In pubs across the land, little badges are appearing on hand pumps promoting locally brewed beers, under the CAMRA 'Locale' scheme.  This is of course a good idea.  However, I've been thinking...

The scheme is run under different 'rules' in different areas - for example one local branch may define local as within 15 miles of the pub concerned.  Yet a neighbouring branch may define local as being within 32 miles of the centre of their geographical branch area.  This gives the strange result that it is possible to travel away from a brewery, past pubs in one branch area selling that breweries beer as local, then past pubs that whilst in the same branch area, are outside that branches Locale defintion, so can't promote the same beer as 'Locale'.  Then after a few more miles, you enter the area of a second CAMRA branch, and, because they have different 'Locale' rules, the same beer suddenly becomes 'Locale' again....

Don't get me wrong, we fully support the scheme in it's intentions and objectives, but a little consistency is no bad thing.  And there's another thing.  The beer distribution business can be very complex - many breweries use third party distributors, so whilst the beer may be local, the food miles involved may be immense.  In one case (no names, no pack drill), a local breweries beer all goes to the West Midlands for distribution, in some cases to pubs quite literally down the road from the brewery.

It also bears mention that even Carlsberg are a local beer to the Northampton, as is Fosters to the good folk of Reading.  Which just goes to show that local isn't always what it sounds - or is it?  After what is the point of buying local?  Keep product miles down?  Doesn't always follow.  Reduced energy consumption?  Maybe - but deep down I suspect Carlsberg use a heck of a lot less energy per pint brewed than us small 'local' breweries (even with increased beer miles).  Keeping money local?  Does that really matter, beyond jobs for local folk - and again, Carlsberg, I am guessing, probably have more staff than us.

So, local doesn't really stack up.  Until you take on board this one really important factor.  If you buy local beer round here, that often means us.  Which means you hard earned money finds it's way into our pockets (once everyone else has taken their share, and Gordon Bennett-Darling has graciously allowed us to give him pretty much the rest of it).  And believe me, we will look after it, polish it, cherish it, and then spend it wisely.  And is that a promise you get from the big global beer factories.  No. 

And that is why you should buy Locale....