Despite a host of difficulties in the world economy there is one sector which seems to be on the rise, and that is the world of brewing beer. The industry group which supports the development of the beer industry, known as CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) says there are now 767 breweries functioning all across the UK.
The industry journal the CAMRA publishes, the Good Beer Guide, stated in its newest edition that in just the last year alone 78 new breweries opened. After taking into account the breweries that closed, the net total gain was 56 breweries.
In what CAMRA says is a powerful response to ‘taste and quality’ the majority of new breweries were of the micro- variety, small scale breweries which can more easily meet specific tastes of the consumer.
Roger Protz of the Good Beer Guide explained that,
"The real ale revolution goes on in spite of all the problems facing the brewing industry such as the often anti-competitive behavior of the large pub companies, the heavy and continuing rise in tax on beer, grossly unfair competition from supermarkets, and the smoking ban in pubs.
"Yet, against all the odds, craft breweries continue to sprout like mushrooms at dawn. The main reason is a simple one – craft brewers are responding to genuine consumer demand.
"Beer in pubs may be expensive compared to cheap supermarkets but drinkers are prepared to pay a bit extra for beer with taste and quality."