Maxim Engel's (pipes2smoke.com) Take on the Decline of the UK Tobacco Industry

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buroak

Lifer
Jul 29, 2014
1,867
14
The following is from Maxim Engel's Pipes2smoke.com 11 February 2016 Pipe Missive. Maxim has graciously permitted me to post the text of the missive here. If you are not currently subscribed to his email list, I encourage you to sign up on his website.
The End of British Tobaccos – a very erudite smoker wrote to me about the fact that in 1977 the UK legislation prohibiting the use of humectants and flavorings in UK made tobaccos was rescinded; and from there it was all-downhill. Not so. Yes, there were changes but a number of blenders/manufacturers of pipe tobacco told me they minimal except in the cheap drugstore type tobaccos. The quality tobaccos were selling well and there was no reason to change anything significantly. A few quality Aromatics came forth and not much else anew. Gradually some started to use humectants, Bob Gregory told me that Gawith started to use ¼ of 1% humectants - as they still do - compared to makers in other countries who use 25% humectants.
In the late 80’s I dropped into Murrays in Belfast, Northern Ireland, unannounced, and was graciously received. One of their senior persons told me in the making of Dunhill & other qualities tobaccos very little had changed. The recipes were very much the same, a light use of humectants was introduced in some blends but not all and those with flavorings/casings e.g Erinmore, had had some tweaks but they do not see any real need to change from the traditional ways, that worked.
What was hurting them was the ever increasing UK tobacco taxes, the steady decline in the number of pipe smokers and the British labor laws & unions’ strict manning rules. What he did not mention, as it wasn’t in any UK tobacco companies purview, was they were still using very old, if not ancient equipment, while the Germans were developing and using the most modern. The British were very inefficient as their labor and materials costs were steadily rising. Very much akin to what happened to the UK car manufacturers compared to the German.
This lack of modernization and antiquated practices above all else lead to the demise of most UK pipe tobacco companies. The late Bill Taylor concurred with this view. To my knowledge very few people were aware that he was the last person to take the British Pipe Tobacco Blenders course way back when, paid for by Dunhill, it cost GBP 15,000.00.
As the companies gradually became less and less economically viable their formulas/recipes were bought up or licensed by German and other European companies. They then changed the formulas to suit and that was the definitive end of the great British and Scottish tobacco houses & their great blends. Today Gawith and J.F. Germain & Sons remain the sole surviving great tobacco houses of the UK.
The demise of UK-made pipe tobacco is a recurring topic of discussion. The importance of manufacturing technology and labor is something often overlooked in those discussions. I myself had not given it much consideration.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,322
11,089
Maryland
postimg.cc
His updates are always interesting. He frequently has fictional historical themed book recommendations that are note worthy.
The tidbit about Bill Taylor being the last person to complete the British Pipe Tobacco Blenders course was also interesting.

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Excellent article,

thanks for sharing.
I would love to hear him expand on his Murray's visit.
I'd also be interested in more details surrounding the British Pipe Tobacco Blenders Course.
Good article all round though.
...they were still using very old, if not ancient equipment, while the Germans were developing and using the most modern.
The old UK equipment may not be efficient, but it is effective!
The funny thing is, in order to make good baccy in the UK style,

ancient machinery is a mandatory requirement!
Germany:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/irish-plug-tobacco-a-pictorial-amp-historical-survey-of-their-far-famed-renown#post-844698
Mac Baren:

Power_pres.jpg

and etc.
But, the UK tobo industry was doomed to failure due to a variety of compounding problems.
They owned the 20th century though!

:puffy:

 

buroak

Lifer
Jul 29, 2014
1,867
14
The funny thing is, in order to make good baccy in the UK style,

ancient machinery is a mandatory requirement!
There's the rub...
They owned the 20th century though!
Yes, and the 20th century occupies a good part of my favorite historical real estate.
I would love to hear him expand on his Murray's visit.
I'd also be interested in more details surrounding the British Pipe Tobacco Blenders Course.
I will see if he is willing to expand on his Murray's visit and the blender's course.

 

rfernand

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 2, 2015
669
39
I propose the decline of the U.K. Tobacco industry is countered by the rise of the American industry. I look at the ever-growing catalog of blends by "new" companies (C&D, GLP, McClelland, The Standard..., among others) and feel spoiled by choice. Yes, many blends of yesterday are gone. Still, we have revivals (Westminster, anyone?), new classics (Frog Morton), and a few old favorites to choose from.
I'm not disagreeing with the original observation. I just think we're living at the onset of Renaissance of our hobby. And for such a period, the classics must go.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,077
Carmel Valley, CA
Crushing taxes together with legislation limiting display on one hand and mandating strident warnings on the other have more to do with Brit tobacco's decline than cost of manufacture. But I prefer to buy American, and always do when the product is equal to the foreign product. Fortunately, many American companies produce blends that are superior to many British or Scandinavian tobaccos.

 
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