EC&O Venues Earls Court And Olympia

CAMRA uncovers the nation’s real ale connoisseurs
 
Great British Beer Festival 2010, Earls Court, London, 3rd-7th August 2010, www.gbbf.org.uk
 
On the opening day of the Great British Beer Festival, CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has released new research to find which areas of the nation are the top supporters of Britain’s National Drink, real ale.
 
In a poll commissioned by the research body, TNS, CAMRA found that at a time when 54% of UK drinkers as a whole have tried real ale, and over 750 real ale breweries are now in operation, suppers in the North East of England and East Anglia are taking the lead in fostering the growth of our historic brewing industry.
 
The remarkable rise in interest for real ale in the North East is such that the number of drinkers having tried real ale in the area has doubled over the last 2 years! In contrast, Yorkshire, a powerhouse region for brewing, and an area with one of the largest concentration of breweries in the UK, has experienced only small growth in the rate of newcomers to Britain’s National Drink.
 
But as CAMRA’s new research today shows, drinkers across the nation are turning towards real ale at a time when there are more breweries in operation that any time since the Second World War-
 

   
 Colin Valentine, CAMRA National Chairman, said:
 
‘In just two years, parts of the UK where it once was rare to see a real ale handpump on a high street have now proliferated, with well-run pubs dedicated to showcasing the real ale boom to local consumers.
 
‘Today’s research really reinforces the point that drinkers are growing tired of drinking the advertising of mass produced global brands, and are turning towards quality, locally produced real ales for inspiration. It’s interesting to see that in the North East, whilst brands such as Newcastle Brown Ale have been stripped of their local identity and are now brewed elsewhere, drinkers have sought out new and interesting brews from local brewers such as Mordue or Wylam, both on the outskirts of Newcastle upon Tyne.’
 
At the Great British Beer Festival this week, where over 500 British real ales will be showcased from 3rd-7th August, drinkers in the North East will be toasting today’s research revealing them as top of the suppers with some of the beers on show from the region, including-
 
-Hadrian & Border (of Newcastle upon Tyne), Gladiator Ale- a 3.8% ABV tawny-coloured bitter with plenty of malt in the aroma and palate leading to a strong bitter finish.
-Mordue (of North Shields), Radgie Gadgie- a 4.8% ABV easy drinking bitter with plenty of fruit and hops.
-Jarrow (of South Shields), Rivet Catcher- a 4% ABV light, smooth, satisfying gold bitter with fruity hops on the tongue and nose.
-Camerons (of Hartlepool), 6th Sense- a 6% ABV chestnut brown beer with a delicate floral aroma, finished off with a smooth malty taste.
-Allendale (of Hexham), Entrepreneur- a 4.7% ABV golden caramel coloured premium ale with a delicious fruity and floral aroma.
 
Colin Valentine continued:
 
‘There may only be 20 breweries in the North East region, a figure dwarfed by somewhere like East Anglia which boasts around two and half times that number, but there are an emerging number of new drinkers switching from staple keg lagers in search of new thirst quenching alternatives. With beer names such as ‘Geordie Pride’ and ‘Workie Ticket’, real ale brewers in the region are reaching out to a new market of drinkers who previously thought that real ale wasn’t for them.’
 
END
 
Notes to editors-
Radio/TV call- CAMRA directors and members from all over Britain will be at the Great British Beer Festival this week, and will be on hand to speak about the remarkable rise in the number of people trying Britain’s National Drink over the last 2 years. To arrange an interview, please contact the Great British Beer Festival on 020 7244 3925 or at jon.howard@camra.org.uk
 
Great British Beer Festival 2010 Opening Times-
Tuesday August 3rd- 5pm- 10:30pm
Wednesday August 4th- Friday August 6th – 12:00pm- 10:30pm
Saturday August 7th- 11:00am- 7:00pm
 
Great British Beer Festival Tickets-
Advance day tickets- £6 (CAMRA members), £8 (non-members)
Advance season tickets- £20 (CAMRA members), £23 (non-members)
Day tickets- £8 (CAMRA members), £10 (non-members)
Group bookings (10+)- £7 per person (CAMRA/non-CAMRA members), only available by phoning See Tickets on 0871 230 5594 
 
For further information-
CAMRA Great British Beer Festival Press Office, 020 7244 3925
Jon Howard, CAMRA press officer, 07939 425471
Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive, 07971 591224
Iain Loe, CAMRA spokesperson, 07801 706607