The Campaign for Real Ale is urging all beer-lovers and pub-goers to join it to be a part of the post-lockdown recovery efforts to save British pubs.
CAMRA, which has been fighting for pubs, great beer and consumer choice for nearly 50 years, warns that the COVID-19 crisis has been an unprecedented blow for pubs which many may not recover from.
It’s asking anyone who supports Britain’s pubs to join CAMRA so that they can add their voice to its campaigning efforts, as it turns its attention to securing a package of investment and reforms to ensure the long-term survival for Britain’s pubs. This includes introducing a lower level of tax on beer sold on tap, to encourage people back to pubs, and campaigning for pub companies to commit to properly supporting their tenants and giving greater consumer choice in their pubs.
CAMRA has been at the forefront of the campaign to support pubs since they were forced to close on 20 March. It launched the Pulling Together campaign, with the support of SIBA and Crowdfunder, to list thousands of pubs, brewers and cider producers offering takeaway and delivery services and encourage pub-goers to buy locally during the period of closures.
It also introduced the non-profit beer ordering app Brew2You, which allows beer-lovers to order their favourite drink right to their door in one click, generating £50K in sales in a few short weeks. CAMRA also opened the doors to its virtual pub, the Red (On)Lion, which has hosted regular tastings and to keep people connected to the industry.
CAMRA’s National Chairman, Nik Antona (pictured) said, “While we’re delighted that many pubs across England were able to reopen this weekend, they’re certainly not out of the woods yet. It’s going to take a lot of work to help these businesses recover from 106 days of forced closure, especially as they now had to take on additional costs to reopen at reduced capacity. Some pubs, such as street-corner locals and micropubs, won’t be able to reopen at all with the current restrictions.
“That’s why it’s now more important than ever before to become a CAMRA member. CAMRA has campaigned for just under 50 years to support the beer and pubs trade – without CAMRA, our pubs would look completely different to how they look today. To campaign effectively and ensure that Government listen to us, we need as many people behind us as possible. Membership can make a real difference to the long-term survival and viability of our nation’s pubs. CAMRA membership counts! ”
To join the Campaign, visit join.camra.org.uk and sign up – membership is just £26.50/year.
