North Notts Drinker - Issue 8 - Apr/May/Jun 2015 by Capital Media

NORTH NOTTS

drInker

the magazine of the North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale ISSUE 8 | APR-JUN 2015

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IN THIS ISSUE

PUB OF THE YEAR 2014 THE MALLARD

BARS TO VISIT IN BRUGES A QUICK GUIDE PLUS MUCH MORE...

W W W . N N O T T S CA M R A . O R G . U K

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

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Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Branch Contacts Chairman - Steve Bownes Editor - Derek Graham Email: newsletter@nnottscamra.co.uk Secretary Treasurer - John Bull Social Secretary - Terry Johnson Membership Secretary Press Ofﬁcer - Steve Bownes Pubs Ofﬁcer - Gordon Town Webmaster WhatPub? Contact - Steve Bownes Email: steve.bownes@talktalk.net Web:

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Twitter:

@NNottsCAMRA

Facebook: NorthNottsCAMRA The Editor reserves the right to amend or shorten contributions for publication. All editorial copyright © 2015 North Nottinghamshire CAMRA . Disclaimer: Views expressed in this publication are those of their individual authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Editor, branch committee or the Campaign for Real Ale nationally. North Nottinghamshire 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 North Nottinghamshire CAMRA.

Trading Standards (Nottinghamshire) County House, 100 Chesterﬁeld Road South Dale Close, Mansﬁeld, Nottinghamshire NG19 7AQ | t: 01623 452005 e: trading.standards@nottscc.gov.uk

FROM THE CHAIRMAN A WARM WELCOME TO YOU

elcome to the North Notts Drinker, I have been informed by Vince Mee that he and his son Jim will be organising another Retford Beer Festival this year. No dates have as yet been given but as soon as we are informed then we will publish the dates. We now have another brewery in our branch area, the Idle Valley Brewery which is based in Hallcroft, Retford. The beers are going well with positive feedbacks from members and customers. The Mallard at Worksop has just won the North Notts CAMRA branch Pub of the Year for 2014. We give our congratulations to Wayne, Mel and all their staff for the work that they have put in to achieve this award. We would like our members to ask around their local pubs and local businesses to see if they would like to advertise in the magazine. This is important to us all as the more adverts we have, the more room we get for articles. Thank you all for reading this magazine which we hope to improve.

Steve Bownes Chairman North Notts CAMRA Branch

Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. 230 Hatﬁeld Road, St. Albans, Herts, AL1 4LW t: 01727 867 201 e: camra@camra.org.uk www.camra.org.uk

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Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

NORTH NOTTS CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2014 THE MALLARD, WORKSOP

t was with great pride that Wayne Cadman, licensee, accepted the 2014 North Notts CAMRA Pub of the Year award, presented to the The Mallard on Thursday 19th March. It is the sixth time the pub has earned the accolade since Wayne took over the pub in 2001 and follows on from 2013 Special Achievement award for 10 consecutive years in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Wayne believes there is no secret to the pubs continued success. “Our ethos is that we serve a perfect pint every pour”. Wayne continued “We keep a good cellar, we buy great beer and it’s no coincidence that this keeps our customers happy and returning for more”. In 2011, Wayne expanded his business to incorporate a micro-brewery called Double Top. His own beer is permanently available at the pub along with three rotating guests. “The brewery has proven very popular. More so than we could have ever imagined. It’s a small plant, but we brew about 2000 pints a week now. This comfortably satisﬁes demand at the pub and a small but loyal free trade account base and local beer festivals”. In the past few years the brewery has taken up more of Wayne’s time, so the pub has relied heavily on loyal staff and understanding customers. Pictured on the front cover are Carol Wade, Melissa Cadman and new recruit Lucy Tunnicliffe who all received the award on the pubs behalf. The ceremony was well attended and a roar of approval was voiced as Steve Bownes,

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branch chairman, presented the certiﬁcate. The pub is now gearing up for its quarterly beer festival. A real treat for ale drinkers from far and wide. The St. George Beer Festival quite aptly starts on St. Georges Day and runs from Thursday 23rd April to Sunday 26th April 2015. Open daily from 11am. NORTH NOTTS CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2015

THE MALLARD PUB & DOUBLE TOP BREWERY WORKSOP • ON THE STATION

The Mallard Brewery Tap on Worksop Railway Station Offers everyone a warm welcome with a selection of exceptional Real Ales from our own Double Top Brewery, plus 3 rotating guest beers on the bar there will always be a beer to suit everyone.

Summer Beer FestivaL At least 16 Real Ales & 3 Traditional Ciders

Fre eE nt

Thurs 23rd - Sun 26th July 2015

Open: Thurs to Sat 11am – 11pm & Sun 12 noon – 10.30pm

Snacks Available at All Sessions

For more information on The Mallard or Double Top Brewery call 07973 521 824

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

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North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

REAL ALE CAPITAL HUDDERSFIELD

here is much debate within National CAMRA about which city or town can lay claim to be the Real Ale capital of England. Sheffield, Nottingham, Norwich, Derby and York amongst others have all staked their valid claim. I have drunk in all of these cities and all deserve merit. For what it is worth I consider Sheffield to be one of the best as it ticks most boxes, particularly in the Kelham Island area also known as the Valley of Beer. The quality is superb, prices are competitive and beer is mostly served in oversized lined glasses. However, Sheffield is not my favourite destination to drink Real Ale. That accolade goes to Huddersfield. For those of you, like me who prefer your beer pale and hoppy, Huddersfield is the mecca of Real Ale. There is also plenty of choice for fans of the dark side. Mallinsons, Magic Rock, Hand Drawn Monkey and Summer Wine are just four of my favourite breweries amongst nearly 60 listed in 2015 Good Beer Guide under West Yorkshire. Assuming you are travelling to Huddersfield by train, advanced tickets through East Coast for a minimum of three people should not cost more that £15 each return. Let me take you on a tour of my favourite six pubs. On the Station itself is the Head of Steam, well worth a visit but outside my top six. Instead, immediately to the left of the Station exit on St. George’s Square is the Kings Head. It is not a particularly attractive pub but the beer quality is superb. Here you are likely to find an offering from the aforementioned Magic Rock Brewery amongst nine other beers including dark beers if that is your preference. From here walk down St. George’s Square past the statue of former Prime Minister Harold Wilson and turn left. Walk under the viaduct and you will find The Sportsman. This pub has won a well deserved CAMRA English Heritage Conservation Pub Design Award. You will have a choice of eight Real Ales including my personal favourite, Mallinsons. Retrace your steps towards St. George’s Square and just off the Square on Wood Street is the Hand Drawn Monkey Beer Shop. This is a Real ale bar and off licence. In addition to the superb Hand Drawn Monkey beers there is a choice of guests from

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mainly local Micro Breweries. From here, return to St. George’s Square and walk diagonally across past Harold Wilson again with the Station to your right. Walk up a snicket to a main road and turn right. Cross over the road and then over a ring road and you will see a row of terraced houses. Turn left here and at the end of the houses you will come to The Grove. There is a stunning range of 18 Real Ales plus Craft Keg offerings. It is very tempting to stay in The Grove but we need to crack on. Walk down by the side of the Sikh Temple onto a main road. You need to ﬁnd Chapel Hill but I’m not too coherent now so if you are as bad with technology as me ask a passer by, you are not far away. Down Chapel Hill on the right you will ﬁnd the Rat & Ratchet. There is an extensive range of ales from Ossett and their associated breweries here as well as guest beers. Real wobble on now. Stagger right outside the Rat and be careful crossing the road. You will come to The Star. Plenty to choose from here but make mine a Mallinsons! Marvellous. Suggest you now call a cab back to the Station. Go for a Curry if you have time but ask for a jug of water and don’t be tempted by Cobra! N.B. The last pub on the tour, The Star only opens all day on Saturdays. Midweek including Fridays it opens at 5.00 pm so don’t be caught out.

Dave Gilson

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

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North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

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Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

PASSION FOR BREWING HERITAGE SHIPSTONES BREWERY

n 1990 Shipstone’s Star Brewery ﬁnally closed its gates and a year later the iconic local brand steeped in history was lost. That was until a local Nottingham enthusiast decided to preserve and protect the Shipstone’s name. ‘I had watched most of our regions heritage breweries get taken over and then closed down, so I wanted to see if I could remember them in some way’ said Richard Neale James Shipstone ﬁrst brewed in 1852 and his beers became so popular that the Star Brewery was built in New Basford, Nottingham. He was an industrial innovator and invested in the means to brew quality beer on a large scale in less time to ensure beer was always available. Over the next 130 years, 4 generations of his family stood at the helm and the business eventually owned over 300 public houses and over 200 ‘Beer Off’s’. Mr Neale was able to acquire the rights to the Shipstone’s name and then set out to bring it back. After many months

of research, he teamed up with Colin Brown, a former brewer at the Star Brewery. ‘Colin’s experience of brewing at the original Star Brewery was so important in ensuring we got this right. His skills acquired while working at Shipstone’s meant we were able to get the beer as close to the original as we could” – said Richard. They first launched the Shipstone’s Original Bitter in both bottle and cask. It’s brewed using the hop and malt mix found in the archives from pre-1978. In 18 months of being back it has already won a number of awards, been chosen to represent the region in a national cask festival for the Spirit Pub Company and gained a loyal following and is now joined by another heritage brand ‘Gold Star’. “It’s great to hear the name Shippo’s called at the bar again. People are first shocked to see it back, but when they find out our story and taste the beer we get such great feedback. We also hear so many stories from our drinkers about their local pub, about the famous horse drawn drays or about a member of the family working at the brewery. It has made it all worthwhile” said Richard.

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North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

THE GATE INN SUTTON CUM LOUND

he Gate Inn is a village pub situated in Sutton cum Lound, a small rural village situated 3 miles to the North West of Retford. The pub was purchased by villagers Les May and his wife Kate, in the autumn of last year. They then spent several months fully refurbishing the premises and have transformed the pub beyond recognition. Les said “I love traditional English pubs and despite the full refurbishment, wanted to maintain the small village pub feel. Our ‘Tap Room’ with its roaring open fire, stone floor and oak beams does exactly this. With our restaurant however, I wanted to up the game a little and have created a space that whilst having exposed 19th Century brickwork and solid oak floors, has a contemporary feel to it and would be as at home in Covent Garden as it is here in our rural village. Our village now has the best of both worlds all wrapped up in one neat package - The Gate Inn, Sutton-cum-Lound”. As well as the selection of draught beers, Les (a real ale fan) has taken the bold step to provide six real ales, giving the pub one of the largest selections of cask ales in the area. Every couple of weeks, Les and Dean Slater, the manager and Chef, put their heads together to discuss what guest ales will be next to grace the pubs bar and you can be sure that every time you go into The Gate Inn there will be a new real ale for you to try. It’s not just speciality beers that are available either. Les has put together a selection of over thirty single malt whiskies and an assortment of specialty fine

wines that complement the fantastic m e n u created by Dean Slater. Les said, “Dean is a truly fabulous Chef. All of his food is cooked fresh to order and all of his ingredients are sourced from local suppliers. Dean’s menu is tremendous, it covers the entire spectrum. You can order anything from a sandwich through to a four course al la carte meal”. Opening hours are 12:00 - 23:30 daily. Food is served Tuesday - Saturday 12:00 to 14:30 & 17:30 to 21:00 and Sunday 12:00 to 16:00. To complement the pub’s extensive menu there is a varied and interesting specials board that includes seasonal favourites and changes almost daily. There is a quiz night every Sunday and special occasions such as birthdays, christenings and weddings can be catered for within the pubs restaurant, which seats up to 50 guests. With disabled access, credit card facilities, free wiﬁ, an open ﬁre and a car park on the grounds the pub tends to the needs of all its customers. Les & Kate May, the owners and Dean & Jane, the management team have created a warm and welcoming village pub with a great atmosphere making The Gate Inn at Sutton-cumLound a fantastic place to relax, eat and socialise. Telephone: 01777 709408 Website: www.the-gate-inn.co.uk

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North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

AWARD FOR RETFORD PUB BEERHEADZ, RETFORD

he Beerheadz public house which opened for business in October 2015 has won the North Notts CAMRA Winter Pub of the Season. Unfortunately it is the last time this award will be presented. The presentation took place on Monday 2nd March at the pub. Presenting the certiďŹ cate to owners David Moore and Phil Ayling, branch chairman Steve Bownes said that it was a pleasure to make the award to the pub. The pub was a breath of fresh air to Retford, serving changing guest beers from new micro breweries around the country. Also it is great to go into the pub for the welcome and friendly atmosphere there. In reply David Moore said that he and Phil were pleased to win this award and that he

wished to thank all of their staff for the good work they have done and CAMRA for giving their support. He said that it was great for publicans to receive recognition for the time and hard work that they put in to achieve the quality of the beer in their establishments. He also said that it was a great pity that the award will no longer be given. It was a great evening, well attended by CAMRA members and pub regulars. All the staff were at the pub and they were thanked by Phil Ayling for their efforts. Steve Bownes

THE GATE INN SUTTON CUM LOUND

Fully refurbished by May Public Houses Ltd, the Country Pub & Restaurant in picturesque surroundings oozes rural charm and rustic character. The perfect backdrop for savouring hearty, seasonal pub-food, carefully nurtured cask ales and fine wines. Draught beers, a range of six real ales and a selection of speciality fine wines are all available. All complement the fantastic new menu and the ever changing Specials Board.

WWW. T HE - G AT E - I N N . CO . U K

FOOD SERVED Tuesday - Saturday 12pm to 2:30pm & 5:30pm to 9pm Sunday 12pm to 4pm 40 Town Street Sutton Cum Lound Retford DN22 8PT t: 01777 709408

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North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

celebrating 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF BREWING SPRINGHEAD BREWERY

his year, local family-run micro-brewery Springhead, based in Laneham, near Retford, celebrate its 25th anniversary of brewing quality beers. To mark their silver anniversary, Springhead are to launch a brand new fruity brew, Argenta, and will be holding a series of celebratory events throughout the region which are sure to go down well with local real ale enthusiasts. Springhead started out brewing in 1990, with a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the UK’s smallest working brewery, and following the success of their award-winning

HOME BREWERY A POTTED HISTORY

major brewery in Nottingham until the 1980s was Home Brewery Company Limited, Daybrook. The father of the founder of the company was Thomas Robinson, a prosperous Arnold farmer who had an interest in malting. At the time of his death he held over 1000 acres, was married to Alice Parr and had six children. At the death of his father, the youngest son, John Daniel, who had received a good education, took over the maltings business and half the farm. He purchased more land and built a maltings which was to be the start of his fortune. More land was purchased across the Mansﬁeld Road and in 1875 he and his brother opened the Daybrook Laundry. They saw the need for large scale service and leisure industries, as well as the laundry, to cater for the burgeoning middle classes. In 1877 the John Robinson Brewery was created, and later in 1890 he renamed it after his farm, Home Farm, in Bestwood. The brewery

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Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

brews, moved from their first tiny brewhouse in Sutton-on-Trent into bigger premises, and again in 2011 to their current home, their state of the art brewery known as the Robin Hood site, in Laneham. Here they were also able to open their brewery tap ‘Meg’s Bar’, and community pub, ‘The Bees’ Knees’’, as well as host brewery tours, beer festivals and farmers’ markets. 25 years on from their first brew, they are still very much a family enterprise with a committed local fan base, but their beers can now be found as far away from home as Australia and China, and in the majority of supermarkets regionally, as well as in the local pubs! Their new brew, Argenta, is made with Champagne yeast to celebrate their silver anniversary, and is described as an ‘stunning magenta pale ale, with the big berry flavour of American hops and English blackberries’, and is to be launched at a series of celebratory events across the region. Their brand new pub, The Ginger Pig, is due to open soon in Retford. For more info on the upcoming celebrations, please contact eve@springhead.co.uk. was developed into a large modern brewery and took over W H Hutchinson and Sons and George Green. Such was the success of the company it allowed John Robinson to purchase Worksop Manor from the Duke of Newcastle in 1890 and he bought Thurgarton Priory for his son, John Sandford Robinson, who died prematurely in 1898 and had laid the foundation stone for a set of twelve almshouses near to the brewery in 1889 which later became a memorial to him. John senior, like many of his peers, had gone into politics; he became Guardian for the Radford Union; he served on the Nottingham Town Council for 20 years; became Sheriff of Nottingham in 1888 until 1896. After a period of mourning for his son he took on the ceremonial role of High Sheriff of the County of Nottingham and in 1905 he received a knighthood. The brewery remained independent until 1986 when it (along with its 450 owned public houses) was purchased by Scottish & Newcastle for £123million. Scottish & Newcastle gradually ran down production, for example subcontracting Mild brewing to the rival Mansfield brewery. The brewery closed in 1996.

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

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North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

bars to visit in bruges, BELGIUM A QUICK GUIDE

n 2014 my wife & I visited Bruges 5 times, a consequence of this was being asked on many occasions what bars to recommend. This is a list of the bars we visited; they are in no particular order. All of them are within 10 minutes walking distance of the main square [Grote Markt]. Because of the location of some of the bars they don’t tend to be tourist traps, some are very easy to walk past not knowing they exist. I haven’t included directions, or precise instruction of how to ﬁnd these; the internet & Google maps does that so a little research & printing of maps is advisable. I have used photographs to help with identiﬁcation, so you know what to look for, as well as the web address where possible.

Staminee de Garre De Garre 1, 8000, Bruge. Open 11.00-01.00 www.degarre.be Probably the closest to the square, at the Belfry end. We couldn’t ﬁnd this on our ﬁrst visit, it’s down a very narrow side street with a wrought iron gate. It has 4 taps & 120+ bottles, they have their own draught beer ‘Garre’ which is served with a side plate of cheese.

DE KELK Langestraat 69. 8000, Bruges. Open 1900 – very late. Closed Tuesdays. www.delk.com

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This traditional dimly lit Belgian bar dates back to 1909, about a 7-10 minutes walk from the square. A hidden gem, with a beer list of about 180 beers & 4 taps. The focus is on Gueze’s & Struise Brouwers, very knowledgeable & helpful bar staff.

CAMBRINUS Philipstockstraat 19, 8000, Bruges. Open 11.00 – 12.00 www.cambrinus. eu Situated at the opposite end of the square to the Belfry off to the right hand side, with 8 taps & 400 bottles. Serves excellent food, booking a table is advisable. Cambrinus is within tourist range so does get busy.

CAFE ROSE RED Cordoeaniersstraat 16, 8000, Open 11.00-12.00 www.cordoeanier. be/en/rosered A couple of minutes from Cambrinus, Trappist beers are the specialty here, with 5 taps & 200 bottles. A pleasant courtyard through the back is a great place to sit & enjoy a beer & some cheese, which comes with the obligatory celery salt.

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

T’POATERSGAT

CAFE VLISSINGHE

Vlamingstraat 82, Bruges. Open 19.00 till late.

Blekersstraat 2. brugges. Open 11.00 – 12.00 , Closed Mon & Tues.

www.facebook. com/pages/tPoatersgat This is a cellar bar that can be difﬁcult to locate, as the entrance is quite low & there is nothing to suggest a bar, the doors are opened at 7.p.m which makes it easier to spot. With 6taps & 120 bottles this cellar bar is low lit with a great atmosphere.

www. cafevlissinghe.be This is a very worthwhile walk of at least 10 mins from the square, established in 1515 Vlissinghe has been in continual use as a bar for what is to be its 500th anniversary in 2015. With 3 taps & 25 bottles, serves food & has a beer garden at the back. A quite unique bar. A small point, they do not accept any bank or credit cards.

LA TRAPPIESTE

L’ESTAMINET

Kuipersstraat 33, Brugges. Open 1900 till late. www.letrappiste. com This cellar bar is about 6 hundred years old, a masterpiece in brick. This again is only about 300 meters from the square, opposite end to the Belfry. Again a 7 p.m. opening but this does have an illuminated sign above the door to aid location. 12 taps & 100 bottles on a rotating basis. I must admit this is my favorite, great beer, music, atmosphere & cheese!

T’BRUGS BEERTJE Kemelstraat 5. Brugges. Open 16.00 till late. www. brugsbeertje.be Off the beaten track but still only a short walk from the square, this bar has legendary status in Bruges. With 5 taps & 300 bottles, not a large bar but does get very busy, due to its reputation. An excellent traditional Belgian bar. Known to some as ‘Daisies’.

Park 5, 8000 Bruges. Open 11.30 till late. Estaminet sits opposite a park a 5-10 mins walk from the Belfry. A classic Belgian bar untouched for generations. With 6 taps & an impressive bottle menu. Bruges Zot & Hoegaarden on draught are excellent here, the food served is ﬁrst class & they have quite a reputation for a Spaghetti dish covered in...cheese! If you walk to here from the Belfry end of the square you will pass the famous beer wall of the very touristy Bar called ‘2 Be’. Obviously there are hundreds of bars in Bruges, but these ones are up there with the best, they feature on most internet top 10 lists. They are all worth seeking out, some can be a challenge to locate but this is a good thing as this tends to attract beer enthusiasts as opposed to your average lager drinking tourist. You can expect to pay about 3.50 euro per bottle/draft as an average, price does increase with abv. in most bars, but you often see beers at 8% the same price as a beer at 6% If you do ﬁnd yourself in Bruges & seek out some of these bars I would suggest a bowl of cheese with your beer, it comes with celery salt, a great combination, sometimes with mustard & bread also.

Brian George www.nnottscamra.ORG.uk

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

EVERARDS BREWING IN PARTNERSHIP

o coincide with the reopening of the Greendale Oak at Cuckney, and the substantial refurbishment of this historic old pub by Everards, and in recognition of the other pubs who have undergone similar improvements, there follows a brief description of this family firm. Any of our members who are in the habit of visiting the Nottingham/Derby surrounds will be familiar with the following: Brown Cow at Mansfield, Chesterfield Arms at Chesterfield, Final Whistle at Southwell, Crown at Beeston, Little John & Robin Hood at Arnold and the Sir John Borlase Warren at Canning Circus. All these are well run pubs with a great selection of micro real ales Everards is a regional brewery based in Leicester and founded in 1849 by William Everard and Thomas Hull. It produces cask ales and owns over 170 tenanted pubs, mainly around the Leicestershire area, with a production output of 50,000 barrels a year. Its chairman is fifth generation Richard Everard. The company began as Hull and Everard in 1849 when William Everard, a farmer from Narborough Wood House and brewer Thomas Hull leased the Southgate Street Brewery of Wilmot and Co from the retiring proprietors. Although Hull continued as a maltster, Everard was the driving force behind the business which he managed until his death in 1892. In 2002, the company decided to switch its portfolio from a mixture of tenancies and managed houses to tenancies only. This led to new pubs replacing hotels and the estate achieved its highest total of 165 by 2005 Everards Brewery in Leicester has driven one of the most innovative concepts in pub retailing for decades and seen sales of real ale boom as a result. The pub retailing initiative is best described as a “pub partnership” scheme. It’s called Project William in honour of William Everard who founded the company in 1849. Under the scheme, Everards will buy a run-down or closed pub, refurbish it and then rent it to a smaller brewery. The terms of the deal mean that the tenant/ brewer can sell their own and guest beers,

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but must serve at least one of Everards’ cask ales, usually its flagship brand Tiger. Everards will also supply cider and lager. Buoyed by the success of the scheme — there are now 29 Project William pubs with more in the pipeline. The Project William scheme was an idea born out of a discussion in 2007 with Keith Bott, founder of Titanic Brewery in Stoke-onTrent, Staffordshire, and one of the key players in SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers. A year later the first Project William pub opened in nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme, with Titanic as the tenant. Everards now has 10 brewery partners and the field is spreading beyond the Midlands. The partners include Ashover, B&T, Brampton, Brown Ales, Derby Brewing, Raw Brewing, Slaughterhouse, Titanic, White Horse and Wrekin. 29 pubs were involved in the scheme, 14 were closed and 13 were trading so poorly they were unsustainable. The 30th pub in the scheme has opened in Arnold with Lincoln Green Brewery. There are a further 10 Project William pubs run directly by Everards without a brewing partner: these are known as Cask Ale Champion pubs. Not surprisingly, the scheme has won plaudits from the Campaign for Real Ale, and several of the pubs have been given awards, including Pub of the Year trophies. The winner of the Bill Squires Award is voted for by local CAMRA branches in the East Midlands. The accolade is very rarely given. CAMRA presented it to Everards in 2014 in recognition of the Project William scheme, Presenting the award at Nottingham’s Sir John Borlase Warren pub, CAMRA East Midlands regional director Carl Brett said: “We have seen Project William develop and grow right across

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

our region. We see how this scheme supports microbrewers and gives pub customers a fantastic choice of local ales in pubs that may not still be going without it. Our members felt that this commitment needed to be recognised and we are pleased to present it to Everards.” Everards chairman Richard Everard said: “This award will take pride of place in the brewery. We are passionate about great pubs and great beer and Project William gives us an opportunity to deliver both for local communities. We would like to thank all the breweries and cask ale champions who work alongside us and we look forward to continuing Project William for many years. We hope Project William gives some of our partners the opportunity to become ﬁfthgeneration brewers, just like ourselves!” We have just one Everards pub in our area the Carpenters Arms in Walesby.

• Country Pub & Kitchen •

Great Food & Good Company

JAZZ MUSIC, GREAT COMPANY & GOOD FOOD

For details of Special Events please visit our website

REGULAR JAZZ NIGHTS See our website for dates High Street, Blyth, Nottinghamshire, S81 8EQ

High Street, Gringley on the Hill Nottinghamshire, DN10 4RF 01777 816 303

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01909 591 222 @theswanblyth

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Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

DRINK FOR ENGLAND BEER FESTIVAL - JUNE

hree pubs in our neighbouring branch of Newark have come up with a new and exciting collaboration. Just Beer, Oscar’s Inn and the Vaults, all in Newark, are to hold a ‘Drink for England’ beer festival. The idea is that the pubs will be featuring, over a period of four days including the last weekend of June, one beer from each of the old English ‘Shire’ Counties, of which there were 39.

Therefore each pub will be showcasing beers from 13 of the Shires each. Collector cards will be issued and festival-goers will need to collect stamps from as many counties as possible to be in with a chance of winning prizes. Not all the Counties need to be stamped but more stamps means a higher chance of winning. Said Phil Ayling of Just Beer “The logistics of sourcing a beer from every county will be a challenge in itself, yet alone getting them all on at the same time. But we are really excited to be working with Adam from Oscar’s and Dave from the Vaults and all three pubs are up for the challenge, at the same time giving the drinkers of Newark the chance to sample beers from all over England in what we hope will be another great and fun weekend for the discerning real ale drinker”.

PUB PICTURE QUIZ IN & AROUND RETFORD

FOR QUIZ ANSWERS SEE PAGE 20 9 18

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Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

THE BEERMUDA TRIANGLE BEER FESTIVAL, NEWARK OUR FOURTH VISIT

his is our fourth year of attending the festival and in that time, it has grown from three pubs taking part six. . On Saturday 24th January, 24 of us descended on Newark, 13 of us met at the Mallard Worksop picking 3 more members up at the Queens, East Markham, and 8 left from the Birches, Retford. Our first port of call was the Castle Barge at Town Wharf where we all met and enjoyed a range of fine ales, and Clare Brown organised a group photograph. Some of us then went off route to the Vaults, recently opened and well worth a visit, highly recommended. Then on to the Fox and Crown Appleton Gate,, a favourite with many real ale drinkers, a very worthwhile call, a good pub. Next on route was the Prince Rupert where we met a couple from Worksop, Alan and Janice Fores. both CAMRA members and enjoying a fine meal and a good drink. A very busy pub serving a good range of ales. The Flying Circus on Castle Gate was then calling where we met a lot of old friends including Derek Graham from Capital Media and his wife, Jenny. Once again a range of excellent beers. Then onto the Organ Grinder, new on the circuit this year, a Blue Monkey Brewery pub.

Lots of us enjoyed it in here and we had a great chat with Mick Bull, Chairman of Mansfield CAMRA who was there with Bridget and “Izzie” their dog. Our last call of the day was an old favourite Just Beer Micropub. The name says it all, a must for real ale drinkers, and as usual Max Whitham from Mansfield Woodhouse was in there. The beer was flowing and the pub was packed. Certain people had to be forced out of Just Beer to get back to Castle Barge (where a number of our party had another beer or two) to catch the bus which then headed for the Queens at East Markham. On leaving Newark and in true Beermuda fashion 24 of us started on our day out and 22 returned, 2 of our party, Kevin and Judd, enjoyed themselves that much they decided to stay on a little longer and hitch a lift with Alan and Janice Fores. At the Queens we enjoyed a nice pint, always good beer here, plus chip butties kindly provided by Barbara, I would like to pass on all our thanks to Chris and Barbara for the butties. We once again had a great day out in Newark, where a total of 70 beers were available in the Beermuda pubs and where we met lots of old friends. Newark- “We’ll Be Back” - Roll on next year.

Terry Johnson - Social Secretary

www.nnottscamra.ORG.uk

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

BREWERY NEWS LOCAL BREWERIES COPTHORNE Sales are being maintained as planned, During the Cascade hops shortage, they were substituted with Chinook for a short period but problem now resolved.

DOUBLE TOP The recent January Winter Beer Festival was the busiest ever. The new beer Around The Clock, pale 4.9%, American hopped is proving to be very popular.

DUKERIES The brewery has now started bottling the majority of its beers in-house, all of which will be bottled conditioned. Currently, they include Baronet 3.9%, Ray of Sunshine 4.2%, DeLovetot 4.2%, Mining Stout 4.5%, IPA 4.9%, Duke 4.5% and Gunsmoke 5.5%, with further bottles to follow. On the cask side two new beers, Pale Ale 4% and Lady Matilda 4.5%, are now a regular feature and are fully intended to become core beers. Limetree Porter has now been brewed with real limes in the recipe. Bolt out of the Blue at 5% and Duke at 4.5% are the two seasonal beers currently being brewed with more to follow. The Dukeries no longer have brewery taps at the Anchor in Worksop and The Birches in Retford but will continue to supply cask beers to both pubs. The brewery have made approaches to have their own pub and brewery tap but at this stage without success.

GRAFTON The new brewing equipment has helped make the brewery run more smoothly and has allowed efforts to be concentrated on different areas of the business to enabling further growth in the market place. Trade and cold call accounts have increased. Strong growth particularly in

PICTURE QUIZ ANSWERS 1. Whitehouses; 2. Brick And Tile; 3. Hop Pole; 4. Clumber; 5. Beerheadz; 6. Rum Runner; 7. Albertos; 8. Old Sun; 9. Vine; 10. Boat Inn.

www.nnottscamra.oRG.uk

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

the North West, West Midlands and North East area. Grafton Brewing Company recently won Best Beer in Festival at Minehead CAMRA Beer Festival. Contacts have been made on the Isle of Man and beer will be shipped over there in the middle of the year. The brewery tap - The Grafton Hotel - will be celebrating its 150th annivaersary this summer. To celebrate they will host a beer festival to be called The 1st Independent Bassetlaw Beer Festival, further details to be announced shortly. A new fruit beer has been brewed for 2015, Pacha Pacha and will be on sale shortly. The brewery is busy brewing fruit beers for beer festivals which has seen demand for them increase further on last years and orders for them have started 2 months earlier on last years like for like sales. Apricot Jungle represented the East Midlands in the Speciality Beer Section at the SIBA Nationals in March at BeerX Shefﬁeld

HALE’S Hale’s Brewing have introduced a new range for 2015 called the ‘Punk Collection’. A series of 12 beers named after numerous punk songs. Dirty Filthy, Sexy was the ﬁrst one in the collection brewed February. Chaos Reigns was brewed for March and has sold out. The next beers to brewed are: Something About England for April and House of Thieves Mild for May. These brews are bespoke brews and will run alongside the core beers.

IDLE The brewery is still going well. Brian Cooper sells most of his ale in his own pub at West Stockwith with the rest going to his old regular customers. There have also been rumours going around that the brewery is up for sale. This is totally untrue.

IDLE VALLEY BREWING Casks have now been delivered to BeerHeadZ, Just Beer, White Heart, Alberto’s, and The Clumber, with more to local pubs in the pipeline. There are good opportunities to supply beer to various events later in the year. Bottling plant commenced the second week in February. Active discussions are taking place with potential wholesale suppliers. Brewing is ‘ad hoc’ and will remain so for the next few months however the brewer is also busy with other projects including a homebrew shop to accompany the online store. Recipe

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

development is in full swing with anticipation for numerous seasonal beers and single batch brews throughout the year. The brewery plans for expansion to 10bl plant in the near future. The brewer thanks North Notts CAMRA for their support thus far introducing interested landlords.

PHEASANTRY There is not a lot happening at present. Mark is currently producing a different ‘Artisan’ beer each month for this year, recently this was a London Style Porter, which went down well. All else continuing to go well.

4.1% Lager style pale ale brewed using lager ingredients but in the British way to get the most from these traditional ingredients. If you missed it don’t panic, it’ll be back again in May. The brewery building project is now complete and so brewery tours are available again. The tours are booked as private events so if you would like to organise a visit or even a party at the brewery contact them direct. Welbeck again took part in Shefﬁeld Science Week 2015 as they did in 2014. Finally, Welback Abbey has been shortlisted as Company of the Year in the North Notts Business Awards 2015, with the ﬁnal to be held on Thursday 2nd April.

SPRINGHEAD To celebrate the twenty ﬁfth year of the brewery a special brew called ARGENTA, latin for silver, is to be brewed. The brew was available from mid March. A press launch for the new beer was held at the ANCHOR at Worksop on 11th March 2015. It was then rolled out at the brewery’s other pubs, starting on the 12th of March. The other pubs are The Boat at Hayton, The Bramley Apple at Southwell, The Roaring Meg at Newark, and the Brewery Tap.

WELBECK ABBEY The first few specials of 2015 have been a hit, especially Seven Sisters 4.2%, which had a lovely sweet lemon barley flavour. For February there was one new special, one repeat appearance from last year and of course, one old favourite. Savoy Hill, the main service entrance for the Welbeck Abbey, was named so because it once resembled the stunning entrance to the grand Savoy Hotel in London. Now it’s unfortunately lost many of the original glasswork and tiling but the name remains. This beer should be no less spectacular than the entrance, being filled with the mouth-wateringly fresh aromas of pear, orange and passion fruit. This is a 4.2% beer however, making it a pleasantly light indulgence. Cathedral Beeches is repeated special from last year. Coming in at 3.7% this traditional bitter is full of heady herbal aromas from British Phoenix hops, making it surprisingly delicious and certainly more interesting than many of its counterparts. The name stems from an area of woodland with towering Beech trees in which young lovers at Welbeck used to come and carve their names. Kaiser made an appearance in February, a

HOT OFF THE PRESS!

EAST MIDLANDS CHILLI , BEER & ARTISAN FESTIVAL

fter last year’s success at the Newark Showgrounds, this year’s East Midlands Chilli Festival will be hosted at the home of ChilliBobs Chilli Farm Orchard Farm, Fiskerton Road, on the 11th and 12th July 2015. This year as well as over 30 chilli stalls and everything from Chilli beer, cider, ice cream, chocolate, fudge and various sauces, condiments, chilli plants and fruits, the festival will feature up to 10 local breweries selling the best of their real ales and craft beers. In addition there will be over 30 craft artisan stalls, free entertainment for children, competitions – Chilli Eating and Lemon Eating – and street food and drink on both days. Nestling in the Trent Valley halfway between Nottingham and Lincoln, this event will also have entertainment all day from local groups and bands with late night music on the Saturday until 11:30. And for the cooks amongst you, the UK Chilli Cook-off Association will be running a public Chilli Cook-off on the Saturday and, for the ﬁrst time, a Forces Chilli Cook-off on the Sunday. For info and ticket booking visit www.emchillifest.co.uk, www.Skiddle.co.uk or our Facebook sites Chillibobs or EMChilliFest. Camping/caravan onsite is available.

www.nnottscamra.ORG.uk

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

www.nnottscamra.oRG.uk

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015

North Nottinghamshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

Issue 8 | apr-jun 2015