As an aside can any connoisseurs tell me what the distinctive characteristics of Doom Bar are ? I have tried a few pints and to be honest the most distinctive thing seems to be it comes from Cornwall. There is the odd distinct beer I don't particularly like (Abbot Ale - overly malty, Tanglefoot unbalanced citrus) and many I do enjoy. I guess I am trying to say, I don't understand the fuss about Doom Bar.
Blandest of the bland. What one has to remember is just because a beer is a big seller it does not make it good. John Smiths are the biggest sellers in the supermarkets and look at the fuss over Magners cider a few years back. It's marketing and trying to get to the people who either don't know better or are scared of taste.