CAMRA’s ‘Summer of Pub’ campaign is back this year to get as many people as possible enjoying the season of good – or at least better – weather by heading down to their local for a pint.
We will be celebrating how our nation’s pubs offer numerous benefits to people’s mental and social well-being and play an instrumental role in the communities they serve. After two years of lockdowns, restrictions and unprecedented pub closures, this is a time to celebrate being able to return to our locals and to recognise everything they have done throughout the pandemic.
Campaigning to support Britain’s pubs is something anyone can get involved in and can be as simple as stepping out the door and taking a stroll to a local. If you can encourage some friends or family to join you, then all the better. Drinking cheap supermarket booze at home does little to improve your life – but change that setting to the social environment of a pub and you can increase your happiness, make friends and connect with others in your local community, while still enjoying the tipple of your choice.
CAMRA’s National Chairman, Nik Antona, said: “We are kicking off on 2 May to coincide with the first Bank Holiday of the summer, and the celebrations will run until the last summer Bank Holiday on 29 August.
“This is the first time in two years that we’ve been able to come together and support pubs, clubs, brewers and cider makers in this way, and I urge everyone to make the most of this summer by joining in with Summer of Pub however they can.
“The financial aftershocks of the pandemic, combined with recent tax hikes mean that this is a difficult time for the trade. It is vital we give them all the support we can, so that we can continue to enjoy everything that makes our nation’s pubs so special for many summers to come.
“If your idea of a perfect summer involves a pint and a beer garden, then get involved, and start your Summer of Pub.”
As the season progresses, make sure to plan a pub visit for some of our key celebratory dates, whether it’s Pub Pride Day (27 May), the Jubilee Bank Holiday (3-5 June), Beer Day Britain, and Beer Day NI (15 June), the Women’s Euros (6-31 July), the return of the UK’s biggest beer festival at the Great British Beer Festival (4-8 August), or one of many others, leading up to the closing PUBlic Bank Holiday weekend (29 August).
So head down to the pub, make friends and memories, and – most importantly – shout about how much you love your local this Summer.
You can join the fun by supporting Summer of Pub on social media. Let us know how you’ll be celebrating by sharing photos of you and friends in the pub using the hashtag #SummerofPub. To find out more and see Summer of Pub events near you, visit camra.org.uk/summerofpub.