Abstract: When dispensing carbonated beverages, particularly beers and especially draught stout, it is desirable to obtain a close-knit creamy head. To achieve this a container (1) includes a separate closed hollow insert (5) containing substantially no oxidising gas and means (6) responsive to opening of the container (1) to provide communication between the inside of the insert (5) and beverage (7) contained in the body of the container (1) upon opening it to jet gas from the insert (5) into the beverage (7). The means (6) preferably has the form of a pressure responsive valve. The insert (5) may be arranged so that its internal pressure is increased after the container (1) is sealed or the means (6) may have a different relief pressure when initially inserted into the container (1) from that upon opening the container (1).

Abstract: A method of placing an insert in a container having a neck wherein the insert is of greater longitudinal extent than the cross-section of the neck, comprising the steps of holding the insert in a first orientation while causing relative movement between the insert and the container to introduce the insert into the container through the neck and subsequently permitting the insert to move under the influence of gravity into a second, different, orientation relative to the first orientation within the container.