Beer Around 'Ere - Issue 190

190 Peterborough & District Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale August / September 2016

Are you ready for the biggest beery event in Peterborough?

OAKHAM ALES

TREAT IN CRETE

Local brewery takes over a taxi in the big smoke!

Cretian beer gets some flavour added by new Brewery Xarma

ALSO INSIDE PUB & BREWERY NEWS

LOOKING FOR A HELPING HAND Iconic local pub in need of some community enterprise

DIARY DATES

JOIN CAMRA

The Simmonds Family present:

GREAT AWARD WINNING FREE HOUSES

serving Real Ale with fantastic prices!

The

Queens Arms

31 Station Hill, Brixham TQ5 8BN Tel: 01803 852074 6 hand pumps and a regular £2 special Weekly Live Music and Events Facebook: The-Queens-Arms evon South D CAMRA

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The

PLOUGHMAN Staniland Way, Werrington Centre PE4 6NA

Tel: 01733 327696 Ten Real Ales from £2.00 a pint Live Satellite Sports • Live Entertainment Happy Hour Monday - Friday 5-7pm orough orough rough Peterbo AMRA Peterb AMRA Peterb t CAMRA C t ic C ic t tr Dis & Distr & Distric d & e

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It’s almost that time again!

Yes PBF is coming to town.

Can’t believe it is almost a year since the last one. Please ensure that you pay it a visit.

I just hope the weather is reasonable but no matter what the elements throw at us, it is always worth a visit.

Whilst on the topic of beer festivals, I visited Rutland CAMRA’s Oakham Beer Festival for the first time in June. The venue, Oakham museum, was impressive and the beer was very good too.

One for the diary next year.

I have received a further email informing me of another pub that offers discounts to CAMRA members. It is the Olde Griffin Hotel, March where 10% discount is given on production of your membership card (except on Tuesdays when beers are discounted anyway). Thank you Mike. It is still my intention to include a list of pubs offering discounts once further information is collected.

We seem to be in a period of uncertainty and change. CAMRA Revitalisation Project and #Brexit! What next? A rhetorical question, as I did say in the last issue I wouldn’t be asking anymore questions! Watch this space!

Once more a big thank you to Jim Martin for his great cartoons, (see pages 11 and 29).

Editor: Jane Brown bae-editor@real-ale.org.uk

Published by: Peterborough & District Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale.

Produced on behalf of CAMRA by: Orchard House Media Ltd Eventus Business Centre, Sunderland Rd, Market Deeping. Tel: 01778 382758

Magazine Design & Production: Daniel Speed daniel.speed@orchardhousemedia.co.uk

Advertising Sales Manager: Jane Michelson Tel: 01778 382718

Editor’s ramblings | 3

IN THIS ISSUE Welcome from the editor 3 Chairman’s corner 5 Pub news 7–11 Brewery news 12–13 Peterborough Beer Festival information 15–19 Key Keg conundrum 20–21 Treat in Crete 22–23 Diary dates 24 Presentations 26 Join CAMRA 28 Hand and Heart 29 Revitalisation cartoon 29 Branch contacts 30 Finally, have a good summer, don’t forget to visit your local as well as beer festivals and enjoy a summer of happy responsible drinking!

Cheers JB

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Beer Around ‘Ere is published by the Peterborough & District Branch of CAMRA Copyright © 2016, The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd.

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Circulation: 7,000 copies distributed to pubs, clubs and members throughout the Peterborough and District CAMRA Branch area. A digital version of this magazine is available to view and download at issuu.com

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Views or comments expressed in this publication may not necessarily be those of the Editor or of CAMRA. The next issue of Beer Around ‘Ere will be available on the 29th September.

We must have your stories, news and advertisements by 4th September Please send your stories and other copy to the editor, Jane Brown.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 | BEER AROUND ERE

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BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

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Chairman’s corner |5

Chairman’s Corner “Once again, at this time of year, the main topic of this issue is our annual event on the city Embankment in August.”

I refer of course to the Peterborough Beer Festival which takes place from Tuesday 23rd to Saturday 27th August. We have made a few changes this year in response to customer requests. Additional seating will be available in a dedicated section of the marquee. With the surge in ‘craft’ or Key Keg beers, we have installed an extra bar section to showcase these very products. As this is our 39th PBF, we are on the lookout for new volunteers to ensure we can hold our 40th next year.

As many of our ‘management’ team are approaching maturity, we would like to see some younger members come on board to organise the event in the future. Without casting a doom scenario, if we cannot recruit some new blood with new ideas and enthusiasm, then the future of the PBF could be in danger, and that’s a predicament we do not want to be in.

A large portion of our volunteers have also been coming along to help us build and run the festival for many years. We do very much appreciate that some of them will be calling it a day this year or next. At time of writing our ‘recruitment’ list is increasing daily but, we are never complacent regarding numbers of staff needed, especially on our busy days. So I would ask all our members to have a look at our website and if you can spare a few hours or even days, please, get signed up!

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

I’m pleased to learn that the recent Revitalisation Project meeting held at the Brewery Tap in Peterborough had a good attendance. I unfortunately was unable to be present due to a holiday arranged several months previously. CAMRA are still holding meetings throughout the country at regional level for anyone who was unable to attend the Peterborough meeting. These are running through until September.

As is reported in this issue we have welcomed the opening of Peterborough’s first micro pub in the city centre. Licensees of the Coalheavers Arms in Fletton, Tom Beran, with assistance from partner Michelle, have worked hard over the last few months to see their dream come true. The Bumble Inn on Westgate opened its doors in June and has seen a steady flow of curious and appreciative customers through the door. Micro is the operative word as there is just room for around forty people in the one roomed premises. As I write this yet another micro pub, The Stoneworks, was due to open its door on the 4th of July, which should not be surprising, as one of the partners is our local brewer Steve Saldana, who originally hails from Texas in the USA. So Independence Day will have a new meaning to this venture. The pub is situated in Church Street in the city centre. A full review of this new watering hole will be in our next issue.

Finally we hope to see you all at this year’s PBF and if you feel able to help us to ensure the future of the event, then please contact one our team, or even me!

Cheers

David Murray Branch Chairman

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 | BEER AROUND ERE

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BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

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Pub News

One of the most important events that has occurred within the branch within the last few years was the establishment of a community enterprise which preserved the Shuckburgh Arms in Southwick. As this pub is now under new management, I thought it was time I paid it another visit, not that I needed my arm twisted. Tom and Tracey have been running it since May 7th and have maintained the policy of serving four regular beers and a guest: Brewster’s Hophead, Woodford Wherry, Nene Valley Bitter and Grainstore Schuck Clonker – dialect words that celebrate the pub’s annual hosting of the World Conker Championships. Food is back on with Sunday lunch being served from 12.00 - 4p.m. With the current trend towards a more exotic cuisine, the alarm bells started ringing when I heard that they also have a dog menu. Imagine then my relief when I realised that it was for the dog to eat rather than the dog to be eaten. So if you are growing tired of your diet of Baker’s Complete and Pedigree Vital, you might be tempted by the mackerel a la carrot and chicken and parsley mash. Tracey also clearly knows her Maris Otter from her Maris Piper as she insists on using the latter for her home made chips, clearly holding the Maris Otter back for the mash.

Another important event that has occurred recently was the reopening of the Queens Head in Bulwick, as reported in the last issue. Landlord Ian, business partner Hayleigh and Chef Rob put the show back on the road at the end of March and they are determined to keep its traditional character. This is a sprawling, stone built traditional village pub with three rooms leading off the main bar, one converted back into a snug. They are concentrating on traditional pub grub which is on offer from Wednesday to Sunday. “People come in and are enjoying it, and they are coming back,” said Ian. “It’s just a question of getting them through the door”. Not the front door, anymore, for this has been bricked-in for the last thirty years. When I glanced along the narrow main bar I could see the logic of this as, although there are open fires at either end, I could imagine a sharp blast of cold air unsettling the pub’s Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Pub news |7

customers in the middle of winter. The Queens Head has had a complete cellar refit and on our visit Ian was serving Digfield Fools Nook, Shacklebush, Sharps Doom Bar, and Grainstore Ten Fifty.

It was only when Ian had started to pour my beer that I noticed that he was pouring through a sparkler. But he managed to get the beer to the top of the glass, thus giving the lie to the theory I am about to expostulate at the end of this article.

I suppose it is only a question of pouring with due care and attention.

Other news Whilst travelling through the area I noticed that the White Swan in Harringworth was closed after having just re-opened and it is currently under security protection. Also the Blue Bell in Gretton had a “For Sale” sign outside with an application for change of use pending, but it is actually being offered as a pub. Back in Peterborough the Cross Keys in Woodston has been through yet another refit with the installation of a large TV screen dominating one wall. My Oundle Road informer, Chris Harris, reports: “whilst not offering ales by the cask, they do have a bottle offering currently consisting of Charles Wells Bombardier, Robinsons Trooper, and Guinness’s Golden Ale. They have said that if they have a request for a particular bottle, they will look to source and stock. No plans for cask at the moment as sales are too low, but if bottle sales were to increase, they will revise that view. Whilst not a traditional ale pub, it is handy to know of somewhere offering something rather than nothing, especially when out with lager/ cider/fizzy drinks friends.”

A Thorney Question On hearing the news that the Post Office in the pub had closed, I thought it was time I visited Steve and Sheila in the Rose and Crown at Thorney. “It was a great pity to lose this community facility”, Steve told me, “but it cost me more money than we were making from it”. Did it bring in any trade? “Yes, but it was mainly coffee and some food in the mornings”. What was originally the Post Office is to be converted into an

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8 | Pub news - continued

orangery with a cold room at the back to accommodate the increasing attraction of new wave beers. Steve is also planning an upgrade to the garden with barbecue facilities.

When Steve started in the pub 21 years ago, he was selling draught Bass from hogsheads! (54 gallons) He now deals exclusively in firkins with Greene king IPA as his regular beer and regular deals with Woodfordes and Batemans. He has also expanded into LocAles with beers from Mile Tree and Tydd Steam. Of course, when he started he had trouble to deal with. But as an ex military man, with nine years service on the Rhine, he wasn’t having any of that malarkey. “Yellow card for the first offence with a three month ban, and a red card for the second, with a ban for life. There are still people living in the village who are not allowed into the pub. They didn’t think I would last this long.”

One of the key improvements has been the upgrading of the ladies toilets. It was one of the rare occasions when I was escorted around one – it normally only happens when a fight breaks out in the bar - and I was impressed with the exquisite tiling and the heavy wooden doors. The Mintel survey places toilet facilities at number two in terms of customer priorities. This gives us a good idea of how the market is changing as he told me that quite often a group of ladies pop in for a glass of wine and a chat, and, judging by the enticing smell of the home cooking, a welcome break from the kitchen. “Real ale and wine now easily outflank the sale of draught lager” Steve insists. This is a well furnished, scrupulously clean and brightly decorated pub easily accessible from Wisbech and Peterborough on the X1 bus.

Rare sighting An unusual sight greeted the citizens of Peterborough on June 10th. A congregation of Coalheavers was spotted in Westgate, presumably for the official opening of the micro-pub, the Bumble Inn. It is not often that this endangered species crosses the Nene, but with a new habitat it might well start to flourish. This is Peterborough’s first micropub and it was clearly greeted with BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

enthusiasm as twenty different beers were offered in the first week. Meanwhile proprietors Tom and Michelle continue their stewardship at the Coalheavers Arms, where changes are imminent.

Milton will continue as the main supplier and Tom is anticipating an increased range of guest beers.

“The best seller, Justinian, will be rebadged as Bombers Drop to maintain the Second World War connection whilst Sparta and the excellent stout porter, Nero, will continue to feature on the bar”.

A previous correspondent, whose anonymity I feel obliged to respect but whose insight I feel obliged to acknowledge, anticipated this expansion of the micropub market in Issue 181:

“I should like to make the tentative suggestion that there is a sea change occurring in the beer industry in this country parallel to that which occurred in the 1830s, when the country was faced with a problem of gin consumption amongst the lower classes. To counter this problem the government of the time passed the Beerhouse Act, a piece of legislation which had the effect of promoting the development of a type of drinking establishment which became the prototype of the modern town pub. The Act allowed the acquisition of a license to sell beer in private houses and within 11 years of its introduction 45,000 beer houses were established, some of them brewing on site.”*

It appears that the growth of the micro pub, whether the brewing is on the premises or not, is a contemporary reflection of this important episode in the development of the modern pub. In addition to the Bumble Inn, the Stoneworks in Church Street opened on July 4th, offering fourteen beers on tap, about half of which conform to the CARA criteria of compressed air and diaphram. At the time of writing a planning application was imminent for the Frothblowers Arms in Storrington Way, Werrington. There are now in excess of 250 of these establishments in this country which have opened over the last couple of years and it looks as though the trend is likely to continue. History has a remarkable habit of repeating itself.

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Pub news - continued |9

Outside Stamford Now that the warmer weather has lured us back into the fresh air we felt an irresistible urge to resume the popular country walks feature that adorned this magazine last year. Those readers familiar with the Four Counties walk will know part of this route, but we have improvised around it to include more pubs, the pub in Tinwell now having closed. Fortunately, I was escorted by the editor, who is in the habit of curbing my worst excesses. We have started the walk in the Stamford Sheepmarket for the benefit of those who arrive by bus in what was once the motte of Stamford Castle. It was also a good opportunity to catch up with Mick Purvis who took over the Golden Fleece last year and is now also running the Millstone. Visitors to the Fleece will now not only be regaled by the usual Everards Tiger and Old Original but also with a fruity 5.9% IPA of their own design brewed at Everards microbrewery, the Brunswick, in Derby. Leaving the Golden Fleece, turn left along Castle Dyke and cross the meadow on the diagonal. From here it is simply a question of following the murky waters of the Welland, crossing a footbridge on the left which takes you into an ancient meadow approaching the tunnel beneath the A1. This tunnel is attractively decorated with such tasteful graffiti that we are considering nominating it for the Turner prize, although I must confess that we missed the stale smell of urine which characterizes many similar tunnels in the city centre. If there were an olfactory dimension to this esteemed award, daresay it would prejudice its chances of success.

Exiting the tunnel, walk straight ahead to the railway crossing which the local guide counsels us to CROSS WITH EXTREME CARE. This is one of the most useful pieces of advice I have received from a local functionary in recent times and I must say that we felt obliged to follow it.

Having safely crossed the railway, we are now on the MacMillan way. Through a narrow wood and up a steep slope upon the crest of which you have a marvelous panoramic view of the clump of trees you have just left behind whilst your ears are serenaded by the hum of the bees and the traffic on Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

the A1. Follow the track until you arrive at a signpost that informs you that the MacMillan way has now joined the Jurassic Way, but the only dinosaurs infesting the route were the two walkers.

Cross the field and cross over the stile turning right until you arrive at another stile and into the car park at the head of Easton on the Hill. You will now see the impressive All Saints church with its four ornamental spires soaring towards heaven from its Norman tower. Proceed all the way along Church Street, passing some imposing Regency buildings, eventually coming to the Blue Bell alongside the war memorial. This is a Grade 2 listed traditional village pub on two levels. The lower level is largely occupied by an Italian restaurant with a very good reputation offering more than ten wines by the glass. The upper level is a bar with a strong community feel to it, leading on to an expansive pub garden. Pool, darts and dominoes are popular here and the pub also has a rugby and a cricket team. The beers available were Sharps Doom Bar, which is a regular, and three rotating guests which on our visit included Hopshackle Simarillo and Nobby’s Northampton Red. Landlord, Alex and landlady, Cinzia told us that they secured the pub from Admiral four years ago and now had a policy of featuring LocAles. They had also engaged a local micro brewer to brew a special beer for the pub called Blue Bell Bitter.

Turning back onto the High Street you may wish to take a minor diversion to pass one of the village’s major attractions, the Priest’s House, a small pre-reformation gem built from Collyweston slates from the adjoining village. The village itself may be reached by turning left along Porters Lane and then right at the main road and a twenty minute walk on the footpath along its border. Its sole remaining pub, the Collyweston Slater is an Everards tied house serving Tiger, Old Original, Sunchaser and a seasonal. The original seventeenth century coaching inn was extended in 1856 and has undergone several changes over the intervening years, including the disappearance of the glass floor panel in what is now the upper bar!

The lower level has excellent disabled and toilet facilities. The road back to Easton on the Hill will take you to the Exeter Arms, a roadside

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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 | BEER AROUND ERE

pub now mainly devoted to food. It has London Pride and JHB as regular beers and has Oakademy of Excellence accreditation. Turning right into New Road and back into the village, follow the High Street down to the junction with the A43, where you turn left and locate the bridleway on the right hand side. Passing through some mixed deciduous woodland, it is now more or less a straight forward route, with the next landmark the ruins of Wothorpe Towers, an alternative residence for the Cecil family whilst Burghley House was being spring cleaned. From here continue directly along the path to the surrounding wall of Burghley Park until you reach St. Martins Without.

Without what we were not quite sure but it was a substantial walk before we reached the Bull and Swan, the nearest pub to the railway station, featuring four real ales some of which are locally brewed.

This famous old coaching inn still celebrates its association with The Honourable Order of Little Bedlam, a drinking club for the sons of the Regency gentry who gave themselves animal names, which probably accounted for their appalling behaviour.

Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.

Sparklergate Like all fully enlightened people, I always welcome feedback, whether positive or negative. It beguiles me into thinking that some people actually read my column. An anonymous correspondent, who clearly thinks that pastiche is an aniseed flavoured drink from the south of France, has written to me recently to inform me that I am well over the top in my campaign against sparklers, which is more

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Pub news - continued |11

than the glass is. I am, apparently, one of those jobsworths who make the publican’s job well nigh impossible by quibbling about insignificant amounts of beer.

But it is not just the quantity that I am quibbling about. I also resent being deprived of the carbon dioxide I have paid good money for. As all real ale drinkers should know, this is the gas naturally generated in the cask which determines the condition of the beer in the glass. Not only does this create a pleasant agitation in the stomach which aids the digestion, it also generates that delightful emission of wind into the mouth which resonates with the hop flavours already deposited on the back of the tongue. Sparklers merely drive this gas, my gas, into thin air.

And I would defy anyone to pour twenty fluid ounces of liquid into a twenty fluid ounce glass through a tight sparkler. In fact, in some parts of darkest sparklerland, it is not uncommon to witness as little as eighteen fluid ounces as the default measure. That is 10% less that the advertised product. I am not aware of any other field of commercial activity where this would be permissible. I should also be interested in hearing from any readers who, on going to a cash machine and requesting £100 would be happy to receive just ninety. After all, you might spill some of it on your way to the pub. *The Bermondsey Mile Revisited-BAE Issue181

John Temple

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 | BEER AROUND ERE

12 |

Brewery News Blue Bell The brewery is now in full production and the revamped beers have been well received. Tilly’s Golden Tipple, the first of an occasional series of beers has been brewed. It is a gently hoppy, very easy drinking beer which has gone down well with pub customers.

Castor Ales Leaping Lemon was the fastest selling beer in the Lemon category at the Gatehouse Tavern beer festival in Coventry. They Drink its Ale Over was given a tweak to celebrate the Euros and was launched as They Drink its Euro-ver and just like the England team, it left a bitter taste in the mouth, but didn’t hang around too long!

Castor Ales showcased a number of special ales at this year’s Peterborough Heritage Festival. Both Roman Gold and Old Scarlet were infused with bog myrtle (tastes an awful lot better than it sounds) and the recent job lot of lemons have finally been used up to produce a one off festival special Midgard Serpent celebrating Jim Tovey’s art installation of the same name. They were pleased to showcase Bexar County Brewery’s Cookie Monster and Love to Hate You as ‘key casks’ on the bar and they proved to be very popular.

Finally, fears of a downturn in business investment as a result of #Brexit vote seem to have been realised at Castor Towers. Plans to replace the flickering fluorescent tube in the brewery have been put on hold. Head brewer, Duncan Vessey, said “I noticed that the last one I bought was made in Germany, so I’ll wait a few months for the pound to recover, before replacing it!”

BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

Digfield Ales Another very busy year so far for Digfield Ales. Thanks to their BLO (Brewery Liaison Officer), David Waller, they have been invited to the GBBF (Great British Beer Festival) at Olympia.

This year they will be supplying Shacklebush 4.5% abv.

In early June they had an enjoyable Saturday lunchtime when fifty Huntingdon CAMRA members visited the brewery and sampled three of their beers. A couple hours later they moved on to the Kings Arms, Polebrook for more Digfield beer and lunch.

Ginger the brewery cat has had his “lives” reduced to eight, after a forklift incident! Luckily, he continues to recover.

Elgoods The current seasonal beer for July and August is Golden Shuck 3.8% abv.

Which is described as being a light beer with punchy zesty hop! Rio Gold will also be available in August. This will be a wheat beer with mango, brewed to be cloudy and packed with fruit.

Mile Tree Brewery It’s a busy time for Mile Tree with appearances at beer festivals in Haddenham, The Goat, Frognall; Gorefield; Ely Folk Festival and Deeping Rugby Club.

They also supplied bottled beer for runners who completed the Eye10k and the Green Wheel Relay races. Mile Tree Brewery have brewed a collaboration beer with Kings Cliffe Brewery EFB (Elderflower Beer), with handpicked fresh elderflowers and grated lemon zest!

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Brewery news |13

Nene Valley Brewery Nene Valley are proud to be the only local brewer with a brewery bar at the 2016 Peterborough Beer Festival. Work is currently in progress to construct their brand new portable bar. They are looking forward to August 23rd.

Work to outfit Nene Valley's extension hit an unexpected blip when illness struck their plumber.

He is now back and working hard to complete the connections for installation of their locally fabricated fermentation vessels. Otherwise the brewery staff are working flat out to keep up with demand for their beers. Recent brews include Fenland Farmhouse Saison 5.2% abv and Bible Black 6.5% abv and they should soon be available in local outlets. Although no completely new beers are planned for Peterborough, the 2016 version of Double JIP at 10% abv (Jim Irving would have reached his centenary this year) will be available for the Singles Bar. Star Brewing Company Star beers that are available at present are, Starburst 4.1% abv and Summit 4.6% abv. The next beers to be brewed will be Astral 4.5% abv and Lightyear 5.0% abv.

Simon, the brewer, was asked to supply beers for the Deepings Rugby Club Beer Festival, July 22nd23rd. Star beers are continuing to be seen in local pubs and at Wetherspoon outlets.

Tydd Steam Forthcoming beers will be Piston Bitter 4.4% abv, Ratcatcher 4.3% abv and Learning to Fly 4.0% abv. Also in the pipeline is an exciting new all American beer called American Eagle 4.5% abv, which is scheduled for release during Peterborough Beer Festival Week.

Xtreme Ales Xtreme’s most recent beer Route 701 was brewed for the Fenland Bus Festival and proved to be so popular that it is to be added to their list of regular beers. Pub sales are still strong and beer festivals continue to be supplied. Evil Pigeon is being brewed regularly, with a hard core of local drinkers enjoying this strong beer! Stouts continue to be popular despite the fact that it is allegedly summer!

Expansion plans appear to be moving very slowly, as the original plan was to relocate on May 1st.

However remedial work is taking longer than anticipated.

Oakham Ales Forthcoming new beers are Blue Skies IPA 6% abv - Aged and Vintage, Velvet Claws 4.2% abv - Oakademy and IPA 5.2% - Craftworks keg.

Citra is now Oakham’s best selling beer overtaking JHB. However JHB continues to grow its market share, but the demand for Citra has risen sharply over the last five years and it is now at the top!

Bottle exports are now being shipped to a couple of new suppliers in Canada and Finland. Oakham now have a Green Devil IPA wrapped London taxi.

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The Blue Bell is a delightful combination of a Traditional Village Pub and high quality Italian Restaurant. Run with mediterranean flair and passion by Alex and Cinzia, it lies at the heart of the picturesque Village of Easton on the Hill, 1.5 mile west of Stamford, 2 minutes from the A1 and on The Jurassic Way.

3 real ales, 1 real cider and 6 draught beers Game room, Sky & BT Sport Freshly prepared food Tuesday to Sunday.

Our garden, bars and restaurants are available for your Wedding, office or birthday party.

9 High Street, Easton on the Hill, PE9 3LR. Tel: 01780 763003 Email: info@thebluebellpub.com Find us on Facebook: The Blue Bell BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

OPENING TIMES AND PRICES Tuesday 23rd August: Wednesday 24th August: Thursday 25th August: Friday 26th August: Saturday 27th August

Noon to 3pm Noon to 3pm Noon to 3pm Noon to 3pm

£2 £2 £2 £2

5.30pm to 11pm 3pm to 11pm 3pm to 11pm 3pm to 11pm 3pm to 11pm

CAMRA & EBCU Members: Weds-Sat before 3pm - £1, After 3pm Tues-Sat - £3.

Pass outs are available from 5pm. Refundable Glasses - £3 each.

No admission or re-admission after 10.30pm

£5 £5 £6 £6 £6

The Peterborough Beer Fest is on its way!

Our five day event aims to showcase the best real ales from the UK, all kept in tip-top condition by our expert cellar team. Add to that our location on the embankment of the River Nene in the heart of the city with live music playing every day and you have the perfect festival atmosphere. We believe in getting the best selection of beers that people will enjoy and will continue to talk about long after they have finished drinking.

Our attitude to promoting real ale means we get many festival specials produced and this loyalty extends to our visitors who return year after year. So for a truly memorable and unique beer festival experience welcome to Peterborough – the biggest, the brightest and the best!

Beers We will be serving more than 400 draught real ales including favourites, beers from very small micros, many from new breweries, some produced specially for the festival and beers from our LocAle breweries.

In addition, this year, we will feature a Key Keg bar introducing this style of beer for the first time at PBF. Almost all of the beers will be served by gravity – straight from the cask. Our aim is always to have every beer ready and available from the opening session – we do not hold any beers back. As always we will be serving beers of many styles including milds, bitters, porters, stouts, speciality flavoured beers and a few real lagers. We regularly get asked for a beer list ahead of the festival – this will be available to view on the website from around July onwards.

Glasses

tankards bearing the festival logo will be available and all will be oversized so that we can guarantee that you get a full measure when the glasses are filled to the line. Festival wine glasses will also be available at the same price.

Cider & Perry The cider bar is with us, as always, serving one of the best selections of traditional cider and perry to be found anywhere. This year we will have around 60 varieties.

Wine Bar The wine bar will be selling traditional country wines and still and sparkling grape wines from English vineyards.

Bottled Beers The popular bottled beer bar will be selling an extended range of traditionally made bottled beers from around the world.

Soft Drinks Our soft drinks bar, the Escape Bar, will be selling a range of soft drinks, crisps, ice cream, sweets and cigarettes. We will also be selling children’s drinks at a mere 50p.

Food There will be a wide selection of foods available including German sausages, French crepes, hog roast, doughnuts, oriental, olives, burgers, bacon rolls, pasta, hot dogs, Cornish pasties, pittas, pork pies, waffles, tea & coffee.

Commemorative pint sleeve glasses and half pint

BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

The Workers

CAMRA Members

The Festival is organised and run by members of CAMRA who are all unpaid volunteers. We always need more help so why not give us a few hours of your time if you are a member.

CAMRA members get reduced entry to the festival for all sessions.

There are many other benefits too including free or reduced entry to over 160 beer festivals throughout the UK. To find out more or to join online visit www.camra.org.uk/benefits.If you’re not a member you can also join or find out more at our membership and information area (Sponsored by Brains Brewery with Rev James) or simply have a chat about what we do, ask about beer, pubs, brewing and more.

Children at the Festival Lunchtime or early evening is the ideal time to bring the family, as there is always an easy going, friendly atmosphere. You can bring the dog (on a lead), the picnic table, food and soft drinks but you must not bring your own alcohol. There will be a fairground at the back of the festival.

Venue

Opening Times and Prices

The 39th Peterborough CAMRA Beer Festival will be held in massive marquees on the River Embankment, Embankment Road, Peterborough PE1 1EF. The site is only a few minutes walk from the city centre, bus rail and coach stations. A taxi rank will be provided to enable you to get home without driving. REMEMBER beer festivals and cars don’t mix.

Wednesday 24th August

Disabled Access

Noon to 3pm - £2, 3pm to 11pm - £6

The site is on one level on grass and disabled toilets are provided at the side and back of the site. Wheelchairs can be sourced but we do need advance warning. Taxis and cars carrying disabled passengers are permitted to cross the Embankment and drop off at the festival entrance.

Other Stalls On site you will find tombola, pub games, the CAMRA shop, a T-shirt stand, traditional sweets, pickled egg stall and the RNLI will be at the front gate asking for your small change. This year we welcome back Tipplefair. If you’re interested in beermats, pump clips, glasses, pewter, brewery playing cards or other memorabilia related to the ‘Trade’ then come along on Saturday.

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Tuesday 23rd August 5.30pm to 11pm - £5,

Noon to 3pm -£2, 3pm to 11pm - £5

Thursday 25th August Friday 26th August Noon to 3pm - £2, 3pm to 11pm - £6

Saturday 27th August Noon to 3pm -£2, 3pm to 11pm - £6 (CAMRA / EBCU members Weds-Sat before 3pm-£1, Tues-Sat after 3pm-£3).

Pass outs available after 5pm.

No admission or re-admission after 10.30pm.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 | BEER AROUND ERE

Beer Fest E Tuesday 23rd August

7.30pm Open Mic Night With the popularity of Open Mic evenings ever increasing around pubs in the Peterborough area, this has now become a regular feature of PBF. We simply have to give another opportunity to some of our less well known individuals to show off their unique talents on the Beer Festival Stage. This event will again be hosted by Stacy, so if you would like the opportunity to appear, do please contact her IN ADVANCE to register your interest. Stacy can be reached vocalsoulmate@hotmail.co.uk

Wednesday 24th August

8.15 pm and 9.45pm Misdirected Blues Band The Misdirected Blues Band are a local five piece Blues/Rock covers band performing classics from the 30’s right through to the present day. Formed in 2012, by a group of lads who just wanted to play live music, the current line-up are now gigging regularly on the live music pub, club & festival scene.

Their set includes material by artists such as BB King, Joe Bonamassa, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Healey, Stevie Ray Vaughan and many others.

Prepare to have your socks rocked off! www.facebook.com/themisdirectedbluesband/

Thursday 25th August

7.30pm Ouse Valley Singles CLUB The Ouse Valley Singles Club is a 3 piece band hailing from the market town of Bedford whose roots are sprung out of the 1950’s Skiffle scene. They combine this traditional sound with the energy of Punk, the swing of Rock and Roll and then layer that with naughty saucy postcard lyrics in true folk story telling fashion and in doing this they have created a truly original sound. Musically they have been

BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

described as New Wave Skiffle. George Formby meets The Clash, where Vaudevillian music hall blends with working men’s club values. www.theousevalleysinglesclub.com

9.15pm Grounded GROUNDED are a Peterborough-based, 5 piece rock covers band, performing well known classics from the late 50’s to the present day.

Conceived at the turn of the Millennium by skydivers from Sibson Airfield who, fed-up of being sat on the ground waiting for the weather to clearup, randomly went out and bought some musical instruments to suppress the boredom! The rest as they say is history and a lot of hard work. www.grounded.uk.com

Friday 26th August

4pm Palmerston Ukulele Band This is a bunch of guys and gals from the Palmerston Arms who just formed up for a bit of fun and have gone from strength to strength. No beer festival, large or small, is complete without a performance from this multi-talented outfit with their unique and entertaining style of sing along favourites. palmerstonukeband.co.uk/

7.30pm The Stringlers This local all-female string quartet has been described as “brilliant”, “spectacular”, “edgy” and “amazingly versatile”! Playing refreshing versions of music from the 1970’s, 80's and 90's. Following the hugely successful debut performance at the 2015 Peterborough Beer Festival, this year's repertoire aims to be a head-banging, sing-a-long boogey night! Sounds of Queen, Bowie, Bee Gees, The Specials and..........of course, The Stranglers. www.facebook.com/thestringlers

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

ntertainment 9.15pm Merry Hell

7.30pm Austin Gold

Founded in their native North West of England, Merry Hell is an eight-piece folk rock band with a history, a pedigree and a bright future. In just 5 short years they have risen to become festival favourites, their albums finding favour with critics, broadcasters and music fans alike.

Formed in the summer of 2013, AUSTIN GOLD is a 5 piece local based band that have been performing, recording and gaining an increasingly loyal fan base in a comparatively brief time.

David James Smith & Jack Cable have secured endorsement with Vanquish Guitars with respective signature models. Drawing influence from American artists, David James Smith's lyrics depict heartbreak, loyalty, aspiration and solitude. www.austingold.co.uk

The band was forged from the smouldering embers of 90’s folk/punk band The Tansads. Following an emotional series of reunion concerts in 2010, its members chose to tread the boards under a new name , Merry Hell (taken from Tansads song Separate Souls) in order to reflect their new impetus, new hopes and, most importantly, new songs. www.merryhell.co.uk

Saturday 27th August

2PM Goldilocks Local acoustic duo playing a range of soulful classics from new to old suiting a range of audiences.

3PM Mark Rowlands Mark plays a wide range of acoustic covers, putting his own twist on everything from Jimi Hendrix to George Ezra and throwing in a few TV theme tunes along the way.

4PM All Shook Up Straightforward 4 piece Rock n Roll band performing all the Elvis/Sun Records hits, as well as a few Buddy Holly numbers. Recently supported Colbert Hamilton (The Black Elvis)

9pm One Eyed Cats The Glorious One Eyed Cats are a lively seven piece Peterborough band that plays a variety of music that everybody knows, ranging from Rock and Roll through Rhythm and Blues to Swing and Good Times.

Whether it’s high-octane rock & roll, cool blues, jumping rhythm, driving rock or a hair-down singalong, the Cats always deliver, and deliver incredibly well. The Cats formed some eighteen years ago out of a group of established musicians all looking to get back to having fun. As such, they honed their sound playing in bars and festivals; the stages starting small and getting progressively larger. Their music has taken them around the world, but they always love to come home.

Their large line up is suited to their huge sound, with a fiery brass section, rocking guitar and rolling piano. Come and see the Glorious One Eyed Cats, let your hair down and treat yourself to this great Saturday finale to Peterborough Beer Festival 2016. www.oneyedcats.com All times are approximate and subject to change.

5PM Chris Watson Band The Chris Watson Band is an exciting and unique blend of Jazz, Blues, Rock, Folk and World music.

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 | BEER AROUND ERE

The Key There is a new(ish) technology out in the beer world that could be considered a game changer now that CAMRA has officially condoned its use. This new piece of tech is called a key keg and has proved to be quite divisive amongst the CAMRA crowd. The lack of clear information to the consumer has led to confusion (the fact that the name contains the word “keg” doesn’t help the matter) and without any clear resources to help clear up the matter, will continue to do so.

7,000 PRINTED COPIES Distributed in pubs and directly posted to

subscribing CAMRA members throughout the larger Peterborough area.

1,000+ ONLINE READS PER ISSUE* Based on download statistics from issuu.com.

ADVERTISE FROM ONLY £60

For more information about advertising opportunities with Beer Around ‘Ere magazine call 01778 382781

BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

The following are some of the most frequently asked questions. These are not all inclusive and will not make you an expert on the subject.

These will, however, help you understand a little bit more about the dispense system and help you make an informed decision if and when the time comes that you see them “out in the wild”.

What is a key keg?

A key keg is a proprietary container that holds liquid (beer/cider/wine/etc). The container itself has two “holding tanks”: a rigid plastic outer shell and an inner bladder (or bag). The inner bag is used to hold the liquid content, while the outer plastic is used to protect the bag as well as keep the inner bag under pressure.

The contents of the inner bag are dispensed by filling the outer shell with gas which thereby compresses the inner bladder forcing the contents out.

The name has the word keg in it, so of course this can’t be used for real ale, right? Actually it can! CAMRA has officially accepted the use of key kegs and has stated that it falls within their guidelines. The rationale behind this decision is based upon two major factors: that the beer has Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Keg Conundrum a secondary fermentation within the container (which also means that the beer cannot be filtered or pasteurized) and that extraneous gas never comes into contact with the product.

IS IT ALWAYS GOING TO BE FIZZY AND COLD?

No. Very much like traditional cask beer, the condition of the beer is controlled by the brewery itself (although unlike traditional cask, the cellarman or landlord doesn’t have the ability to change this). If the beer is designed by the brewery to be fizzy, they can design the beer to have a larger secondary fermentation in order to have more CO2 within the container, likewise if the beer is meant to be more flat, they can design a smaller secondary fermentation. As for the temperature, this is similar to traditional cask beer in that the temperature is dictated by whoever is dispensing it. Some places will serve it at cellar temperature, others will use some method of chilling to bring the temperature down.

more stable (based upon being in a closed environment) and brewers feel more confident that the consumer will be able to drink the beer as they intended.

How do I know if it is key keg or traditional keg?

Here lies the rub...you can’t, at least without asking or seeing the actual key kegs themselves.

The best course of action is to ask the server if the beer is key keg or not. Unfortunately, many of them won’t know either. This is one place where the industry needs to improve, so that concerned consumers have the ability to order confidently and know exactly what they are getting.

Steve Saldana

IS THIS “CRAFT BEER’’ ?

Um, maybe. There is no real definition of what craft beer is in the UK. The term itself has no defined meaning within the industry and has therefore been twisted more into a marketing term. You will often see the words “craft keg”, this means nothing and only creates more confusion for the consumer.

DO I NEED TO DRINK IT?

Of course not! There are so many amazing traditional cask beers out there that there is no reason that you would need to drink these. That being said, if given the opportunity to try something from a key keg, it might be worth giving it a go.

Many of the beers in key keg are more adventurous than traditional cask because the beer is Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 | BEER AROUND ERE

22 | Beer News from Greece

A Treat In Crete If you have ever been to Greece you will know that the choice of beers there is pretty uninspiring, but now there is a new kid on the block. So, if you find yourself in Western Crete (and there has to be a good reason why you shouldn’t) then you need to keep a lookout for beers from Xarma (pronounced Haarma) Brewery.

It was set up in 2007 on the outskirts of Chania and was a very small unit with a single production of only 500 litres. In the last year it has moved premises to a much larger site with a maximum daily production capacity of up to 6000 litres.

This was a beer that we first discovered about 7 years ago in a small bar in the back streets of Chania. We tried to get our tame taverna owner George, just 10 miles away, to stock it then, and to be fair to him he did try, but the brewery said, “Sorry we don’t produce enough to deliver that far away”. So we remained stuck with the bland offerings from Amstel, Alfa, Fix and Mythos. Imagine our joy when at the beginning of our previous visit we saw a signboard advertising Xarma outside the bar and lo and behold, there it was on tap. At the start of the season the bar was getting deliveries of 2 kegs, by midseason it was 4 and by the end of the season it was 8. The brewery and consumption were expanding! Originally they had a policy of only one outlet per village, to keep the individuality of the beer, but that has lapsed recently as capacity has increased.

BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

At present they only produce two draught beers, a light lager style and a darker style like the German Dunkel. Now it isn’t Real Ale as we know and love it, but it is something different for Crete.

For a start it is unfiltered, unpasteurised and unfined. Then it is served under CO2, but at the lowest pressure possible. The lager is full bodied, slightly winey, slightly cloudy, but full of hoppy aftertaste. The Black Beer is rich and dense with that slightly burnt taste you get with this style, it’s full of hoppy bitterness. There is an IPA on the way for summer 2016 and they have plans to start bottling later this year as well.

We were lucky enough to get a trip to the brewery this summer, before the proper visitor centre was opened. The brewery is full of completely new stainless steel equipment. Most of the pipework has been constructed on site! The brewing process is pretty much the same as any other brewery.

They get their water (liquor) from their own spring.

This part of Crete is famed for the quality of the water, direct from the White Mountains. For malt they use a mixture of mainly Greek but with a small amount of specialist Belgian malts. One

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Beer News from Greece |23

interesting point is that the spent grain at the end of the process is used by a local farmer to feed his herd of rare breed Minoan cows. We were informed that we could not be told what hops were used, I’m not sure why, but they said it was secret, we did at least learn that they use hop pellets and add them at 3 stages through the brewing process.

And of course at the end of the tour we got to sample both of the beers. They hadn’t got anything formal set up, so the brewer just drew some off from two of the fermenting vessels, so in that case it was true real ale and by golly it was good.

The visitor centre will be completed and formal tours will probably have been started by the time this gets into Beer Around ‘Ere. The brewery is situated near the tiny village of Zounaki in the Chania region of Crete. You can contact the brewery at tour@cretanbeer.gr or visit their web page (currently only in Greek, but they promise to have it in English soon) at www.cretanbeer.gr.

Leigh and Val Shepherd

Home cooked Sunday lunches Meals served Tues - Fri lunchtime & evening and on Saturdays 2 - 5pm Bands & Discos at weekends Functions & parties catered for Conference room available for business use Four real ales, Three changing regularly Six draught lagers Large beer garden with children’s play area Large car park Sky & BT Sports (Two TV’s) Pool and Darts

Blue Boar, Eye

blueboareye

The Jolly Sailor, 43 Great Whyte, Ramsey PE26 1HH Tel 01487 813388

OPEN ALL DAY EVERY DAY FROM 11am Five Real Ales on permanently

FOOD SERVED DAILY Monday to Friday: 12 to 2.30, 6 to 9pm Saturday: 12 to 9pm Sunday: 12 to 4pm

Welcome to our New Head Chef Lee Vernall!

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 | BEER AROUND ERE

24 | Diary dates

Diary Dates August

Sunday 7th Summer Mystery Tour. Depart the Brewery Tap at 12.00 noon and return by 8pm. Cost £12 to include light refreshments.

Please book places through John Hunt, Social Secretary.

Tuesday 9th - Saturday 13th Great British Beer Festival, Olympia, London.

Tuesday 23rd - Saturday 27th 39th Peterborough Beer Festival, Embankment, Peterborough.

400+ real ales, ciders, perries, wine and bottled beers.

CAMRA meetings, socials and beer festivals in the coming months

September

Monday 5th at 8.30pm Branch Monthly Meeting at the Blue Bell, Welland Road, Dogsthorpe, Peterborough PE1 3SA. All members welcome, please bring membership card.

Thurday 8th - Sunday 11th Coalheavers Autumn Beer Fest.

Friday 16th- Saturday 17th 14th Melton Mowbray Beer and Cider Festival, Banqueting Suite Melton Mowbray Market, Scalford Rd, Melton Mowbray, LE13 1JY. 55 real ales and 20+ ciders/perry. LocAle bar.

For further details: meltonmowbray.camra.org.uk

BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

Volunteers Wanted

With half the year almost gone and our big event on The Embankment approaching we are once again calling for our membership to come and help us at this year’s PBF. The web site is now up and running for members to submit their applications as volunteers in setting up and running one of the city’s major events of the year. We need more people on the Friday and Saturday but, not so many on the Tuesday/Wednesday.

DM.

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Please support our advertisers |25

Peterborough’s Oldest Members Club Just a short walk from Bus and Railway Stations and Queensgate

Food served Wednesday to Sunday Free entry to CAMRA members Live Music & Entertainment 22nd July Intruders 23rd July Kickback 29th July Children of the Revolution 5th August Hound Dogs (Entry £10) 12th August Disco 13th August Jelly Roll 27th August BRM 28th August James Edmunds 3rd September Park Lane 10th September Three Parts Dirt 17th September Betty Swollocks 23rd September One Eyed Cats 24th September Athenry

Find us at: 7 Burghley Rd, Peterborough PE1 2QA Tel 01733 896989 theburghleyclub Website: www.theburghleyclub.com

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Swiss Cottage Woodston 01733 568734 Recent

CAMwRaArd

Gold A Winner ONLY

TES FIVE MINU WALK

from

PBF 2016

m.swisscottagepeterborough.co.uk

Three separate sport TVs with Sky Sports and BT Sport showing all football and other live sporting events.

Undercover Smoking Area, Pool Table & Beer Garden

Open All Day Every Day from Noon with a late night license!

Accommodation also available, see:

www.clarksguesthouse.co.uk

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 | BEER AROUND ERE

Merit Award for the Cross Keys, Kings Cliffe Geoff and Janice Holland, landlord and landlady were presented with Merit Award on June 11th by Branch Press Officer Mike Blakesley. A small contingent of branch members joined locals for the celebration.

An enjoyable evening. Citation reads “developing the pub as a hub of the community. Supporting and serving quality LocAles”.

Merit Award for The Ploughman, Werrington

Andy and Stuart Simmons and team were presented with a Merit Award on Thursday 30th June which was the first day of their summer beer festival. The citation reads “for continually offering well-kept Cask Ales and a range of LocAle. Supporting various charities, live music and continuing to be a Community Hub Pub”.

Several CAMRA members joined locals to celebrate this award. Landlord, Andy provided customers with food, which was well received and most enjoyable. A good evening was had by all.

BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

We are Peterborough CAMRA Pub of the Year 2016!

Up to 4 Real Ales available • Friendly village pub with riverside mooring • Now serving Sunday Roast • Large garden • Dogs welcome

Food served: Lunches Monday - Saturday 12-2pm, Sunday 12-3pm Evening meals Monday -Saturday 6-8pm

Sunday 14 August - STEVE BEAN PLAYS CLASSICAL GUITAR 4-6pm Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Please support our advertisers |27

VINYL NIGHT Bring down your favourite records Last Friday of the month

UKELELE NIGHT Every Thursday from 7.30pm

LIVE MUSIC WEEKLY Check Facebook & local gig guides

14 Ever-changing, gravity fed real ales thepalmerstonarms

Hand and Heart |29

Hand and Heart Community Enterprise The iconic Hand and Heart is up for sale and a number of its customers and CAMRA members have set up a community enterprise to save it!

However, we are looking for more investors to help us meet the monies required to purchase and update it, by the 11th October deadline.

With the help of the Plunkett Foundation, a core number of members have been commissioning surveys, applying for grants and developing a business case. We aim to issue information on a community share offer in time for the Peterborough Beer Festival. Already we have secured a £2500 bursary to help with legal fees and have been on a fact finding mission to two other Community Pubs, the Bevy in Brighton and the Shuckburgh Arms in Southwick.

If you are interested in helping us please contact Matt Mace on 07809 629241 /email mattmace@hotmail.com or look us up on Facebook www.facebook.com/Hand-and-HeartCommunity-Enterprise-1697420373854364/, where all the latest news is posted.

Matt Mace

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

The Bluebell Inn

Helpston

The Bluebell, Woodgate, Helpston, Peterborough PE6 7ED Tel: 01733 252394 www.bluebellhelpston.co.uk We support local micro breweries stocking great local cask conditioned ales - always a choice of 4 including “10 Woodgate” which is specially brewed just for us.

Open seven days a week for drinks and serving fresh, seasonal, locally sourced produce, our menu offers something for everyone.

‘Lunch for Less’ Menu Monday to Friday

(offering a special two course menu only £12) AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 | BEER AROUND ERE

30 | Contacts Branch Committee Secretary: Dickie Bird 4 Cissbury Ring,Werrington Peterborough, PE4 6QH 01733 574226 (tel & fax) 07731 993896 info@real-ale.org.uk

Chairman: David Murray 01733 560453 chairman@real-ale.org.uk

Treasurer: Paul Beecham 01733 311981 07710 008693 treasurer@real-ale.org.uk

Vice Chair: Matthew Mace 07809 629241 vice-chair@real-ale.org.uk Social Sec: John Hunt 07923 489917 social-sec@real-ale.org.uk

Pubs Officer: John Temple 07905 051 312 pubs-officer@real-ale.org.uk

Press Officer: Mike Blakesley 01733 390828 (h) 07747 617527 (m) press-officer@real-ale.org.uk

Cider Officer: Bernidette Gilbert

cider@real-ale.org.uk

Young Members: Kara Williams young-members@real-ale.org.uk

Kings Cliffe Brewery: Mike Blakesley 07747 617527

Festival Org: Mike Lane 07850 334203 festival-organiser@real-ale.org.uk

Mile Tree Brewery: Steve Williams 07756 066503

Webmaster: Harry Morten webmaster@real-ale.org.uk

Oakham Ales: Dave Allett 07966 344417

Membership: Bob Melville 07941 246693 membership@real-ale.org.uk

LocAle Officer: Vacant Position locale@real-ale.org.uk

Brewery Liaison Officers Blue Bell: John Hunt 07923 489917

Bexar County Brewery: Dave Botton 01733 345475

Nene Valley: Bob Melville 07941 246693 Tydd Steam: John Hunt 07923 489917

Weldon Brewery: John Temple 07905 051 312 Star Brewing Company: Don Rudd 07806 731765 Xtreme Ales: Katie Barrett xtreme-blo@real-ale.org.uk

Castor Ales: Mike Lane 07850 334203 Digfield: Dave Waller 07821 912605 Elgood’s: John Hunt 07923 489917

Melbourn: Don Rudd 07806 731765

08545 040506 www.consumerdirect.gov.uk Check out our website at: www.real-ale.org.uk

Trading Standards

Hopshackle: Noel Ryland 07944 869656

Pub Merit Awards & Gold Awards Does your local pub have excellent beer, friendly staff, a great atmosphere, community spirit, or have they introduced additional hand pumps? If so, nominate them for an award. Gold Awards are for pubs that make exceptional efforts to improve. The Merit Award is for pubs that continue to maintain high standards. If you know of a deserving pub within the branch area, please complete the form below indicating Gold or Merit Award and post to the secretary or email nominations to info@real-ale.org.uk.

Pub name: Pub address/town/village: Reason for award: Your name: Your phone number or e-mail address: Your membership number: BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk