The Ranmoor Inn in Sheffield was the pub that helped SIBA achieve the milestone. The pub, which features in Camra’s Good Beer Guide, sells three permanent local ales and a fourth guest ale which is often sourced from the Yorkshire region.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome The Ranmoor Inn into the scheme,” said SIBA chief executive Julian Grocock. “We’re pleased to reach the 100-pub milestone with SIBA Locals – though there are of course many thousands more who would benefit from joining the scheme.”
Benefits to members of the SIBA Locals scheme include a brass plaque for display outside the pub, posters to communicate beer information and a listing on the SIBA Locals website.
“For licensees, it’s a way to promote their ‘local beer hero’ credentials and attract the growing number of customers who now expect to see locally-brewed beers on the bar in the same way that they expect to see locally-sourced food on the menu,” added Grocock.
Good for business
Local beer is one of the only sectors of the UK beer market to be showing growth. According to SIBA’s Local Brewing Industry Report, local beer volumes grew by 8.8% per cent during 2010, compared to an overall decline in the beer market of -3.9 per cent (BBPA Beer Barometer). Some 80 per cent of SIBA’s volumes are cask ales.
“Local ales have been good for business,” said Nigel Wiliams, who has run The Ranmoor Inn for 10 years with wife Vanessa. “Our customers are typical of the new generation of cask drinkers: affluent young professionals, including a growing number of women. Our best sellers are ales between 3.5-4 per cent ABV.”
Licensees interested in finding out more about SIBA Locals should visit the website http://www.siba.co.uk/sibalocals/.