Welcome to the Web Site of the Chelmsford and Mid-Essex Branch of CAMRA - The Campaign for Real Ale
#TryanuaryAtHome
Tryanuary is a volunteer-led, online community that encourages consumers to continue supporting small, independent beer businesses during January, a notoriously difficult trading month in a normal year, let alone when pubs and clubs are closed under another lockdown.CAMRA has supported Tryanuary since it started and has sponsored the campaign since 2020.
Take a look at the following links, to help find something new to try:
Deliveries & Takeaways
We have a list of breweries and pubs offering deliveries, collections (not pubs - at present) or both here. Try and support them if you can.
Lockdown Heroes
During the September meeting of the branch commitee, it was thought that as a gesture of appreciation we should recognise those pubs and local breweries that did something extra special during the lockdown.
If you cannot see your CME Lockdown Hero here, then send us an email and let us know your reasons.
Bishop Nick
Chelmsford Brew Co
Endeavour Chelmsford
Black Bull Chelmsford
Leather Bottle Pleshey
Oddfellows Smoke House Chelmsford
Orange Tree Chelmsford
Wheatsheaf Writtle
Brew2You
Easily search for local beer, cider and perry nearby available to order by delivery and or collection. Help support the industry by shopping local using the Brew2You app!
Brew2You was created by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) to support pubs and breweries during a time where trade is low and to help reduce wastage of beer.
Our aim is to bring people and great beer from great local businesses together.
Discover Cider
Discover Cider is a new initiative launched by cider expert Gabe Cook.
There are three central themes to the campaign:
1. Discover: There's a Cider for Everyone
- The amazing diversity of styles, flavours and presentation
- The diverse range of different occasions to enjoy cider
- Cider brings communities together, from growers to makers to drinkers
- From hobbyists to long-time producers, orchardists to sommeliers, cider is made, and consumed, by a wide range of people
- Cider makes a vital positive landscape contribution through orchards
- The cider making process is inherently lower in energy use than other drinks
- Cider is a highly sustainable drink, supporting the communities and economies of rural regions, as well as the landscape
Small Brewers' Relief Petition
The Treasury has proposed some changes to the Small Brewers' Relief scheme – this scheme allows smaller brewers to pay less tax to compensate for the economies of scale enjoyed by larger brewers.The scheme been instrumental in the brewing boom of the last two decades. The changes that the Treasury wants to make will take away tax relief from the brewers at the smaller end of the production scale to give more relief to larger 'small' brewers – it’s a 'reverse Robin Hood' tax.
Take action to protect your choice at the bar, small breweries, and the beers they make:
Sign the petition on the parliament.uk website
Pub of the Year 2020
Congratulations to Trish and the team at The Orange Tree
CME CAMRA Pub of the Year 2020.
Runner up was Ale House.
Compasses, Littley Green was highly commended.
Cider Pub of the Year 2020
Congratulations to John and his team at The Hop Beer Shop, three years in a row!
CME CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year 2020.
Runner up was King William IV, Braintree.
Square and Compasses, Fuller Street was highly commended.
Recommended Pub Guide 2020
This guide highlights fantastic pubs in our branch area which have been selected for the quality of their real ale, features and attractiveness.
All are surveyed and updated by local CAMRA members on whatpub.com throughout the year.
Rural Pub Trail
Originally planned to finish at the 2020 Summer beer and Cider Festival, this has now been extended so the free tokens can be used the next time we have a festival.
Collect a special mark or stamp from each pub when you visit and order a half or pint of real Ale or Cider.
Click here to download the trail guide.
...or click here if you just want a list of the pubs.
THIRSTY TIMES SUSPENSION
As a result of the ongoing quarantine due to Covid-19, Thirsty Times magazine is in abeyance until Government restrictions are lifted.
All at the four branches involved in Thirsty Times would like to thank our advertisers and tireless army of distributors, and encourage contributions of articles especially those popularising real ale and cider as well as visiting and saving pubs.
For example: Why I want to drink in pubs rather than at home; My First Pint and All About Ale.
When we exit the current conditions, if you can contribute any thoughts on how we as a campaign might best help the many pubs that will be on the brink, this would be doubly welcome.
Score Your Beers!!!
If you are a CAMRA member, we want you to tell us about the quality of beer in the pubs you visit.
The National Beer Scoring System (NBSS) is a 0-5 point scale for judging beer quality in pubs. It is an easy to use system that has been designed to assist CAMRA branches in selecting pubs for the Good Beer Guide and also monitor beer quality by encouraging CAMRA members from any part of the world to report beer quality on any pub in the UK.
You can now score your beers using the Good Beer Guide App making it easier than ever to help promote pubs serving great beer.