Ian Rigg of The Taps, Lytham; SIBA chairman Keith Bott; Nigel Sadler of Wibblers Brewery and Nick Francis, commercial director, TCG.

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has launched ‘SIBA Locals’ – a new pub membership scheme designed to help licensees capitalise on the growing consumer demand for local food and drink.

Membership of SIBA Locals offers licensees a number of benefits including a brass plaque for display outside their pub, posters and other tools to help them communicate their ‘local beer champion’ status to customers. The scheme also aims to strengthen the bond between pubs selling local beers and the SIBA brewers who supply them, through additional activity such as brewery tours, guided tasting sessions and staff training.

SIBA Locals currently has 50 members, including the 30+ pubs belonging to SIBA’s previous Pub Associate membership scheme, which is replaced by the new scheme. Membership costs £55 per year, with preferential rates offered to managed and tenanted pubs linked to SIBA brewer members and to SIBA Direct Delivery Scheme customers.

SIBA chief executive Julian Grocock said, “A SIBA Locals plaque on a pub wall is a sign that the licensee is serious about his beer, something that will resonate with the growing number of customers who now expect to see locally-brewed beers on the bar in the same way that they expect to see locally-sourced food on the menu. At a time when pubs are having to work harder than ever to attract customers, SIBA Locals membership will, we believe, become a powerful business tool for licensees and we look forward to welcoming many more into the scheme.”

The first SIBA Locals plaques were presented today at the Great British Beer Festival to licensees and to brewery and pub company representatives linked to pubs who have signed up to the scheme. Nigel Sadler of Wibblers Brewery in Essex, who has endorsed two local pubs joining the scheme, said, “Many pubs are already doing a fantastic job in supporting local brewers, but aren’t always recognised for it. SIBA Locals offers these licensees a simple and effective way to communicate their local beer credentials to drinkers, and adds another layer to the relationship between local brewers and their pub customers.”

Local beer is one of the only sectors of the UK beer market to be showing growth. According to SIBA’s Local Brewing Industry Report, local beer volumes grew by 8.8% during 2010, compared to an overall decline in the beer market of -3.9% (BBPA Beer Barometer). Some 80% of SIBA’s volumes are cask ales, though there is growth in keg and bottled beers as smaller brewers look to create a broader craft beer market.

Licensees interested in finding out more about SIBA Locals should visit the dedicated website, http://www.siba.co.uk/sibalocals