Camra,,, wtf?

[Druncan]

So we have joined CAMRA. Dithered for ages, but �£30 for both of us 1.15 years membership with loads of 50p spoons discount vouchers its looking good, But,,,,

We are a Restaurant, sell Real ales, (Fyne ales Avalanche on Cask) + local bottles. We have a HMRC Brewery selling keg beers and ciders.

We cannot get in the CAMRA good beer guide aswe are not a 'PUB' a pub is;

Definition of a Pub
‘The licensed premises must be open to and welcome the public without requiring membership or
residency, allow free entry (1), serve at least one draught beer or cider (2), allow drinking without requiring
food to be consumed, have at least one indoor area not laid out for meals, and permit drinks to be
purchased in person at a bar (3), without relying on table service.’
(1) Except when entertainment is provided on limited occasions
(2) Includes cask or keg beer or cider. References to 'cider' should be read as 'cider and perry'
(3) Includes also a hatch or specific service point


Is it me, or should CAMRA be trying to get places other than 'pubs' into their schemes? We'r a bit gutted we will be left out,,,, :-(

At least I have my Spoons vouchers,:thumb:

 

[Sadfield]

If it helps, as a potential customer I don't care whether you have CAMRA endorsement or not. All rather hypocritical that an organisation that requires membership, states 'welcome the public without requiring membership' to get into their guide, but then hypocrisy is rife in CAMRA.

 

[GlentoranMark]

I'm not a member of Camra but shouldn't your gripe be elsewhere?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

It now is :wink:

 

[hoptoit]

If you did cask you would be able to get in the brewery part.

 

[Dads_Ale]

You do not have to be a member to get in the Good Beer Guide.

 

[Druncan]

I'm not a member of Camra but shouldn't your gripe be elsewhere?

Aye m8, registered on the forum and currently reviewing the cluttered board for some sense.

I was however hoping to get some insight from the wealth of knowledgeable brewers and drinkers on this forum. That is why it is here.

So thank's for stating the bleedin obvious

(Is that's me banned for being cheeky?)


Nice one Chippy!!! :lol:

 

[aamcle]

they should give up get real and become useful.

GAGB campaign for good beer


aamcle

 

[GlentoranMark]

Aye m8, registered on the forum and currently reviewing the cluttered board for some sense.

I was however hoping to get some insight from the wealth knowledgeable brewers and drinkers on this forum. That is why it is here.

So thank's for stating the bleedin obvious

(Is that's me banned for being cheeky?)

I know you have a gripe but shouldn't your gripe be directed at a CAMRA forum or CAMRA members?

There is a loose attenuation for CAMRA on these forums but it seems more for publicity than any solution.

I don't think here is a place for a solution.

Good luck in your quest however.

 

[Dads_Ale]

they should give up get real and become useful.

GAGB campaign for good beer


aamcle

Define good beer....

Oh and what does the first G stand for?

 

[Druncan]

Is GAGB not something to do with pubs near geocaching sites?

Thanks all for the feedback! i will be mainly digging further next,,,

 

[DoctorMick]

I like the Good Beer Guide, if they start putting restaurants in it I wouldn't be buying it again as I use it to find solid pubs in areas I don't know.

You should definitely try and get in the brewery section tho, don't see why you wouldn't be able to.

 

[The Idiot]

Last time I visited a pub from the GBG the bloke who ran it was okay. We chatted about some of the local beers and I was working my way through them. I skipped one on the basis that I'd had it before, albeit in bottles. He suddenly became quite rude and told me in no uncertain terms that bottled beer wasn't the CAMRA way.

In response, I pointed out that 99 per cent of the drinkers - on whom he was reliant for his business - were downing pints of mass produced fizzy lager and they weren't been talked down to. He picked up my pint, went to the till, took out the price of it, tossed it on the bar and asked me leave!

Personally I think a restaurant with a good beer selection should be listed, but then again I wouldn't buy the GBG because CAMRA is a blinkered and snobbish institution which has nothing in common with most educated beer drinkers!

 

[Druncan]

I wouldn't buy the GBG because CAMRA is a blinkered and snobbish institution which has nothing in common with most educated beer drinkers!

Sadly I suspect you may be right. Times have moved on from when bland keg fizz was all you could get. The surviving real ale pubs were like an oasis in a desert. I still love our old local, a perfect friendly real ale pub (The Tap and Spile in Framwellgate Moor Durham) but times have changed.

It almost feels like CAMRA won the war, but don't realise it. Real ale has a new sibling that can have as much flavour and enjoyment and it's delivered from a keg,,,,, CAMRA just seem to be in denial like the Luddites of old.

The things I have learned from this forum have opened the door on a brave new world. I love the opportunity it gives us. I am even not so twitchy about customers asking why I keg rather than use cask.

The CAMRA forum even seems to have more in-fighting than this one!

 

[peebee]

Another CAMRA bashing thread! We do get them at quite boring regularity.

CAMRA do realise they "won the war", one result being the almost unmanageable "Good Beer Guide". The last thing that's wanted is to bloat it some more with restaurants selling "Real Ale" too. They also realise they are long overdue a change in emphasis so look to be "defenders" of traditional pubs which are in serious decline. Again, pubs, not restaurants.

The home-brewing community often get excited by the seeming lack of face to CAMRA, mainly due to CAMRA snubbing their heroes "Brewdog" about a decade ago. "Brewdog" make very palatable beer, easily scaled to home-brew procedures (like New World "craft" brewing). But it isn't "Real Ale". I don't see why that's an issue. And "Brewdog's" recent wrangling to comply with CAMRA rules, I just do not understand: Who does it benefit, certainly not the drinker.

Stop bashing CAMRA, better, stop brewing your own beer and get down your local pub to support it!

 

[Druncan]

The purpose of this thread was not to "Bash" CAMRA but to understand the system and see how we can possibly fit in with it. The title was just a headline to get some response. It worked:grin: The helpful info we have had appears to confirm that we cannot be a 'pub' but can fit the 'Brewery' category. We did not realise this existed. It's something we will pursue.
I wasn't aware of the Brewdog *itching, cheers. More useful info, will check this out, thanks.

My local 'pub' sells my beer m8:thumb:

 

[peebee]

The purpose of this thread was not to "Bash" CAMRA ...

And my post wasn't targeted specifically at you (fortunately, as it seems my last comment doesn't really fit you!). This sort of thread starts dragging in allsorts until it descends into an out-and-out bun fight. It was starting to happen, perhaps it will continue to?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Another CAMRA bashing thread! We do get them at quite boring regularity.

Could i ask what you call regularly as i read most threads and cannot remember thinking here we go again, i realise you have been here 4 years next month so maybe it was discussed more regularly years ago.

.

 

[peebee]

Could i ask what you call regularly as i read most threads and cannot remember thinking here we go again, i realise you have been here 4 years next month so maybe it was discussed more regularly years ago.

That puts me on the spot!

I couldn't give an example thread on this site, but you must know little snipes will get exchanged on the subject. Not as voracious as "other" sites, particularly one where I got my thread locked because of this and within a week of joining that forum. Which is why I take the stance I do. (The main protagonist in that locked thread was a rather well known home-brewing author. He would find it bemusing that I defend CAMRA here.).

If I dig up some examples I'll drop you a PM. It may be that my idea of "regularly" is a cumulative memory of several sites that doesn't actually include this one? ('Cos you do a grand job!).

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Whenever i see CAMRA i always think boring beer snobs i do not make beer so wonder where i got that impression. :wink:

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