“Centuries of British tradition” are under threat says CAMRA as it renews calls for brewing giant Carlsberg to stop selling what it says is imitation cask beer brands, one year on from the ‘Fresh Ale’ launch.
Beer lovers at CAMRA have accused global drinks producer of damaging the reputation of cask beer by hijacking traditional handpulls to sell their imitation range of ‘Fresh Ale’.
The ‘Fresh Ale’ concept sees kegged beer served through handpulls at the bar, masquerading as cask beer.
Recent reports claim that ‘Fresh Ale’ sales have been ‘growing steadily’, however, CAMRA strongly disagrees this will ‘reinvigorate the popularity of cask’ but will instead mislead consumers and actually remove cask beer from bars in favour of ‘Fresh Ale’ to be sold.
CAMRA has complained to Trading Standards about the range, maintaining that it qualifies as misleading dispense, and says that the reputation of cask beer is being damaged by Carlsberg’s attempts to hijack handpulls.
The consumer organisation which represents 145,000 pubgoers and beer drinkers is calling on the Government to step in – and is urging Trading Standards departments across the country to prevent pubgoers from being duped into buying ‘Fresh Ale’.
Commenting, CAMRA Chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “Enjoying a pint of cracking cask beer from your local pub is one of life’s great pleasures. Cask beer is the real deal – a fresh, live product crafted with great care by the UK’s best brewers.
“Our tradition of enjoying great cask beer is under threat from Carlsberg’s plan to keep rolling out their ‘Fresh Ale’ – which we believe is an inferior substitute for proper cask beer.
“Instead of being open and honest about the new kegged beers they are selling, Carlsberg are undermining centuries of British tradition and misleading punters into thinking they are ordering cask beer from a traditional handpull at the bar. It also elbows out opportunities for independent breweries to serve their cask beer at the bar if pumps are taken up with this ‘Fresh Ale’ instead.”