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What is CAMRA?
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CAMRA is an independent, voluntary, consumer organisation. Membership is open
to all individuals, but corporate entities such as breweries and pubs are not
members. CAMRA is governed by a voluntary unpaid national executive, elected by
the membership. There is a small professional staff of fourteen responsible for
central campaigning, research, administration of membership, sales and so
forth.
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How is CAMRA Financed?
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CAMRA is financed through membership subscriptions, sales of products such as
books and sweatshirts, and from the proceeds of beer festivals. We receive no
funding from the brewing industry other than a limited amount of advertising in
our monthly newspaper "What's Brewing". We are a not for profit company limited
by members guarantee and our accounts are lodged annually with Companies House.
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CAMRA's Objectives
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CAMRA's mission is to act as champion of the consumer in relation to the UK
and European beer and drinks industry. It aims to:
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Maintain consumer rights
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Promote quality, choice and value for money
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Support the public house as a focus of community life
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Campaign for greater appreciation of traditional beers, ciders and perries as
part of national heritage and culture
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Seek improvements in all licensed premises and throughout the brewing
industry
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CAMRA also seeks to promote real cider and perry through a sub-organisation
called APPLE. Like ale, these are traditional British drinks and like ale, the
traditional product is very different from the 'dead' version.
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Campaigning
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While CAMRA is a single industry group, it has a very wide area of
campaigning interests. At present campaigns we are actively pursuing include the
following:
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Improved competition and choice in the brewing industry
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Preserving the British pub and defending licensees from eviction by pub
owners
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Seeking a fairer tax system for smaller brewers
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Seeking fuller information about the beer we drink, such as ingredients
labelling
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A fundamental reform of licensing law (for example, all day Sunday opening if
the licensee wishes)
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Fighting take-overs and mergers
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Encouraging higher standards of pub design
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Encouraging brewers to produce a wide range of beer styles such as porter,
mild and stout, in addition to their bitters
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CAMRA Success
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CAMRA saved real ale, it is no exaggeration to say, and as a result saved
many independent breweries. No new ale breweries were set up in the UK for the
fifty years before we were founded. There are now around 300 new brewers
producing real ale, part of a massive real ale revival.
Our membership has increased by 25,000 since 1997 to 75,000 in 2005. The two
growth areas in the beer market are for premium lagers and real ales, as we see
a more discerning drinker.
We have defeated several brewery take-overs. We were successful in seeing
more liberal licensing laws introduced in England, Scotland and Wales. We got
the brewers to declare the strengths of their beers, and are close to success in
seeing listing of beer ingredients. We campaign against the closure of local
pubs or their destruction through refurbishment. For many years we have sought
fundamental change in the industry to protect consumer choice. The introduction
of a guest real ale in pubs of the national brewers is a victory for fifteen
years of campaigning.
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How does CAMRA campaign?
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We produce a hard-hitting newspaper, "What's Brewing", which goes free to our
members, the brewery trade and the media. It plays a major role in informing
beer drinkers and putting across our views.
The aim is not just to be critical. Through numerous books, guides, awards
and presentations, we praise good practice and encourage high standards, whether
in brewing, pub cellarmanship, pub design or simply running a good pub. The
Great British Beer Festival, The Good Beer Guide, the Champion Beer of Britain
Awards and the Pub of the Year are all national in our scope, but our 180 local
branches run local festivals and awards, and produce their own local guides.
It is important to realise that CAMRA is a decentralised organisation, and
most of its work is done by volunteers at local level, reinforcing national
drives.
We campaign against brewery take-overs because they lead to brewery closures,
loss of established beers, higher prices and reduced choice. Such campaigns are
a good example of the way we go about things. Lively and sometimes controversial
campaigns are mounted at local level, with backup from headquarters. MPs,
councillors, trade unions, licensees and workers might be involved. Tactics we
have used include petitions, threatened boycotts, publicity stunts, marches,
laying wreaths outside closed breweries and so forth.
Nationally we will make submissions to the shareholders, and to regulatory
authorities such as the Office of Fair Trading and the Monopoly and Mergers
Commission, and, for very large mergers, the European Commission.
Regular local beer festivals play a major role not just as fund raisers but
also to keep people informed about CAMRA's work, and the vast range of beers
that are still available. This continuous background work has doubtless helped
change attitudes towards real ale.
Nationally, the 1989 MMC investigation represents the culmination of years of
CAMRA lobbying, on the higher prices charged by the big brewers, on local
monopolies and the abuses of power they produce, on pub closures and on a host
of restrictive practices. CAMRA has been putting the consumer case forward
before, during and after the enquiry, at the highest levels of government.
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CAMRA In Europe
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CAMRA also lobbies at European level - the Commissions competition division
is always interested in the tied house system, reform of the UK excise duty
system will require EC approval, European legislation affects ingredients,
labelling and other such issues.
CAMRA is a founder member of the European Beer Consumers Union (EBCU) which
brings together independent voluntary consumer groups from the UK, Austria,
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Sweden and Switzerland to lobby for drinkers interests at a European level.
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Any Other Questions.
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Please don't hesitate to get in touch.
CAMRA - The Campaign for Real Ale Website
230 Hatfield Road,
St. Albans,
Herts
AL1 4LW
tel +44 (0) 1727
867201
fax +44 (0) 1727 867670
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