Exeter & East Devon Branch

Campaigns

This should give you an idea of the range of things we get up to...

Beer Festivals - as well as organising and running the Exeter Festival of Winter Ales, we also assist at other beer festivals. Well someone has to do it!

Brewery Trips - part social and part campaigning, a combination which is usually very enjoyable and relaxing. The pleasure of sampling real ale at its source and as the brewer intended cannot be overestimated.

Cider/Perry Month - cider and perry are part of our drinking tradition, particularly so in Devon.

Community Pubs Week - where would we be without pubs? Formerly called National Pubs Week, Community Pubs Week usually takes place annually in February.

Good Beer Guide - branch members visit pubs throughout the year and may nominate and survey them for entry into the annual Good Beer Guide if the quality of the beer is consistently high.

Mild Month - mild is a very underestimated drink and this national campaign exists to promote mild in May. Usually, we encourage pubs to stock a mild in May and then organise a minibus tour to visit as many of them as possible. In 2000, we organised an award-winning Mild Trail of 30 pubs in the area and persuaded all the local brewers at the time to brew a mild.

Pub Preservation - we advise local people regarding issues surrounding pub closures or change of use. We have been involved in two such issues in the past few years regarding the Redwing Inn, Lympstone and the Staplecross Inn, Hockworthy. Happily, both remain as pubs, serving their community and providing a livelihood for their owners.

Pub of the Year - every year, we nominate, vote on and select a Pub of the Year (POTY). Our winner joins others in other CAMRA branches in the South West to select an area POTY which then goes on to the national final.

Working with Local and National Organisations - in 2003, the Old Inn, Kilmington won a national award jointly organised by CAMRA and the Campaign for Real food for the best pub sausage and mash.

In 2004, the branch were involved in organising a pub crawl of 10 Exeter pubs as part of the inaugural Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink . This is now a regular event and attracts thousands of people.