CAMRA NI calls for more choice at the pumps

CAMRA NI calls for more choice at the pumps

As many pubs in Northern Ireland re-open this morning (July 3) after the coronavirus lockdown, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has renewed its call for all bars here to be able to stock and sell beer and cider from small, independent producers.

Launching its ‘Cheers for Choice’ campaign this week, the organisation said that such a concession would help the trade and the producers to recover from losses incurred during the enforced closure.

As pubs prepared to re-open earlier this week, CAMRA NI’s members were signing petitions aimed at the big global brewers Molson Coors, C&C and Diageo, urging company bosses to allow all pubs to stock local brews.

CAMRA says that NI’s small local producers can’t sell their products in most local pubs because of agreements that are in place with the large multinational companies that outlaw the sale of local beers.

The campaign hopes that the big beer and pub companies will relax their rules as pubs reopen following the coronavirus lockdown, so that all parts of the industry can pull together and support each other.

A recent survey of 21,000 beer drinkers and pub goers across the UK carried out by CAMRA found that 68 per cent of people are less likely to go to a pub if it isn’t selling local and independent beer and cider.

Commenting, CAMRA’s NI chair, Ruth Sloan said that relaxing these restrictions was the right thing to do:

‘Allowing small and independent brewers and cider producers to sell into all pubs will also improve consumer choice and allow pub goers to support local brewing businesses,’ said Ruth. ‘If pubs reopen and are still only offering a small range of beers from the biggest, multinational companies then we’ll be missing a huge opportunity to let people explore more of our fantastic locally-produced beer and cider.’