Campaign for Real Ale  Enfield and Barnet Branch

About the Branch

Welcome to the Enfield and Barnet Branch of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale). CAMRA was formed in 1971, initially to ensure that beer drinkers had the opportunity to drink real ale in their pubs, which at that time was beginning to disappear. Nowadays, CAMRA has widened its scope to include the issue of misleading dispense, pub preservation, cider and perry and campaigning against brewery closures.

A Short History of Enfield & Barnet CAMRA Branch
-as recounted by founder member and past chairman of the branch, DEREK SMITH.
The Enfield & Barnet Branch was carved out from the North London Branch of CAMRA in December 1974. Enfield & Barnet was set up to cover the two London Boroughs of the same name. This was part of the general development of CAMRA Branches in London. The London Branch had earlier split into North, South and West London. More branches were formed until the current London structure evolved.The first Enfield & Barnet meeting was held at the King George in Barnet and the normally curtained off section of the bar was packed with forty plus members. In the first month of its existence the Branch lost two of the fifteen real ale pubs within its boundaries as the big brewers ripped out handpumps and installed keg or top pressure beer. The Branch used to encourage interested landlords to install real ale by lending out 'the Branch handpump'. We advised one young entrepreneur on his plans to open a free house in a converted shop in Muswell Hill. Subsequently, he sold out to Tim Martin (of Wetherspoons).The next 28 years has seen the pub scene swing to and fro. Real ale has been installed and ripped out as the brewers and now the pubcos chase the latest craze. Fortunately a lot more of our pubs now sell real ale, but the Branch still has plenty to campaign about. The Branch has tried to increase the availability and popularity of real ale. We have been involved in a number of beer tents on Enfield Playing Fields, Alexandra Park and Cherry Tree Woods in East Finchley. As well as distributing the London Drinker magazine we have held leaflet campaigns against brewery closures and even given samples of cask beer away. The Branch went to court in the early 80s in an attempt to extend the weekday pub closing times from 10.30 until 11.00pm in the Barnet licensing division. This attracted a lot of publicity but the magistrates refused the application on that occasion. Two years later it was granted. Subsequent Westminster legislation has made daytime drinking hours a lot more civilised. The current proposals to legalise short measure is a national scandal and we have lobbied local MPs against this swindle. The Branch runs a regular social programme that has featured darts matches, brewery visits, pub-crawls, and occasional meals. The first trip the Branch held was a coach trip to Ware in Hertfordshire and the most recent was a weekend in Brussels. We are a friendly group which encourages and welcomes all CAMRA members to come along and join in our activities that can be found listed in What’s Brewing and London Drinker. DEREK SMITH

Top