A CALL has gone out to help the local economy – by visiting your nearest pub and buying a pint.
Organisers of a national campaign want Reading and Wokingham residents to support the 143,000 people who work in pubs and restaurants across the south east by adding an extra drink to their round.
The Long Live The Local campaign says the money will be used to support, among others, brewers, delivery drivers, and farmers who help create a quality beer – in all, around a million people.
Among the community champions who know the benefits of having a strong local pub is Natalia Foley, who runs The Narrowboat in Blakes Lock with her partner Tristan.
They moved to Reading from The Victoria Arms in Binfield when the pub opened on the site of the former Bel & Dragon last summer.
She said: “The Narrowboat is at the heart of the community. We’ve had events the whole family can come to.”
This has included cheese tasting evenings, pantos, Shakespeare, and quiz sessions suitable for parents to bring their babies along to.
“We’ve sold out many events,” Natalia explained. “We’ve got lots planned for 2024, and hope that people will bring their families and use the pub all year round.
“We see The Narrowboat as a safe space slightly out of the town centre, and want people to come with their families, whether it’s a Sunday afternoon or a Tuesday night.”
The emphasis on family is important for The Narrowboat’s team.
“Pubs are really important. You use them all the time throughout all the stages of your life. Whether you’re getting married, having a Christening, celebrating birthdays.
“We will also run a family fun weekend over Easter, and work with the community, holding coffee mornings and socials.”
That community focus included a beer festival which raised £450 the Count Me In Collective, which is working to create jobs in the brewing industry for people with autism and additional needs.
With the weddings, The Narrowboat has an advantage of accommodation, and it also boosts the Reading economy – “we use local businesses,” she said. That goes for booking flowers to supporting breweries such as Siren Craft Brew in Finchampstead, and Mysterious Brewing in Silchester.
And there’s another side to the pub, which is why it matters.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) commissioned YouGov research which shows that, in the South East, 81% of people say pubs are important in bringing people together, while 70% think pubs help combat loneliness and isolation.
Natalia explained: “My job is basically talking to customers, helping them and listening to their life stories, which I love.”
Long Live The Local wants to see beer duty reduced to European Union levels: in the UK it is 54p for draught beer and 59p for packaged beer, but 20p average on the continent.
It also calls for the VAT rate reduced to 12.5% for pubs, and a reform of business rates including keeping the 75% relief scheme.
The Long Live the Local campaign invites Brits to buy an extra round to support the people behind the pint and join the campaign to secure the future of their local.
Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “The great British pint is woven into the fabric of our communities, economies and regional identities. Local pubs are some of our most beloved tourist attractions, while our breweries produce some of the finest beers in the world.
“The industry needs our support to survive. Britain remains one of the most expensive places in the world to have a pint, with beer duty more than double the average across Europe.
“The next Parliament must make bringing beer duty in line with Europe a priority – taking at least 34 pence off the price of a pint – as well as reforming business rates so that brewers and pubs can continue investing in the future, providing quality jobs and training for people across the whole of the UK.”
Or, as Natalia, said: “No one wants to be the last pub in the town. That’s not the way our industry works. It’s better for everybody to have a thriving pub sector.
“January and February are tough months for hospitality.”
For more on the Long Live The Local campaign, log on to: www.longlivethelocal.pub
For more on The Narrowboat, log on to: www.narrowboatreading.co.uk
