Us & Them, Where’s the Inclusive Crew?: Why Brewdog & CAMRA Aren’t So Different

• By thenoisethatwemade
• •
• 09 Jun, 2016
• •

Us & Them, Where’s the Inclusive Crew?: Why Brewdog & CAMRA Aren’t So Different.

It's a statement I know, but hear me out. The week running up to my Brewdog AGM visit, I received a CAMRA booklet and letter through the post.

(Disclosure - I was invited up by Rich Taylor from Brewdog. The flight and accommodation was paid for by BD, disclosure - I'm a member of CAMRA, damn those DDs! All opinions are my own).

The Revitalisation Project booklet 'Shaping the future' from CAMRA is a call out to its members to feedback on the not-for-profit action group's direction for its next phase, after 45 years since inception. A lot has changed from 1971 to 2016. I've only been a member for roughly six years and to be honest half of that time is due to the fact I haven't cancelled my direct debit. I joined as I was happy to back a campaigning organisation for small, independent breweries and for beer drinkers, all be it for one particular stance - cask ale. I liked the fact they'd published a number of open minded, informative and engaging good reads from writers such as Ben McFarland and Adrian Tierney-Jones on the the USA and UK beer landscapes. However after dipping my toe in the water of joining local branch meetings and being more active; I started to discover a very us and them mentality - real ale good, everything else bad. And somewhat disappointingly a favouristism towards certain pubs and breweries at localised level that seemed unfair to an organisation that should be objective. The CAMRA branch were a mixed bunch, with some aggressive, staunch opinions, happy to throw their weight around and put a liberal like me off! I just wanted to drink good beer, do some positive good, have fun and not be shouted at in my spare time. Part of the revitalisation agenda raises the question as to whether the goal is to gain and engage younger members (18-35) into the ageing organisation, the next generation to take up the mallet. A goal that has eluded successful, consistent results. After attempting very poor and sexist recruitment activity such as THIS, it's no surprise.

On a Friday morning at 5am, I pretty much hadn't slept - you know those dreams where you miss your alarm clock. Yes those, on repeat, until the dreaded bell goes and then you can't work out if it's real or just your dream playing a sickening trick on you. I dragged myself out of bed, picked up my half packed suitcase from four hours early and left the house = taxi + train + aeroplane + taxi en route to Brewdog HQ in Ellon, Scotland. By 11.30am I was sat in Brewdog HQs staff hang out, in an off shot room, with around 15 other dazed individuals.

The door opened and Brewdog co-founders Martin Dickie and James Watt walked in, stood at the head of the table and began introductions. James kicked straight into what sounded like a scripted monologue with recognisable soundbites and phrases 'mass market monolithic beer' and 'craft beer for the people'. The question and answer section on the detailed event itinerary was beginning to be more of a - talked at session.

A nice little interlude from the company rhetoric  was a beer tasting of new releases ready for the AGM - Dog E, Born To Die and barrel-aged Albino Squid Assassin. James lead the stories behind the beers and Martin discussed in detail the techniques and ingredients. For the first time that morning I felt engaged and the room began to open up with questions.

Topics that were covered, though swiftly answered and moved quickly on included - InBev's recent acquisition of UK online retailer Beer Hawk (James is happy to sell to anyone as it means his beer gets into more people's hands) and Camden (he won't be sending Jasper a Christmas card anytime soon). The unraveling of the United Craft Brewers, further bar expansion (up 34 since 2012), the next push on Equity For Punks and the new USA site in Columbus (plus new hires including ex-Dogfish Head brewmaster). Rather interestingly talk of their new sour facility (which will sit on the old Ellon brewery site, using the microflora of Ellon?!?); I'm quite enthused by this and curious to see sour styles development here in the UK and new Lone Wolf Distillery (there's monolithic spirit producers too don't you know!).

To quote James, a theme that started early was an emphasis on, "beer and our people", an admirable thinking. But it was also something I'd heard before, said many times at a large multi-national brewery I'd worked at for a number of years. After many a consultation and redundancy it felt like a hollow statement. But I gather craft brewing is growing, though the overall beer market is shrinking, so it's a company on the way up. It's a nicer environment in the heady days of year on year growth. Hopefully the only similarity is the language.

 

Prior to the trip I'd decided that I wanted to find out more about 'the people', those who had made the journey to Brewdog's AGM and try to see the experience through their eyes.I put together a survey monkey questionnaire, started trawling the #PunkAGM2016 and contacted people in advance to try to arrange meet ups.

LINK TO SURVEY (edit, sorry survey no longer online)

Unfortunately I didn't get to meet the twitter heads. Due to poor timing on my part attending organised tasting sessions (a very enjoyable, positive and informative part of the AGM event - I attended the Cloudwater, Columbus, To Ol and Brewdog tasting sessions. Especially earlier tastings when the crowd wasn't so rowdy). The fact that with 6k in attendance this year plus no network coverage in a number of areas in the building, it became difficult to organise on the day. Apologies to @julia_bwpr, @markRamsey51, @CraftBeerGeekUK and @abi_dolls. Instead I put a couple of hours aside to wander and chat to people one to one in the afternoon. I met a couple in the new Boyd Orr room which hosted open forum Q&As (Ask A Dog), James' new book signing, recruitment scouts and a ping-pong challenge. A mixed bag! They both lived in Cologne, Germany and had travelled the preceding day to attend the AGM. The top three reasons they had newly purchased shares in 2015 and were in attendance at the AGM:

1. Taste (they very much liked Brewdog beers)

2 Attitude (liked the focus on quality and craft beer)

3. Beer (the other breweries Brewdog collaborated with and sold too)

They whole heartedly would recommend Brewdog to friends and colleagues. Interestingly one worked in social media, a vocation that was to become a common thread across those I spoke to at the event. The bands had swayed the couple into purchasing tickets and making the long journey and both were buoyed by the atmosphere. I thanked the couple, walked away and for the first time felt positively connected to Brewdog via this couple's enthusiasm.

 

Back in the main arena I bumped into avid Instagramer @blue_zulu - you may have drooled over some of his photos and podcasters Irish Beer Snob outside one of the bars. I experienced a genuine buzz of excitement from all three individuals, happy to have seen the brewery and its AGM develop and keen to enjoy the day. There was a palpable sense of  elation at being there. I started to wonder what it was I was missing, why I wasn't sharing this feeling?

A flashback occurred to James and Martin's AGM presentation. In amongst the what I call - 'Sell Out Slides' where James has a tirade on a hit list of US and UK independent breweries that have sold their souls to faceless multi-national beer corporations with bastardised faceless commodities, he had a dig at a woman called Meg from Golden Road Brewing. Conveying a story of filming the Brew Dogs TV series , he makes a quip at Meg's expense for "liking make-up so much", she had a crew following her around on set to ensure it was perfect at all times. Now, fair enough if you disagree with the direction she and her brewery have taken, but is it really necessary to belittle her in front of a crowd of 6k people for using makeup on a tv show? I know James wants to, "fly the flag for independence", but where in that sentiment does it say it's imperative to do so by snipping at others? Meg's first beer job was at Oskar Blues, in her early 20s where she worked for a solid length of time before leaving to set up Golden Road Brewing in LA before she was 30. Here's a interview with her back in 2013:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLOQQjjTB24&w=560&h=315]

The comedy jibes James throws in at himself are funny and somewhat endearing, but when directed at others it's a school ground bully mentality that really isn't appealing. It's flashes of this kind of behaviour, coupled with moments like using gun humour to launch in the US:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Taizt-1a8Gs&w=560&h=315]

and the whole 'Employee of the Month' turning a huge can recall which no doubt effected themselves and another business in time and money for the use of "Mother Fucker Day" stamped on the bottom of its cans instead of an expiration date. Yes, you heard it right. Their Packaging Managing was sick of not being called punk enough, so he stepped in. Or that's what some stories hint at, others that the beer was for an internal event and not meant for external use. Cue slew of media  coverage HERE.

For all the positives - engaging younger beer drinkers in the independent beer scene (I'd say you can tangibly see this in their bars), sharing beer knowledge (DIYDOG), supporting Indie breweries (Brew By Numbers investment); there's an us and them mentality created which I think is detrimental. Plus at moments a derisive marketing persona, which excludes and lambastes groups of people. I know it's a business and they can choose to do as they will, but for all the hammering home of the importance of "beer and people" it's apt to really asses what the People part means and your communication voice and methods. Especially as this puppy turns 10 years old in 2017.

 

After hours of deliberation and pondering, I've come to the question - Where's the inclusive crew? If there ever was a time for a new group of beer lovers to form to represent what's going on in the UK and drive action for the better, it's NOW. A group for the promotion of Indie Beer, with the power of a unified voice to call to action when required, sharing well researched and thoughtful content, putting on fun events to engage with brewers and drinkers alike. A group with a community mind and spirit, with a welcoming spirit, leveraging good for the beer industry and beer drinker in unison; hurrah!

So......who's going to pick this one up then?

#UniteForIndieBeer