from the original then as the image in the press release shows 440ml can prices on the menu board for £3 and canning machines are pictured.
https://corporate.asda.com/newsroom/2021/11/23/asda-becomes-first-uk-supermarket-to-launch-draught-beer-concept

500ml refilable bottles does seem the least efficient method though, they would be better off just offering litres.