CAMRA call on pub at centre of ‘discriminatory material’ row to be banned from winning awards

CAMRA has released a statement in relation to the on-going issues with The White Hart pub in Essex. The pub has been in the news this week for displaying Gollie dolls.

Following complaints, the figures were confiscated by the police. However, shortly after, the pub purchased more of the dolls  and put them back on display.

In the aftermath of the police seizing the dolls, a Home Office source said that home secretary Suella Braverman viewed the operation as a “waste” of police resources.

CAMRA has now shared their views on the incident through social media. Within the lengthy statement, they describe any pub’s decision to discriminate against customers as “baffling.”

On their official twitter page, a spokesperson for CAMRA wrote: “CAMRA believes pubs should be welcoming and inclusive places and it’s baffling that any pub would choose to discriminate against customers or potential customers by continuing to display offensive material.

“We have had clear national guidelines in place since 2018 that no pub should be considered for an award if it displays offensive or discriminatory material on the premises, or on social media associated with the pub.

“We are currently discussing why this guidance was seemingly ignored by our South West Essex branch & instructed them not to consider the White Hart, Grays, Essex, for future awards, or inclusion in our Good Beer Guide, while these discriminatory dolls continue to be on display.”

The group also said that a change had been made to the White Hart’s listing to warn about “discriminatory material.” They added: “As many have pointed out, the description featured on CAMRA’s database Whatpub and the Good Beer Guide App, submitted by the local branch in question, is problematic and makes light of the offensive nature of the materials displayed at the White Hart.

“We have therefore made an edit to the entry on WhatPub and the resulting Good Beer Guide App description to warn about the discriminatory material on display, while we continue to review the situation.”