CAMRA LocAle in South Cheshire
Good beer doesn’t have to travel far. LocAle celebrates the pubs that keep a locally brewed real ale on the bar. Fresher in the glass, better for our breweries, and better for our communities.
What is LocAle?
LocAle is a national CAMRA initiative that promotes pubs serving locally brewed real ale. It began in 2007 with CAMRA’s Nottingham branch and has since spread to branches across the country. The idea is simple: cut the “beer miles” between brewery and pub cellar, and put the spotlight on the brewers working on our doorstep.
A pub earns LocAle accreditation from its local CAMRA branch by reliably keeping at least one locally brewed real ale on at all times. Once accredited, the pub can fly the flag with a dated LocAle window sticker and pump-clip crowners that point drinkers to the local beers on the bar.
Why it matters
Choosing a local pint is a small decision with a surprisingly wide reach. Here in Cheshire the number of independent breweries has grown enormously in recent years, and every local ale poured is a vote for keeping that scene alive. The benefits stack up quickly:
- More choice at the barGreater variety and genuinely distinctive beers made with care, that you won’t find everywhere else.
- Local jobs & brewersStronger sales allow our breweries to grow and both employ and train the next generation of brewer. Keeping the tradition alive.
- Money stays localThe great breweries in our branch area are local businesses, not multi-national corporations. Meaning that every beer you drink helps them to reinvest in our community.
- Fewer beer milesShorter journeys from cellar to glass mean that you get to drink the freshest beers, with less congestion and pollution.
- Thriving pubsThe Great British Pub is the heart of a community. Drinking LocAle helps support a vibrant local hospitality industry.
- Local pride & tourismBeers are interesting! Distinctive beers give the area character and attract visitors.
Better for the planet, too
Real ale in a cask is a quietly green product. A single cask can be reused up to 200 times and may stay in circulation for as long as 30 years, and the journey from grain to glass produces very little waste. Most of what’s left over is reused or recycled. Our local brewers even provide the spent grain to feed livestock — you would be surprised how little goes to waste! Keep the supply chain short and local and you also keep it responsive, so there’s less waste and your favourite local pub is far more likely to have fresh beer waiting for you in their cellar.
LocAle breweries around the branch
There are 48 breweries whose beers qualify for LocAle status in our Branch area, spanning Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, the Peak District, South Manchester, Merseyside and beyond.
These breweries represent some of the very best in the UK, bringing together the perfect mix of traditional brewing and genuinely innovative craft beer.
Look out for their ales in any LocAle‑accredited pub and support our local brewers. When you spot one of their beers on the bar, you can be confident it has made only a short journey to reach your glass.
You can find all of the pubs serving their beers on our Branch Map.
Brewing right here in the branch
Breweries in our LocALE catchment
What counts as “local” here
CAMRA’s national guideline treats “local” as a brewery within about 30 miles of the pub, but each branch sets the distance that makes sense for its own patch — local means something very different in central London than in the Highlands.
South Cheshire’s criteria: to qualify, a pub must always offer at least one local beer sourced from a brewer located within a nominal 25 miles of the branch centre. The available beer can change, save for the rare occasion when none is available, and it needs to be of a consistent quality that CAMRA would support.
You can recognise a LocAle pub by the publicity on display, usually including a dated LocAle window sticker and LocAle labels on the handpumps.
Look for the sticker
Spotting a LocAle pub is easy. Look for the dated LocAle window sticker on the door or window — it’s your sign that the pub has been accredited by the branch and reliably keeps at least one locally sourced real ale on the bar.
See it in a window? Step inside, ask what’s local, and enjoy a fresher pint that supports brewers right on our doorstep.
Find a LocAle pub near you
Our interactive Branch Map shows every real ale and LocAle pub across South Cheshire, with filters for LocAle, step-free access and Good Beer Guide entries, plus our local breweries. Pan, zoom and tap a pin for opening details, bus routes and links — and use the maximise button to fill the screen on mobile.
Get involved
Think your local deserves LocAle recognition, or want to learn more about the national campaign? Start here.