A warning that consumers may be confused by the use of handpumps for keg beer has been issued by Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
 |
| Handpumps mean Cask Conditioned Beer |
The Carlsberg Marstons Brewing Company (CMBC) plans to serve keg beer through handpumps which beer drinkers widely understand as usually being exclusively used for cask conditioned beer.
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has asked for investigations into whether the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations have been breached.
Trading Standards contacted
The Campaign has written to National Trading Standards and Trading Standards Scotland asking for an investigation into the products, which use a cask handpump to serve the beer, which is kegged rather than cask conditioned.
The Handpump Hijack Campaign
This is the start of the ‘Handpump Hijack’ campaign to raise awareness of misleading beer dispense, and make sure that the handpump remains a signifier of cask-conditioned beer.
Gillian Hough, National Director and Chair of CAMRA’s Real Ale, Cider and Perry Campaigns Committee, said:
“CAMRA believes that these practices come under the scope of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, as the average consumer may choose to buy the product on the basis that they believe it to be cask conditioned beer, which in this case it is not.
She also says:
Handpumps are uniquely British and are synonymous with cask beer and we believe that CMBC’s attempts to hijack the handpump to serve kegged beer will only lead to consumer confusion. The impact of this pernicious misleading dispense will affect the reputation and availability of cask conditioned beer in all pubs and social clubs.
We would like National Trading Standards to urgently investigate whether CMBC’s Fresh Ale concept, sold via misleading use of cask handpumps thereby presenting as a version of cask beer, is confusing to customers. "
and
CAMRA firmly believes that the traditional British handpump should continue to be used exclusively to dispense cask-conditioned beer or their traditional cider and perry equivalents.
