Campaign For Real Ale

Big Interview

'There's no silver bullet'

03-Aug-2023 By Ed Bedington

With challenges facing the sector and pub closures rising, how can CAMRA play a positive role to help the sector move forward?

CAMRA demands support to save further closures

30-Jan-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Consumer organisation the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has called on the Government to deliver a support package to save the nation’s pubs and breweries from shutting.

Eagle Brewery sale ‘highlights UK beer market imbalance’

08-Nov-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has reacted to the recent news of Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC) selling the Bedford-based Eagle Brewery, stating it ‘highlights the dominance of global brewers in the UK and further squeezes small, independent...

Call for ‘fundamental changes to pubs code’

31-Aug-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has urged the Government to ensure tied tenants are treated fairly and called for change to the pubs code.

Majority of Brits think pint price ‘unaffordable’

02-Aug-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

More than half (52%) of YouGov survey respondents have said the cost of a pint of beer is now unaffordable.

GBBF returns to capital

01-Aug-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) is set to start in London tomorrow (Tuesday 2 August) after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

CAMRA urges Gov to ‘put tied tenants’ view front and centre’

20-Jul-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has asked the Government to ensure the view of tied tenants are the fore of its pubs code review.

Caledonian Brewery closure ‘grim news’

27-May-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

Heineken has been urged to rethink its decision to close its Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh.

CAMRA launches consultation to drive inclusivity

02-Feb-2022 By Rebecca Weller

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has launched a consultation into inclusivity, diversity and equality within the organisation and at its events, in response to discussions in the wider beer and pub industry regarding continuing prevalence of discrimination and...

CAMRA cancels 2022 Great British Beer Festival Winter

23-Nov-2021 By Rebecca Weller

The Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) Great British Beer Festival Winter (GBBFW) 2022, has been called off.

MPs to hear trade’s heartache from licensees about coronavirus restrictions

18-Jun-2021 By Nikkie Thatcher

A cross party group has shared comments from licensees, pubgoers and organisations about the impact the pandemic has had on them.

‘Bitterly disappointed’ trade bodies write to PM demanding further support

16-Jun-2021 By Nikkie Thatcher

Industry associations including the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), UKHospitality (UKH), the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) have written to Boris Johnson calling for further support.

Increase in tier 3 regions forces another 2,000 pubs to shut

17-Dec-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Health secretary Matt Hancock announced a further eight regions will be added to tier three from this weekend in an address to the House of Commons, while three areas moved down a tier.

Review needed for Government ‘evidence’ on trade transmission risk

30-Nov-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Government has been urged to review its ‘evidence’ on the risk of coronavirus virus transmission in hospitality.

Stop 'scapegoating' pubs and produce evidence, CAMRA urges

25-Nov-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Government has once again faced calls to produce the evidence underpinning its stringent lockdown restrictions on pubs.

OPINION: ‘Judge CAMRA on the actions of the majority,’ says Jackie Parker

27-Apr-2018 By Jackie Parker, CAMRA national chairman

The dust has yet to settle on what will go down in history as one of the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) most turbulent weekends, but new national chairman Jackie Parker's outlook for the the organisation’s future is optimistic and she also has some...

Devon licensee rewarded for ‘services to real ale’ by CAMRA branch

14-Feb-2018 By James Beeson

A Torquay licensee has been given a one-of-a-kind award by his local branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), for “services to real ale” dating back more than 40 years.

CAMRA calls for views on new pub operating models

17-Jan-2018 By Stuart Stone

CAMRA’s Pub Campaigns Committee has been contacting licensees in order to gather their views on new pub operating models.

Britain has lost 28,000 pubs since the 1970s

14-Sep-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The nation has lost almost 30,000 pubs in the past four decades, according to new research by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

Great British Beer Festival

What licensees want from CAMRA

09-Aug-2017 By James Beeson

Campaigning to further reduce beer duty and improving education around cellar management are just two things pub landlords want to see the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) do more of in the future.  

CAMRA calls for £5,000 business rate relief for pubs

07-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Pubs must sell tens of thousands of extra pints of beer each year to cover the rocketing rise of business rates, according to the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). 

Cask ale: a glass half full?

09-Mar-2017 By Jessica Mason

Cask ale has some difficulties to overcome, but with the correct application, it can maintain its rightful place at the bar of all good pubs.

Legislation

CAMRA calls for permanent measures to help pubs avoid closing

04-Jan-2017 By Sara Hussein

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has called for permanent measures for pubs registered as assets of community value (ACV). 

Business rates

Business rates revaluation 'a fine for being good at your job'

07-Nov-2016 By Helen Gilbert

An outraged Hertfordshire licensee has branded the business rates revaluation a ‘fine for being good at your job’.

BIG INTERVIEW

The long road to the pubs code: the Big Interview with Simon Clarke and Dave Mountford

07-Oct-2016 By James Evison

It’s been a long road from the Fair Pint campaign’s vision of a free-of-tie pub sector to the reality of market rent-only option (MRO) and the statutory code of practice. James Evison met CAMRA campaigner of the year Simon Clarke and fellow crusader Dave...

My Pub: The Three Tuns, Sheffield

09-Aug-2016 By Liam Coleman

The unique size and shape of the Three Tuns is both a blessing and a curse. The manager of the Sheffield pub, Kate Major, explains how its iconic triangular shape draws customers in, but how it also presents its own challenges for the closely-knit team.

Awards

CAMRA launches search for best designed pubs

19-Jul-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has launched its National Pub Design Awards for this year in a quest to find the most stunningly designed pubs nationwide.

Legislation

Campaigners respond to Pubco Insider: "Investment is critical, but where has it been for the last few decades?"

24-May-2016 By Simon Clarke

There was quite a bit that was inaccurate about the Pubco Insider 'opinion', argues Si Clarke.

CAMRA

Pictures: Winners of Pub Design Awards

18-Apr-2016 By Oli Gross

The Dun Cow in Sunderland scooped two awards in the National Pub Design Awards 2015.

Editorial

Time for pubs minister to speak up on issues that matter

11-Dec-2015 By Mike Berry

The end of any year is naturally a time for reflection and a chance to review the past 12 months.

"List it or lose it": Liverpool CAMRA's rallying cry to UK pubs

26-Nov-2015 By Ben Winstanley

Liverpool CAMRA has encouraged more campaigners to protect their pubs after successfully attaining Asset of Community Value status for the famed Roscoe Head.

Beer

Death of the pint? Not at all...

02-Sep-2015 By Pete Brown

Pete Brown relies on the world of statistics to compile the Cask Report - but when facts are used incorrectly, he refuses to tolerate it.

Beer

In pictures: Great British Beer Festival 2015

17-Aug-2015 By Emily Sutherland

With over 900 beers and ciders on offer, this year's event was the biggest to date and saw Welsh brewers Tiny Rebel's Cwtch crowned as champion beer of Britain. 

JD Wetherspoon reports rise in like-for-like sales

12-Sep-2014 By John Harrington, M&C Report

JD Wetherspoon has reported a 5.5% rise in like-for-like sales in the year to 27 July, with profit before tax and exceptionals up 3.1% to £79.4m.

Pubs matter - but enough to change planning laws?

22-Aug-2014 By Mike Berry

Amid the silly hats, Royal and rock star appearances and general beery buzz of the Great British Beer Festival, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) launched an important new campaign that could have a significant impact on the future of many pubs across...

VIDEO: Interview with Champion Beer of Britain winner Timothy Taylor’s

13-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Timothy Taylor’s Boltmaker was crowned the Champion Beer of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival yesterday.

CAMRA launches new campaign on Pubs and Economy

12-Dec-2013 By Michelle Perrett

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is launching a Pubs and the Economy campaign to highlight the fact that the pub industry employs over 500,000 people and adds £19bn a year to the British economy.

Good Beer Guide 2014: 16 finalists announced for CAMRA Pub of the Year

12-Sep-2013 By Michelle Perrett

The 16 regional finalists of CAMRA’s Pub of the Year competition have been announced to mark the launch of this year’s Good Beer Guide.

The Good Pub Guide does pubs a great disservice

06-Sep-2013 By Pete Brown

Pete Brown takes the Good Pub Guide editors to task over their controversial claims on pub closures

Good Pub Guide: Editors labelled 'morally repugnant' in industry backlash

29-Aug-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

The Good Pub Guide 2014 editors have been called “morally repugnant” and “a disgrace” by representatives of the pub trade, over their claims that the thousands of pubs “stuck in the 1980s” deserve to go out of business.

It's Better Down the Pub starts trade push

09-Aug-2013 By John Harrington

The pan-industry campaign to encourage people to use pubs has revealed details of the next stage of its activities.

Consumers support calls to end duty escalator

09-Mar-2012 By Michelle Perrett

More than 4,600 consumers have emailed their local MPs in support of suspending the duty escalator on beer.

The Big Interview: Tim Bird

07-Dec-2011 By Phil Mellows

Finally free of the corporate shackles and running his own pubs, Tim Bird, one of the pub industry’s foremost operations people, has been marshalling the skills and experience accumulated over decades to tackle one of the trade’s knottiest problems. Dog...

Government stance on covenants slated by BBPA

11-Aug-2011 By Michelle Perrett

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) claims the Government's new consultation into restrictive covenants is at odds with its drive to cut red tape.

CAMRA hails best designed pubs

20-Jun-2011 By Adam Pescod

CAMRA has announced the winners of its prestigious Pub Design Awards, which celebrate pubs with vision and imagination.

Life begins at forty: CAMRA's 40th birthday

16-Mar-2011 By Michelle Perrett

As the Campaign for Real Ale celebrates its 40th birthday, Michelle Perrett charts its evolution from cask promoter to political heavyweight.

Findlay calls on MPs to recognise industry progress

04-Aug-2010 By Hamish Champ

MPs still looking to knock the pub sector should look at the progress being made by companies, Marston's chief executive Ralph Findlay said today....

CAMRA looking to reward great pub design

16-Jul-2010 By Matt Eley Matt

Great design work in the pub industry is set to be commended with the launch of CAMRA's 2010 Pub Design Awards. The consumer group has teamed up...

Angry pubs slam CAMRA World Cup beer festival

26-May-2010 By John Harrington

Licensees have criticised a local CAMRA branch for screening England's first World Cup game at a massive indoor beer festival.

Lamb at Satwell: lone sheep makes good

26-May-2010 By Lesley Foottit

Chris Smith, of the Lamb at Satwell, Oxfordshire, talks to Lesley Foottit about making money from a pub three miles from the nearest house.