Top Gear star May in outburst over drinks packaging watchdog

In next week’s episode of Oz and James Drink to Britain, to be screened on BBC2 next Tuesday (20 January), it is understood that May and wine expert Oz Clarke meet up with the management of independent Scottish brewer Brew Dog to have a beer on a park bench.

During the film, it is understood that May has an angry outburst over investigations by the Portman Group into the marketing and names of Brew Dog’s products, which include Riptide, Punk IPA, Hop Rocker and Speedball.

All of Riptide, Punk IPA and Hop Rocker were cleared just before Christmas by the Independent Complaints Panel, which had examined a number of claims that their packaging and marketing associated them with antisocial behaviour or enhancements of mental or physical capabilities.

Speedball is still under investigation by the Portman Group over complaints that it is named after the mix of heroin and cocaine that killed the actors John Belushi and River Phoenix.

In a blog written at the time of the show’s filming last summer, BrewDog founder James Watt said that the highlights of the day included May “getting so enraged about the Portman Group threatening to blacklist our beers that he threw a bottle of Punk IPA, which actually hit the cameraman”.

However, David Poley, Portman Group chief executive, told Packaging News that the watchdog would not take the criticism as a setback. He said: “Ninety-nine percent of drinks producers recognise the importance of responsible marketing and support our Code.

“We will not allow any producer to drag down the reputation of the entire industry. Our system operates effectively and fairly across the whole of the industry, irrespective of a company’s size.”

Popular Articles