Lewes Arms loyalists win

It looks like the locals at the Lewes Arms in Sussex have won.

The Publican reports that Greene King is expected to bow to consumer pressure and reinstate Harvey’s Best Bitter. The brewing giant had dumped the local beer to sell only its own brands.

Adam Collett, marketing director for Greene King’s managed pubs, acknowledged his company had “underestimated the strength of feeling which led to many locals boycotting what was once a great British pub. As a result, it has lost some of its character and greatness.”

The decision to remove the beer is still subject to internal review, but there’s little doubt how it will turn out.

A local campaign to get the ale back in the pub, which included a boycott of the pub itself, attracted national newspaper headlines and airtime on radio and TV.