Who's looking after your beer?

• CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale)
• Cask Marque
• Beautiful Beer Awards
• BII (formerly the British Institute of Innkeeping)

CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale)

In common with all the best ideas CAMRA was conceived in a pub. Not a British pub though, but an Irish one. Four young men were on holiday there and whilst lamenting the awful state of British beer decided to form the Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale, which was only slightly less catchy than the CAMRA we all know and love. That was in 1971.

The ‘fab four’s dissatisfaction was shared by many and their campaign soon gathered support. Not all brewers had abandoned real (or cask conditioned) ale and they are now reaping the benefit, as real ale is the only growth area of the beer market. CAMRA’s success is legendary and it saved a piece of Britain’s heritage from extinction.

Since those early days, CAMRA has widened its campaign to help cider producers, lobby for a Full Pint and fight relentless tax rises on beer. It has turned its attention to the plight of traditional pubs, drawing up an inventory of pub interiors of historic interest and has been instrumental in gaining ‘listed building’ status for some pubs under threat. Now of course it is campaigning to save the pub from extinction. CAMRA now has over 100,000 members and is the most successful consumer group in Europe.

Join CAMRA here

Cask Marque

The Cask Marque Trust is an independent body set up to promote pubs that sell cask (real) ales. It is a limited, non-profit making company who’s corporate members include the likes of brewers such Adnams, Carlsberg and Greene King; pubco’s such as Mitchells & Butlers, The Capital Pub Company and Wetherspoon; and industry service companies such as Brulines.

Pubs apply to join the scheme and are assessed for their ability to keep the ‘perfect’ pint. An assessor visits the pub unannounced, checks the temperature, appearance, aroma and taste. If successful the pub is awarded Cask Marque Accreditation and can display the plaque (above). Once the pub has been awarded it is then spot checked twice a year to ensure standards. Pubs on this site that have achieved the Cask Marque standard display the logo above.

www.cask-marque.co.uk

Cask Marque Trust
Seedbed Centre
Severalls Park
Colchester
CO4 9HT
01206 752212

Beautiful Beer Award

The British Beer & Pub Association (BPPA) created the Beautiful Beer Campaign to encourage consumers to choose beer as their tipple, be it bottled or draught. Pubs, bars and even restaurants can receive the Beautiful Beer Award by offering customers excellence in both quality and knowledge of their products.

As well as the regular award, two higher awards can be achieved; the Gold Award which assesses both cellar and bar standards and Platinum which covers a larger range of beers and requires staff knowledge, beer menus, beer matching with food, ‘providing the ultimate customer experience’.

Beautiful Beer website

British Beer & Pub Association
Market Towers
1 Nine Elms Lane
London
SW8 5NQ

BII (formerly the British Institute of Innkeeping)

The BII is a plc and a registered charity committed to be ‘the defining professional body delivering consistently high standards, employment practice, and social responsibility within the licensed retail sector’.

There are different membership grades depending on experience and qualifications. The BII offers training and qualifications to members in all fields and levels of pub retailing, from part-time bar staff to graduates, as well as help and advice to established proffessionals.

BII Website

BII
Wessex House,
80 Park St.,
Camberley,
Surrey,
GU15 3PT
Tel: 01276 684449
Fax: 01276 23045