The Brown Stuff: Pubs Hit Again!

I was talking with Matt Clark at The Longbow in Stapleford and we considered the possibility that the brewers and pub companies have basically been profiteering from the budget. Matt reckoned the increase in a firkin of beer has been on average £5.00, which is around 8p per pint, though he did make the point that many of the micro breweries had not put their prices up, and had indeed swallowed the government's increases. The Chancellor increased the duty by 1p a pint thus the breweries and pubcos have just grabbed another 7p a pint. This is really outrageous and definitely biting the hand that feeds them. I have not heard of a single brewer retrospectively reducing the cost of their beer!

Rent, rates, the ridiculous extra fees being brought in by the change in the licensing laws and the general trend of home drinking is yet again putting our favourite pastime of going to the pub in jeopardy. It's amazing that the breweries and pubcos are so short-sighted at seeing the self-inflicted damage they are in danger of causing. It has to be admitted that the smaller breweries are selling their beer in bottles as well as on draught, and you will find real ale in a bottle at a number of farmers markets dotted around our region. However, compared with the cut-price deals done by the big brewers with the supermarkets, the amount sold is just a drop in the ocean. The great danger is of killing the golden goose that lays the golden egg - brewers beware!

Matt also pointed out another interesting point that made Mr Brown's eyebrows shoot over his head. We are rightly proud of all the sterling work CAMRA has done over the years, but it has to be said that sometimes we get it wrong. The main reason for CAMRA being formed was to protect our heritage of cask-conditioned beer. The battle was won and the dreaded Watney-Mann and the like were vanquished for ever. The various goals set out since have been to protect our pint and our pubs. Matt showed me a copy of CAMRA's Beer from last April and it contains adverts from certain brewers stating that their "classic strong ales" are being sold exclusively by a certain supermarket. Now whilst it has to be commended that supermarkets are realising the importance of real ale and giving their customers what they want, it is not doing the pub any favours. Basically they are the enemy of the pub, and is CAMRA doing a disservice to the trade by accepting the pieces of eight by promoting an advert for the predator?