8:00am Tuesday 10th August 2010
By Mark Bowen
A Leominster pub is flying the flag for the importance of the local.
The Grape Vaults, in Broad Street, is supporting a campaign by The Publican magazine to raise awareness of the roles pubs play within the local community.
The independent pub has been supported by Leominster MP Bill Wiggin who popped in for a quick drink to show his support for the Proud of Pubs campaign.
“We are free of a tie which means we are free to buy our own beer,” said Kristy Colley, one of the pub’s licensees and its assistant manager.
“We are struggling against the big pub companies and with the recession, business can be quite slow.
“Pubs are really important to the community.
“They are important to families and adults and we are closing these in small market towns and local pubs are dying off. It’s very sad,” she said.
As result of a “local is good”
philosophy the pub stocks beers produced by Mayfields in Leominster , Wye Valley in Stoke Lacy, St George’s in Worcester and the Ludlow Brewing Company.
“With our food we support the local butcher and grocer.
We rarely buy out of town and in return they come to us when they want food,” said Kristy.
As part of the campaign licensees have held fundraising events, parties, tried something new in their pubs and invited local dignitaries to learn more about the trade.
Although overall quarterly beer sales have been on the up for the first time in four years, pub beer sales were down 6.3 per cent on the same period in 2009, according to the latest UK Quarterly Beer Barometer.
Sales in supermarkets and shops rose by 13.7 per cent in the second quarter, with year-on-year sales also up by 4.4 per cent.
Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “While there is some reason for cheer, it has to be noted that beer sales in pubs are still falling and the nation’s pubs need support.”
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