Richard speaks with Katie Wiles of the Campaign for Real Ales (CAMRA) in the UK.
CAMRA was established in 1971 as a consumer group representing real ale drinkers in the UK. Today, it is a 200,000 member organization advocating for quality ale and promoting pubs as social and cultural hubs.
In response to the UK’s closure of all pubs due to COVID-19, CAMRA developed a virtual pub called the Red (On)Lion. People from around the world can sign up to meet people while drinking at home, or a group of friends can reserve a table where they can drink together virtually. The Red (On)Lion also hosts a number of virtual events (including tastings and musical performances). And, perhaps most importantly, the Red (On)Lion encourages consumers to continue to buy beer and/or cider to help keep local pubs, breweries, and cideries afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Red (On)Lion is just one of several ways CAMRA is helping consumers and pubs during this difficult time. CAMRA is growing its library of educational materials to help teach consumers about their favorite beers, how to homebrew, and more. It also just recently launched the Pubs, Pints, and People podcast to keep the community engaged. Moving forward, CAMRA is working to launch a new app to facilitate beer deliveries directly to consumers.
Visit CAMRA’s website today to find out more about their efforts to support pubs, breweries, and cideries during COVID-19!
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