DRINKERS could soon be able to drink a wider range of beers in Oxfordshire’s pubs than ever before, the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has claimed.

A potential change to the law could see landlords of pubs owned by big pub companies allowed to buy their beer on the open market.

Under current rules they are only permitted to buy beer from the company which owns their pub, like Greene King or Enterprise Inns.

According to figures released by Camra, an 11-gallon keg of Fosters lager costs an average of £150.22 from a pub company, compared with £84.99 on the open market.

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On Tuesday the House of Commons voted to end this practice, although the House of Lords still needs to approve the change before it becomes law.

Oxford Camra chairman Tony Goulding said the move would benefit both pubs and drinkers.

He said: “It is an amazing victory. It is scandalous for Greene King and other pub companies to sell to a free house for £90 a barrel and sell to tenants for £150.

“There is a huge amount of different styles of beer out there so this should mean greater choice for the consumer. It will give microbreweries a better chance to get into pubs and it will give the tied pubs a better choice.”

Under the current system, many pub companies will rent the premises to landlords at a reduced rate, but with the rule that they must only buy beers that the company dictates.

If the proposed law goes ahead, big pub chains would be banned from making rules over what beers are bought, freeing up landlords to buy whatever brands they want.

The Shotover Brewing Company in Horspath is one of the breweries which said it could benefit from the changes.

Brewery owner Ed Murray said: “It should work to the benefit of small, independent breweries, because it will give us access to the bar in lots of pubs who can’t buy our beer, even if they want to.

“Landlords may have a rent increase if they leave a pub company but it gives them the option to make a choice.

“Microbrewery beer is much cheaper than what landlords have to purchase from the pub company.”

But Anthony Weston, who manages the Boat House, in Wallingford, said he had no problem with his landlord, Spirit Pub Company.

He said: “Pub companies keep the brewery going, they keep the pubs going. I think the pub companies are a good thing as long as they are not buying up local pubs that are working.

“There is not the money any more if people try to [own a pub] on their own.”

The British Beer and Pub Association, which represents many pub companies, criticised the vote in Parliament.

Chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: “This change effectively breaks the ‘beer tie’, which has served Britain’s unique pub industry well for nearly 400 years.

“It would hugely damage investment, jobs, and result in 1,400 more pubs closing, with 7,000 job losses.”

Greene King declined to comment on the proposals.

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