‘Offensive’ Top Totty ale gets brewery rebrand
Popular Staffordshire ale Top Totty – which used to bear the picture of a scantily clad ‘bunny girl’– is officially rebranding after concerns it was too offensive.
As of next month the Slater’s ale will be called Hop, but bosses have reassured fans that the recipe will stay exactly the same.
Slater’s ales, based in Stafford, first brewed Top Totty back in 1998 as a one-off summer special.
But due to its popularity, bosses decided to make it a permanent ale and over the years it has become the firm’s biggest .
It has also won multiple awards, making it Slater’s most successful ale.
The original picture on the pump was of a cartoon blonde woman, dressed in white lingerie and bunny ears.
Slater’s said it was designed to be humorous and never meant to offend anyone.
But after feedback during the years and a ‘change in times’, the decision was made in 2014 to remove the bunny girl.
A spokesman for Slater’s said: “This was received differently from drinkers with some considering it a step too far, some thinking it was the correct decision and others saying we had not gone far enough.
“However, as a business we felt it was the right thing to do. During the following four years we have argued within ourselves about what is the correct thing to do with Top Totty bearing in mind it’s popularity with drinkers and feedback received from detractors.
“As a result of focus groups that we have held the decision has been made to completely rebrand the beer to ensure as a brewery we are doing all we can to ensure all customers are happy drinking our award-winning ales.
“We fully accept that this is a decision that for some has been a long time coming and we hope that our long-standing drinkers of Top Totty will understand the reasons for this change.”
As of October 1, Top Totty will change its name to 1Hop.
The name has been chosen to showcase the single hopped ale, brewed solely with English WGV hops.
Slater’s added: “We want to reassure all of our customers that we are only rebranding the beer and the recipe for the award-winning beer that you love remains unchanged.”
Slater’s Ales, formerly known as Eccleshall Brewery, is a successful family-run business that was established in March 1995 in its original premises behind the George Hotel, in Eccleshall, by Ged and Moyra Slater.
The brewery moved to Albans Road in 2004 where production capacity has increased three fold, from 10 barrels to 30 barrels.
