Where is Staropramen Premium Czech Lager brewed?
By Mark Porter Last checked 9 September 2026 How we check
Staropramen Premium Czech Lager is sold as a beer from the Czech Republic. It is brewed in Britain, at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire and Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.
What to drink instead 6 beers on the same shelves that are what they say
Listed by Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Ocado when last checked. The product pages are among the sources below.
| Format | UK strength | Units | At home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 660ml bottle | 5.0% | 3.3 units a bottle | 5.0% |
| 12 x 330ml bottle | 5.0% | 1.7 units a bottle | 5.0% |
Every beer on the shelf by strength · How the units are worked out
More about the brand: rights, style, when it was created, where it is brewed at home
Partly verified
At least one of those three claims rests on a secondary source or an inference, a disagreement between sources is still open, or a split supply has a format that has not been read.
this row describes the packaged beer on supermarket shelves, chiefly the 660ml bottle. Tesco, Sainsbury's and Ocado all print country of origin United Kingdom with the Molson Coors Burton address for it, and Molson Coors' own site pages list Staropramen at Burton and Tadcaster. Against that, Ocado's listing gives 'Produce of the EU' as the country of packing, and a reading in May 2018 had the 330ml bottle marked 'Brewed and bottled in the EU'. It is a common understanding that UK draught is brewed at Burton while some packaged stock is still imported from Prague, and no source read here settles whether any current supermarket pack is Czech-brewed. The row is held at partly verified until a current pack is read in hand.
Current UK brewing at Burton/Tadcaster, ownership and ABVs are from Molson Coors and retailer pages. The date of the switch from import to UK brewing is not verified (between 2018 and 2024). Some Czech-brewed stock may still reach UK discounters; not checked.
Ocado's 660ml listing (2026-09-06) prints country of origin United Kingdom and the Burton address, and separately 'Produce of the EU' as the country of packing; the pack copy still reads 'Authentically Czech'.
2026-09-09: Morrisons' 660ml and 12 x 330ml bottle listings and Ocado Zoom's 660ml all print country of origin United Kingdom with the Burton address, and the 660ml carries 'Produce of the EU' in the packing field at both chains. No current supermarket listing was found that says Czech-brewed; the 4 x 330ml bottle is not listed online at Morrisons or Ocado. The balance of the retailer evidence is UK-brewed for the packaged beer; the row is held at partly verified only for the packing field, which a bottle read in hand would settle.
The small print on the base of a current can or bottle, giving the producer name and address, would settle this.
In short
Everything about the packaging of Staropramen Premium Czech Lager says the Czech Republic: 'Established in Prague 1869', '#1 Prague beer in the world', Saaz hops, 'Authentically Czech' label copy. The beer in UK shops is brewed at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire and Tadcaster, North Yorkshire by Molson Coors. It is the same strength here as at home: 5.0%. The brand belongs to Molson Coors Beverage Company (Pivovary Staropramen s.r.o.). On the recipe: Sainsbury's reviewers complain it is 'now another made in Burton with less ingredients'.
This page is about the packs sold in supermarkets. Draught in pubs can come from a different brewery, and this page does not cover it unless a format table says so.
Formats on record
Every pack format read so far says the same thing. This is what each one says, so you can check the one in your hand against it.
| Format | Supply | Label text |
|---|---|---|
| 12 x 330ml bottle | Brewed in Britain | Country of origin: United Kingdom. MCBC (UK) Ltd., 137 High Street, Burton-on-Trent, DE14 1JZ, UK. |
| 660ml bottle | Brewed in Britain | Country of origin: United Kingdom. Country of packaging: Produce of the EU. Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK) Ltd., 137 High Street, Burton-on-Trent, DE14 1JZ. |
Who has brewed it here
| Years | Brewer | Site | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 to 2003 | Imported from Prague (Bass had pledged it would not be brewed under licence) | Smíchov, Prague | morningadvertiser.co.uk |
| 2003 to 2004 | Interbrew UK brewed it under licence at Samlesbury, Lancashire, then reversed the decision | Samlesbury, Lancashire | morningadvertiser.co.uk |
| 2004 to 2015 | Imported from Prague; UK distribution by InBev UK, then Carlsberg UK until 27 December 2015 | Smíchov, Prague | siba.co.uk |
| 2015 to now | Molson Coors UK took exclusive UK distribution from 28 December 2015 (Molson Coors had owned the brand since buying StarBev in 2012); now brewed at Burton and Tadcaster | Burton / Tadcaster | molsoncoors.com |
What changed
- 8 September 2026: verification level was verified, now partly verified
Questions people ask
Where is Staropramen Premium Czech Lager brewed?
The beer sold in the UK is brewed at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire and Tadcaster, North Yorkshire by Molson Coors.
Is Staropramen Premium Czech Lager brewed in the UK?
Yes. It is brewed at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire and Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.
Is Staropramen Premium Czech Lager really Czech?
The branding is Czech, but the beer sold in Britain is brewed in the UK at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire and Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.
Who owns Staropramen Premium Czech Lager?
Staropramen Premium Czech Lager is owned by Molson Coors Beverage Company (Pivovary Staropramen s.r.o.), headquartered in United States / Canada. In the UK the brand is handled by Molson Coors Brewing Company Ltd.
What strength is Staropramen Premium Czech Lager in the UK?
Staropramen Premium Czech Lager is 5.0% ABV in the UK. In the Czech Republic it is 5.0%. A UK pint is 2.8 units.
Is Staropramen Premium Czech Lager weaker in the UK than in the Czech Republic?
No. It is 5.0% in both the UK and the Czech Republic.
See also
Side by side with Pravha.
Every beer sold as Czech Republic · What else is brewed at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire · Every brand owned by Molson Coors Beverage Company
Sources
- Molson Coors (molsoncoors.com): Staropramen brewed at Burton
- Molson Coors (molsoncoors.com): Staropramen brewed at Tadcaster
- Tesco (tesco.com), 4 September 2026: 5%, country of origin UK, Burton manufacturer address
- Sainsbury's (sainsburys.co.uk), 4 September 2026: 5%, country of origin UK, reviewer complaints about Burton brewing
- Morning Advertiser (morningadvertiser.co.uk), 6 November 2003: 2003 Samlesbury brewing and reversal, Bass pledge
- SIBA (siba.co.uk), 10 June 2015: Carlsberg to Molson Coors distribution transfer, 28 December 2015
- Boak & Bailey (blog) (boakandbailey.com), 8 May 2018: secondary: 2018 label 'Brewed and bottled in the EU'
- Boak & Bailey (blog) (boakandbailey.com), March 2025: secondary: UK draught brewed in Burton
- Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org): secondary: ownership chain Bass/Interbrew/StarBev/Molson Coors 2012, Czech ABVs, UK licence brewing by MCBC (UK) Ltd Burton
- northeastbylines.co.uk
- petebrown.net
- Morning Advertiser (morningadvertiser.co.uk)
- Ocado (ocado.com), 6 September 2026: Staropramen Premium Czech Lager 660ml: 5; Country of origin United Kingdom; 'Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK) Ltd., 137 High Street, Burton-on-Trent, DE14 1JZ.'; a separate Country of Packing field reads 'Produce of the EU'; distributor Molson Coors Brewing Company (Ireland) DAC, Maynooth.
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 9 September 2026: 660ml bottle, read on 9 September 2026: 5%; Country Of Origin United Kingdom; Country Of Packaging 'Produce of the EU'; manufacturer Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK) Ltd, 137 High Street, Burton-on-Trent.
- Ocado Zoom (zoom.ocado.com), 9 September 2026: 660ml bottle, read on 9 September 2026: 5%; Country of Origin United Kingdom; Packed In 'Produce of the EU'; manufacturer Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK) Ltd, Burton-on-Trent.
- Morrisons (groceries.morrisons.com), 9 September 2026: 12 x 330ml bottle, read on 9 September 2026: 5%; Country Of Origin United Kingdom; MCBC (UK) Ltd, 137 High Street, Burton-on-Trent.
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