Essex pub banned from CAMRA guide for displaying golliwog dolls
An Essex pub has been removed from an industry guidebook amid a police investigation into the display of golliwog dolls on the premises.
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said Thursday that the White Hart in Grays will also be barred from featuring in future editions of its Good Beer Guide or associated awards until the dolls, which are considered to be racist caricatures, are removed.
CAMRA said this was due to the pub operating in a way that was "counter to CAMRA's values and policies".
Essex Police confiscated several dolls from the pub on 4 April following an allegation of a hate crime.
"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," CAMRA said in an earlier statement.
"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.
"CAMRA has more than 200 branches, all of which make independent decisions about making numerous awards to pubs and breweries throughout the year.
"We are currently discussing why this guidance was seemingly ignored by our south-west Essex branch and instructing 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 White Hart is still featured on CAMRA's WhatPub website, but the full listing has been removed. Its description has been updated to note that the pub has "chosen to display items that are considered by many to be offensive".
The pub's landlady Benice Ryley, 62, told the Guardian she did not believe the dolls were racist and planned to display replacements in defiance of the investigation.
Responding to critical comments on the pub's Facebook page, the White Hart wrote that the dolls were "part of my childhood". "There is NO discrimination about anybody," the pub added.
Essex Police told The Caterer an investigation was still ongoing and denied reports the force had been contacted directly by the home secretary or her office about the case
"We would expect any contact to go to our chief constable or deputy chief constable and to my knowledge this has not taken place," an Essex Police spokesperson said.
The White Hart has been contacted for further comment.
Image: White Hart Grays / Facebook
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