The View Through My Glass Bottom

What’s brewing…grounds for divorce?

It’s been one of the longest relationships of my life. I wasn’t there at the birth, but membership for forty-five years qualified me for an invitation – from co-founder Michael Hardman MBE – to CAMRA’s 50th Anniversary reunion of 1970s activists.

Accordingly, I arrived at Castle Rock Brewery ’s Canalhouse, in Nottingham, to celebrate with many old ‘camrades’ …and to mourn the eternal absence of others. And, I’m sorry to say, to join in some general kicking-off about unwelcome developments in policy and direction of the organisation that has for so long played such a fundamental role at the heart of our beer-obsessed lives.

Until now, I’ve never hesitated over payment of my annual subscription. When I moved to Lincoln, in 1976, it entitled me to attend meetings, become branch secretary, and propose Imp Ale as the title of our newsletter. (Clever, eh? And still in use today!) From 1978 to 2018 it took me to 37 National AGM Weekends – mostly to drink ridiculous amounts of beer, but also occasionally to engage in motion debates. And in the last five years it’ s allowed me back into direct involvement, and actually to become Vale of Belvoir branch chairman.

But one constant factor, above anything else, has underpinned my undiminished enthusiasm to part with whatever it costs to stay wedded to the cause. And that - the eagerly anticipated monthly delivery of my copy of the latest issue of What’ s Brewing – has now been consigned to history.

It’s a decision that’s left me (and everyone I chatted with at the reunion) feeling short-changed. I’m aware of the arguments deployed to justify it…’ archaic and unnecessary’, ‘too costly’, ‘democratically agreed’, ‘most members don’t care’, etc. And some might be valid points, but they bring into focus broader issues that are redesigning CAMRA’ s future, and challenging the continued loyalty of many of those who first earned it the accolade of being ‘the most successful consumer organisation in Europe’.

Let me assure you I’m sufficiently IT-savvy to access and utilise an online What’s Brewing. A few weeks ago I visited the new platform and registered my email update preferences. But as a publican, my proper copy was regularly left on the newspaper table in the bar, to encourage customer interest in the passion that had made me their landlord. That wouldn’t be so easy with a laptop, would it?

Furthermore, I’m not sure how production can be prohibitively expensive, given current subs income, when it was affordable in the Seventies and Eighties, funded by fewer than 30,000 members. Before discontinuation, members had been invited to opt out of receipt, so financial outlay was surely under control and manageable. Or does the St Albans wage bill now take priority?

In December 1975 I joined a CAMPAIGN. For the majority of those signed-up today that is not the case. Virtually every recruit in the early years was an active participant. These days, my local branch area has around 350-400 members. I’ve never chaired a meeting of more than twenty.

Not long ago, CAMRA's homepage proudly boasted a membership update, growing on an almost daily basis, and reaching 190,000, but it’ s now disappeared. Is that because it’s fallen back below 165,000? And is that because lockdown prevented the use of Real Ale Vouchers and the Real Ale Discount Scheme, so made renewal not worthwhile for such a significant number?

You probably know I’m familiar with the concept of an organisation changing its name but retaining its original acronym. I’ m not sure I can feel an affinity with CAMRA becoming the ‘Collective for Acquiring Money off Real Ale’.

The world has only just had the good fortune to produce a generation ready to pass definitive moral and ethical judgment on any subject, so you won ’t be getting that from me here. I’ m more interested in learning what others think. Trying to address the What’ s Brewing issue has brought to the fore a more comprehensive critical assessment of CAMRA after fifty years.

We have to acknowledge that the world has moved on apace since 1971, and must also appreciate the real ale movement’s massive role in the extraordinary and mostly welcome changes in beer and brewing - but don’t they themselves mean it must embrace a flexible and evolving ongoing purpose? And if so, does it nevertheless still have a heritage it must respect?

Answers on a postcard, please. Or by email, if you insist.

Julian Grocock

Julian Grocock is a former pub landlord, managing director of Tynemill/Castle Rock, and chief executive of SIBA.

Extensive experience in beer and pub politics, brewery and pubco operations, and on the front line in the pub trade... ‘from cellar to ceiling’ .