For years the caricature of a typical member has been a bearded, slightly rotund middle-aged man but CAMRA is hoping to broaden its appeal and is asking members about their sexual orientation, ethnicity and whether they think the group is diverse enough.

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“Pubs and breweries who have already been decimated by months of restrictions and closures were looking for some light at the end of the tunnel have only been met with more devastating news about the new year.

“The Executive must urgently increase its financial support packages to make sure that pubs can survive this new year lockdown without risking scores of businesses going bust. Our local breweries and cider producers who can’t get their products into pubs and restaurants will also need financial compensation and support too.

“When planning for the next steps after the lockdown, ministers must recognise that local pubs are a force for good, bringing communities together and playing a key role in tackling loneliness and social isolation – as well as for jobs and the economy. Allowing a limited number of people to socialise safely in COVID-secure pubs is vital not just for businesses – but also for our communities and to people’s mental wellbeing.”

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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.’

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During a meeting in Belfast on Monday (January 27), 11 local brewers discussed the formation of a new campaign group capable of making their case.

The campaign currently has the support of manufacturers such as Boundary Brewery, Farmageddon Brewery, Hilden Brewery, Hillstown Brewery, Mourne Mountains Brewery ad Whitewater Brewery.

The group has the backing of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), which represents around 750 small, independent brewers in the UK, and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) which represents nearly 200,000 members across the country.

Unlike brewers in England and Wales, NI brewers are prevented from opening their own tap rooms or brewery shops and they are not allowed to sell beer at events or online directly to the public. A similar situation existed in the Republic of Ireland until last year, when the Dail repealed colonial era laws, giving independent brewers in the Republic those freedoms their northern counterparts are now demanding.

Tom Ray, head brewer at the Mourne Mountain Brewery, points out that until 2010, there were only two small independent breweries in Northern Ireland, now there are more than 30:

‘We would like to see the law updated to reflect the change, to allow us the same opportunities as other small brewers in the UK, to grow our businesses and create jobs and to remove the barriers that put us at a disadvantage in our own market,’ he added.

CAMRA’s NI chair, Ruth Sloan believes that the current legislation is a barrier to the growth of small breweries and tourism in Northern Ireland:

‘It means that beer drinkers, including many CAMRA members, can’t enjoy a local real ale at the brewery or order them online,’ she added. ‘We support brewers in Northern Ireland and would like to see changes to the law.’

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The group will be arguing that local licensing laws need updating so that more local beers can be sold in pubs here.

Changes are also required in order to allow brewers to sell their products on their own premises in ‘taproom style’ settings, as well as at local events and markets.

CAMRA says too, that craft brewing businesses in Northern Ireland must be able to compete on equal terms with their competitors in the rest of the UK.

Speaking recently, Ruth Sloan, chairperson of CAMRA NI, said:

‘We will continue to campaign for local real ales to be served in more pubs across NI – especially outside the greater Belfast area – and are working with MLAs to get changes to licensing laws in a restored Assembly so that local breweries can expand their businesses, serve local beers in more pubs and open taprooms on their own premises.’

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