FRANK HAROLD
SCIENTIST, BREWER
16-2-19246-1-2012
By PAUL ORMONDE
FRANK Harold, who has died aged 87, took modest pride in the fact that he was the first person to fly from Melbourne to London to give his approval to a glass of beer.
As assistant general manager, brewing, at Carlton and United, he had a key role in negotiating the arrangement for the British brewer Watney's to make Foster's under licence in Britain. The highly secretive arrangement had its own code name Phoenix and early meetings between CUB and Watney's were held in Singapore so as not to alert other brewers.
On August 25, 1981, Harold tasted Foster's Draught at Watney's and gave it full marks. In his speech, apart from noting his 19,000-kilometre trip for a beer, he pointed out that the occasion marked a full turn of the wheel of history Australia, having learnt its early beer habits from England, had in response to its warmer weather, developed its culture of chilled lager ahead of the "Mother Country" and was now passing on its skills. In the highly competitive British market, Foster's Draught quickly won 6 per cent of the national market.
As many Australians in Britain were to observe, it tasted differently from Australia's Foster's. To compete in the draught lager market in Britain, the alcohol level had to be reduced from 4.9 per cent to 4.2, because the higher alcohol level would have put it into a higher tax level and made it uncompetitive.
Harold was one of the post-war breed of brewers who were to give CUB and Foster's an international reputation for quality control and brewing research.
He was educated at Christian Brothers College, St Kilda, and St Kevin's, Toorak and, after war service in New Guinea and Borneo, went to Melbourne University where he gained his Bachelor of Science degree. After early experience at the Richmond Brewery, he joined CUB in 1951. At the time the brewery had only two other graduates who worked in an old laboratory, with Bunsen burners and a few other bare basics.
Things had begun to change with the arrival of the dynamic R. F. G. Fogarty (later Sir Reginald) as general manager in 1949. He initiated a new era of acquisitions and modernisation.
Fogarty purported to have a low view of brewers, calling them "just bloody cooks" and described brewing as "bloody witchcraft . . . any damn fool can do it". It was bluff.
What he did was to build the most modern laboratory of any brewery in Australia, and began recruiting science graduates to be the company's future brewers.
Frank Harold was one of them. While Fogarty was the epitome of the "beer baron" of legend, Harold was a quiet achiever. He became chief chemist in 1956 and leader of the team that developed hop extract, a world first in hop technology. The new process eliminated the need for the traditional but comparatively wasteful method of cooking hop leaves.
As Keith Dunstan said in his book The Amber Nectar: a Celebration of Beer and Brewing in Australia, "Frank was faintly nostalgic as he said: 'Some of our younger brewers are around for a year or two before they ever see any hops.' " CUB marketed its hop extract around the world.
By the 1980s CUB had a laboratory and technical centre to make it pre-eminent among brewers in Australia. It employed about 30 scientists as well as other technicians to carry out the pure research and quality control that made it the natural choice when Watney's in London wanted an Australian-style beer.
During Harold's era, the centre developed techniques for profiling or "fingerprinting" beer so that it could be exactly reproduced from one brewery to another. This was a huge advance up to the 1950s Foster's made in one of CUB's breweries was never precisely the same as Foster's made in another.
By the time he made his historic trip to London to taste Foster's Draught, CUB and Foster's were ready for the world.
This modest man who reached the top of his calling had an early family deprivation. Harold, along with his brothers Brian and Tony and sister Marie, were raised by relatives when both their parents died while they were still at school.
With that example, family remained a key to his life values. As he had planned, he retired in 1984 at age 60 to spend more time with his wife and family.
In retirement, he became a consultant to the new Power's brewery in Queensland. Despite being a lifelong St Kilda supporter, he was obliged on his trips north to develop an interest in, if not a passion for, rugby league and the Brisbane Broncos. He was only ever a token enthusiast.
Harold is survived by his brothers, Brian and Tony his sister, Sister Marie Therese Harold his two sons, Michael and Chris and two grandchildren, Charles and Emma. His wife, Pauline, died in 2010 and their son David in 2006.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Who was Frank Harold and what role did he play at Carlton & United Breweries (CUB)?
Frank Harold was a long-serving CUB brewer and scientist who rose to assistant general manager, brewing, and became chief chemist in 1956. He led CUB’s technical team, helped develop world‑first hop extract technology, established quality control processes and brewery research, and travelled to London in 1981 to approve Foster’s Draught made under licence.
What was the Watney’s–CUB licence deal (code name “Phoenix”) and why did it matter?
The secretive arrangement nicknamed “Phoenix” saw British brewer Watney’s produce Foster’s under licence in Britain. Early meetings were held in Singapore to avoid alerting competitors, and the deal helped Foster’s Draught quickly capture about 6% of the UK national draught market.
How was Foster’s beer adapted for the British market under the Watney’s licence?
To compete in Britain, Foster’s Draught had its alcohol level reduced from 4.9% to 4.2% so it wouldn’t fall into a higher tax bracket and become uncompetitive. As a result, some Australians in Britain noted the licensed beer tasted different from the Australian version.
How did R.F.G. (Sir Reginald) Fogarty influence CUB’s brewing research and international reach?
When Fogarty became general manager in 1949 he modernised CUB’s operations, built the most advanced brewery laboratory in Australia, and recruited science graduates. That investment in research and modern facilities was crucial to CUB’s international reputation and to partnerships like the Watney’s licence.
What is hop extract technology and why was CUB’s development important?
CUB developed a hop extract process that eliminated the traditional, more wasteful cooking of hop leaves. It was a world first in hop technology, reduced waste, and was marketed around the world—showing CUB’s strength in brewing innovation.
What quality‑control advances did CUB introduce to make beer consistent across breweries?
CUB’s laboratory and technical centre developed profiling or “fingerprinting” techniques for beer, allowing identical reproduction of a brew from one brewery to another. Before this, Foster’s made in different CUB breweries could vary notably.
What market impact did Foster’s Draught achieve in Britain after it was produced under licence?
Once Watney’s began producing Foster’s Draught under licence, the beer quickly won about 6% of the UK national draught market—an impressive result in a highly competitive market.
Why is this history of CUB, Foster’s and Watney’s relevant for everyday investors looking at breweries?
The article highlights how investment in R&D, quality control, technical talent and smart licensing deals helped CUB and Foster’s expand internationally. For investors, these historical examples show how operational excellence and innovation can drive market entry and brand growth—key factors to consider when evaluating brewing companies, without constituting investment advice.
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