CAMRA’s Cardiff Branch covers the area administered by Cardiff Council, a relatively small area in geographical terms covering the built up areas of the city and extending just a short distance beyond to the villages of Creigiau, Pentyrch and Gwaelod y Garth.

The branch was one of the earliest in CAMRA being formed in 1973 and then covering the Vale of Glamorgan as well as Cardiff. The Vale broke away in 1999 and now forms part of CAMRA’s Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend Branch.

In CAMRA’s early days, the Cardiff beer scene was dominated by S A Brain and Welsh Brewers (Hancocks), both of which had major breweries in the city centre, and Whitbread, which had a brewery at Ely Bridge. All Brains and most Welsh Brewers pubs served real ale making Cardiff one of the better cities as far as real ale was concerned.

Cardiff CAMRA has always been at the forefront in campaigning for real ales and traditional pubs. It has run many beer festivals though in recent years has been held back by unavailability of suitable venues. We select entries for CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide and also organise annual Pub Of The Year competitions.

Today, Cardiff’s beer scene has changed markedly. All the original three breweries have closed although Brains does retain a brewing presence and has been joined by seven new breweries, three of which produce real ales.

With a few exceptions, breweries do not run pubs in Cardiff. Even overtly Brains pubs are now mainly run by Marstons Pub Company, some on a retail basis,. Other pubs are run by non-brewing companies, some national and some local, with a sprinkling of independent concerns. A wide variety of real ales are served including some brewed in neighbouring parts of Wales. However, Cardiff has fewer free houses stocking real ales than have some other cities in Britain.

Branch meetings usually take place on the second Tuesday of each month, held in pubs widely scattered around the city. In between times, social activities are held including visits to pubs that don’t have facilities to hold formal meetings, and trips by train to places such as Birmingham and Bristol.

Like other CAMRA branches, we are always on the look out for new members, so why not join us at one of our meetings.