Influencing Pubs to stock more than just Bland National Brands

Do you get really disappointed, when on entering a new pub or even your local that you thought was going to have some interesting real ale on, that it is only selling National Brand beers?

What can you do about it?

If the pub is a part of a chain then you can lobby the manager/owner and ask them to stock something a bit more exciting. Many of the pub chains are restricted to what they can offer by their corporate rules and regulations but you can ask the manager, if they are willing, to let you view the list of real ales that they can order from. If they do let you see it then you may be able to request that they order something decent. These will be, in the main, real ales from their national stable but may include real ales from other independent brewers.

National pub companies can stock other real ales by using a third party vehicle. As an example, The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) formed a company which acts as just that vehicle, named BeerFlex (formerly Direct Delivery Scheme).

BeerFlex currently buys over 3,500 draught and bottled beers from around 500 participating SIBA brewers and sells them on to 17 national pub companies and off-trade retailers.

Without such a vehicle, independent brewers would find it extremely difficult to trade with the nationals.

Examples of some of the companies BeerFlex work within the Liverpool & Districts branch are: Punch Taverns, EI Group, Admiral Taverns, Greene King and Star Pubs & Bars (Heinekan).

You do not have to be a national pub company to use BeerFlex-any pub can as long as you are a member of SIBA

There are a whole host of other wholesalers in the region who can supply real ale using this format.

There is another way to encourage pubs to stock something decent and that is to get them to sign up to the CAMRA LocAle accreditation scheme. The pub can then advertise their support by posting the window sticker in their pub. By local we mean brewed within 30 miles of the pub or club by road distance.

Some of the benefits of stocking locally produced real ale in local pubs include:

• Pubs can attract more visitors through their doors, including tourists.
• Consumers can enjoy greater beer choice and diversity.
• Local brewers are supported with increased sales.
• Local economy is supported as more money is generated and spent locally.
• Fewer “beer miles” means less impact on the environmental.

Breweries that may be considered as acceptable to being classified as falling within the criteria of the Liverpool & Districts Branch Pubs area are:

Liverpool & Districts Branch

Liverpool and Districts CAMRA Branch have agreed that a LocAle Beer is a Real Ale Brewed Within 30 miles from your pub to the LocAle brewery and that the real ale must have a local identity, therefore we would not expect real ale that is associated with London to be LocAle in Liverpool, even if its contract brewed locally.

Pubs should undertake an eligibility check by entering their pub postcode into a route map (i.e. Google, AA or RAC) to measure distance from their pub to proposed brewery to ensure it falls within the 30 miles criteria.

Don’t forget that some breweries now offer real ale in Pins (4.5 gallons, 36 pints) which will allow pubs to stock something a bit different without going to the expense of purchasing a Firkin (9 gallons, 72 pints) or even a Kilderkin (18 gallons, 144 pints).

More infomation on our locAle page

Graham Murray February 2020