I am sorry if I came across a little "you don't know what you are on about" Goldilocks. I didn't intend it to come out that way, and obviously you do know you (beer) onions!
I had, also, mis-read what you said previously.
The whole IPA which tastes only slightly better than a lager thing irks me (as you might have noticed), it ranks up alongside Porters that are really stouts, milds that really are nothing of the sort and bitters that, well, just aren't.
Unfortunately we have a lot of this sort of thing in the UK, and yes, I think you are right, a lot of it comes from the leftpondians taking our brews, adjusting them to their market then the recipes being brought back over here.
For my money I enjoy beers by Daleside, Roosters and Copper Dragon. I despise Sam Smiths (but then I always have), John Smiths is bitter for lager drinkers and the S&N brews are not even worth considering, now.
I think I need to go and visit my weekday "local" The White Swan in Quy, to see what they have on tap at the moment