Insipid brew inspired battle against Big Six

Fifty years ago at Kruger Kavanagh’s bar near Slea Head in Ireland – the most westerly pub in Europe – four young men were enjoying a rather boozy holiday.

But Michael Hardman, Graham Lees, Jim Makin and Bill Mellor were shocked at the state of the fizzy, insipid and overpriced beer they were being served.

What had happened to the traditional brews that slid down the throat like nectar?

They decided to find out – and so the Campaign for Real Ale was born.

The Big Six breweries had expanded aggressively and rapidly through the 1960s, taking over and closing rivals to ensure only their products were served at tied pubs.

They invested heavily in pushing new keg beers – the antithesis of the cask ales loved by CAMRA’s founders and made by historic family brewers such as Fuller’s or Shepherd Neame. So thousands of people signed up to demand that traditional British ale kept its place on the bar.

CAMRA organised protests at breweries under threat and held mock funerals for beloved beers that were being killed off.

A monthly newsletter called What’s Brewing kept members up to date, later featuring the “Kegbuster” satirical cartoons by the legendary Bill Tidy.

In 1972 The Good Beer Guide was launched. Compiled by members, it is the definitive guide to quality pubs that serve cask-conditioned ale and has been a bestseller year after year.

Protests and lobbying were key in passing The Beer Orders in 1989 – laws that put an end to the Big Six.

With 220 branches across the UK today, CAMRA has run thousands of campaigns – from preserving historic pubs to successfully battling the Beer Duty Escalator (which raised the price of a pint by 2% above inflation every year). Their work has protected thousands of pubs and tens of thousands of jobs.

Each year 1,000 members organise and run the Great British Beer Festival – a four-day extravaganza where more than 400,000 pints are consumed.

Now, in its 50th year, CAMRA’s role has never been more important. As pubs and breweries struggle to breathe life back into their businesses post-pandemic, the purchasing power represented by the 170,000 CAMRA members is more vital than ever.

It is not difficult to find caskconditioned ale these days – but it may soon be hard to find a pub where you can enjoy it.

So let’s all do our bit to celebrate – and sup – this superb traditional British product.

To get involved, visit CAMRA’s 50th anniversary online hub at camra.org.uk/50-years