All the latest news, views and essential information from Castle Rock Brewery
No:11 Autumn 2016
www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk
Welcome Welcome to the autumn edition of the Castle Rock Quarter. Summer has slipped away for another year, and so we begin the rapid descent into Christmas… Let’s start at the top of the slope! In Nottingham, we’re lucky to have the CAMRA organised Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival in early October, and this year promises to be the best yet. Not only will we have plenty of our own special beers available, but for the first time our own ciders too! You can read about the Meadows Cider Project on page 8. This issue also brings an emphasis on our food offering, with the Kean’s Head launching a new menu for Autumn. It’s all about locally-sourced ingredients, and delivering delicious food for veggies and vegans as well as carnivores! Plus, Christmas menus are ready for a browse on our website and pub tables are booking up fast! It’s not every edition we can tell you about a new pub in our ranks. The Cricketers Rest in Kimberley was closed, but we felt it had tons of potential. Following the purchase in July came the injection of passion and enthusiasm from our team. We’ve returned the Cricketers to a good oldfashioned, high quality, no nonsense boozer. We hope you find time to pop over to Kimberley and have a look around, I promise you won’t be disappointed! To end: nothing gives us more satisfaction than meeting and, if we can, exceeding your expectations! But if we ever fall short, please let me know and we’ll address it. We set out every morning to be a little bit better than the day before and, while things might not always go smoothly, it isn’t for want of trying! Thank you all for making our work so enjoyable, and for giving us a purpose. We wouldn’t do it so well without you. Cheers in beer and food, and until 2017!
Colin Wilde Managing Director @SheriffTipple colin.wilde@castlerockbrewery.co.uk
General enquiries: admin@castlerockbrewery.co.uk Sales enquiries: lotte.sefton@castlerockbrewery.co.uk Recruitment: sarah.halpin@castlerockbrewery.co.uk
Queensbridge Road, Nottingham NG2 1NB
Telephone: 0115 985 1615 CRQ is designed and produced by freerbutler limited www.freerbutler-gds.co.uk
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New Pub in Focus
The Cricketers Rest We’re beaming like proud parents over the latest pub to join the Castle Rock family: the Cricketers Rest in Kimberley, Notts. The Cricketers Rest recently closed down and, being located in the former heartland of Nottinghamshire’s brewing industry, we decided to bring it back to life! Any real ale drinker around these parts knows Kimberley as the home of Hardy and Hansons Brewery, established in 1932 when two breweries combined. While Kimberley Brewery is currently being turned into housing, our aim with the Cricketers Rest is to keep the spirit of beery heritage alive! As with the Embankment and the Horse & Plough, the Cricketers is owned by the Beer Consortium Ltd. and operated by Castle Rock. That means the Cricketers is delivering all your favourite Castle Rock-esque qualities in abundance. We set about a very speedy refurbishment, keen to serve the thirsty public as quickly as possible. After five weeks of hard work, we opened the doors… Tucked away above the main street of the town, the Cricketers is nestled in a row of beautiful cottages. Once inside you’ll find a fairly traditional pub with dashes of country-style, and plenty of nods to the pub’s namesake. We received a letter from a local historian who concluded that the Cricketers Rest was likely named so because at least two previous landlords have been well-known cricketers, as well as its location near the local cricket ground.
The pub spans three cosy rooms, including a snug, and an unexpectedly large bar welcomes you with a row of intricately painted hand pulls. Six real ales are on offer, with Castle Rock staples alongside a changing selection of guest ales available to enjoy. The drinks menu also includes over twenty world beers in bottle and can, two rotating craft keg beers, spirits, wines, soft drinks and hot beverages. Peckish customers can chow down on classic pub snacks, like pork pies served with various toppings, or an ever-reliable cob. The most surprising element of the Cricketers Rest is the beer garden at the rear of the building. On the opening night, this was certainly the most popular spot. The walled garden is a perfect hideaway for sunny days to have a beer, a catch-up with friends, or relax with the paper. A covered area offers plenty of room to settle down in for the evenings or on a rainy day. So, who’s the lucky manager to take on this new venture? That’d be Ollie Eddison (pictured top right), former manager of the Lincolnshire Poacher on Mansfield Road. Ollie is known for running an excellent ship of top notch beers, winning multiple awards for the Poacher, and spending plenty of time chatting with his customers. It was great to see him getting to know the folk of Kimberley between pulling pints on opening night. Be sure to pop over to the Cricketers and see first-hand why we’re so smitten with it! Find out more at www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk/pubs/cricketers-rest
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Castle Rock on tour Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival 2016 Summer’s over at last! That means Autumn is here and so is the biggest event in a Nottinghamian’s calendar… the Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival!
It’s time to brush down your boots, wrap up warm, gather your friends and trundle up the hill to Nottingham Castle for another spectacular Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival. Expect chocolate crepes, curries, stonebaked pizzas, Harvest Pale fish and chips, and of course lots and lots of beer! Nottingham CAMRA’s annual beer festival is back for a 41st year, offering the largest choice of cask ale in the world. Last year CAMRA delivered an astonishing 1,270 different beers, plus over 200 real ciders and perries. And blimey, did you drink the festival dry!
This incredible festival continues to improve every year, and those successful at nabbing tickets before sell-out last year will be sure to fondly remember the atmosphere of “the village”. Located on the lower grounds of the festival (turn left when you enter), the village is a colourful celebration of live music, street food, and the dancing crowds of happy punters. It’s here, right by the bandstand, that you’ll find the Castle Rock Tavern. The Castle Rock Tavern is a spacious but cosy outside bar, often filled with twinkly lights, a live Twitter wall, and groups sitting down to chat and eat on the bench seating.
The Tavern will be showcasing the largest selection of Castle Rock beers at this year’s festival, along with a hefty amount of real cider and perry. As well as our core range, here you can enjoy tipples of special brews, including a beer in homage to Nottingham’s Florence Boot. Plus, our own cider will be ready to enjoy! Last year we brought the Traffic Street Specials Trailer to the festival, and are super excited to be back again in the same spot: right by the entrance of the festival. Dan Gilliland, brewer of the range, will be featuring eight beers including New Era. For 2016 you can also find Castle Rock beers in the tent atop the hill, a huge marquee filled with row upon row of beer! Splendid. Be sure to visit us for a chat and a drink. Cheers to #RHBCF16 !!
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Beers
Ales of Autumn As the nights draw in, we’re covering a lot of bases with Castle Rock beer. We’re sure there’s something for you, whether you’re thirsty for a straight-up coffee stout, a pale and refreshing pilsner-ale or a juicy black IPA! Here’s a look at what you can get your hands on between October and December (and beyond…) Most Haunted 4.4% (October) A terrifyingly lovely porter brewed with pumpkin and a blend of spices. Balanced and smooth with a hint of chocolate in the aroma. Pair it with winter stew
Midnight Owl 5.5% (October-March) This classic black IPA returns once more this year; upfront US hop character combined with a hint of caramel makes this beer a perfect winter warmer. Pair it with BBQ Ribs
Snowhite 4.2% (November-
amber ale with zesty tangerine notes from the CF127 experimental hop variety.
February 2017)
Pair it with grilled meat or sausage
We say it every time: pale ales are not just for the summer! We brew this classic pale ale during winter every year and it always goes down a treat! Snowhite is very pale, brewed with both UK and Slovenian hops and it’s a very drinkable and refreshing drop. Pair it with chicken salad or white fish
Florence Boot 4.2% (OctoberDecember)
Attenborough Reserve 4.0% (December-February 2017) Fresh, slightly floral and grassy pilsnerstyle pale ale brewed with German hops. Extremely quaffable! Pair it with fish, pasta, or Thai food Don’t forget – if you do love a stout in winter we have Sherwood Reserve permanently available; our rich and opulent stout brewed with fresh Colombian coffee beans.
No. 25 in our range of Nottinghamian Celebration ales. Florence Boot is an
Traffic Street Update Lewis gives an update on his and Dan’s love-child; the Traffic Street Specials... Dan and I hit Manchester in the late Summer and were delighted with the reception. It’s always great fun to talk to pub managers, licensees and cellarfolk and find out the kind of beers they go for. Ultimately, like us, all they want is a good product. The problem is, a lot of people are squabbling over what a good product is! The elitism on both sides of the craft beer debate really frustrates me as not only is it taking the attention away from beer itself but it’s actually achieving nothing - it’s a vicious cycle. I don’t know about anyone else, but I think Dan and I are quite happy sat on the fence – it’s given us a bit of clarity as to where we want the range to go. Anyway, on to the Traffic Street beers! At the time of writing, we’ve still got a little bit of Rat Race and Stereotype left and there are plans to give Guns of Navarone a go in bottle. If you fancy a 100% malt double mashed and double hopped IPA in bottle give us a shout!
Dan’s also buzzing away preparing recipes, culturing some lactobacillus and working out reasonably efficient way of zesting and pulping 300 grapefruits - yes, we’re brewing. Enjoy Yourself again! This grapefruit session pale was by far the fastest selling Traffic Street beer and we’re excited to give it another go. Look out for us at the Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival where we are hoping to feature up to eight Traffic Street beers – we loved being there last year and this year will be bigger and better. If you want to get in touch, contact us on Twitter (@Traffic_Street / @TSSDroid) or email us dan.gilliland@trafficstreet.co.uk and lewis.townsend@trafficstreet.co.uk Pictured right: Dan (left) and Lewis
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Managed Pub in Focus:
The Willowbrook Our new marketing assistant Holly Fielder popped over to the Willowbrook in Gedling on a beautiful, sunny day to scout the pub out, taste some food, and have a chat with manager Charlie Blomeley. The Willowbrook has had its fair share of ups and downs. A dreaded fire in April 2014 left the team working day and night to get the pub back open. Charlie tells me it’s taken a bit of time, but things have finally ‘settled down’. Thanks to her great staff, Charlie adds, they are back into the swing of things. So, let’s look to the future! Just a twenty-minute bus journey from the city centre (you can catch the 24/25/44 from Queens St.), the Willowbrook is an ideal escape. There’s plenty of space, whether you want a night filled with friends and laughter, or a quiet dinner with a loved one. Monday night is pie night, every Tuesday it’s quiz night (with a gallon of beer at stake), Thursday is the famous curry night, and what better way to relax with afternoon tea and cocktails on a Saturday? Walking into the Willowbrook, the first thing you notice is the relaxed atmosphere. There’s a strong relationship between the staff and customers, who are chatting away. It’s definitely a lovely environment for a drink or bite to eat at the end of a busy day. When I mention it, Charlie says that ‘welcoming new customers is always at the front of my priorities, too’. I can see why the Willowbrook is a firm favourite in the Gedling community.
Featured in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, a line of ten real ales welcomes you in the main bar, including Castle Rock Beers and changing guest ales, with 20p off a pint for CAMRA members. Plus, three real ciders, plenty of fine wines and spirits, and a growing selection of world beer is available to enjoy. For those of you dabbling in craft, every day the Willowbrook offer £1 off a selected bottle. Food in pubs has rapidly become just as important as offering a range of great beer. At the Willowbrook, food has always been at the forefront. Charlie, who is from Italy, has a lot of input with the menu, where her passion for food and love of cooking shines through. Recently, Charlie organised an Italian night, with five courses of authentic Italian food. ‘I love sharing what me and my family eat when there’s a big occasion in Italy. We sit around the table for hours and hours drinking wine, laughing and reminiscing. At home we always use fresh ingredients from the town, and it’s no different here. We make everything from scratch, on the day.’ I have to say, with all this food talk, the specials menu got my tummy rumbling. The chef was serving spinach and ricotta pancakes, Brussels pâté, and Normandy pork in a creamy cider sauce…delicious!
I ask Charlie what’s in the pipeline for 2017: ‘Well obviously we’ll be celebrating 2017 with our free entry New Year’s Eve party. Burn’s Night is back in January and YES, we will be doing a big feast again. Plus it’s Castle Rock’s 40th birthday and I can’t wait. And new in 2017; we’re hosting a DJ and live music once a month, after lots of requests for us to showcase some local talent.’ Sounds pretty good to me. Here’s to a drama-free, beer and food-forward new year! •Find out about Christmas and NYE at the Willowbrook on page 14.
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Real Cider Cider Guru Alex McKenzie selects his favourite real ciders this Autumn. Follow Alex on Twitter to have a chat @CiderGuruCRB Alex is celebrating his favourite time of year again. Why? Because October is CAMRA Cider and Perry month of course! Get in the spirit of the chillier months with a pint, a half, or a taster tray this Autumn! Westons – Rosie’s Pig Old Banger 4%
Gwynt Y Ddraig - Welsh Warrior 6%
Scrumpy Wasp – Amnesia 7.2%
One of renowned producer Weston’s latest offerings, Old Banger is a medium dry, cloudy option. At only 4% this is a great sessionable cider for the summer months, with a delicious raspberry flavour underpinning its fullbodied flavour.
This medium cider 6% ABV is from Gwynty-Ddraig in Pontypridd, South Wales. Welsh Warrior is a crowdpleasing medium cider with a very mellow smooth finish. Welsh Warrior has been produced in aid of the Welsh Warrior Foundation, a charity set up in memory of Pte Richard Hunt, the 200th soldier to lose his life while serving in Afghanistan.
A cider drinker’s cider, with a delicious blend of a variety of apples. Scrumpy Wasp is a producer located in East Markham in north east Nottinghamshire and at 7.2% this medium dry cider is one to remember!
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The Goings On Nottingham got crafty A giant celebration of beer took place for the second annual Nottingham Craft Beer Week, with venues across the city celebrating craft. We were in the thick of it with events including a Wild Beer tap takeover, a talk on world beer from beer sommelier John Westlake, and an Omnipollo & To Øl tap takeover. We are looking forward to NCBW 2017 already!
Castle Rock goes green After receiving our silver accreditation from Investors in the Environment last year, we were truly thrilled to receive green accreditation this summer. Investors in the Environment work with businesses to reduce our environmental impact and become sustainable. From our spent grains feeding local cattle, to the recycling of energy during the brewing process, we’re doing all we can to minimise our carbon footprint! Green is the second highest award from the iiE, and we are delighted that our customers can enjoy a pint, knowing that the much deserved refreshment has a far wider, greater cause than to just wind down for the evening!
Alternate universe Three students studying on the MSc in Brewing Science and Practice at the University of Nottingham joined us to brew and market their own beer. The project from team Zerogravity Brewing resulted in a German-style Altbier called ‘Alternate Universe’. The postgraduate team behind the 3,000 litre commercial brew are Stefano Occhi, responsible for PR, quality and timeline management; Will Brennand, brewer; and Will Gelder, sales and marketing.
Ale for triple Olympian
Three for the ‘Owl’ and one for the ‘Mo’ Beer lovers across the East Midlands have done it again by equalling our most impressive awards cache at a single event. The location was the Market Place, Derby; the occasion was the 39th Derby CAMRA City Charter Beer Festival; and the awards were two for Midnight Owl and one each for Screech Owl and Elsie Mo. We last took four awards at one event in 2014. Our congratulations go, as always, to Castle Rock’s brewers.Our own Lewis Townsend (left) and Steve Whitehead are pictured above with the awards.
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drinkers to remember and reflect on the war. The Somme was one of the bloodiest battles in military history, but other beers in the range have paid respect to often overlooked elements. Profits from sales of the beers are donated to two charities who support those facing warfare today: the Royal British Legion and Amnesty International. This surprisingly easy-drinking amber ale is infused with ginger, for a warming kick, and will hopefully be available to try at the Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival.
Meadows Cider Project The third brew for our 2016 Nottinghamian Celebration Ales range was named to honour the Hucknall-born bodybuilder and track and field athlete Andy Turner. He visited us at the Vat and Fiddle to pour the first pint of the 4.2% light and hoppy pale ale with US and NZ hops. Andy Turner has had a long and successful career as a sprint hurdler and field athlete, having represented team GB at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. The latest beer in the Nottinghamian Celebration Ales range, Florence Boot, is available this Oct-Dec. Andy is pictured above (centre) with Castle Rock’s Molly Green and Dan Gilliland.
Somme remembered The seventh beer in the Commemoration Collection of First World War remembrance beers was released this summer: Baptism of Fire, a 4.8% ginger beer marked 100 years since the Battle of the Somme. The range, which spans five years, aims to inspire
This summer Castle Rock’s first ciders have hit bars across the county and beyond, with a range of recipes and ABVs available. We’ve been so lucky that the allotment owners in the Meadows have kindly donated their surplus apples to the project, and we are still receiving donations. As a thank you, we’re offering a bottle of beer in return for every sack donated to us! Our ciders are handcrafted, and while half is traditional still cider, the other half we’ve played around with a bit. It doesn’t meet CAMRA definition, but we liked the idea of dry hopping cider, so we did it! We’re really proud of how the project has grown this summer. It’s the start of an exciting journey. There aren’t vast quantities available, but if you do manage to try some, please send us your feedback! Email: gary.franks@castlerockbrewery.co.uk
Discover World Beers
Four for the Autumn @DiscoverWBeers Follow us to stay in the loop with offers, events and news Discover World Beers buyer Wayne Harvey, shares his top picks of new packaged beers, available in Castle Rock pubs this Autumn.
Fourpure, Shapeshifter IPA 5.9% Shapeshifter is a re-iteration of Fourpure’s core range IPA. Some recipe tweaks and a brand new can design have given this beer a new lease of life. Big on hop flavour, American varieties Citra, Mosaic and Centennial give powerful aromas of pineapple, mandarin and grapefruit. The super pale malt lets the hops shine and gives a solid base for all the tropical fruit character. This IPA stacks up against some of the best in the country, so definitely give it a go!
Wild Beer Co., Pogo 4% Fruited pale ales have become increasingly popular over the last year and Wild Beer Co.'s Pogo has been recently introduced into the Somerset brewery’s core range. Wild Beer Co. describe Pogo as a ‘big juicy fruit bomb’ with a recipe built on head brewer Brett’s favourite fruits. Passionfruit, orange, guava and more orange are all added into this hoppy pale ale to create tropical and citrus fruit flavours that we tend to associate with new world hop varieties. It’s also a sessionable 4% so you can drink plenty without falling over!
Magic Rock, Common Grounds 5.4% Common Grounds has recently become part of Magic Rock’s core range and is a collaboration with fellow West Yorkshire denizens Dark Woods Coffee. There are seven different types of malt and seven different types of coffee in this brew, and it tells. It’s rich and full of chocolate and vanilla flavours that are typical of a porter. The coffee accentuates the roasted malt but also adds flavours of fruit and caramel.
Petrus, Aged Pale 7.3% The Petrus Aged Pale is brewed at Brouwerij De Brabandere in the West Flanders region of Belgium. The area is significant because it is home to woodaged sour styles such as Oud Bruin and Flanders Red. The Aged Pale is different in that it is straw gold (rather than red or brown), and it is also the beer that is blended into other beers to add acidity and complexity. It is tart and refreshing, flavours of green apple and white grape dominate. It’s incredibly approachable as sours go but it is genuinely traditional – aged for 24 months in oak foeders. Time is taken in creating this beer.
Follow Wayne on Twitter to sta y up-to-date!
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Food focus
‘...fresh, well-seasoned, The lovely Kean’s Head in the Lace Market, Nottingham, has always been our hidden gem of a pub. Tucked away by St Mary’s Church, you wouldn’t necessarily stumble upon the Kean’s on a trip to the city centre. That said, our hidden gem is not such a well-kept secret anymore. The pub has featured in the Guardian for two summers on the trot, most recently in an ‘alt guide to Nottingham’. Last year, journalist Tony Naylor described the Kean’s food as ‘fresh, wellseasoned, scratch-cooked stuff’ and, though there’s a bit more to it than that, it’s a pretty spot-on analysis… Just before this edition went to press, the Kean’s Head launched an all-new menu. We decided it was only right to share with you the joyous visit we had, where we were lucky enough to sample some dishes and have a chat with manager Dave James.
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Why have you decided to start off Autumn with a whole new menu? Autumn/Winter is our busiest time of year, so it seemed appropriate to kick off the season with something new. I’m quietly… exceptionally proud of our beer offering. So, when I took over [the Kean’s] I decided to build a team of people who were just as passionate about food as I am about beer. We’ve really enjoyed working on this new menu together. What are your aims with the new menu? We just wanted to change things up a bit, so now we open at 11am to serve a brand new brunch menu, and then at 4.30pm we serve our dinner menu. The whole process has been very focussed on creating something concise that still caters for everyone. We’ve always been
proud of working with local suppliers as much as possible, and now we’re trying to champion local suppliers even more. For example, our meat is from J.T. Beedham & Sons, winner of the Observer Food Monthly Awards producer of the year. So, what kind of dishes are on the new menu? There are still the favourites you’d expect from a pub, like sausage and mash, but better. And we’ll be changing the recipe each week. So right now it’s ale and beef sausages with stout, and a stilton mash, and next week it’ll be Lincolnshire sausages with colcannon mash. We’ve always catered well for veggies, but vegetarian food definitely has an equal amount of our focus now as meat dishes.
scratch-cooked stuff...’ Pictures: Page 10 (main) Ale and beef sausages with stout, and a stilton mash Page 11 (bottom) Bloody Mary Huevos Rancheros Page 11 (top) Veggie/vegan burger: - a whole Portobello mushroom, aubergine, griddled courgette, halloumi, spicy beetroot chutney and triple cooked chips Page 10 (top) Courgetti with roasted halloumi, aubergine, confit tomatoes and pesto
SO CHEESY Something different is on its way to Castle Rock Pubs! We have been working with award-winning Belvoir Ridge Creamery and developed something special! Have you guessed yet? Thank you, Dave, and our hats off to the chef… Be sure to try out the Kean’s new menu, and share your thoughts with us on social media.
Castle Rock’s Liv Auckland tucked into the courgetti with roasted halloumi, aubergine, confit tomatoes and pesto and declared: ‘this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.’
Castle Rock’s Sarah Halpin and Dan Gilliland visited Crossroads Farm in August, taking with them some Castle Rock Beer. Alan and Jane Hewson (owners of the creamery) added our beer to their Ironstone cheese. The cheese is made with the milk from the awardwinning Ironstone herd of Red Poll and, if everything goes to plan, the first samples will be available in the new year! We look forward to hearing your feedback on our own Castle Rock cheese! Vegetarian and Vegan Our chefs are expanding their ranges of vegetarian and vegan meals. So, send us your favourite veggie or vegan recipe, for a chance to win a meal for two and see your recipe on one of our pub menus.
You can view the full menus at: www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk/pubs/keans-head Kean’s Head: Brunch Menu served 11.00am-3.30pm | Dinner Menu served from 4.30pm-9.00pm
Send it to us at Castle Rock Brewery, Queensbridge Road, Nottingham. NG2 1NB or email admin@castlerockbrewery.co.uk
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Editor’s picks Upcoming Events
Full listings on our website - events in Castle Rock pubs are updated daily
October 2016 November 2016 Festival Fringe Fortnight BROVEMBER Great Central Strummers We’re holding a month of fundraising for the John Friday 30th Sept. to Sunday 16th Oct. Ukulele Festival Come and join us to celebrate beer and cider during van Geest Cancer Research Centre throughout the two weeks surrounding the Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival. With the festival coinciding with Nottingham CAMRA’s Cider and Perry month, our Nottingham pubs have plenty to offer. LINCOLNSHIRE POACHER During October the Poacher will be increasing their LocAle beers range as well as doubling their cider and perry range with up to twelve available, including award-winning local and regular favourites. Keep an eye out for daily specials cooked with traditional cider and bar snacks cooked with Castle Rock beers throughout the month. BREAD AND BITTER A veritable Garden of Eden, showcasing a selection of local and national real ciders and perries throughout the month of October. Remember you can get 20p off a pint and 10p off half a pint with your valid CAMRA card or a valid RHBCF ticket. To finish the fortnight off there will be live jazz music on the Saturday. VAT AND FIDDLE - The Vat willl be serving extra ciders and perries alongside their regular offerings as well as showcasing some delicious specials including Somerset pork and chicken stuffed with stilton in a bacon and cider sauce.
National Cake Week 3rd – 9th October Golden Eagle What better excuse to indulge in cakes every day of the week than celebrating National Cake Week? Homemade cakes on sale at the bar throughout the week. If you fancy showing off your own baking skills, bring in a cake for the Golden Eagle staff to try, in exchange for a drink on them.
Vodka Day 4th October Vat and Fiddle Pop along to the Vat for a taster of your favourite cocktails, all available from £4. This will include Espresso Martini, White Russian, Black Russian, Tart Tartin and Woo Woo.
National Curry Week 10th – 16th October Various Castle Rock Pubs Come down and join us in celebrating one of Britain’s most loved dishes in Castle Rock pubs. Enjoy a curry with rice and a naan bread alongside a drink of your choice (Terms and conditions do apply).
Halloween Party 28th October Embankment At the Embankment it’s all things Halloween, with spooky cocktails for adults, goodie bags for kids and apple bobbing for all to enjoy.
November 2016. Read on to see what our pubs are up to, and how you can help Crack the Cancer Code... VAT AND FIDDLE – Quiz night every Tuesday followed by a game of sticky 13s, with cash and beer prizes to be won, £1 entry. Proceeds are donated to John van Geest Cancer Research Centre. HORSE AND PLOUGH - The Horse & Plough have a raffle where lucky customers can be in with a chance of winning all sorts of beer and food related goodies. 100% of proceeds from the raffle go to the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre, with the draw taking place on Thursday 1st December at 6pm. KEANS HEAD – In support of the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre, the Kean’s will be donating 10p from every single pint of Castle Rock beer sold in November, and 50p for each dish of Sausage and Mash sold. BREAD AND BITTER – Join the Bread on the 28th November for quiz night and a special raffle, with all proceeds donated to the John van Geest Centre. There are lots of goodies to be won! EMBANKMENT – The ultimate fundraising day for BROvember! The Embankment team are growing moustaches all month, why don’t you join in, too? Anyone who brings their own shaver and shaves off their month-long ‘tache gets a prize.
Robin Hood Festival of Fireworks Saturday 5th November from 5pm Wilford Village Arguably Nottingham’s premier firework display. bonfire, 2 exceptional displays, hog roast, burgers, Castle Rock real ale tent, live bands, funfair. Tram to Clifton South - stops adjacent to the event, or extensive offsite car parking. Event tickets from www.wilfordfireworks.org
Meet The Brewers Tuesday 8th November Kean’s Head Abstract Jungle, Black Iris and Totally Brewed all under one roof – 3 for the price of 1. Meet the brewers behind Abstract Jungle, Black Iris and Totally Brewed and try some exceptional beers at the Kean’s Head. Call the Kean’s on 0115 974 4052 for info.
13th November Swan In The Rushes The Swan’s resident Ukelele group hold their second Ukulele Festival. There will be guest players, mass strums and a jam-packed day full of entertainment.
December 2016 IPA Shootout 9th – 11th December Embankment Pop along to the Embankment for a bar full of IPAs all weekend long! They will be serving up to 23 IPAs on the bar, 13 in keg and 10 in cask. Turn to page 14 for our Christmas Guide!
Regulars Brand new event for 2017 the Willowbrook is hosting regular DJ once a month and live music once a month. MONDAYS Bread & Bitter: Curry & Quiz Night. Curry, rice, naan and a drink for just £8.95, from 5pm Embankment: Craft & Tapas Night. Enjoy two tapas dishes and a half of craft beer for just £10 Stratford Haven: Curry & Pint Night, £7.95 from 5pm Kean’s Head: Homemade pizza and a pint of harvest pale £10.95. Our homemade pizza is made using beer pizza dough! Available every Monday from 5pm. TUESDAYS Stratford Haven: Pie & Pint Night, £9.95 from 5pm Vat & Fiddle: 12pm-8pm Curry day – enjoy a curry and drink from just £7.95 Swan In The Rushes: Two for One: Enjoy two main meals for the price of one! WEDNESDAYS: Poppy & Pint: Burger Night. Join us for a burger and drink for just £9.95, between 5-9pm Lincolnshire Poacher: Pie & Pint night for £8.95 until 9pm, followed by live music from the Old Nick Trading Company, the legendary Americana/ Country/Folk band. Horse & Plough: Two meals for the price of one. Available on all main bar meals, between 5-9pm. THURSDAYS Canalhouse: Join us from 6.30pm for some of the best live acoustic performances around! Stratford Haven: Burger and a pint for £9.95 – Served from 5pm until 9pm. Choose from beef, chicken or vegetarian burger with any two toppings from the menu. Willowbrook: Choose any curry and get any pint of Castle Rock beer, a pint of Carlsberg or a 175ml glass of house wine all for £10.
www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk/event
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Christmas & New Year
Christmas with Castle Rock If you’re reading this, it means Christmas is right around the corner and the festivities are just about getting into full swing. Whether you’re one to wear a Christmas jumper everyday leading up to the big day, or scrooge your way through all things Christmassy, there no denying it: Christmas is one of our favourite times of the year. So what can you enjoy before 2017 rolls around and we start all over again with the new year’s resolutions?
GIFT PACK Castle Rock gift packs are the perfect stocking filler for any beer lover. Take your pick from bottles of Harvest Pale and/or bottles of Elsie Mo, with a choice of Castle Rock and Harvest Pale glasses, and create a tailored made gift pack your lucky loved one is sure to be thrilled with. Only £8.95 from Castle Rock pubs.
TAKE YOUR BEER HOME Pub or sofa? You can have the best of both worlds by taking your favourite Castle Rock beer home with you. Our beer is pulled fresh from the cask and dispensed into a ‘bag in box’, so it’s just as great and easy to pour. Take your pick from Sheriff’s Tipple, Black
Gold, Harvest Pale, Preservation, Elsie Mo and Screech Owl starting from £16 for 5L. For more details and prices visit castlerockbrewery.co.uk/merchandbeer Beer boxes are available for pre-order from Castle Rock pubs. For the biggest range call the Vat and Fiddle on 0115 985 0611.
MERCHANDISE T-SHIRTS. POLOS. BASEBALL CAPS. BEANIE HATS. RUGBY SHIRTS. HOODIES.
TOURS What better excuse to gather all your friends and family together than to go on a tour of the brewery? No matter the occasion, brewery tours are a fun and informative way to see first-hand how your favourite Castle Rock Beer is made. Starting from £12 per person, which includes sampling of Castle Rock beer and a photo of you pouring a pint behind the bar. To find out more information call the Vat and Fiddle on 0115 985 0611.
Our merchandise range continues to grow each year, with this year’s new edition of the baseball caps. You can pre-order merchandise from any of our pubs.
PARTY TIME Christmas Party – 10th December
To find out more information visit castlerockbrewery.co.uk/merchandbeer to view the latest catalogue.
Come and join the festivities at the Horse and Plough. They are hosting a Christmas party for all to enjoy, with a 3 course meal and live jazz music for just £35 per person.
CASTLE ROCK MANAGED HOUSES - Festive Period opening and food hours
PUBS Bread & Bitter
HOURS Opening Food Canalhouse Opening Food Cricketers Rest Opening Food Embankment Opening Food Fox & Crown Opening Food Golden Eagle Opening Food Horse & Plough Opening Food Kean’s Head Opening Food Lincolnshire Poacher Opening Food Poppy & Pint Opening Food Stratford Haven Opening Food Swan in the Rushes Opening Food Vat & Fiddle Opening Food Willowbrook Opening Food
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CHRISTMAS EVE 10.00am-midnight 11.00am-6.00pm 11.00am-8.00pm Midday-6.00pm Midday-Midnight NO FOOD 10.00am-midnight 10.00am-9.00pm 11.30am-11.00pm Midday-3.00pm 11.00am-midnight NO FOOD 11.00am-1.00am Midday-3.00pm,5.00pm-7.00pm 11.00am-9.00pm 11.00am-5.00pm 10.30am-midnight Midday-6.00pm 9.30am-11.30pm 9.30am-6.00pm 11.00am-midnight 11.00am-5.00pm 11.00am-midnight Midday-8.00pm 11.00am-midnight 11.00am-6.00pm 9.00am-Midnight 9.00am-7.00pm
CHRISTMAS DAY BOXING DAY Midday-3.00pm Midday-11.00pm NO FOOD Midday-6.00pm CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED Midday-2.00pm Midday-11.00pm NO FOOD NO FOOD Midday-5.00pm 10.00am-11.00pm Midday-2.00pm (pre-booked) 10.00am-9.00pm 11.00am-2.00pm 11.00am-11.00pm NO FOOD Midday-3.00pm Midday-3.00pm 11.00am-midnight NO FOOD NO FOOD Midday-3.00pm Midday-11.00pm Midday (pre-booked) Midday-3.00pm CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED Midday-3.00pm 3.00pm-9.00pm NO FOOD NO FOOD Midday-3.00pm Midday-11.00pm NO FOOD Midday-6.00pm Midday-3.00pm 11.00am-11.00pm NO FOOD Midday-9.00pm 11.00am-2.00pm Midday-11.00pm NO FOOD Midday-5.00pm 11.30am-2.30pm 11.00am-11.00pm NO FOOD 11.00am-8.00pm 11.00am-3.00pm 11.00am-11.00pm NO FOOD Midday-9.00pm
NEW YEAR’S EVE 10.00am-5.00pm, 7.00pm-1.00am 11.00am-5.00pm 11.00am-Late Midday-6.00pm Midday-1.00am NO FOOD 10.00am-1.00am 10.00am-9.00pm 10.30am-Late Midday-5.00pm 11.00am-Late NO FOOD Midday-1.00am Midday-3.00pm,5.00pm-7.30pm 11.00am-8.00pm 11.00am-5.00pm 10.30am-Late Midday-6.00pm 9.30am-late 9.30am-6.00pm 11.00am-1.00am 11.00am-5.00pm 11.00am-12.30am Midday-8.00pm Midday-12.30am Midday-6.00pm 9.00am-1.00am 9.00am-7.00pm
www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk/xmas16
NEW YEAR’S DAY Midday-11.00pm Midday-7.00pm CLOSED CLOSED TBC NO FOOD 5.00pm-11.00pm NO FOOD Midday-10.00pm 12.30pm-5.00pm Midday-11.00pm NO FOOD TBC Midday-3.00pm CLOSED CLOSED Midday-6.00pm NO FOOD Midday-11.00pm Midday-7.00pm Midday-11.00pm Midday-6.00pm Midday-11.00pm Midday-5.00pm Midday-10.00pm Midday-5.00pm Midday-11.00pm Midday-9.00pm
BROvember
Walrus helps Crack the Cancer Code Tucked within the school of science and technology on Nottingham Trent University’s Clifton Campus, is the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre. This unique purpose-built facility hosts a team of world-leading and first class scientists, who aim to save lives and speed recovery through improving the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. We started working with the John van Geest centre a couple of years back, when Castle Rock’s (and NTU’s) Liv Auckland spent an afternoon visiting the facility, meeting the scientists, and learning more about the amazing work they do there. After many years supporting Movember, in 2015 we re-focussed our fundraising efforts and launched BROvember. Taking place throughout the month of November,
BROvember runs across Castle Rock pubs – and beyond – to raise vital, life-changing funds for the centre. The running cost of the centre is funded by the John and Lucille van Geest Foundation and Nottingham Trent University, so 100% of donations received go directly to cancer research. With the centre’s focus on prostate cancer, we can be sure the funds raised go towards improving men’s health. Primarily, BROvember sees us brewing up Walrus, a lip-smacking beer with 20p donated
for every pint sold. So do enjoy a pint and help us raise money for this worthy cause. BROvember also sees Castle Rock pubs holding raffles and quiz nights, and cooking up special beery dishes, with donations made to the centre. Last November, Castle Rock customers helped us raise a staggering £3,554.14. Visit www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk/brovember16 to find out more!
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Castle Rock Pubs ALEXANDRA HOTEL
BREAD AND BITTER
203 Siddals Road, Derby DE1 2QE
Tel: 01332 293993
e-mail: alexandrahotel@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Alexandra Hotel T: @Alex_Pub_Derby
CANALHOUSE
Breakthroughpoint Ltd
153-155 Woodthorpe Dr, Mapperley, NG3 5JL
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Tel: 0115 960 7541
e-mail: breadandbitter@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Bread Bitter T: @breadandbitter breadandbitter
CRICKETERS REST
e-mail: canalhouse@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Canal House T: @canalhousebar canalhousebar
CASTLE ROCK TAP ROOM & KITCHEN
First Floor Departure Lounge, East Midlands Airport Operated by Autogrill
DERBY TUP
EAGLE
EMBANKMENT
48-52 Canal Street, Nottingham NG1 7EH
Tel: 0115 955 5060
387 Sheffield Rd, Chesterfield S41 8LS
Tel: 01246 454316
e-mail: derbytup@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: The Derby Tup T: @TheDerbyTup
6 Chapel Street, Kimberley, Notts NG16 2NP
144 West Street, Boston, Lincs PE21 8RE
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FOREST TAVERN/MAZE
Tel: 01205 361116
e-mail: eagle@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: The Eagle T: @TheEagleBoston
Beer Consortium
Tel: 0115 938 3105
e-mail: cricketersrest@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Cricketers Rest T: @cricketersrest Cricketersrest Beer Consortium
282-284 Arkwright St, Nottingham NG2 2GR
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Tel: 0115 986 4502
e-mail: embankment@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Embankment Pub & Kitchen @EmbankmentNottm embankmentpub
257 Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG1 3FT
FOX AND CROWN
4-6 Appletongate, Newark, Notts NG24 1JY
GOLDEN EAGLE
email: info@themazerocks.com • web: www.themazerocks.com F: The Maze T: @themazenotts themazenotts
e-mail: foxandcrown@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: The Fox & Crown Newark T: @TheFoxandCrown foxandcrown
e-mail: goldeneagle@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: The Golden Eagle Free House T: @goldeneagle001 goldeneaglepub
Tel: 0115 947 5650
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HORSE AND PLOUGH
Beer Consortium
Tel: 01636 605820
21 High Street, Lincoln LN5 8BD
Tel: 01522 521058
25 Long Acre, Bingham, Notts NG13 8AF
KEAN’S HEAD
46 St. Mary’s Gate, Nottingham NG1 1QA
161-163 Mansfield Road, Nott’m NG1 3FR
e-mail: horseandplough@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Horse and Plough T: @HorseandPlough horseandplough
e-mail: keanshead@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Kean’s Head T: @keanshead keanshead
e-mail: lincolnshirepoacher@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Lincolnshire Poacher T: @lincpoacher lincolnshirepoacher
Tel: 01949 839313
NEW BARRACK TAVERN 601 Penistone Road, Sheffield S6 2GA
Tel: 0114 232 4225
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e-mail: newbarracktavern@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: New Barrack Tavern T: @NewBarrack new_barrack_tavern
ROOK AND GASKILL 12 Lawrence Street, York YO10 3WP
Tel: 01904 655450
e-mail: rookandgaskill@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: The Rook and Gaskill T: @RookGaskillYork
VAT AND FIDDLE
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(The Brewery Tap)
Tel: 0115 947 4052
NEWSHOUSE
e-mail: newshouse@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: The Newshouse T: @NewshouseNotts newshousenotts
Lady Bay Inns
Pierrepont Road, Lady Bay, Notts NG2 5DX
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Tel: 0115 981 9995
e-mail: poppyandpint@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Poppy & Pint T: @PoppyandPint poppyandpint
STRATFORD HAVEN
2 Stratford Rd, W. Bridgford, Nott’m NG2 6BA
SWAN IN THE RUSHES
e-mail: stratfordhaven@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Stratford Haven T: @stratfordhaven stratfordhaven
e-mail: swanintherushes@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Swan InThe Rushes T: @SwanRushes swanintherushes
Tel: 0115 982 5981
12-14 Queensbridge Rd, Nottingham NG2 1NB
WILLOWBROOK
e-mail: vatandfiddle@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: Vat and Fiddle T: @VatandFiddle vatfiddle
e-mail: willowbrook@castlerockbrewery.co.uk F: The Willowbrook T: @WillowbrookCRB willowbrookpub
Tel: 0115 985 0611
Tel: 0115 941 1584
POPPY AND PINT
123 Canal Street, Nottingham NG1 7HB
Tel: 0115 952 3061
LINCOLNSHIRE POACHER
21 The Rushes, Loughborough LE11 5BE
Tel: 01509 217014
13 Main Rd, Gedling, Nottingham NG4 3HQ
Tel: 0115 987 8596
All of our pubs follow the latest allergen legislation. Further details are available in each establishment.
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Tenanted pub
The next issue of Castle Rock Quarter is published in January