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                        <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/feed</id>
                                <link href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/feed" rel="self"></link>
                                <title><![CDATA[What's Brewing New Feed]]></title>
                    
                                <subtitle>The description of the feed.</subtitle>
                                                    <updated>2026-05-22T04:07:04+01:00</updated>
                        <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Hen’s Damm switch]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/20/hens-damm-switch" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2863</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Timothy Hampson]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[The Old Speckled Hen range of beers has been sold to Damm UK despite owner Greene King saying it would be the cornerstone of a new cask beer sales initiative in 2023.
The beer, which dates from the late 1970s, has been brewed at Greene King's base in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, for the past 25 years after it took over the Morland brewery in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
The beer will eventually be made at the Damm Eagle brewery in Bedford.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Industry" />
                        <updated>2026-05-22T04:07:04+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Community pub ownership update – May]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/19/community-pub-ownership-update-may" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2862</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Paul Ainsworth]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Since December’s bulletin, the number of community-owned pubs (COPs) has increased from 227 to 234. Those not owned but run by the community are up two at 31. There has been a noticeable slowdown over the last year or so, no doubt connected to the demise of the Community Ownership Fund (COF). The number of active campaigns has gone up from 90 to 96, so enthusiasm for community ownership clearly remains plentiful.
CAMRA supports the community-ownership model and is keen to help those interested in going down this route. The community pubs webpage of CAMRA’s website contains advice and guidance as well as regularly updated information about existing and planned projects.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Campaign" />
                        <updated>2026-05-21T12:21:07+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Independence day for champ]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/19/independence-day-for-champ" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2861</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[WB Reporter]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Independence (ABV 4.6 per cent), a premium pale ale by Bristol Beer Factory has been crowned CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain 2026 at the Cambridge Beer Festival.
The competition is fiercely independent with judging taking two years to complete. Each year kicks off with individual nominations from CAMRA members and volunteer tasting panels, then regional competitions. Every round of judging, including the final at the Cambridge Beer Festival, uses a strict blind tasting policy. ]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Campaign" />
                        <updated>2026-05-21T13:21:02+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[More help for Scottish community pubs]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/12/more-help-for-scottish-community-pubs" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2860</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Timothy Hampson]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Charity Plunkett UK has secured a further year of government support for the Scottish Rural Network which helps communities bring pubs into local ownership sparking wider community action in areas with few alternatives.
The renewed investment reflects continued confidence in community ownership as a practical, proven way of strengthening rural economies, improving wellbeing and sustaining services.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Industry" />
                        <updated>2026-05-20T05:01:02+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Hidden gems in birthday book]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/14/hidden-gems-in-birthday-book" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2859</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Timothy Hampson]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[St Austell is raising a glass to 175 years brewing with the launch of an anniversary book, A History of St Austell Brewery.
Written by the company’s archivist Paul Holden, the book brings together stories, records and personal insight to chart the evolution of one of the South West’s leading independent, family run brewing, hospitality and wholesale businesses – one that continues to thrive today.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Industry" />
                        <updated>2026-05-19T04:05:03+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Two pubs a day closed in first quarter]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/12/two-pubs-a-day-closed-in-first-quarter" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2858</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Timothy Hampson]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[A total of 161 pubs shut across Britain in the first three months of this year, equivalent of almost two a day, according to latest figures from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA). 
The industry body said the closures across England, Scotland, and Wales, equated to more than 2,400 job losses – half of  those for younger people.
The BBPA says the scale of closures underlines exactly why the pub-specific business rates relief that came into effect in April was so necessary for the sector and why a long-term plan is needed to save locals, vital to communities throughout the UK.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Industry" />
                        <updated>2026-05-18T07:24:02+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[CAMRA Pub Heritage Group update – May]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/13/camra-pub-heritage-group-update-may-4" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2857</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Tom Chapman]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[CAMRA’s Pub Heritage Group shares news and updates about pubs with historically significant interiors across the UK. For further news see the Pub Heritage Group webpage.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Campaign" />
                        <updated>2026-05-17T04:13:03+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[The nitro man cometh]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/08/the-nitro-man-cometh" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2856</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Matthew Curtis]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[West Yorkshire’s Ossett brewery has released a nitrogenated version of its popular golden ale White Rat.
Launched in March at Leeds pub-of-the-moment, the Highland Laddie, it marks something of a departure for a brewery best known for cask-conditioned ales like Silver King pale ale and Butterley Yorkshire bitter.
Ossett, which describes itself as being “relentlessly progressive” was established in the Brewers Pride pub (now the Brewers 1841) in 1998. Through gradual expansion, along with the acquisition of several other Yorkshire-based brewpubs, it has now positioned itself as a national brand, with beers available nationwide via both the on and off-trade.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Opinion" />
                        <updated>2026-05-16T03:21:03+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Footy theme for latest summer beers ]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/08/footy-theme-for-latest-summer-beers" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2855</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[WB Reporter]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Greene King is launching its seasonal summer cask range alongside a programme of football-themed promotions.
Returning for May and June is Hopping Special, a 4.2 per cent ABV amber beer brewed with five malts and late dry hopping. The beer has soft tropical fruit and citrus notes and is a returning seasonal favourite as the weather starts to get warmer.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Industry" />
                        <updated>2026-05-15T05:32:03+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Pub’s key role in CAMRA history celebrated]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/08/pubs-key-role-in-camra-history-celebrated" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2854</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Timothy Hampson]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Pints of cask beer were raised in St Albans to celebrate the survival of the Farriers Arms, a pub that played a key role in the 55 year-history of CAMRA.
A new plaque was unveiled and greeted by a large crowd to mark the fact that the Farriers is home to the longest surviving branch of the Campaign. Hertfordshire branch was formed in 1972 and was so influential in encouraging the growth of cask beer in the region that it was divided into North and South Herts, Herts Essex Borders and Watford and District branches.
In recent years there were fears the Farriers might close but a spirited local campaign saved it. The building was originally a corner shop and then a butcher’s in the 19th and early 20th centuries but was turned into a pub in the 1920s by Hertford family brewer McMullen.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Campaign" />
                        <updated>2026-05-14T05:11:04+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Champion beer to be crowned at Cambridge fest]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/12/champion-beer-to-be-crowned-at-cambridge-fest" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2853</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[WB Reporter]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[The best beers in the UK will be battling it out for CAMRA’s prestigious Champion Beer of Britain crown at the Cambridge Beer Festival next week.
CAMRA’s longest-running festival (above), and one of the largest in the UK, runs 18-23 May on Jesus Green.
The winner of the Champion Beer of Britain 2026 will be announced on Tuesday 19 May. Beer lovers can buy tickets now. With free entry for CAMRA members, they will be among the first to try those battling it out to be crowned overall winner.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Campaign" />
                        <updated>2026-05-13T06:00:03+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[New look and rising sales for rescued brewer]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/08/new-look-and-rising-sales-for-rescued-brewer" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2852</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[WB Reporter]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Somerset’s Exmoor brewery is sporting a new look on the bar, marking a year since new investment in the business rescued brewing in its home town of Wiveliscombe.
Local MP Rachel Gilmour celebrated the launch of the new branding, along with the upturn in Exmoor brewery’s fortunes which has seen sales increase, by pulling the first pint from the new-look handpull at the brewery tap in Wiveliscombe.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Industry" />
                        <updated>2026-05-12T05:57:02+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Pubco warns surging costs may hit profits ]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/08/pubco-warns-surging-costs-may-hit-profits" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2851</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Timothy Hampson]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Pubco JD Wetherspoon has warned profits could come in slightly below expectations after a fresh surge in costs hit the pub giant, despite continued growth in sales.
The group, which operates 794 managed pubs and 21 franchise sites across the UK, said it had experienced “substantial increases in costs” in recent months, putting pressure on margins even as trading remained broadly resilient.
Chairman and founder Sir Tim Martin (above) said the rise in employment-related and regulatory costs could result in “profits slightly below market expectations”, marking a cautious tone from one of the UK’s best-known pub operators.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Industry" />
                        <updated>2026-05-11T04:42:03+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Why pride is still important]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/08/why-pride-is-still-important" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2850</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[David Jesudason]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Sadly, it’s not unusual these days to be online and suddenly confronted with the type of prejudice that should’ve been consigned to the dustbin of history.
The kind of hate speech that is so ignorant that it reveals a great deal about the poster and life in 2026, while simultaneously making you feel sad for those who work for CAMRA’s social media team.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Opinion" />
                        <updated>2026-05-10T05:19:04+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Staying cool on planet Earth]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/01/staying-cool-on-planet-earth" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2849</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Roger Protz]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[One of the astronauts on the mission to the moon in April said planet Earth looked beautiful when seen from space. But planet Earth runs the risk of being burnt to a crisp unless all of us – governments, industries and the general populace – take action to tackle climate change.
It’s therefore encouraging to find brewers and farmers joining forces to help save the planet. “Regenerative farming” may not trip easily off the tongue, but it’s a system that avoids artificial fertilisers and agrichemicals, allowing barley and other plants to grow naturally.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Opinion" />
                        <updated>2026-05-09T05:07:04+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Brewer turns clock back for celebration beer]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/01/brewer-turns-clock-back-for-celebration-beer" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2848</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Timothy Hampson]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[St Austell is celebrating its 175th anniversary with the release of 1851, a special-edition commemorative ale brewed to mark the year the brewery was founded.
Created using brewing records from the brewery’s archive, 1851 draws inspiration from a recipe first produced to celebrate St Austell’s 150th anniversary.
The original recipe was recorded by former brewer Merv Westaway in handwritten journals.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Industry" />
                        <updated>2026-05-08T05:19:05+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Strangers things have happened]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/01/strangers-things-have-happened" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2847</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Timothy Hampson]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[A Linlithgow favourite reached the heart of government this month as Strangers Brewing saw its popular amber beer Cockleroi go on tap at the House of Commons.
The brewery was invited to showcase the beer in the aptly named Strangers’ Bar inside the Palace of Westminster. The guest spot came following a recommendation from MP Kirsteen Sullivan, providing parliamentarians with a taste of West Lothian.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Industry" />
                        <updated>2026-05-07T05:04:06+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Have a beer on the Telegraph]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/05/05/have-a-beer-on-the-telegraph" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2846</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[WB Reporter]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Hundreds of pubs across Britain will serve free pints of Telegraph Ale to mark paper’s National Pub Day on 16 May. 
The Telegraph has been campaigning to save Britain’s pubs, chronicling the economic pressures crippling the hospitality industry as an average of four pubs a day close in 2026.]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Pub" />
                        <updated>2026-05-08T11:34:32+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Welsh win double]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/04/28/welsh-win-double" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2845</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[Harri Knight-Davis]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[Llysfaen’s Conwy brewery doubled up in CAMRA’s Champion Bottled Beer of Wales competition, winning both gold and bronze medals in the 4.4 per cent and above category.
The brewery’s Telford Porter (5.6 per cent ABV) was crowned overall winner after fighting off competition from beers across Wales.
Silver went to the refreshing, hazy yellow smooth gold Hefeweizen (5.2 per cent) by Geipel Brewing, Denbighshire. Conwy took bronze for its nutty, sessionable Rampart Brown Ale (4.8 per cent).]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Campaign" />
                        <updated>2026-05-05T05:21:04+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
            <entry>
            <title><![CDATA[Explore Belgian beers, breweries and bars with updated guide]]></title>
            <link rel="alternate" href="https://wb.camra.org.uk/2026/04/29/explore-belgian-beers-breweries-and-bars-with-updated-guide" />
            <id>https://wb.camra.org.uk/2844</id>
            <author>
                <name><![CDATA[WB Reporter]]></name>
            </author>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[The new, fully revised and updated Good Beer Guide Belgium is the essential guide to one of the world’s greatest beer destinations. 
The latest edition of CAMRA’s guide by Tim Skelton showcases more than 1,500 beers and the 400 brewers and lambic blenders who make them, plus, most importantly, 650 of the best places to enjoy them. ]]>
            </summary>
                                    <category term="Campaign" />
                        <updated>2026-05-04T03:22:04+01:00</updated>
        </entry>
    </feed>
