Save our Banks's Mild petition passes 3,500 mark

The cask ale, which has been brewed in Wolverhampton for 150 years, is due to disappear from pubs at the end of the month following the brewery's takeover by Danish brewing giant Carlsberg.

More than 1,200 people have signed the petition in the past week alone.

Among the signatories was Patricia Powell from Wolverhampton, who said Banks's Mild was a traditional beer drunk by young and old alike.

"Too much of our traditional way of life is being destroyed in favour of ‘fast food and drinks’," she wrote. "Our way of life is being denied by the commercial companies and we are expected to change because it’s cheaper!"

Jane Adshead from Birmingham wrote:  "Banks's mild is another bit of history we don't want to lose and it's a cracking drink." 

Mark Jukes from Bridgnorth added: "Banks's mild is iconic and represents our heritage and contribution towards hydrating our steel and foundry workers of yesteryear. Friends from the south-west have enjoyed the ale when visiting."

Steve Plant from Dudley wrote: "This is part of my life, growing up as a youth, into a now-ageing Black Country bloke. Years ago they took my beautiful Hanson's Mild away from me, but I  coped because of still having Banks's Mild. So do an 'ode git' a favour and keep it gooing for a few more years - 20, please."

Further afield,  James Monghan from Skegness wrote: "We need our traditional beers and brewers some of us don't want yellow-coloured lager." 

Banks's Mild is one of eight cask beers that the brewing giant last month announced would be 'de-listed', along with three keg beers. The beer will still be sold in cans and in Smoothpour keg form.

The news came weeks after the brewing giant announced the closure of Banks's Park Brewery in Wolverhampton next year, also after 150 years.

Our petition has been backed by glam-rock legend Noddy Holder, who appeared in television adverts for the beer in the 1990s, and the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).

National vice-chairman of the real-ale consumer group, Gillian Hough, said she was totally behind the Express & Star's campaign. 

She said the decision to scrap Banks's also made little commercial sense at a time when drinkers were looking towards lower gravity, lightly hopped beers.

Mrs Hough said: “The decision to axe Banks’s Mild by CMBC, along with seven other classic British cask beers, is a dangerous step towards destroying Britain's brewing heritage.   

“With cask-conditioned Banks’s Mild soon to be unavailable for pubs to order in, this leaves an enormous gap on pub and club bars across the West Midlands and beyond. This is a massive blow for consumer choice."

She added: “This beer with a 150-year history, and a tremendous relationship with people of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, deserves greater respect and attention from Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC) and highlights how they have lost touch with consumers and the passion that exists for Banks's Mild. 

“With consumers beginning to seek out lower gravity, less hopped beers the decision to delist rather than invest makes even less sense. 

“Camra fully back this petition to reverse CMBC’s decision to axe Banks’s Mild.”  

Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company declined to comment.