Campaign for Real Ale Reviews 20

After having been a happy Camra member for over 20 years, we decided to cancel our membership in about 2016 or so. Strangely, we kept on getting 'money off at Wetherspoons' vouchers, despite trying to tell them we'd left. As we weren't being charged we just binned the vouchers and forgot about it.
Later, around about Covid times we noticed we were re enrolled as members again and were being charged again.
In 2025 we asked to be unsubscribed, but they insist we pay another full year's membership. £42 I think, despite saying we didn't want it. They refuse to refund us and we, ironically had no benefits of vouchers this time. I contacted them twice but got no joy. Bunch of insensitive jobsworths with no resemblance to the good people who began this campaign back in The Farriers Arms in St Albans when I was a teenager. AVOID.

Unfortunately, I will not be rejoining, which is a shame as the concept of real ale is important to me. During my time as a member, I honestly didn’t feel I got much in return apart from receiving a magazine. For the cost, I expected more tangible benefits or engagement. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend joining – you’re better off simply enjoying your local pub and, if you like, forming your own group of fellow enthusiasts.

As a member of the CAMRA Fife Branch, I can honestly say it’s been one of the most enjoyable and rewarding ways to spend my free time. The branch brings together like-minded people of all ages who share a passion for real ale, good pubs, and proper conversation.

Whether it’s a local social around Fife or a day trip further afield, the atmosphere is always warm, welcoming, and great fun. There’s a real sense of camaraderie — no egos, just good laughs, good company, and great beer. I’ve discovered some fantastic pubs I never would have found on my own, and always learn something new, whether it’s about brewing, cellarmanship, or pub heritage.

If you’re into real ale or just looking to meet new people in friendly surroundings, I can’t recommend CAMRA Fife Branch enough. It’s not just about the pints — it’s about the people, the places, and the shared passion.

Cheers!

Awful people. We were last members over fifteen years ago but they keep taking my money every few years despite cancelling membership on two occassions (third time lucky). Thought I'd settled it in 2022, finally, but they've started doing it again. It seems they do not remove your details from their systems, even after cancellation, and revive it later when you think you're shot of them and forgotten all about them. Clear infringement of the data protection act at the very least and possibly criminal activity when they start taking your money again. Called them today and they say my address was made invalid the last time I called and they haven't been sending out membership cards, vouchers or handbook so we can't use any service they claim to provide, and I have paid for against my will, even if we wanted to. Also means I can't return the membership pack, which is how they say you cancel membership. How can we return a pack that they admit they never sent!!!!!! Very argumentative on the phone and continually talking over me.
The best way to avoid going through what we have had to endure would be not to join in the first place. Go to your local, choose a beer you like and spend your CAMRA membership money on a few extra pints instead.

Bought membership for the first time more than a year before the 2024 Summer festival. We drink real ale and were convinced that the cost of membership would be offset by the 50p beer vouchers that were included. It appeared that CAMRA associate with many 'member' pubs.
In fact , over the course of a year my wife and I landed in very few pubs of our choice that are signed up with CAMRA . This was a surprise . It seemed that we could go out of our way to find CAMRA pubs but most times they were not suited to our choice or in town centres.
It seemed to us that on most occasions when we asked if our 'real ale' pub of choice took the vouchers there seemed to us to be adverse comments about terms of being associated . We were not interested enough to ask exactly why .
So , there seem to be fewer pubs signed up to the scheme and we therefore found few opportunities to use the vouchers. At the end of the membership we personally saw few benefits from membership and did not sign up again .
Then, we paid the entrance fees and attended the summer festival which was very poor indeed from our point of view in terms of the provision of sufficient numbers of seats and tables . Organisers should perhaps take a look at continental festivals where tables and seats are absolutely key to comfort and therefore prolonged attendance/time patronage . We had no chance of seats nor table, tried to balance our glasses on rough grass whilst eating food but were finally just dismayed that we were even taking on board an attempt to make this event bearable .

I am a CAMRA member and a few months ago I visited a pub that appeared (and still appears) in their Good Beer Guide. I had no issues with the beer quality, however branches are supposed to take national policy in account when making recommendations for the Guide. One relevant policy promotes diversity and inclusivity. This particular pub had a poster in the Gents that in my opinion was offensively misogynistic. I wrote to CAMRA complaining that the pub should have been excluded from the Guide. I had acknowledgement and a request for further details and was told they would contact the branch responsible. Since then months have passed without further response, despite some reminders from me.
Some will claim that it's all banter and that I lack a sense of humour. To them I say, if it's so funny why not put it somewhere more public so the rest of the human race can have a good laugh.
It's less than two years ago that a Good Beer Guide pub in Essex hit the news over a racist doll collection. I looked at the time at the Guide entry and it was clear that the branch knew of the problem and chose to conceal it by misdescribing the collection. If the national organisation is so weak in policing and enforcing its policies, it's hardly surprising if the branches go rogue.
The poster that offended me was on the lines of contrasting things that women say and what they really mean. Perhaps we should contrast the things that CAMRA says and what it really means.

They don’t “campaign” for anything
Either they’ve been paid off by pubs or they’ve lost the plot.
There is a pub in Richmond called The Roebuck which sells ice cold ale , absolutely disgusting, and they even promote it as being “recommended by the CAMRA Beer Guide”.
When I Write to Camra themselves I basically get fobbed off
And Greene King themselves don’t reply either.

I’m not sure what CAMRA stands for these days
I think it’s just a body of either fruit loops or corrupted individuals.

been good so far and nice of them to send vouchers

I was told to join CAMRA its a no brainer because you get same value in beer vouchers as the cost of membership and loads of pubs are in the scheme. In other words I would rightly benefit from the membership.
Trouble is , after a whole year I still have most of the vouchers because so few pubs are in the scheme !!
Something about CAMRA membership and affiliated pubs is not as promised.

How can you trust their reviews or even awards? The number of pubs I've been in because of them and been disappointed far outweigh the positive experiences. Case in point - Whitby. The best pub with six varied handpulls is The Waiting Room inside the station. Always a full pint, always as good as it can be and they give their yearly award to a pub that can't even serve a decent pint of Landlord. Ridiculous.

I asked them a question about real ale (nothing to difficult) about 4-5 weeks ago never got a response
So much for the so called alleged experts !!!!

This organisation seems to have taken to campaign against free speech. Time to ban CAMRA.

I think the company must be racist as there promoting pubs with goliwogs in grays Essex I would not pay for a membership unless your racist your self

What are they for? They dont even reply to emails

They make it as difficult as possible to get a refund after taking a direct debit renewal just under a month and half before the renewal is due. I have called once and have written 4 or 5 emails in the vain hope of trying to get a refund in a timely manner. I tried to cancel my membership a month and a week before its renewal was due. They say they will only issue a refund after I return the membership pack which will probably be somewhere in the region of 2 months after they took my membership fee and what happens if the membership pack goes missing in the post (totally unheard of I know). This is unacceptable to someone who lives by himself, long term sick and solely reliant on benefits, I get approx 9-10k a year benfits to pay for house rent and all other bills. Stay clear of this organistation as they are racketeering cowboys who just want your money.

Took out membership with direct debit (automatic renewal). Decided to cancel. Cancelled my direct debit. Phoned Camra to confirm. Follow instructions on their telephone and nobody answers. Just a message to say 'leave message and we'll get back to you within a day's' Then tried another phone option which resulted in me talking to a person. They asked could you put that in writing. They did agree to send me an e-mail, which I replied to. Not very customer focused.

Pointed at their website discussion format to raise the matter of a reform of pubs' banning rights as I had been banned from one for talking to my friends in a nearly deserted pub and criticising the BLM religion. CAMRA's senior people removed my post and sent insulting messages. All hail the 4th Reich in CAMRA!

This was purchased for me last year as a present, 2019, it's a nice idea but not really worth anything.

I've never received a magazine and the money off vouchers are not really worth the hassle carrying round, unless your local is a participating pub.

Whilst it might be a worthy cause in future I'll be helping by simply buying beer in pubs.

Fantastic club and with all the benefits, vouchers, magazine publication and discounts at my local it is real value for money. Happy to recommend and will be attending the Solihull meetings in the new year.

Hi All, Camra has a tendency of miss-lead all of their clients. I purchased a subscription with them and they told me that if I went on a Direct Debit I would get 15months for the price of 12months. This is not the case, they run a 12months to 12months scheme and take increased amounts on the 12 months anniversary instead of after the first 15 months. If you subscribe to this organisation then I would suggest not to use the Direct Debit scheme as you do not gain anything but hassle. It least if you pay every year yourself you control this amount and when it comes out.