View source for Campaign for Real Ale

{{Short description|British consumer organization}}
{{Redirect|CAMRA|the Canberra-based musical association|Canberra Academy of Music and Related Arts|other uses|CAMRA (disambiguation)}}
{{primary sources|date=December 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox organisation
| name                     = Campaign for Real Ale
| image                    = [[File:CAMRA logo black SVG.svg|frameless|]]
| image_border             = 
| size                     = 
| caption                  = 
| map                      = 
| msize                    = 
| mcaption                 = 
| motto                    = 
| formation                = {{Start date and age|1971|df=yes}}
| type                     = [[Consumer organization|Consumer organisation]]
| headquarters             = [[St Albans]]
| location                 = [[United Kingdom]]
| membership               =  {{decrease}} 143,300 (2025) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://camra.org.uk/events?category=0|title=CAMRA Membership Nov 16 2025|website=CAMRA|access-date=16 Nov 2025}}</ref>
| language                 = [[English language|English]]
| leader_title             = Chief Executive
| leader_name              = Tom Stainer
| key_people               = Ash Corbett-Collins<br /> (Chairman) <br />Gillian Hough<br /> (Vice Chairman)
| num_employees            = {{increase}} 49 (2024)
| revenue                  = {{decrease}} £8.6&nbsp;million (2024)
| volunteers               = 7,000 (2025) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://camra.org.uk/events?category=0|title=CAMRA Volunteer Numbers Sep 2 2025|website=CAMRA|access-date=2 Sep 2025}}</ref>
| budget                   = 
| website                  = {{URL|camra.org.uk}}
}}
The '''Campaign for Real Ale''' ('''CAMRA''') is an independent voluntary [[consumer organisation]] headquartered in [[St Albans]], which promotes [[real ale]], [[real cider|cider]] and [[perry]] and traditional British [[pub]]s and clubs.

==History==
The organisation was founded on 16 March 1971 in Kruger's Bar, [[Dunquin]], [[County Kerry]], Ireland,<ref>{{cite web|title=Key Events in CAMRA's History |url=http://www.camra.org.uk/camrahistory |access-date=25 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919234946/http://camra.org.uk/camrahistory |archive-date=19 September 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35917816|work=[[BBC News]]|title=Should there be a crusade to save British pubs?|first=Harry|last=Low|date=31 March 2016|access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> by Michael Hardman, Graham Lees, Jim Makin, and Bill Mellor, who were opposed to the growing mass production of beer and the homogenisation of the British [[brewing]] industry. The original name was the Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/4810832/Still-bitter-after-all-these-years.html|title=Still bitter after all these years|newspaper=The Telegraph|access-date=17 July 2009|last=Neill|first=Richard| location=London| date=9 November 2000}}</ref> Following the formation of the Campaign, the first annual general meeting took place in 1972, at the Rose Inn in Coton Road, [[Nuneaton]]. 

Early membership consisted of the four founders and their friends. Interest in CAMRA and its objectives spread rapidly, with 5,000 members signed up by 1973. Other early influential members included Christopher Hutt, author of ''Death of the English Pub'', who succeeded Hardman as chairman, Frank Baillie, author of ''The Beer Drinker's Companion'', and later the many times ''[[Good Beer Guide]]'' editor, [[Roger Protz]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of CAMRA |url=https://sel.camra.org.uk/about/history/ |access-date=2025-09-07 |website=SE London CAMRA |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1991, CAMRA had 30,000 members across the UK and abroad and, a year later, helped to launch the European Beer Consumers Union.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Campaign for Real Ale |url=https://camra.org.uk/about/who-we-are |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=CAMRA - The Campaign for Real Ale |language=en}}</ref>
In December 2022, CAMRA issued guidelines advising volunteers to avoid terms like "pub crawl" or "few beers with the lads" in order to promote a more inclusive drinking culture.<ref>{{cite web|title=Don't say 'pub crawl' or 'few beers with the lads' - say 'pub tour' or 'treating colleagues to a drink', beer lovers told
|date=22 December 2022 |url=https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/pub-crawl-camra-woke-DWzPJT_2/ |publisher=LBC|access-date=22 December 2022}}</ref> The guidelines also discouraged "lad culture" and emphasised the need for "inclusive banter." This move generated public debate,<ref>{{cite web|title=Don't say 'pub crawl' or 'happy hour' this Christmas - it's not inclusive|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/12/22/dont-say-pub-crawl-happy-hour-christmas-not-inclusive/ |publisher=The Telegraph|access-date=22 December 2022}}</ref> including criticism from Conservative MP Bob Blackman, who questioned the necessity of such changes.

In 2023, the White Hart Inn in Grays, Essex, — winner of South West Essex CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020 — was banned from being considered for awards and excluded from the Good Beer Guide after displaying golliwog dolls.<ref>{{cite web|title=Real Ale campaigners say pub in golliwog controversy will not be included in Good Beer Guide|url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/real-ale-campaigners-pub-golliwog-142118953.html|website=Yahoo|date=12 April 2013}}</ref> CAMRA stated that pubs should not display material considered offensive under its inclusivity guidelines.
At the 2025 AGM, CAMRA reported that it was facing significant financial strain. Membership had fallen to a six-year low, recruitment had stalled, and the organisation failed to return to pre-COVID levels.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOSu2SiXV8s|title=CAMRA Chief Executive Tom Stainer speech at Members' Weekend 2025|date=25 June 2025}}</ref>

==Activities==
CAMRA's campaigns include promoting small brewing and pub businesses, reforming licensing laws, reducing tax on beer, and stopping continued consolidation among local British brewers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Campaigns&nbsp;– CAMRA|url=http://www.camra.org.uk/campaigns|access-date=26 October 2011}}</ref> It also makes an effort to promote less common varieties of beer, including [[Stout beer|stout]], [[Porter (beer)|porter]], and [[Mild beer|mild]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Different Styles |url=http://www.camra.org.uk/beerstyles |access-date=25 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729041918/http://www.camra.org.uk/beerstyles |archive-date=29 July 2013 }}</ref> as well as traditional [[cider]] and [[perry]].<ref>{{cite web|title=About Cider&nbsp;– CAMRA|url=http://www.camra.org.uk/aboutcider|access-date=26 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122031136/http://www.camra.org.uk/aboutcider|archive-date=22 January 2012}}</ref>

CAMRA's states that real ale should be served without the use of additional carbonation. This means that "any beer brand which is produced in both [[cask]] and [[keg]] versions" is not admitted to CAMRA festivals if the brewery's marketing is deemed to imply an equivalence of quality or character between the two versions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cromarty, CAMRA and crazy cask cancellation|url=http://refreshingbeer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/cromarty-and-camra-we-are-not-all-idiots.html|website=I might have a glass of beer|date=15 March 2013}}</ref>

==Organisation==
[[File:CamraBuildingHatfieldRoadStAlbans.jpg|thumb|The CAMRA office building in St Albans]]
CAMRA is organised on a federal basis, over 200 local branches, each covering a particular geographical area of the UK, that contribute to the central body of the organisation based in [[St Albans]]. It is governed by a National Executive, made up of 12 voluntary unpaid directors elected by the membership.<ref>{{cite web|title=What is CAMRA?|url=http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=181063|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110102015/http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=181063 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 January 2011  |publisher=CAMRA |access-date=27 October 2011}}</ref> The local branches are grouped into 16 regions across the UK, such as the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] or [[Wessex]].<ref>{{cite web|title=CAMRA Near You|url=http://www.camra.org.uk/branches |publisher=CAMRA|access-date=26 October 2011}}</ref>

===Publications===
CAMRA publishes the ''[[Good Beer Guide]]'', an annually compiled directory of the best 4,500 real ale outlets and listing of real ale brewers.
CAMRA members received a monthly newspaper called ''What's Brewing'' until its April 2021 issue and there is a quarterly colour magazine called ''Beer''. It also maintains a [[CAMRA Pub Heritage Group|National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors]] to help bring greater recognition and protection to Britain's most historic pubs.

In 2025, the printed winter edition of Beer Magazine was not distributed for reasons of financial austerity. It was published on-line only.<ref name="thedrinksbusiness">{{cite news|url=https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/09/camra-reveals-the-stark-reality-of-its-financial-woes/|work=[[The Drinks Business]]|title=CAMRA reveals the 'stark reality' of its financial woes|first=Jessica|last=Mason|date=10 September 2025}}</ref> 

===Festivals===
[[File:CAMRA Covent Garden Beer Exhibition 1975 half-pint glass.jpg|thumb|upright|First National CAMRA Beer Festival held at Covent Garden, London, 1975]]
[[File:GBBF 2.jpg|thumb|Great British Beer Festival 2004]]
CAMRA supports and promotes beer and cider festivals around the country, which are organised by local CAMRA branches. Generally, each festival charges an entry fee which either covers entry only or also includes a commemorative glass showing the details of the festival. A festival programme is usually also provided, with a list and description of the drinks available.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.camra.org.uk/beerfestivals |title=List of upcoming CAMRA beer festivals |access-date=25 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729002251/http://www.camra.org.uk/beerfestivals |archive-date=29 July 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Members may get discounted entrance to CAMRA festivals.

The Campaign also organises the annual [[Great British Beer Festival]] in August. It is now held in the Great, National & West Halls at the [[Olympia, London|Olympia Exhibition Centre]], in [[Kensington]], London, having been held for a few years at [[Earls Court Exhibition Centre|Earl's Court]] as well as regionally in the past at venues such as [[Brighton]] and [[Leeds]]. This is the UK's largest beer festival, with over 900 beers, ciders and perries available over the week long event.

For many years, CAMRA also organised the National Winter Ales Festival. However, in 2017 this was re-branded as the [[National Winter Ales Festival|Great British Beer Festival Winter]] where they award the [[Champion Winter Beer of Britain]]. Unlike the Great British Beer Festival, the Winter event does not have a permanent venue and is rotated throughout the country every three years. Recent hosts have been [[Derby]] and [[Norwich]], with the event currently held each February in Birmingham. In 2020 CAMRA also launched the Great Welsh Beer Festival, to be held in Cardiff in April.

In October 2024, CAMRA announced the relocation of the Great British Beer Festival from London to Birmingham, ending its 34-year run in the capital.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/after-34-years-one-of-the-uks-biggest-and-best-beer-festivals-is-leaving-london-100824|work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|title="After 34 years, one of the UK's biggest (and best) beer festivals is leaving London"|date=8 October 2024}}</ref> Attendance at the new venue had failed to meet expectations resulting in a substantial loss.<ref name="thedrinksbusiness" /> CAMRA announced that the GBBF and its Winter Festival would not take place in 2026.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/sep/10/camra-cancels-great-british-beer-festival|work=[[The Guardian]]|title=Camra cancels Britain's biggest beer festival next year amid 'budget shortfalls'|date=10 September 2025}}</ref>

===Awards===
CAMRA presents awards for beers and pubs, such as the [[National Pub of the Year]]. The competition begins in the preceding year with branches choosing their local pub of the year through either a ballot or a panel of judges. The branch winners are entered into 16 regional competitions which are then visited by several individuals who agree the best using a scoring system that considers beer quality, aesthetic and welcome. The four finalists are announced each year before a ceremony to crown the winner in the spring.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2020/02/12/250-year-old-family-gem-wins-CAMRA-s-pub-of-the-year|title=250-year-old family gem wins CAMRA's pub of the year|last=morningadvertiser.co.uk|website=morningadvertiser.co.uk|date=12 February 2020 |language=en-GB|access-date=2020-03-03}}</ref> There are also the [[Pub Design Awards]], which are held in association with [[English Heritage]] and the [[Victorian Society]].  These comprise several categories, including new build, refurbished and converted pubs.

The best known CAMRA award is the [[Champion Beer of Britain]],<ref>{{citation
|url=http://www.camra.org.uk/cbob
|publisher=Campaign for Real Ale
|title=Champion Beer of Britain
|access-date=25 July 2013
|archive-date=17 March 2013
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317004252/http://www.camra.org.uk/cbob
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> which is selected at the [[Great British Beer Festival]]. Other awards include the [[Champion Beer of Scotland]] and the [[Champion Beer of Wales]].

===National Beer Scoring Scheme===
CAMRA developed the National Beer Scoring Scheme<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.camra.org.uk/nbss|title=National Beer Scoring Scheme|publisher=Campaign for Real Ale|date=12 January 2006|first=Brett|last=Laniosh|access-date=25 July 2013}}</ref> (NBSS) as an easy to use scheme for judging beer quality in pubs, to assist CAMRA branches in selecting pubs for the ''Good Beer Guide''. CAMRA members input their beer scores online via WhatPub or through the Good Beer Guide app.

===Pub heritage===
The CAMRA Pub Heritage Group identifies, records and helps to protect [[pub]] interiors of historic and/or architectural importance, and seeks to get them [[Listed building|listed]].<ref>{{citation
|url=http://www.heritagepubs.org.uk
|title=Heritage Pubs&nbsp;– An Overview
|publisher=Campaign for Real Ale <!-- black link i.e. same page -->
|access-date=2009-05-05
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=CAMRA Pub Heritage Group |website=Building Conservation Network |url=https://buildingconservation.network/pages/180-camra-pub-heritage-group |access-date=27 August 2025}}</ref>

The group maintains two inventories of Heritage pubs, the National Inventory (NI), which contains only those pubs that have been maintained in their original condition (or have been modified very little) for at least thirty years, but usually since at least [[World War II]]. The second, larger, inventory is the Regional Inventory (RI), which is broken down by [[Counties of the United Kingdom|county]] and contains both those pubs listed in the NI and other pubs that are not eligible for the NI, for reasons such as having been overly modified, but are still considered historically important, or have particular architectural value.

===LocAle===
The LocAle scheme was launched in 2007<ref name="WB-Aug-Loc">'Check your beers urges LocAle creator', ''What's Brewing'', August 2010 issue</ref><ref name="WB-Sep-Loc"/><ref name="LocAle1">[http://www.camra.org.uk/locale CAMRA LocAle] (accessed 25 July 2013)</ref> to promote locally brewed beers. The scheme functions slightly differently in each area, and is managed by each branch, but each is similar: if the beer is to be promoted as a LocAle it must come from a brewery within a predetermined number of miles set by each CAMRA branch, generally around 20,<ref name="LocAle2">[http://www.camra.org.uk/page.php?id=141 LocAle&nbsp;– More Information & Downloads for Licensees] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922055016/http://www.camra.org.uk/page.php?id=141 |date=22 September 2013 }} (accessed 25 July 2013)</ref> although the North [[London]] branch has set it at 30 miles<ref name="CAM-NL-Loc">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110527155308/http://www.camranorthlondon.org.uk/locale.html CAMRA North London&nbsp;– LocAle] (accessed 6 September 2010)</ref> from brewery to pub,<ref name="WB-Sep-Loc">'LocAle boosts local tourism', ''What's Brewing'', September 2010 issue</ref> even if it comes from a distribution centre further away;<ref name="LocAle2"/> in addition, each participating pub must keep at least one LocAle for sale at all times.<ref name="LocAle2"/><ref name="CAM-NL-Loc"/>

===Investment club===

CAMRA members may join the CAMRA Members' Investment Club which, since 1989, has invested in real ale breweries and pub chains.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02318099|website=[[Companies House]]|access-date=18 December 2017|title=Company Information}}</ref> As of January 2021 the club had over 3,000 members and owned investments worth over £17 million. Although all investors must be CAMRA members,<ref>{{cite web|title=Club Rules|url=https://cmic.uk.com/rules/|website=CAMRA Members' Investment Club|access-date=9 May 2023}}</ref> the CAMRA Members' Investment Club is not part of CAMRA Ltd.

==See also==
*[[List of Viz comic strips|Real Ale Twats]]
*[[Society of Independent Brewers]]
*[[Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood]]
*[[Independent Family Brewers of Britain]]
*[[European Beer Consumers' Union]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{subject bar|auto=y|d=y|Beer|United Kingdom}}
*{{official website|url=http://www.camra.org.uk/|name=CAMRA}}
*[http://www.heritagepubs.org.uk/ Pub Heritage Group&nbsp;– Official Site]
*[http://www.gbbf.org.uk/ Great British Beer Festival]

{{British beer}}
{{CAMRA}}
{{Authority control}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Campaign For Real Ale}}
[[Category:1971 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Beer in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Beer organizations]]
[[Category:British food and drink organisations]]
[[Category:Consumer organisations in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Hertfordshire]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1971]]