BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:47 Page 1 F p le a R Beer Around ’Ere se ta E k e E o n bae e Issue 164 | April - May 2012 LETTER B AWARD PRESENTATION Also inside Spring Beer Festival Guide: Your guide to local pub beer festivals Peterborough & District Branch of CAMRA | www.peterborough-camra.org.uk BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:47 Page 2 BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:47 Page 3 Chairman’s Corner | 3 Chairman’s Corner ello again folks. This is the time of year CAMRA we also organise events and social that I dread, especially due to one meetings throughout the year. We have decided H major factor, which seems to be that non-members of CAMRA would be most beyond our control. By the time this edition of welcome on these outings providing there are BAE is in the pubs, us discerning drinkers will enough seats left. (CAMRA members would get have been told of the latest price hike on our first choice). See our diary dates or our website pints, due to yet another increase in tax on for details. We already have three pubs nomi - alcohol. With an increase of at least 10p a pint nated for a Gold Award. expected, unless the chancellor reverses the long term policy of increasing beer tax by two per In the last issue I made an appeal for volun - cent above the rate of inflation, more pub teers to commit their time in helping us at this closures and job losses are going to be the result. years PBF. That appeal continues. Due to some CAMRA have submitted a range of changes to major changes to the staffing of the beer festival help our declining pub stock and support for this year, I should mention that we will only our small brewers. accept volunteers who have pre-registered to work on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Another report from the Institute of Public Volunteers may sign up on Friday and Saturday Policy Research (IPPR) highlights the value of a by turning up at the festival but, preferably will pub as a social value to its community. This is have pre-registered. Full details will be in our often ignored by MPs and local councillors who mail-out to members later this year. The website fail to oppose closures. The only statistics they to sign on will be activated by the end of March. seem to take heed of are the financial benefits. Community pubs are places where people meet Finally I would like to wish one of our long neighbours and support many vital services that standing licensees good wishes for their future otherwise would not be there. This lets me bring retirement. Ann and Jess Caprio have been the to your attention the fact that April is designated hosts of The Cherry Tree on Oundle Road, Community Pubs Month. You can support your Woodston for 16 years and will be calling time on local community pub in many ways. CAMRA the 31st of March. During their time there they members can send for promotional packs to give have helped to raise thousands of pounds for to their local community pub. The monthly various charities, held numerous events to What’s Brewing newspaper has the details on how promote live music and even pantomimes. They to get the packs. You can also go to are going to be living locally out in Crowland, so www.communitypubsmonth.org.uk and find out Jess will still be able to watch his beloved Posh if your pub is signed up. The main thing is to get football team. We wish them well in their retire - your pub to organise some events during the ment and hope they keep in good health for month to encourage customers through the many years to come. door. Cheers that’s all folks. April also heralds the local pubs beer festival season with at least one held every weekend. David Murray - Branch Chairman. A lot of work goes into the organising of these and they deserve as much support as we can give them. Within our Peterborough branch of Peterborough Branch Website |www.real-ale.org.uk BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:47 Page 4 4 | Campaigning Update CAMRA Parliamentary Reception There is a significant risk that the Government will continue to impose the beer duty escalator which means that beer duty is automatically increased by 2% above inflation. This would be an increase of 7% which will result in a price hike of about 10p on a pub pint. The Chancellor already takes over £1 in tax for every pub pint. As a result, pubs are under enor - mous pressure and 16 are closing every single week. Pubs are battling through the economic downturn and struggling to compete with rock- Colin Valentine CAMRA Chairman, left, Emma Reynolds MP, centre, Bob Jones, CAMRA, at the Campaign for Real bottom supermarket alcohol prices and this new Ale (CAMRA) Parliamentary Reception at the Houses of tax rise will widen the price gap further. Parliament, London n the 6th March up to 100 MP’s and We want MPs to show their support for Britain’s Peers attended this years annual beer and pub sector by asking the Government to CAMRA Parliamentary Reception. The suspend the beer duty escalator to help reduce O pub closures, create 5,000 additional jobs and event which is held in conjunction with CAMRA was hosted by Greg Mulholland MP, chair of the ensure pub going remains an affordable leisure influential All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub activity. (See CAMRA’s Briefing on Beer Tax 2012 Group. This year’s event saw a rise in the number for more information) of Parliamentarians attending - up from 85 on the previous year. The Chancellor already CAMRA representatives from the National takes over £1 in tax for Executive, Campaign Strategy teams and every pub pint. As a result, branches from across the UK were also present. pubs are under enormous As Public Affairs Officer for Peterborough I was also invited to provide a lobbying voice on the pressure and 16 are closing proceedings. (every single week ) Campaign Themes What can MPs do? Sign Andrew Griffiths’ EDM Each years reception briefing covers a small (Early Day Motion), or write to the Chancellor if number of key objectives. This is to ensure that they do not sign EDMs every CAMRA member attending can lobby indi - vidual MP’s on the main issues that are more Pubco reform likely to be acted upon by Parliament. It also Last year the Business select committee helps to keep the agenda relevant and focused so published a hard-hitting report which identified that everyone in the room, in theory, is talking serious failings in the business practices of big about the same things. Below is a summary of pubcos, which have been accused of deliberately the campaigns brief for this year: misleading pub lessees, charging unjustifiably high rents and preventing their lessees buying beer and Beer Tax: A Fair Deal for Pubs other products on the open market at competi - The Budget will be announced on March 21st. tive prices. www.real-ale.org.uk BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:47 Page 5 Campaigning Update | 5 The Government’s response to the report recog - damaging the viability of pubs and brewers in the nised there are “unfair practices” in the relationship economy. Of course, in most cases, once those between big pubcos and their lessees, but pubs and jobs are lost they are usually gone from neglected to address these problems. Instead the industry forever. they’ve introduced a voluntary deal with the British Beer & Pub Association which will not be Sadly, the official line from the government, in enough to avert the disaster facing thousands of the form of a recent statement from the Deputy tied pubs. PM, was that “… it was a matter for the Chancellor to reveal his plans in the Budget …” On 12th January MPs held a debate in the despite agreeing earlier that “…we should support House of Commons and unanimously passed a community pubs which are so much part of motion criticising the Government’s lack of action the fabric across our communities across the on pub companies as falling short of their own country.” So we will have to wait and see on that one. commitments, and requiring the Government to commission an independent review of self regula - tion in the pub sector. What can MPs do? Write to the new Business Minister Norman Lamb MP and ask him to commit to follow the clear will of Parliament and review self-regulation in Autumn this year. Government Pub Support Package The Prime Minister has committed to deliver a “pub friendly Government”. The Government now needs to translate this into action and follow the example set by the previous Labour Greg Mulholland MP Government by introducing a package of meas - ures to support and promote well-run community On the other two key issues and on the basis of pubs. This package should include: progress so far it is evident it is not going to be a straightforward task to achieve the campaign * Business rate relief for well-run community pubs objectives. However, with some effort channeled at lobbying the powers-that-be at both a national * A genuine ban on below-cost supermarket alcohol and grassroots level we can at least prove that we ) sales that goes further than just Duty and VAT still have voice that can be heard.