CAMRA has launched a campaign to raise awareness of Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company’s (CMBC) Fresh Ale concept, which sells keg versions of three of its cask beers through handpumps – long associated with real ales.  

So far, CMBC has Wainwright Gold, Wainwright Amber and Hobgoblin IPA, which will have “brewery conditioned beer” on the pump clip, in the Fresh Ale line-up.   

CAMRA believes the Fresh Ale idea has worrying implications for both cask beer and consumers. Most noticeably through misleading dispense, but also a more general threat to the cask category as the beer is not cask-conditioned, but the use of Fresh Ale marketing seeks to imply that it is. 

The campaign has kicked off with a letter to the chair of Trading Standards Lord Bichard from CAMRA national director and chair of its Real Ale, Cider and Perry Campaigns Committee Gillian Hough. 

CAMRA national chairman Nik Antona said: “Misleading dispense is particularly detrimental to beer drinkers, as hijacking a handpump to serve a keg beer removes a genuine cask product from the bar, reducing choice of different formats for consumers.  

“We hope Trading Standards bodies across Great Britain will take swift, coordinated national action to address misleading beer dispense and safeguard the handpump as an indicator of cask beer.”  

CMBC has yet to cancel its plans despite CAMRA warning pubs stocking the beer may be excluded from next year’s Good Beer Guide.  

CAMRA members are being encouraged to get involved. They can let CAMRA know if they come across Fresh Ale by using the "Send an email to the CAMRA branch" button at the bottom of the relevant WhatPub venue page. 

Members are also being encouraged to send photos of Fresh Ale pump clips and email them to campaigns@camra.org.uk. Finally, if in doubt, Ask if it’s Cask. The Campaign needs consumers to make licensees aware of the issue of misleading dispense and explain why CAMRA members won’t be buying it. 

After writing to Lord Bichard, the next steps for the campaign involve contacting MPs and the Department of Business to ask for political support in urging Trading Standards to act. The Handpump Highjack campaign hopes to ensure consumers are well informed about Fresh Ale and aren’t being duped. The goal is to stop the product from being served in its current form.  

Find out more about the Handpump Hijack campaign here: https://camra.org.uk/take-action/handpump-hijack/