LocAle

CAMRA’s LocAle initiative promotes pubs stocking locally brewed real ale in order to reduce the number of ‘beer miles’ from brewery to pub cellar in response to growing consumer demand for quality local produce.

Launched in 2007 by CAMRA’s Nottingham branch, CAMRA branches around the country now award accreditation to pubs that regularly stock at least one real ale. The pub can then advertise their participation by posting the window sticker in their pubs.

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

• Pubs can attract more visitors through their doors, including tourists seeking out distinctive local products.
• Consumers can enjoy greater beer choice and diversity.
• Brewers are supported with increased sales, creating more local jobs.
• More money is generated and spent locally, increasing the resilience of the local economy.

We give a guideline definition of ‘local’ as a brewery within a 30 mile radius of the pub, but CAMRA branches can choose what distance they use. After all, local means something very different in central London, than in the Scottish highlands!

Finding a LocAle pub near you

Pubs which have been given LocAle status by their local CAMRA branch can display the LocAle sticker on their windows or doors. The stickers are dated with the year of the accreditation, and there should be LocAle pump clip crowners to show the beers which are brewed locally.

Many branches also list the pubs that have LocAle accreditation on their websites and in their local newsletter.

Find a pub

Reducing ‘beer miles’

Local beer doesn’t just benefit pubs, brewers, and consumers, it’s good for the planet too!

Casks are reusable up to 200 times and can remain in the supply chain for as long as 30 years.

• The entire process from grain to glass creates very little waste with most components being reused or recycled.
• Shorter supply chains are more responsive, so there’s less chance of waste, and you can be confident that your local will always have fresh beer in the cellar.