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Topics: UK News, Food And Drink, Politics
Claire Reid
Pint glasses in Britain are set to have the crown symbol returned to them 18 years after they disappeared – and just in time for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Crown symbols first appeared on pint glasses all the way back in 1699 and were used to show that the glass was large enough to hold a full pint.
But in 2006 they were replaced by the standardised CE mark to fit with EU conformity rules almost two decades ago.
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The decision to put the crown symbol back on pint glasses was praised by Brexit Opportunities Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, who said it is 'a very fitting symbol of how the Queen's realm is being returned to her people now that they have been freed from the bureaucratic Suzerain of Brussels'.
Last night, a Government source told the Daily Mail that the introduction of the CE mark led to the effective removal of the crown symbol because the UK 'could not have two competing indications of conformity', with the news outlet reporting they will be welcomed back on Friday, June 3.
In a statement in January marking one year since Brexit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the return of the crown symbol as a key success since leaving the EU.
He said: “From simplifying the EU’s mind-bogglingly complex beer and wine duties to proudly restoring the crown stamp onto the side of pint glasses, we’re cutting back on EU red tape and bureaucracy and restoring common sense to our rulebook.”
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However, the European Commission told the BBC at the time that it had never stopped pint glasses from featuring the crown symbol.
A spokesperson said: "EU law does not prevent markings from being placed on products, so long as it does not overlap or be confused with the CE mark."
The announcement comes after it was revealed that the UK Government is set to announce the revival of imperial measurements.
Under current rules, shops and traders must use metric measurements, but can also use imperial alongside them as long as they’re not more prominent.
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The legal requirement to use metric was introduced by the EU in 2000, but as the UK has since left the EU a consultation is set to be launched on which measurements will be used going forward.
Shops and retailers, it's thought, will be able to choose which of the two, or both, they wish to use in the future.
A source in the Cabinet told the Mirror: "As the British people have been happy to use both imperial and metric measurements in their daily life it is good for the Government to reflect that now we are free to change our regulations accordingly."