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Issue 22 | April - June 2014
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Inside... Lunesdale Country Pubs Part Three: Hornby
The Borough, Lancaster Local Pub of Year 2014
The Snug, Carnforth Regional Pub of Year 2014 WWW.LUNESDALECAMR A . OR G . U K
plus much more...
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When less is more
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n this quarter’s magazine we profile two pubs - one near and one far - which illustrate a development that is both new, and in one sense, the return of an old type of pub once common in this country. Both the Butcher’s Arms in Herne in Kent, and our own Snug in Carnforth, describe themselves as micropubs, which as the owner of the latter describes it in his article, position themselves as an alternative to the trend for greater commercialisation, cartels, and the exploitative anticompetitive practices, that many of our larger pub chains bring to British drinking culture. In some ways an innovation, one could argue that the micropub is a revival of an older style of pubs, when many pubs, especially in rural areas, were simple adaptations of a spare front room from which an enterprising householder could sell beer - which was sometimes made on the premises as well. Perhaps the nearest we have in this area to a micropub avant la lettre, is The Limeburners Arms
in Nether Kellet, where opening hours are sometimes subject to alteration because of the more pressing business of lambing. The freedom from tie, and other restrictions, gives a micropub a character and individuality lacking from some other chain pubs, with their identikit décor and overpriced drinks monopolies. Certainly one would go a long way before one found such a fine collection of... well, I was going to mention a most unusual interior feature of The Butcher’s Arms in Kent, but I won’t pre-empt anything to be found later in this edition. Conversation is paramount is a micropub. Those seeking attention hoovers like canned music, fruit machines and dominating TV screens will go elsewhere. There are benefits for the licensees as well. A someone who’s done decades of shift work, I welcomed the longer licensing hours, where I could get a drink at 11am if I fancied one, after doing a full day’s
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EDITOR’S COLUMN
continued over the page
Branch Contacts Chairman Michael Dillon Branch Secretary Martin Sherlock e: secretary@lunesdalecamra.org.uk Tel 01524 66131 Treasurer John Slinger
Lunesdale Drinker Editor Cliff Laine e: editor@lunesdalecamra.org.uk Tel 07810 507602 (from where a postal address can be provided)
Enquiries: drinker@lunesdalecamra.org.uk The Editor reserves the right to amend or shorten contributions for publication. All editorial copyright © Lunesdale CAMRA 2014.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in articles are those of individual contributors and are not necessarily the views of the Lunesdale Branch, The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. Lunesdale CAMRA accepts no liability in relation to the accuracy of advertisements; readers must rely on their own enquiries. It should also be noted that acceptance of an advertisement in this publication should not be deemed an endorsement of quality by Lunesdale CAMRA.
PUBLISHED BY
Capital Media Group 2 Halifax Court, Fernwood Business Park Cross Lane, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, NG24 3JP t: 01524 220 230 • e: lunesdaledrinker@thisiscapital.com www.thisiscapital.com
© 2014 Capital Media Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be transmitted, reproduced, recorded, photocopied or otherwise without the express written permission of the copyright holder.
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work (well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). But at the same time, as anyone who had read Gregg Beaman’s eloquent explanation for his unusual opening hours at The Snug will appreciate, the micropub (and of course, the possession of the necessary capital in order to open one in the first place) allows a licensee to control his or her working hours in a way not possible for pub staff on unpredictable zero hours contracts, or where publicans have to work long hours in order to raise even a modest income. All this is reflected in the merry atmosphere in The Snug although given that the landlord posts music by The Cure and New Order on his blog, it’s not surprising the customers need cheering up after ploughing through that. I hope you’ll have the pleasure of visiting at least one of these pubs soon. I should also mention that Lancashire has two more micropubs, within easy striking distance from Lancaster. In a former travel agent’s on Hough Lane in Leyland, The Market Ale House has been open since December, and Burnley’s town centre has acquired The Beer Shack, which since March has been serving eight real ales and up to six real ciders. Anyone
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who fancies going to Leyland or Burnley to sink some quality ales, would be most welcome to submit a review. More locally, don’t forget Morecambe Beer Festival, 15th-18th August (helpers needed -- please contact Peter Ryder at ryderpeter@googlemail.com), and if you see this in time, The York Hotel in the same town is having a mini beer and cider festival from 4th-6th April. Coming up soon is the excellent Clitheroe Beer Festival, taking place on the weekend of 16th and 17th May in St Mary’s Centre where over sixty real ales will be available. The event is open all day long both days, with free entry for CAMRA members or a very reasonable £2, or £3 after 6pm, for the uninitiated. The theme this year is “natural beauty”, which means that Jordan will not now be opening the festival as was originally planned. The organisers have skilfully changed their publicity to suggest that by “natural beauty” they in fact meant the rural areas of the Trough of Bowland, which are full of undulating prominences of a different kind. Cliff Laine Editor, editor@lunesdalecamra.org.uk
Michael Dillon
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fter a will it or won’t it go ahead, the Dark and Winter Ales Festival took place at the beginning of February and was a great success. Many thanks to all those who helped with the organisation and to the pubs and brewers who took part. A special thank you to Tim Tomlinson who at short notice offered to organise the event. I certainly enjoyed going around and sampling the ales on offer and managed to visit eight of the pubs taking part as well as meeting the brewers from The Borough, Hardnott, Kirkby Lonsdale and OSB. By the time you read this we will have had our branch AGM and no doubt not all of the branch committee posts will have been filled. Without a full committee it is hard to function as an effective branch and do all the things required to promote
the aims of Camra in the Lunesdale area, so can I ask all Camra members to consider if they can spare a few hours a month and become more active in the organisation to which they belong. If you can please contact me or the branch secretary. As well as helping with the organisation the more active membership we have will allow us to organise more pub and brewery trips, usually by coach, so no driving problems. Finally although five months away it is time to start thinking about the Morecambe Beer Festival on 14-16 August and helpers will be needed if it is going to be a success.
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CHAIRMAN’S LETTER
Happy Drinking Michael Dillon Chairman
COMMODORE INN GRANGE OVER SANDS
Our 4 Cask Marque Quality ales have got even better!! Now featuring our regular and popular Cask bitters, Wainwrights and Theakstons Best, plus 2 great tasting guest ales which change every week. Friendly, family run pub which overlooks Morecambe Bay, just 5 minutes walk from Grange Railway station. Excellent home made food served daily in our bar and first floor bay view restaurant. Newly introduced “Great British Bar Tapas” menu available until early evening. Sky Sports & BT Sports shown in our 2 separate TV lounges on large HD screens. An eclectic mix of Folk, Jazz, Blues, 50’s to Modern Day, featuring live local bands & artists most weekends.
OPE N A L L DAY – E V E R Y DAY
Main Street, Grange over Sands, LA11 6DY • T: 01539 532381 • www.thecomminngrange.com Issue22 |
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Castle Hotel, Hornby
LUNESDALE COUNTRY PUBS Part Three: Hornby by Lawrence Bland
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awrence Bland has a bus pass, and he’s gonna use it. Today he talks us through the pubs of Hornby. Hornby is an attractive place to visit, with several pleasant walks along both banks of the nearby River Lune. As you approach the town after crossing the River Wenning, there is a classic view of Hornby Castle, (a private residence which is not open to the public). St. Margaret’s Church dates back to the early 16th century, but was rebuilt in 1817. Buses 80 (Ingleton) and 81A & 81B (Kirkby Lonsdale) past through Hornby. There are two pubs at present. The Castle is considered to be an ancient hostelry. The present building is of late 18th century origin, but a back door jamb has a date of 1645. It became a coaching inn, probably around 1752, when the Lancaster Road became the Lancaster to Richmond Turnpike. In recent years it fell into a dilapidated state, but has now been
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painstakingly restored by the owners, the Ledshams. The Castle Hotel has now extended its premises to incorporate other buildings. One such, the former Bull Inn, has a date stone of 1687 and was a pub from 1701 but not recorded in 19th century directories. The Castle is open 1211 Mondays to Thursdays, 12-11.30 Fridays & Saturdays and 12-10.30 on Sundays, has good food in its bistro, available 12-2.30 & 5.30-9 weekdays, 12-9 Saturdays & 12-8 on Sundays. Regular beers are Black Sheep and a Lancaster beer. The other pub is the Royal Oak, a Thwaites house, more of a traditional public house, built in 1781 and may have been known as the Kings Arms, originally two rooms and a barn, but opened out to form one large room. Lots of ‘Royal Oak’ navy memorabilia from Jim Bowen’s days as landlord. Closed Mondays, open 12-2 & 5-11 Tuesday to Friday, 12-11 Saturday and Sundays. Food 12-2 & 5-9 and Sundays 12-9. Several inns have come and gone over the years. One was the Malt Shovel, taking its name from the nearby site of the malt kiln. It was probably post-medieval in origin and is recorded in early 19th century directories, but closed around 1899. Other licensed premises included the Blue Boy opposite the Castle Hotel and the Rose & Crown, now a private residence, Monteagle House.
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Strawberry Gardens
Poulton Road, Fleetwood, FY7 6TF
Tel 01253 771991
Blackpool & Fylde CAMRA Pub of the Year 2013 Blackpool & Fylde CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year 2012
www.strawberrygardensfleetwood.co.uk
3rd Beer & Cider Festival 50+ Real Ales
Real Ciders & Continental Beers
Live Entertainment
Thur 22nd to Mon 26th May
A Lovely Local Riverside Pub, all are welcome... Five Cask Ales • Food Served Daily • Enclosed Beer Garden • Range of Lagers •
The George & Dragon 24 St George’s Quay Lancaster, LA1 1RB
t: 01524 388808
www.georgeanddragononline.co.uk Issue22 |
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The Aurora Colony
BEER IN AMERICA Part Two - Michael Dillon continues his travels in the Northwest (that’s Oregon, not Ormskirk)
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hen I first visited the USA I imagined the “bars” would be totally different from our concept of the pub, but have been surprised by many of the similarities. Indeed when visiting the old Aurora Colony, Oregon, a Christian cooperative established in 1856, I came upon the simply named “Colony Pub”. As with most establishments, good food is always available but they also had some good beers from the Deschutes Brewery in Bend as well as the Bridgeport and Widmer breweries in nearby Portland. The Bridgeport IPA at 5.5% ABV and Widmer Upheaval IPA at 7% ABV (85 IBU’s) were particularly good. As a note to this and my previous article IBU’s are International Bitterness Units which are frequently used in describing IPA’s in the USA. I would describe the Aurora Colony as a good local pub, certainly on friendliness and atmosphere, but now to Portland where I visited the Deschutes Brewpub in the heart of the city. Their main brewery is in Bend about 200 miles away so most of the beer here is brewed on site and is just one of the 50 plus brew pubs in Portland. MPETITION
CAPTION CO
This has been built primarily as a food pub, but has a large area set aside and functions as a regular bar for drinkers. A full range of Deschutes beers is available but I settled on the very drinkable Inversion IPA at 6.8% ABV (80 IBU’s). and enjoyed the view of the on-site brewery, gleaming behind a glass window. So two very different establishments, and although neither had any real ale as strictly defined, the beers I tasted were a good example of American craft brewing and very drinkable.
One of our roving team of photographers, recently released on police bail after wandering into the ladies at the Tap House, caught this pensive moment for posterity from the Meet The Brewer event there during the Dark and Winter Ales Festival. The Police Inspector took into consideration the temporary loss of faculties after our snapper had “sampled” the new 8 per center from Hawkshead before he wandered in upon Edith Dowthwaite, aged 97. Entries please to editor@lunesdalecamra.org.uk or leave a slowly-enunciated message at 01524 840269
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Compiled by Martin Sherlock
M
ore pubs are closing in this area. The Victoria (Lancaster) is currently boarded up. It has been acquired by a firm who want to turn it into offices or (more likely) flats. The Moorlands (Lancaster) is being converted to become more student flats. However, local people are objecting to the belated application and I suggest you do too. We won’t get the old Moorlands back – all the old stained glass etc. will have long since gone into a skip – but at least we can put the brakes on future vandalism of this sort, and possibly even save it as a pub. Mitchells’ pub disposals continue elsewhere too. Both the Dragons Head (Whittington) and the Fleece (Dolphinholme) should have been sold by the time you read this. Alterations are planned for both, but they should stay as pubs and might even be improved.
On a brighter note, the Farmers Arms aka Bell & Bottle (Garstang), which looked doomed, has been acquired by the former licensee of the nearby Kings Arms and will reopen after a bit of sprucing up. All cask ale at the Royal (Morecambe) is now £2 per pint, so there is no longer a CAMRA discount. Beer sales have increased greatly so overall profits are much the same but the beer no longer has a chance to go off before it is sold. The Silverdale (Silverdale) has been refurbished and given a new licensee who has increased the beer range to five. Borough brewery beers have escaped from the Borough and been spotted in a number of pubs in the area. The Borough is still the only pub to sell their ales regularly though and the only one to carry three of them.
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BREWERY & PUB NEWS
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Tom Smeaton, Barman
PATTEN OF EXCELLENCE We profile a rural gem – the Patten Arms at Winmarleigh
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hat makes the ideal pub? Writing in 1946, George Orwell’s features of his favourite drinking place included “soft creamy stout” in a pewter pot, ale served in china mugs, “motherly barmaids” and “no radio”. He described The Moon under Water as an idyllic place – wonderful food, great beer, unspoilt décor and a garden. Only at the end of the article did he own up. “His” pub was indeed an idyll; no such place existed, though he wished it did. If Orwell were around today I’d take him to the Patten Arms. All right, he wouldn’t find everything on his check list. He’d probably get a funny look asking for his pint in a “pleasant strawberry-pink” china mug. But the quality that tops his list he would find in barrel-loads: atmosphere. Isolated places like the Grade II listed Patten – three miles from Garstang among
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the flat fields of Winmarleigh near Forton – need something special to attract a clientele. What they get is the atmosphere of a traditional pub – cosy one-room bar, open fire, friendly staff and a choice of real ales (four in this case) and fine food. But there’s something else that’s vital: a real sense of community. Though there is a summer trade from tourists and caravan sites the place relies on local support for its year-round survival. The regulars are an incredibly loyal lot, witty, welcoming and enthusiastic about their pub and the wide range of activities it hosts. Landlord Ian Swindlehurst, an electrical engineer by trade, and wife Jackie, have had the Patten Arms for over twelve years and clearly love their work. “We’ve always been sociable people,” Ian says, and you can see and feel what he means the moment you enter the pub. They and barman Tom Smeaton have a warm relationship with patrons, who are treated more like friends than customers. There’s plenty of laughter round the bar; this is a great place for what the Irish call craic.
and Jennings (his personal favourite is Cumberland Ale) on the bar, together with outstanding brews from further afield. At the recent Lunesdale Dark & Winter Ales Festival punters could sample, among others, the well-kept Kirkby-Lonsdale Old Tannery, a gorgeous chocolate wheat beer. At a time when the trade is facing hard times and many rural inns have closed, the Patten Arms offers a master class in pub management and culture. It hasn’t been plain sailing. “We struggled for eighteen months at the height of the recession,” admits Ian. But a combination of good business sense (the kitchen, which produces the pub’s excellent food, is leased out) great ale and loyal support from the community, has seen them through. Unlike Orwell’s Moon under Water, this ideal “local” really exists. Ok, so you won’t get your beer in a china mug. But the Patten Arms offers almost everything else the discerning pub-goer wants. An example to be cherished of traditional values in modern times.
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Ian is canny when it comes to understanding what makes a thoroughly good pub. “A good pub is at the centre of the community, bringing it all together. The Patten’s success is down to how the locals interact, whatever the age group. The numerous social activities are testament to its creative edge and diversity.” “Numerous” hardly does it justice. There are four bowling teams, a golf society, three darts and domino teams, clay pigeon shooting (not in the bar you’ll be glad to hear), a “Ryder Cup team” (golf, shooting and bowling) and regular coach trips to pubs in places like KirkbyLonsdale, Skipton and Blackpool. Sounds good, but what’s the beer like? The Patten, a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular, is that wondrous thing, a free house, and thus not hamstrung by the tie. Ian can buy whatever he wants in the ale line, and spends Monday mornings choosing interesting, quality real ales and responding to 50 – 60 phone calls from brewers eager to get their products into the pub. He is a keen supporter of local and regional brewers, and you’re likely to find Bowland, Kirkby Lonsdale, Thwaites
Ian Swindlehurst was talking to Julian Holt
The York Hotel
• Quality Beers, Spirits and Wines •Cask Ales •Darts and Pool • Outside Patio • Quality Food • Full Sky Sports/ESPN Package • Free wireless internet
ALL CASK ALES £2 ON TUESDAYS
87 Lancaster Road Morecambe LA4 5QH 01524 425353 www.yorkhotelmorecambe.co.uk Issue22 |
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FUTURE EVENTS
For further information about any branch CAMRA events, visit www.lunesdalecamra.org.uk
EVENTS ORGANISED BY THIS BRANCH
OTHER EVENTS IN THE REGION
APRIL
• Thursday 3 April - Sunday 6 April : Beer Festival, York (Morecambe).
• Tuesday 8 : 8pm : Branch Meeting, Yorkshire House (Lancaster) with a chance to talk to Chris Coates of the Green Party. • Sunday 13 : Hike & Pint, the Kellets. Either meet 10 am outside White Cross or catch bus 51 from Lancaster Bus Station at 1210 Contact Martin (01524 66131, e: secretary@lunesdalecamra.org.uk)
MAY
• Saturday 17 : 3pm : Branch Meeting, Borough (Lancaster).
JUNE
• Wednesday 11 : 8pm : Branch Meeting, Borough (Lancaster) • Friday 13 : Midsummer Dinner, Horns (Goosnargh) a coach will run. Contact Martin (01524 66131, e: secretary@lunesdalecamra.org.uk)
• Thursday 24 April - Sunday 27 April : 9th Annual Beer and Pie Festival, White Cross and Merchants (Lancaster), 30 cask ales and 20 pies. • Thursday 15 May - Friday 16 May : CAMRA Beer Festival, Clitheroe.
Can’t make Branch Meetings? If a Saturday afternoon would suit you better than a weekday evening, then you are in luck. On Saturday 17th May, we will be taking over the Snug in Carnforth while it is closed to the public from 3pm. If this meeting is a success, we will have more Saturday meetings.
Traditional Real Ales
Westmorland CAMRA POTY 2011 12
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A butcher’s inside the Butcher’s
FUN IN THE BUTCHER’S ARMS Awayday on the North Kent coast by Ruth Howard
R
uth Howard, former Lancaster barfly extraordinaire, now exiled in London, reports on her awayday to a micropub on the glamorous North Kent coast. No sorry folks, this is not an account of a swingers’ party, but a tale of great fun, hilarity and of course ale quaffing in one of the best pubs in Kent. There are several essential components to a good pub, including beer kept in optimum condition, convivial company and an enthusiastic landlord. The Butcher’s has all these elements; so it was with this in mind that four of us went to Herne Bay determined to have a good time. The Butchers Arms is a pub converted from (guess) a butcher’s. The counters are made from the original meat slabs and the original hooks are suspended from the ceiling, along with all manner of novelty artefacts such as rubber chickens and party hats. A plastic skeleton resides in the corner along with a very quiet cat. The pub is one of the smallest pubs in the country. So small in fact, that there is no bar as such and all the beer is on stillage in the back room. The beers on offer during our visit included Dark Star’s Hophead and Kent Pale. Martin, mine host, served us several jugs of beer along with jokes, wry observations and amusing anecdotes. Due to the confines of the pub conversation passes freely amongst the customers, making for
a friendly atmosphere. We tried all the beers, it would have been rude not to. We even managed a half of the 7% Tally Ho. Alas all too soon Martin rang the closing bell and it was time to stagger round the corner to our lodgings. I remember walking out of the pub then waking up the next morning, but the time in between was to be honest a bit of a blur. Here’s to Martin, all the regulars and our next visit to the Butchers. The Butcher’s Arms is situated in centre of the village of Herne (which is a couple of miles inland from Herne Bay), in Kent. Opening hours are Tue – Sat 12.00 – 1.30 and 6.00 – 9.00 (“or later”, says the website at www.micropub.co.uk), and 12.00 – 2.00 on Sundays. The website also advises one to “arrive early – there are only fifteen seats!”.
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Opening night in the White Cross
DARK & WINTER ALES FESTIVAL Through a glass darkly
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his year’s Dark and Winter Ales Festival was a resounding success. The opening night was a most convivial occasion, drawing over a hundred people and no fewer than six brewers (not that brewers aren’t people of course, it’s just the ale that makes them look a bit odd sometimes). As you can see, organiser Timi Tomlinson suffered a spasm caused by his little problem the moment the photo was taken. The other photograph shows Gareth Ellis, caught mid-DWAF behind the superlative Graduate Bar at the University. Many thanks to everyone who put so much into the festival. After totting up the votes cast over the week, the winner of the Beer of the Festival was Bridestones Winter Warmer from Hebden Bridge, a 5.1% seasonal beer
brewed using five different malts, honey, molasses and spices. Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery’s Bantam and Old Tannery were highly commended.
PUBS WITH CAMRA DISCOUNT This list is believed to be accurate, but may of course change without notice. Some pubs don’t give discount on half pints. Email any errors or omissions to editor@lunesdalecamra.org.uk LANCASTER • Bobbin (LA1 1HH) - 10p off a pint • The Borough (LA1 1PP) - £1 off a pint • Fibber McGee’s (LA1 1UP) - 30p off a pint • Greaves Park (LA1 3AH) - 30p off a pint • Lord Ashton (LA1 1NY) - 20% Off • Merchants (LA1 1YN) - 10p off a pint • Penny Bank (LA1 1XF) - 10p off a pint • Penny Street Bridge (LA1 1XT) - 30p off a pint • Robert Gillow (LA1 1HP) - 10% Off • Tap House (LA1 1UH) - 10% Off • Three Mariners (LA1 1EE) - 10p off a pint • Water Witch (LA1 1SU) - 30p Off • White Cross (LA1 4XT) - 10p Off
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MORECAMBE • Kings Arms (LA4 4BJ) - 20% Off • York (LA4 5QH) - All cask ales @ £2 a pint GARSTANG • Wheatsheaf (PR3 1EL) - 20p off a pint GALGATE • Plough (LA2 0LQ) - 40p off a pint
Members need to be in possession of a current valid CAMRA membership card to claim the discount.
... but enough about Greg Beaman
G
regg talks about his micropub, The Snug, an award-winning hostelry in Carnforth. The first Sunday in March 2012 was when we read an article in a Sunday paper about the micropub. We immediately knew we had to open our own and we did, opening the doors to The Snug for the first time on August 1st . We sell real ale, cider, wine and soft drinks. There is no jukebox, TV or gaming machines and we only offer traditional bar snacks. Much of our beer comes from local microbreweries but we also offer beer from as far afield as Cornwall and Scotland. We usually have five beers on offer and do not have any permanent beers on the bar, although some really popular beers come back more often than others. We now have a wide and varied stock of bottled beers too. Carnforth Station is the perfect location and we’ve even had Andrew, the brewer at Three Peaks in Settle deliver a cask by train. We think of micropubs as the pub version of punk rock, a reaction to corporatisation and a chance for ordinary people, like us, to open the kind of pub we’d like to frequent. The entertainment is chit chat but there are also traditional pub games such as cards and dominoes and a daily newspaper if you want to keep up with the news.
The Snug is constantly developing and we now have The Snug Ukelele Group, a badminton group who play on Sundays (presumably not in the pub – Ed.) and we have regular ‘Snug Outings’. Our first outing was to Manchester in December 2012. We booked a mini-bus which we had to swap for a bigger vehicle as so many people booked. Eventually we needed a 65 seater, more than we can fit in the pub! Within six months we were proud to be voted Lunesdale CAMRA Quality Pub of the Year 2013 by CAMRA members and equally proud to be in the 2014 CAMRA Good Beer Guide. In November 2013 we spread our wings and had nearly 40 beers and ciders in The Snug and The Furness Hall at Carnforth Station for our first beer festival. It was such a success that we have pencilled in November 21/22 this year for our second festival. Of course none of this would have been possible without our wonderful customers and tremendous brewers, so a big thank you to them. We are now being contacted regularly by people planning to open their own micropubs, we are always happy to offer help and support as the micropub revolution continues. The Snug is situated at Carnforth Station and is open Tues – Sat 12.00 – 2.00 and 5.00 – 9.00, and 12.00 – 2.00 on Sundays. Details of current beers can be obtained from their website at thesnugmicropub.blogspot.co.uk
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SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED
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5 a day!
FIVE A DAY BEER DIET by Alan Gardner
B
eer A to Z to make sure we’re our daily supply of water, barley, hops, yeast – and isinglass – with a spotter’s trip through beers familiar and rare.
APRICOT
from Coach House 5.0%.
BANANA
Blackamoor Banana Madness, Batley (superb but long gone).
COFFEE
Ionian Coffee Porter from Corfu Microbrewery via Wetherspoons.
DAMSON
Hawkshead Damson and Vanilla Imperial Stout 8.3% at DWAF.
ELDERBERRY
St Peter’s Elderberry Fruit Beer, 4.7%.
FIG
Steampacket, from Knottingley, West Yorkshire. A sticky rich beer they only produced once, which I had at the brewery.
ORANGE
Otter Seville Bitter 4.0%, from Honinton, Devon.
PASSION FRUIT
Hummingbird 4.2% from Wells & Young, Bedford.
QUINOA
In a gluten free beer from Mongozo Brewery, Holland.
RASPBERRY
Red Mist 5.0% from TSA, Stirling (we should mention Lancaster’s Raspberry Rose which won this year’s Lancashire Cup at the Round Table beer festival).
STRAWBERRY
Strawberry Fields 4.2% from Batemans, Wainfleet.
GINGER
Marble Ginger 4.5%. A classic, in my top twenty.
TREACLE
Treacle Stout 5.0% from Ossett.
HEATHER
Fraoch 4.1%, now Williams Brothers, another top beer, from Alloa.
UGLI FRUIT
The zest is used in some beers from Jamaica.
ISINGLASS
VANILLA
Made from fish bladders!
Vanilla Stout 5.2% from Greenfield, near Oldham.
JAGGERY
Used in Syl 6.2% from First Chop, Salford.
WHEAT
KELP
Kelpie 4.4%, another strange beer from Williams Brothers
Okell’s Maclir 4.4%, a classic wheat beer from the Isle of Man.
XMAS PUDDING
Beer of the same name 4.2% by Coach House, Warrington, or Xango, perhaps also known as mangosteens? Let me know.
YEAST
without which there would be no beer.
ZEST
in many sweeter beers.
LIQUORICE
Three Sieges 6.0% from Tomlinsons, Pontefract. I still haved an unopened bottle.
MUSCOVADO Dark Star Imperial Stout SUGAR 10.5%. NETTLE
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now it’s much improved and available in season.
The Prince of Wales in Foxfield started one about ten years ago it was awful, | Issue22
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THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP CAMRA Contact secretary@lunesdalecamra.org.uk
I
f you can never make our BRANCH Meetings, there are still plenty of things you can do for CAMRA. Here are two: SCORE BEERS The main problem here is remembering to do it Log in to CAMRA’s online pub guide, WhatPub (www.whatpub.com), using your membership number and the same password that you use to enter the CAMRA national website. Search for the pub and enter a score for each beer that you drank. If you can’t get online, use the form below to score (or any piece of paper with the same information) and send it to the address above. One score per pub per member per month is adequate. Please submit scores for every kind of premises, not just ‘good’ pubs.
DELIVER THIS MAGAZINE This particularly applies to members living in remoter rural areas. Just go to the White Cross in Lancaster and ask for some Lunesdale Drinkers. Then leave them in a pub, club, shop or anywhere the public can pick them up. No special authority or permission from us is required to do this, but if you want to do it regularly, contact secretary@lunesdalecamra.org.uk (or 22 Cumberland View, LA1 4AB) and you will be told when the new issues come out. About two dozen copies is a reasonable number for the average pub. If you don’t get to the White Cross often (or at all), we will try to arrange a convenient pick-up point for you.
BEER SCORING FORM Your Name: Date
Membership No.:
Pub Name
Place Name
Brewery
Beer
Score
Comment
0: no cask ale; 1: Poor; 2: Average; 3: Good; 4: Very Good; 5: Perfect Half-scores may be submitted if desired.
Reach 6000+ real ale drinkers and pubgoers The Lunesdale Drinker is the only local magazine to reach more than 6000 discerning real ale drinkers and pubgoers in North Lancashire. Best of all, advertising costs as little as £3.45 per week. 18
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Call 01524 220 230 or visit www.lunesdaledrinker.com
W W W. L U NE SD AL E CAM RA. O RG. UK
New flavours Lancashire Black Pudding & English Mustard
01704 823572 info@fiddlerslancashirecrisps.co.uk www.fiddlerslancashirecrisps.co.uk
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Issue22 |
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W W W. L U NE SD AL E CAM RA. O RG. UK
Join CAMRA Today
Complete the Direct Debit form and you will receive 15 months membership for the price of 12 and a fantastic discount on your membership subscription. Alternatively you can send a cheque payable to CAMRA Ltd. with your completed form, visit www.camra.org.uk/joinus or call 01727 867201. All forms should be addressed to Membership Department, CAMRA, 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, AL1 4LW.
Your Details
Direct Debit
Title ____________ Surname ___________________________________ Forename(s) _________________________________________________ Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy) ____________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _______________________ Postcode __________________________ Email address _______________________________________________ Tel No(s) ____________________________________________________
Partner’s Details (if Joint Membership) Title ____________ Surname ___________________________________ Forename(s) _________________________________________________
Single Membership (UK & EU)
£23
Joint Membership £28 (Partner at the same address)
Non DD
£25 £30
For Young Member and concessionary rates please visit www.camra.org.uk or call 01727 867201. I wish to join the Campaign for Real Ale, and agree to abide by the Memorandum and Articles of Association. I enclose a cheque for _________________ Signed ______________________________ Date ________________________________ Applications will be processed within 21 days
Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy) ____________________________________
Campaigning for Pub Goers & Beer Drinkers
Enjoying Real Ale & Pubs
Join CAMRA today – www.camra.org.uk/joinus Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit Please fill in the whole form using a ball point pen and send to: Campaign for Real Ale Ltd., 230 Hatfield Road, St.Albans, Herts, AL1 4LW Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society To the Manager
Bank or Building Society
Service User Number
9 2 6 1 2 9 FOR CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALES LTD. OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Address
This is not part of the instruction to your Bank or Building Society.
Membership Number Name Postcode
Postcode
Name(s) of Account Holder
Instructions to your Bank or Building Society
Branch Sort Code
Please pay Campaign For Real Ale Limited Direct Debits from the account detailed on this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Campaign For Real Ale Limited and, if so will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.
Bank or Building Society Account Number
Reference
20
Signature Date
| Issue22 Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.
This Guarantee should be detached and retained by the payer.
The Direct Debit Guarantee • This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay by Direct Debits. • If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. • If you request The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request. • If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society. - If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when The Campaign For Real Ale Ltd. asks you to. • You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.