By Isle of Wight Observer
Four Island pubs have introduced new beer mat designs that are a nostalgic nod to the old Burt’s Brewery, which brewed its last pint of beer over 25 years ago.
Burt’s is still well remembered by many on the Isle of Wight, and its distinctive beer mats were once a common sight in pubs across the Island.
The new designs feature the Spyglass Inn, the Bargeman’s Rest, the Steamer Inn and the Dairyman’s Daughter, which are locally owned by the Gibbs family.
Neil Gibbs said: “When we first opened the doors to The Spyglass Inn back in 1988, we were proud to support other local businesses and served up Burt’s Brewery beers to many happy customers. I am pleased that the new beer mat design draws upon this heritage to create something instantly recognisable”.
Many fans of local Isle of Wight ales might recognise the distinctive look of the new beer mats, which feature the shape of the Isle of Wight and uses a retro colour scheme.
Andrew Gibbs said: “We are very proud of the Island and its history and wanted a design that would connect with this heritage. Some of the initial designs used more contemporary colours, but we all agreed that the original just looked right, so we’ve stuck with it.”
Solent, a local marketing agency, was commissioned to create a design that could capture this connection between the pubs and Burt’s Brewery.
Marie Woodward, Client Account Manager, said: “It’s a real challenge to bring together these different styles, but it’s been one that our team has really enjoyed. Anyone who remembers Burt’s should be pleased with the result and we’ve had some great feedback.”
Burt’s Brewery was an Island institution, and one of 14 breweries that were in existence at the start of the 20th century.
All four beermat designs can be seen in the Spyglass Inn, the Bargeman’s Rest, the Steamer Inn and the Dairyman’s Daughter.
