CAMRA slams proposed ban on takeaway beer sales for pubs and brewers

[editor]

Quite right too. All those small breweries who have just got back into production are going to have to pour their beers away while the big boy supermarkets can flog as much booze as they like.

CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona said:

“Offering alcohol for takeaway was a lifeline for many pubs, and particularly breweries, during the first lockdown in England. It is a baffling and damaging decision to remove this option, particularly when other businesses such as supermarkets can continue to sell takeaway alcohol.

“Pubs and breweries were already reporting losses and the risk of closure before Christmas, and this will only add to the risk of permanent closures within the next few months. CAMRA and the entire pub and brewery industry are now urging the Government to reverse this bizarre decision and ensure the survival of our pubs and breweries.

“We are encouraging all concerned consumers to write to their MP and request the scrapping of the takeaway sales ban to give pubs and brewers in England a better chance of surviving the lockdown. This also needs to be accompanied with a sector-specific support package to avoid permanent closures, otherwise the damage to communities across the country will be irreparable.”

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Concerned pub goers and beer drinkers in England can email their MP and ask for the removal of the takeaway restrictions, and a proper support package for pubs and brewers here: Ask your MP to help #SaveOurPubs

CAMRA slams proposed ban on takeaway beer sales for pubs and brewers - CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale

The Campaign for Real Ale has blasted the proposed ban on pubs and brewers selling takeaway beer during the impending lockdown in England, details of which were revealed over the weekend.

camra.org.uk

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

During Lockdown 1 many of the pubs in my town did takeaway food with a 2 pint offering. People were happy to pay slightly more than the odds for the food and booze cos it was giving a lifeline to the pubs we wanted to still exist once it ended. Not so sure that people will be as willing to come in to town for it without the booze. For lager-louts like me it's fine, but we have a number of pubs that appeal to the real-ale bores, they would be more than happy to pay pub prices for take away Old Bishop's Rectum or whatever it is they like.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Sadly, some pubs took the piss, selling take-aways in plastic pint 'glasses', resulting in crowds gathering outside on the streets, ideally the rules should allow take-aways in proper take home containers, whereas a hammer has been used to crack a nut.

Of course, they can still offer a delivery service if they wish.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Of course, they can still offer a delivery service if they wish.

Can they deliver booze?

 

[cupid_stunt]

Old Bishop's Rectum or whatever it is they like.

And, the Bishop's Finger to you.

 

[souljacker]

There is a really excellent real ale pub near me that did a roaring trade in takeaway beer that people went over to the nearby park to drink. It ended up getting a bit out of hand to be honest with the park filling up with people and everyone peeing in the bushes but it kept a pub in business during lockdown part 1. It wouldn't happen like that now that the weather is shit and the nights are drawing in but they would have still at least managed to get rid of some of their stock. I really don't see what the problem is with selling takeaways.

 

[TopCat]

I bet a pint of pub Stella isn't very attractive by the time you have got it home.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Can they deliver booze?

They certainly did last time, one pub I know here was delivering real ale in 4-pint plastic 'milk' bottles, you can order booze online from specific websites & supermarkets, so I can't see the problem with pubs doing a delivery, there's certainly nothing in the guidelines to suggest otherwise.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

They certainly did last time, one pub I know here was delivering real ale in 4-pint plastic 'milk' bottles, you can order booze online from specific websites & supermarkets, so I can't see the problem with pubs doing a delivery, there's certainly nothing in the guidelines to suggest otherwise.

From the govt website:

Hospitality venues like restaurants, bars and pubs must close, but can still provide takeaway and delivery services. However, takeaway of alcohol will not be allowed.

So doesn't rule out deliver booze, but doesn't rule it it either. Very Boris.

 

[LDC]

From the govt website:

Hospitality venues like restaurants, bars and pubs must close, but can still provide takeaway and delivery services. However, takeaway of alcohol will not be allowed.

So doesn't rule out deliver booze, but doesn't rule it it either. Very Boris.

That's clear to me. Delivery of alcohol is allowed. Take away isn't. TBH I think that's fair, it's harsh like the kids sports stuff and collective worship, but the lockdown is overdue and needs to be stricter than it is, so eroding it in any way would not be a good idea.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

That's clear to me. Delivery of alcohol is allowed. Take away isn't. TBH I think that's fair, it's harsh like the kids sports stuff and collective worship, but the lockdown is overdue and needs to be stricter than it is, so eroding it in any way would not be a good idea.

Are you sure? Pubs here were not allowed to deliver booze last time, something to do with their licences vs age verification.

 

[LDC]

Are you sure? Pubs here were not allowed to deliver booze last time, something to do with their licences vs age verification.

Ah, I guess if it's a specific license thing maybe that's different and wouldn't be in the rules as it's not allowed on different grounds? I was thinking breweries, shops, etc. can deliver.

 

[skyscraper101]

I had take away booze from a pub near me in June.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Ah, I guess if it's a specific license thing maybe that's different and wouldn't be in the rules as it's not allowed on different grounds? I was thinking breweries, shops, etc. can deliver.

Actually looking back the only time I asked them to deliver was when we were in the park and asked them to deliver there, perhaps they can deliver to homes, but CAMRA and others are stating they'll have to pour away their ales, so perhaps not?

 

[Teaboy]

There must be so much stock being thrown away with food and drink. Just might as well chuck notes out of a window.

 

[Pickman's model]

I bet a pint of pub Stella isn't very attractive by the time you have got it home.

It's often not very attractive when you've brought it back to your table

 

[killer b]

Actually looking back the only time I asked them to deliver was when we were in the park and asked them to deliver there, perhaps they can deliver to homes, but CAMRA and others are stating they'll have to pour away their ales, so perhaps not?

Most pubs will be allowed to deliver - but many will still have to pour away a lot of beer even then, as deliveries won't match what they'd have sold in the pub. Nor would takeaway, but it would help

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Actually looking back the only time I asked them to deliver was when we were in the park and asked them to deliver there, perhaps they can deliver to homes, but CAMRA and others are stating they'll have to pour away their ales, so perhaps not?

Seems I may have been a tad lazy...

 

[The39thStep]

Hopefully they'll amend the guidance . Cant see why takeaway alcohol from pubs, bars and restaurants is being singled out is being single out .

 

[LDC]

Hopefully they'll amend the guidance . Cant see why takeaway alcohol from pubs, bars and restaurants is being singled out is being single out .

Why do you think they're being singled out, when there's plenty of things aren't allowed. And this one isn't allowed because it encourages or enables crowds of people to congregate and so the risk of transmission increases, like all the things that are being banned for 4 weeks.

 

[Teaboy]

Hopefully they'll amend the guidance . Cant see why takeaway alcohol from pubs, bars and restaurants is being singled out is being single out .

I think Cupid is probably right upthread. Towards the end of the first lockdown there were a few places doing take-away pints which led to people just drinking on the pavements outside the pubs. I can understand why they wouldn't want that again but there is a bloody big difference between then and now. About 30 degrees different.

 

[LDC]

You have people arguing this should be allowed. People arguing sports should be allowed. People arguing collective worship is allowed. Etc. Can people not see the problem with this line?

 

[Teaboy]

Why do you think they're being singled out, when there's plenty of things aren't allowed. And this one isn't allowed because it encourages or enables crowds of people to congregate and so the risk of transmission increases, like all the things that are being banned for 4 weeks.

Just a shame they are happy to see places where transmission is rampant carry on as normal.

 

[Pickman's model]

Why do you think they're being singled out, when there's plenty of things aren't allowed. And this one isn't allowed because it encourages or enables crowds of people to congregate and so the risk of transmission increases, like all the things that are being banned for 4 weeks.

schools and unis increase the risk of transmission yet are staying open and arguably neither are as fun as going to the pub

 

[LDC]

I mean I'd probably shut all (or some) of them too. And the fact they're open isn't a good argument for opening or allowing more.

 

[Spandex]

You have people arguing this should be allowed. People arguing sports should be allowed. People arguing collective worship is allowed. Etc. Can people not see the problem with this line?

Absolutely this.

Just today CAMRA are saying 'why can't we sell take away drinks, won't make that much difference ', churches are saying 'why can't we have services, won't make that much difference ' and sports bodies are saying 'why can't we have outdoor sports, won't make that much difference '. Who will be complaining tomorrow that their business will suffer or favourite activity is banned?

The new lockdown, despite keeping lots of workplaces and education open, is supposed to be quite strict: stay home unless you are going out for a specific purpose, don't go round other people's houses, only meet one person from another household. There's already loopholes the size of Denmark in the guidance if people look for them. If every interest group gets an exception then we might as well not bother having a lockdown at all, let the virus run rampant and act all surprised when the NHS collapses under the weight of Covid admissions.

This will totally fuck some pubs, and they deserve support from government, but if we're having a loose lockdown, let's not make it any looser.

 

[hash tag]

I bet a pint of pub Stella isn't very attractive by the time you have got it home.

That's unlikely to ever be attractive.

 

[Pickman's model]

I mean I'd probably shut all (or some) of them too. And the fact they're open isn't a good argument for opening or allowing more.

I thought you meant that all the things being banned posed transmission risks. Which is a great leap, I don't suppose anyone has caught coronavirus from playing a round of golf with someone else, or from tennis or from swimming. And most pubs won't have had the anti-social behaviour complained of. If the government was really serious about this lockdown it would have closed everything instead of leaving vast centres of transmission open

 

[DJWrongspeed]

We used Canopy in Herne Hill as our take out pub during lockdown. Worked fine, can't see a reason to change the rules?

 

[two sheds]

Just phoned the local - last of three in the village to be open - and said 'I don't think we've met because I've not been down for a while but are you doing local deliveries or off sales during lockdown' and the landlord said 'no you won't because we've only taken over today'. That's the third landlord over the last year and some timing to take over now. He said they can't deliver and they'll be open tonight and tomorrow but then he's going back to his old job and his wife will be clearing up and doesn't know what's happening after that .

Fucking stupid they can't do local deliveries if supermarkets can.