CAMRA Press Release

For Immediate Release - 29th October 2009

Winchester Pubs feature in the new 2010 Good Beer Guide and win 'LocAle' Accreditation

The first Winchester pubs have achieved national 'LocAle' accreditation for making local real ale always available to customers, the quality of their beer and pubs were also recognised with their entries in the newly-published 2010 Good Beer Guide.

The Southern Hampshire Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) have awarded the 'Locale' accreditation to three Winchester pubs in recognition of their commitment to stocking locally brewed beers, the same pubs are also featured in the new 2010 Good Beer Guide edited by Roger Protz.

Added to the Winchester pubs now accredited include; The Bugle Inn, Twyford, The Fulflood Arms, Fulflood and The Old Vine in The Square. The CAMRA LocAle scheme helps promote pubs that sell locally-brewed real ale, reducing the number of 'beer miles' travelled and at the same time supports local breweries. It's a new initiative that builds on a growing consumer demand for quality local produce and an increased awareness of 'green' issues. For further information on LocAle accredited pubs in the area please see the CAMRA South Hampshire Branch website https://www.shantscamra.org.uk/campaigns/locale/

Hampshire now has eleven regional and micro breweries, two of which have opened in the last twelve months. The real ale industry is maintaining its rapid growth nationally, with more breweries in operation than at any time since the Second World War. CAMRA has found that 71 new breweries have started production in the UK in the last 12 months, taking the total to 711 Real Ale breweries nationwide!

Ashton Gray (Proprietor) of The Old Vine in Winchester said, We always have at least one local beer producer represented as it reduces food miles, transportation costs and benefits the environment and of course we're also supporting local businesses. The customer gets fantastic local beer made (and looked after) with real passion and care, whether local or visiting from afar. We tend to take beer from Bowman's (Droxford), The FlowerPots Brewery (Cheriton) and Itchen Valley (New Alresford), so come and pay us a visit!

CAMRA's Southern Hampshire Branch Press & Publicity Officer, David Mackie said, It's great that these three top quality Winchester pubs are being recognised for providing some great real ale and are supporting our excellent local breweries. The beer miles to glass are reduced and the art of craft brewing gets a big thumbs up.

Notes to editors

Our definition of local for the purposes of the scheme is a straight line distance of 25 miles from brewery to a pub stocking that brewery's beer. If the pub falls within this distance and stocks at least one local beer at all times then it is eligible for inclusion in the LocAle scheme. In practice over thirty breweries in Southern Hampshire and surrounding areas could be considered as local to some pubs within the branch area.

CAMRA campaigns for real ale, real pubs and consumer rights. We are an independent, voluntary organisation with over 100,000 members and have been described as the most successful consumer group in Europe. CAMRA promotes good-quality real ale and pubs, as well as acting as the consumer's champion in relation to the UK and European beer and drinks industry. We aim to:

• Protect and improve consumer rights
• Promote quality, choice and value for money
• Support the public house as a focus of community life
• Campaign for greater appreciation of traditional beers, ciders and perries as part of our national heritage and culture
• Seek improvements in all licensed premises and throughout the brewing industry

Resources

The photos listed below are of The Old Vine in The Square, central Winchester. Other potentially useful resources are also listed. All these are available upon request to press@shantscamra.org.uk:

• Old Vine (front view) - JPEG 2864 x 3920px (1592kB)
• Old Vine (sign view) - JPEG 2912 x 4368px (1620kB)
• LocAle Logo - JPEG 1346 x 550px (306kB)
• LocAle Pub Window Sticker - PDF (51kB)
• LocAle Pump Topper - PDF (37kB)
• LocAle Leaflet - PDF (364kB)
• LocAle A4 Poster - PDF (156kB)

For Further Information

David Mackie
Press & Publicity Officer
CAMRA Southern Hampshire Branch
023 8061 1998 / 07905 315614 / david.mackie@shantscamra.org.uk.