Pubs are told to give greater support to real ale producers from their own area (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Pubs are told to give greater support to real ale producers from their own area

1:32pm Saturday 12th September 2009 in

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Real ale lovers have launched a campaign aimed at encouraging landlords to support the booming number of local breweries by serving beers brewed less than 20 miles from their pub doorsteps.

The LocAle Campaign has been organised by the Bradford branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) as part of a major drive for local pubs to stock locally produced beer.

Landlords, brewers and beer enthusiasts gathered at Saltaire Brewery in Dockfield Road, Shipley, to throw their support behind the campaign, which is already gathering momentum with 20 landlords signing up this week.

Adrian Mellow, Bradford CAMRA member and campaign organiser, said: “Hopefully, we will be getting a few more signed up. We want to get every real ale pub in Bradford to support us.

“The idea is to promote real ale in pubs but also to promote the sale and consumption of the locally brewed beers as opposed to the multi-national, tasteless stuff that is sometimes the only beer you can buy. The campaign is really catching on.”

Bill Arnold, landlord of The Junction in Otley Road, Baildon, was one of about 30 people from Bradford and the Aire Valley who attended the LocAle campaign launch.

Mr Arnold, who stocks ales from Saltaire Brewery, Timothy Taylor, from Keighley, and Old Spot from Cullingworth among others, said: “It makes sense because it means less travelling for the beer.

“You don’t want it going all over the country, and the nearer the brewery, the better, because the taste is better.

“People who drink real ale like their beer and they like to support local breweries. It is nice to go into a pub and see they have local produce, so I hope that people will fully support the scheme.”

Brewers in the Bradford district are playing a key role in helping West Yorkshire become the brewing capital of the UK. Figures reported in the Telegraph & Argus last week revealed that West Yorkshire now has 34 breweries, making it the brewing capital of the UK. The county is followed by Norfolk with 31 and North Yorkshire with 28.

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