CAMRA GOES GREEN
In the run up to the COP 26 summit meeting, CAMRA decided that the efforts of many pubs, clubs, brewers and cider makers who operate their businesses in an environmental friendly manner deserved to be acknowledged and celebrated. CAMRA has set up an Environmental Working Group for this purpose and the group will also encourage the Campaign generally to become more environmentally responsible. The group will use the social media tag #DrinkGreener for the sharing of information as the campaign develops.
CAMRA’s existing LocAle campaign does, of course, have an environmentally friendly side to it by reducing the distance that the beer travels from production to consumption and likewise, cask beer is delivered in reusable containers. For an example of a brewer who, quite early on, sought to be environmentally friendly, take a look at Adnams’ website for the story of their distribution depot. It is built with natural materials and its sedum grass roof collects rainwater for recycling. They also use solar energy.
Cider and perry also make their contribution because it is an essentially local trade and the trees themselves absorb carbon dioxide.
BUSINESS RENT DEBTS
On 9 November, the Departments for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Levelling Up, Housing & Communities jointly introduced legislation to cover the issue of commercial rent debts arising from the COVID lockdowns. While not being confined to the pub trade, the problem does particularly affect tenants of the various pub owning companies. The measure relates specifically to those businesses which were forced to close, although it specifically does not cover any pre-existing debts. The Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Bill seeks firstly to encourage the parties to negotiate, with concessions being expected from both sides. This will be backed up by a code of practice. Assuming that the bill passes through Parliament without amendment, it will come into effect on 25 March 2022. Any disputes which, by then, have not been settled by negotiation will become subject to a legally-binding arbitration procedure. Curiously, there appears to be no role for the Pubs Code Adjudicator in this process.
In the meantime, the existing prohibition on debt recovery action by landlords, including county or high court judgements and bankruptcy petitions, will continue.
The Government is introducing this bill in order to see the market return to normal as quickly as possible. The legislation will apply only to England and Wales, with Northern Ireland being given powers to introduce something similar. The Scottish Government is making its own arrangements.
HERITAGE BEER
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, maintains a list of items which, in its view, make up the ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’. There are 33 items on the list for the UK, all of them geographical. Now, however, Jonny Garrett, who co-founded the Craft Beer Channel (available on YouTube) wants them to list cask beer. He is being supported by Japanese brewers, Asahi, who own Fuller’s. As reported on CAMRA’s What’s Brewing website, Mr Garrett explained, “After around a decade of volume decline and with the pubs shut for most of 2020, cask ale brewers have had a torrid time and cask beer is probably more at risk of becoming a cultural curiosity than it was when CAMRA was founded to save it fifty years ago. Ensuring the future of cask isn’t just about saving our heritage, it’s also about protecting our pubs and the livelihood of the millions who work in them and around them. While there is a lot that brewers, campaigners and drinkers can do to help, I think we need a way to make our government understand the importance of the cask brewing scene. Getting cask ale recognised by UNESCO is, I think, a great way to do this and also one that will give the whole industry more recognition around the world.” Let’s wish him luck.
LAMB & FLAG, OXFORD
I’m pleased to report that this historic pub is to reopen. It has been rescued by what the Metro described as ‘several hundred diverse and eclectic Oxford people’, mostly scientists, writers and artists. The group have called themselves the Inklings, after a group of writers, including J R R Tolkien and C S Lewis, who met in various pubs in the town to read their latest writings to each other. Legend has it, according to my ever reliable source Colin Price, that one time upon their entering the Eagle and Child, the barman was heard to utter ‘Not more f***ing elves’.