LocAle - an introduction
When members of Nottingham CAMRA were confronted with the closure of Hardy & Hanson Brewery by Greene King in 2006, they came up with an idea to support their remaining local breweries and LocAle was born. It is now a national campaign and branches across the country are putting their own versions of the scheme into place.
LocAle is simple; CAMRA members encourage licensees to stock at least one locally brewed real ale at all times. If the licensee meets the branch criteria then the pub is accredited as member of the LocAle scheme. To qualify in the Keighley & Craven branch area the licensee must stock a beer that is brewed within about 25 miles of their pub and meets CAMRA criteria classifying it as real ale. A quick check on distance can be made by putting pub and brewery postcodes into an online mapping tool or satnav and seeing if they are less than 25 miles apart.
The pub is then listed as a LocAle establishment on this website and in our newsletter, Alesman. There are separate lists for our West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire areas. The licensee receives promotional material so that customers will know that local breweries are being supported. As long as the pub permanently stocks local real ale as defined by the branch and sells it in good condition, it will remain listed and promoted by the branch.
As well as encouraging support for local businesses, LocAle promotes low transport mileage or less “Beer Miles”. Many national brands travel hundreds of miles around the country before arriving at their destination. This not only wastes fuel, time and money but is counterproductive in the quest for a sustainable environment.
Help local CAMRA members support the breweries in and around the branch area, encourage the licensee in your local pub to stock real ale from local breweries.
If you would like more information on the LocAle scheme, visit the LocAle page of the CAMRA national website or contact the branch chair via the contact page on this site.
Happy local drinking!
Colleen Holiday
The photos are of Locale pubs the Lion at Settle (top) and the Lord Rodney Bar & Kitchen, Keighley (bottom), both featured in the LocAle Spotlight article in the Alesman winter 2014 edition.