There has been much said in the past few weeks about the future of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. Once described as the ‘most successful consumer group in Europe’, it has achieved so much for the real ale drinker or, for that matter, any beer drinkers and general pub-goers, that it is hard to imagine what the beer and pub scene in Britain would be today if CAMRA had never formed. With a membership approaching 200,000 – and that fact alone is impressive – CAMRA still hold enormous clout. But with Real Ale ‘saved’, where do they channel their efforts now? For this reason, CAMRA have announced their ‘Revitalisation Project’ – a year-long consultation of its members on what CAMRA’s new direction should be. And therein lies the problem. With the rise of ‘Craft’ beer – love it or …
