Sky TV debate slams CAMRA
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has come under fire for losing touch with the industry.
During a debate on the organisation's future on Sky's Pub Channel, trade leaders warned the group had lost sight of its aims and needed modernisation.
They also warned that the organisation was no longer representing the majority of its membership, with decisions being taken by the hardcore minority who attend the annual conference.
Licensee Mark Dorber, of the White Horse, Parsons Green, London, said: "It doesn't seem we can make very much headway given the fact that the activists are the people who vote at conference."
Paul Nunny, director of cask ale quality initiative Cask Marque, said: "It certainly makes logical sense to employ some postal vote system at annual meetings so that everyone gets a vote and not just the people who go to the meeting."
Michael Hardman, a founder member of CAMRA and now a PR consultant for London brewer Youngs, said he believed the organisation should refocus.
"I believe that at the moment the campaign is too disparate," he said.
Greene King's David Elliott said: "Any democracy has got to open voting up to the total membership."
But CAMRA's head of campaigns Mike Benner defended the organisation, saying it had changed with the times.
"There are lots of changes that have taken place over the last 30 years," he said.
"We have become more professional but we are still controlled by the volunteer directors and long may that continue. What is important is that the volunteers stay in control."
During last week's debate, Roger Protz, editor of CAMRA's Good Beer Guide, attacked the group's opposition to the use of cask breathers.
"It's a difficult position for me to take, because I'm editor of the Good Beer Guide, but I think CAMRA is wrong about that," he said.
The debate was sparked by recent criticism of CAMRA, including coverage on thePublican.com in August of the group's decision to ban two Greene King cask ales from its Great British Beer Festival because the brewing location had moved.
Mr Elliott said: "CAMRA really should concentrate on what it has been very good at. It should stick to cask ale and cask ale promotion."
Related stories:
CAMRA sticks by cask ale ban (3 August 2001)
CAMRA attacked in consumer poll (16 August 2001)
