TWO local breweries have produced special ales to toast a historic Commons vote backing a ‘fair deal for your local’ campaign which was led by Otley MP Greg Mulholland. A new law giving tenants of large pub companies the right to seek an independent assessment of their rent without tie obligations has been nicknamed ‘Mulholland’s law’.

Ilkley Brewery supplied the Strangers’ Bar of the House of Commons with a cask of its Fair Deal Victory golden ale. The beer was made in recognition of Greg’s role as co-ordinator of the Fair Deal for Your Local campaign and chairman of the Parliamentary Save the Pub Group.

Mulholland’s Law ale has been made by Otley micro-brewery Briscoe’s, owned and operated by Dr Paul Briscoe, a PhD microbiologist who has been brewing beers at home for 20 years.

It was unveiled at Otley’s Roebuck pub, which was saved by local businessman Chris Payne and partners. It is now a thriving freehouse and was where the Fair Deal for Your Local campaign was launched last year.

Greg Mulholland said: “A huge thanks to Ilkley Brewery and Briscoe’s Brewery for helping celebrate the sensational victory to deliver a ‘fair deal for your local’, recognising the campaign and my role as co-ordinator.

“The victory of securing ‘Mulholland’s Law’ in parliament is great news for pubs, hardworking pubco publicans and for communities and consumers, who will see many more sustainable pub businesses and a cheaper pint of beer, free from the pubco price escalator.”

Paul Briscoe said: “I’ve suppor-ted the Fair Deal Campaign from the start and it is great that this victory will hopefully give local pubs the opportunity to buy more local beers and be the first stage of the smaller business fight back.”

Richard Shelton, Ilkley Brewery director, added: “Ilkley Brewery, as award winning craft brewers, backed the Fair Deal for Your Local campaign because we want and need much more direct access to pubs, without having to go through pubcos who only pay very low prices, whilst then on-selling our beer to their own licensees at significantly more than we could sell to that pub direct.

“So we toast the campaign and the market rent only option, which will make things fairer, not only for pubco publicans, but also will lead to a more open market, which will be a great thing for us and other brewers who will be able to offer our beer direct to many more pubs.”