If you’re getting a round in, there’s never been so much choice!
LONG gone are the days of limited choice, says Camra’s Good Beer Guide 2020, which features the very best pubs in the UK,
The impact of choice and diversity on the beer and pubs industry cannot be clearer.
Figures from the latest guide, now in its 47th year, show that pubs have diversified their offerings with 61% of pubs offering evening meals and 65% offering lunch food, compared to traditional wet-led pubs.
In addition, many of the pubs in the guide offer various community events and activities, such as providing a social beer garden (76%), screening live sports (32%) or providing entertainment (43%).
The number of real ale breweries has also risen: there are now 1,850, providing more flavours and styles to drinkers than ever before.
In a foreword, award-winning beer writer Emma Inch writes: “A decade ago, there were just a few hundred breweries in the UK; today, there are nearly 2,000.
“This rapid growth has brought with it even more choice than most British beer drinkers have ever known …
“Beer has embraced diversity, and I’m not just talking about the liquid in your glass.
“Over the past few years, the way we discuss beer, the aesthetic surrounding it, the people who brew it, and even the people who drink it have begun to change.”
Former model and TV presenter Jodie Kidd describes in the guide how she saved the Half Moon, in Kirdford, West Sussex, from closure and turned it into a thriving community local.
“We hold lots of events from summer solstice parties to barbecues, and we have weddings and events all year round – such as curry nights and quiz nights,”she said. “The WI (Women’s Institute) have their meetings there as well.
“Charities will often use the pub as a central meeting point and we also use the pub as a great place to start off charity bike rides and fundraising events.”
Camra’s Good Beer Guide is researched by independent, unpaid volunteers and, unlike other guides, no one can buy a place in it: inclusion is gained on the strength of quality alone.
The Good Beer Guide 2020 has just been published and can be ordered from shop.camra.org.uk
Alternatively, discover all of the pubs listed and more with Camra’s Good Beer Guide app, available on both iOS and Android devices at: gbgapp.camra.org.uk
The local Camra website is at www.southport.camra.org.uk