Guest Beer Rights
The vast majority of pubs in the UK are tied to either a pub company or a brewer. This means they are often unable to stock beers from brewers of their choice. A guest beer right would allow these pubs the choice of stocking one cask conditioned beer of their choice. This would have two huge advantages:
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Increasing consumer choice. Allowing pubs to stock one beer of their choice will help them attract new customers by allowing them to stock an appealing guest beer.
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Supporting small brewers. The biggest hurdle facing Britain’s small brewers is access to market. A guest beer right would transform the fortunes of small brewers by enabling all of Britain’s 60,000 pubs to sell one beer from a small brewer.
Research commissioned by CAMRA shows clear consumer demand for locally brewed beer. 55% of people indicated that they would like to see at least one locally brewed beer in every pub. In addition 31% of all adults who visit pubs would buy a locally brewed beer in a pub over non- locally brewed beer.
A guest beer right was introduced in 1989 and was initially very successful in delivering greater beer choice for consumers. The old guest beer right however only applied to tenants of brewer that owned more than 2000 pubs, and by the millennium only a few hundred pubs continued to benefit from the guest beer right. In 2002 the Government removed the guest beer legislation.
CAMRA is now campaigning for a new guest beer right which applies to tenants and managers of pub companies as well as brewers.
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