The use of a handpump on a pub bar has always indicated that the beer being served is cask conditioned (Real Ale). Serving other beers, notably keg or brewery conditioned beers, by handpump is confusing and misleads the customer. CAMRA has vigorously opposed this practice and with the support of Trading Standards Departments this misleading practice has been effectively wiped out.

Recently, Marston’s (Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company) has introduced a range of keg beers, described as Fresh Ale, which it intends to serve by handpump. CAMRA is mounting a campaign to oppose this practice which it has called the Handpump Hijack. The beers affected at present are Wainwright Gold, Wainwright Amber and Hobgoblin IPA. Apart from Marston’s own pubs, the beers may appear in Stonegate and Thwaites pubs and in the free trade.

In line with long established CAMRA policy, any pub using misleading dispense will be excluded from consideration for the Good Beer guide and any CAMRA pub awards. In addition, the pub’s entry in the online WhatPub pub guide will carry a prominent warning about the pub’s use of misleading dispense. Any of the beers being marketed as Fresh ale will be ineligible for any CAMRA awards because of possible confusion between the real cask conditioned beer and the keg Fresh Ale version.

Although Marston’s say that the pump clip will state the Fresh Ale is brewery conditioned, this will not be understood by most customers and is likely to be overlooked anyway. If you see these beers, ask the licensee or bar staff if it is the new Fresh Ale. If it is, report it to the local CAMRA Branch and we will investigate. You can use the ‘fill in the feedback form’ link on the pub’s entry on the WhatPub website.