{"id":627,"date":"2019-11-21T01:36:23","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T01:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/?p=627"},"modified":"2019-11-21T01:36:25","modified_gmt":"2019-11-21T01:36:25","slug":"home-truths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/2019\/11\/21\/home-truths\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Truths"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many readers will know of the Castle Rock brewery in Nottingham, which now includes the Tynemill pub chain set up by former CAMRA national chairman Chris Holmes. Recently the company took issue with an item on BBC East Midlands Today <\/em>and they shared their response on Facebook. They said, \u2018we\u2019d like to share with you an open letter to the BBC and really, the wider media and press\u2019 <\/em>and I thought that London Drinker <\/em>readers would like to read it as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDear BBC East Midlands, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On yesterday\u2019s \u2018East Midlands Today\u2019 programme, you ran a brief\nstory exploring the rising costs associated with alcohol abuse and then\njuxtaposed shots of unconscious people laid out on the street being treated by\nparamedics with a shot of Harvest Pale being poured, which was on the bar\nalongside Totally Brewed and Burton Bridge Brewery (https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/\u2026\/east-midlands-today-evening-news-06\u2026) <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many others in Nottingham,\nour pubs and bars are controlled drinking environments with responsible\npolicies. As we are continually proving, they\u2019re also vitally important spaces.\nThey are places of discovery and exploration, but also of familiarity. They are\nplaces for solace, for kindling and maintaining friendships and relationships,\nfor waxing lyrical, taking part in quizzes, checking out live music and awesome\nevents, eating good food and supporting charity and community alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This ill-considered choice of library shot is just one example of\nmany used in the media. It represents a small part of a big problem in which pubs,\nbars and \u2018beer\u2019 (usually cask beer) are all tarred with the same brush and\ndemonised via association with binge drinking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this issue is going to be explored, we suggest that it\u2019s\nexplored thoroughly and fairly, and if the media is only prepared to discuss\nthe \u2018consequences\u2019 of a problem (i.e. alcohol abuse) then we can think of more\nsuitable places to look than well run pubs and bars and hardworking breweries,\nstarting with ultra cheap supermarket booze.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They finished with the following message, \u2018To our customers, friends and followers, and to our fellow pubs\nand brewers in Nottingham, Nottingham CAMRA,\nCAMRA – the Campaign for Real Ale, the consumer\u2019s champion, The Morning\nAdvertiser, Society of Independent Brewers \u2013 SIBA… Let\u2019s share far and wide\nthe positive impact that pubs, bars and breweries have had on our little ol\u2019\nlives! We\u2019ll get you started with a reminder of some of our customers\u2019 comments\nduring our #MyLocals campaign<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message has the full support of CAMRA. National chairman Nik\nAntona said, \u201cIt is completely right for\nCastle Rock brewery to call on the BBC and other media outlets to stop\nmisrepresenting cask ale and traditional pubs by tarring them with the brush of\nirresponsible drinking. Traditional pubs are the home of responsible drinking,\nproviding a safe, supervised and social environment to enjoy a drink. Cask ale\nitself has a lower ABV than wine or spirits, and represents a moderate drink of\nchoice. The media should be more mindful of the unconscious bias they are creating\nin their stories and should consider giving more focus on the more prevalent\ncauses of binge drinking \u2013 such as the availability of cheap supermarket booze\nthat is predominantly consumed at home<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, indeed.
Tony Hedger<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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