Campaign for Real Ale
Encyclopedia
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an independent voluntary consumer organisation based in St Albans
, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale, real cider
and the traditional British pub
. It is now the largest single-issue consumer group in the UK, and is a founding member of the European Beer Consumers' Union
(EBCU).
The organisation was founded in 1971 by a group of four drinkers—Graham Lees, Bill Mellor, Michael Hardman, and Jim Makin—who were opposed to the growing mass production of beer and the homogenisation of the British brewing
industry. Other early influential members included Christopher Hutt, author of "Death of the English Pub", who succeeded Hardman as chairman, Frank Baillie, author of "The Beer Drinker's Companion", and later the current "Good Beer Guide
" editor, Roger Protz
. The original name was the Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale.
CAMRA's campaigns include promoting small brewing and pub businesses, reforming licensing laws, reducing tax on beer, and stopping continued consolidation among local British brewers. It also makes an effort to promote less common varieties of beer, including stout, porter
, and mild, as well as traditional cider
and perry
.
In 2009, CAMRA announced that it had reached the 100,000 members mark and has since surpassed the 130,000 members mark. Member benefits include a monthly newspaper, "What's Brewing" and a quarterly "BEER" magazine, and free or reduced price admission to CAMRA-organised beer festival
s.
CAMRA is organised on a federal basis, with numerous independent local branches, each covering a particular geographical area of the UK, that contribute to the central body of the organisation based in St Albans
. It is governed by a voluntary unpaid national executive, elected by the membership. The local branches are grouped into 16 regional branches across the UK, such as the West Midlands
or Wessex
.
The current National Chairman is Colin Valentine, who took over from Paula Waters in February 2010. The Chief Executive is Mike Benner.
CAMRA has established influence at national government level, including English Heritage
, and has been designated by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
as a "super-complainant" to the Office of Fair Trading
.
, an annually compiled directory of its recommended pubs and brewers; the Good Cider Guide
, an occasionally compiled directory of pubs that sell real Cider
; the Good Bottled Beer Guide, an occasionally compiled review of real ale in a bottle.
CAMRA members receive a monthly newspaper called What's Brewing and a quarterly colour magazine called Beer.
They also run the Great British Beer Festival
, a yearly event held in London at which a large selection of cask ale
s and ciders are tasted. It also maintains a National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors to help bring greater recognition and protection to Britain's most historic pubs.
CAMRA supports and promotes numerous beer and cider festivals around the country each year, which are organised by local CAMRA branches around the UK. Generally, each festival charges an entry fee which varies depending upon the area, and either covers entry only or includes a commemorative ⅓, ½ or 1 pint glass
sporting the details of the festival. A festival programme is usually also provided, listing the drinks available for tasting and providing a brief description of each beverage.
The Campaign also organises an annual Great British Beer Festival in August, in London. Previously this was held at Olympia, but currently resides at Earl's Court.
, in which approximately 4,000 active CAMRA members from 200 local branches vote for their favourite pub. The branch winners are entered into 16 regional competitions which are then visited by several individuals who select the ones they like best. There are also the Pub Design Awards
, which are held in association with English Heritage
and The Victorian Society
. These comprise several categories, including new build, refurbished, and converted pubs. The best known CAMRA award is the Champion Beer of Britain
, which is selected at the Great British Beer Festival
, other awards include the Champion Beer of Scotland
and the Champion Beer of Wales
.
The scores range from 0, which signifies the beer is in such poor condition it cannot be drunk; through 2, which signifies an average beer that is drunk without calling attention to itself in either a positive or negative manner; up to 5, which signifies a perfect beer.
interiors of historic and/or architectural importance, and seeks to get them listed, if not already.
The group maintains two inventories of "Heritage pubs", the National Inventory (NI), which contains only those pubs that have been maintained in their original condition (or have been modified very little) for at least 30 years, but usually since at least World War II
. The second, larger inventory is the Regional Inventory (RI), which is broken down by county
and contains both those pubs listed in the NI and other pubs that are not eligible for the NI, due to reasons such as having been overly modified, but are still considered historically important, or have particular architectural value.
The NI contains 289 pubs .
branch to help promote locally brewed beers and also help with environmental issues. The scheme functions slightly differently in each area, and is managed by each branch, but the overall rule is that each participating pub is allowed to purchase beer from whatever brewery they wish, but if it the beer is to be promoted as a 'LocAle' it must come from a brewery within a predetermined number of miles (which is set by each CAMRA branch, but generally is around 20 or 25 miles, although, the North London
branch has set it at 30 miles) from brewery to pub door, even if it comes from a distribution centre further away, in addition, each participating pub must keep at least one LocAle for sale at all times.
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale, real cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
and the traditional British pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
. It is now the largest single-issue consumer group in the UK, and is a founding member of the European Beer Consumers' Union
European Beer Consumers' Union
The European Beer Consumers' Union is an independent non-religious, non-politically affiliated international consumer organisation that was founded during May 1990 in Bruges by three European national beer consumer organisations, CAMRA , Objectieve Bierproevers and PINT .The European Beer...
(EBCU).
History
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
industry. Other early influential members included Christopher Hutt, author of "Death of the English Pub", who succeeded Hardman as chairman, Frank Baillie, author of "The Beer Drinker's Companion", and later the current "Good Beer Guide
Good Beer Guide
The Good Beer Guide is a book published annually by the Campaign for Real Ale listing what they consider to be the best cask ale outlets in the United Kingdom.-Details:...
" editor, Roger Protz
Roger Protz
Roger Protz is a British writer, journalist and campaigner. He was an early member of the Campaign for Real Ale in 1971, and has written several books on beer and pubs...
. The original name was the Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale.
Aims
CAMRA's stated aims are to:- Protect and improve consumer rights.
- Promote quality, choice and value for money.
- Support the public house as a focus of community life.
- Campaign for greater appreciation of traditional beers, ciders and perries as part of our national heritage and culture.
- Seek improvements in all licensed premises and throughout the brewing industry.
CAMRA's campaigns include promoting small brewing and pub businesses, reforming licensing laws, reducing tax on beer, and stopping continued consolidation among local British brewers. It also makes an effort to promote less common varieties of beer, including stout, porter
Porter (beer)
Porter is a dark-coloured style of beer. The history and development of stout and porter are intertwined. The name was first used in the 18th century from its popularity with the street and river porters of London. It is generally brewed with dark malts...
, and mild, as well as traditional cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
and perry
Perry
Perry is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears. Perry has been common for centuries in Britain, particularly in the Three Counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and in parts of south Wales; and France, especially Normandy and Anjou.In more recent years, commercial...
.
Organisation
Beer festival
A Beer Festival is an organised event during which a variety of beers are available for tasting and purchase. Beer festivals are held in a number of countries...
s.
CAMRA is organised on a federal basis, with numerous independent local branches, each covering a particular geographical area of the UK, that contribute to the central body of the organisation based in St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
. It is governed by a voluntary unpaid national executive, elected by the membership. The local branches are grouped into 16 regional branches across the UK, such as the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
or Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
.
The current National Chairman is Colin Valentine, who took over from Paula Waters in February 2010. The Chief Executive is Mike Benner.
CAMRA has established influence at national government level, including English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, and has been designated by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills is a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. Its secondary title is the President of the Board of Trade...
as a "super-complainant" to the Office of Fair Trading
Office of Fair Trading
The Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...
.
Events and publications
CAMRA publishes the Good Beer GuideGood Beer Guide
The Good Beer Guide is a book published annually by the Campaign for Real Ale listing what they consider to be the best cask ale outlets in the United Kingdom.-Details:...
, an annually compiled directory of its recommended pubs and brewers; the Good Cider Guide
Good Cider Guide
The Good Cider Guide is a book published occasionally by the Campaign for Real Ale listing cider and perry outlets and producers in the United Kingdom. It is the cider equivalent to their annual Good Beer Guide.-Details:...
, an occasionally compiled directory of pubs that sell real Cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
; the Good Bottled Beer Guide, an occasionally compiled review of real ale in a bottle.
CAMRA members receive a monthly newspaper called What's Brewing and a quarterly colour magazine called Beer.
They also run the Great British Beer Festival
Great British Beer Festival
The Great British Beer Festival is a yearly beer festival organised by the Campaign for Real Ale . It presents a selection of cask ales and other alcoholic drinks from the UK and beyond. The festival is also home to the Champion Beer of Britain awards...
, a yearly event held in London at which a large selection of cask ale
Cask ale
Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised beer which is conditioned and served from a cask without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure...
s and ciders are tasted. It also maintains a National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors to help bring greater recognition and protection to Britain's most historic pubs.
Festivals
Pint glass
A pint glass is a drinking vessel made to hold either a British pint of 20 imperial fluid ounces or an American pint of...
sporting the details of the festival. A festival programme is usually also provided, listing the drinks available for tasting and providing a brief description of each beverage.
The Campaign also organises an annual Great British Beer Festival in August, in London. Previously this was held at Olympia, but currently resides at Earl's Court.
Awards
CAMRA presents awards for beers and pubs, such as the National Pub of the YearNational Pub of the Year
The National Pub of the Year is an annual competition held by CAMRA in February that finds the best pub in the UK. Established in 1988, the competition helps to highlight quality pubs around the UK that are worth seeking out and visiting. Each year, each local CAMRA branch nominates one pub in...
, in which approximately 4,000 active CAMRA members from 200 local branches vote for their favourite pub. The branch winners are entered into 16 regional competitions which are then visited by several individuals who select the ones they like best. There are also the Pub Design Awards
Pub Design Awards
The Pub Design Awards are an annual awards, established in 1983 and hosted by CAMRA in association with English Heritage and The Victorian Society, that are given to exceptional pubs in the UK that have been newly built/converted or have recently undergone building/conservation...
, which are held in association with English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
and The Victorian Society
The Victorian Society
The Victorian Society is the national charity responsible for the study and protection of Victorian and Edwardian architecture and other arts in Britain....
. These comprise several categories, including new build, refurbished, and converted pubs. The best known CAMRA award is the Champion Beer of Britain
Champion Beer of Britain
The Champion Beer of Britain is an award presented by the Campaign for Real Ale , at their annual Great British Beer Festival in early August. Beers can qualify in three ways:...
, which is selected at the Great British Beer Festival
Great British Beer Festival
The Great British Beer Festival is a yearly beer festival organised by the Campaign for Real Ale . It presents a selection of cask ales and other alcoholic drinks from the UK and beyond. The festival is also home to the Champion Beer of Britain awards...
, other awards include the Champion Beer of Scotland
Champion Beer of Scotland
The Champion Beer of Scotland is an award for Scottish beers presented by the Campaign for Real Ale , at their annual Scottish Traditional Beer Festival in Edinburgh....
and the Champion Beer of Wales
Champion Beer of Wales
The Champion Beer of Wales is a beer award presented annually by the Campaign for Real Ale at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival in Cardiff, Wales....
.
National Beer Scoring Scheme
CAMRA developed the "National Beer Scoring Scheme" (NBSS) as an easy to use scheme for judging beer quality in pubs, to assist CAMRA branches in selecting pubs for the Good Beer Guide. The person filling in the form records their name, date, the pub, the beer and the score.The scores range from 0, which signifies the beer is in such poor condition it cannot be drunk; through 2, which signifies an average beer that is drunk without calling attention to itself in either a positive or negative manner; up to 5, which signifies a perfect beer.
Pub heritage group
The "CAMRA Pub Heritage Group" is a group established to identify, record and help protect public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
interiors of historic and/or architectural importance, and seeks to get them listed, if not already.
The group maintains two inventories of "Heritage pubs", the National Inventory (NI), which contains only those pubs that have been maintained in their original condition (or have been modified very little) for at least 30 years, but usually since at least World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The second, larger inventory is the Regional Inventory (RI), which is broken down by county
Counties of the United Kingdom
The counties of the United Kingdom are subnational divisions of the United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. By the Middle Ages counties had become established as a unit of local government, at least in England. By the early 17th century all...
and contains both those pubs listed in the NI and other pubs that are not eligible for the NI, due to reasons such as having been overly modified, but are still considered historically important, or have particular architectural value.
The NI contains 289 pubs .
LocAle
With the main aims in mind, the group launched the LocAle scheme in 2007 which was developed by Steve Westby of the NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
branch to help promote locally brewed beers and also help with environmental issues. The scheme functions slightly differently in each area, and is managed by each branch, but the overall rule is that each participating pub is allowed to purchase beer from whatever brewery they wish, but if it the beer is to be promoted as a 'LocAle' it must come from a brewery within a predetermined number of miles (which is set by each CAMRA branch, but generally is around 20 or 25 miles, although, the North London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
branch has set it at 30 miles) from brewery to pub door, even if it comes from a distribution centre further away, in addition, each participating pub must keep at least one LocAle for sale at all times.
See also
- Society of Independent BrewersSociety of Independent BrewersThe Society of Independent Brewers was founded in 1980 under the title The Small Independent Brewers Association to represent the interests of the growing numbers of independent brewing companies in the United Kingdom...
- Independent Family Brewers of BritainIndependent Family Brewers of BritainThe Independent Family Brewers of Britain was formed in the 1990s by an informal group of family-owned/controlled brewery CEOs known as the Pimlico Group - all of whom were part of the UK's Brewers Society, now the British Beer and Pub Association.It was intended to act against European Commission...