Beer Around 'Ere issue 184

ALSO INSIDE PUB & BREWERY NEWS

DIARY DATES

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I am sure that it hasn’t escaped your notice that Peterborough Beer Festival is imminent!

I promise not to mention it again, there’s plenty of information in this edition.

I am pleased to report that the branch now has a Cider Representative, Bernidette Gilbert. Bernidette can be contacted via email cider@real-ale.org.uk

On to a different subject. What do I look for in a pub? Obviously good real ale but I do admit that I also like to see happy friendly faces behind the bar, to be greeted civilly and to be served as promptly as permits. I do not like to see staff chatting and not being aware of customers waiting to be served.

I do realise that everyone has off days and also that some customers can ‘try the patience of Job’.

Having worked behind bars, be it decades ago, I can appreciate the problems, but the demeanour of the bar staff make the difference to me between calling in for a drink or staying longer and imbibing one or two more, plus making a return visit. Yes, I realise this is a personal reflection from an ‘occasional grumpy old woman’ and must admit it is not something I encounter very often , which is probably why it irks me so when it does happen.

I would welcome comments from both sides of the bar. Glutton for punishment me! Also on my tick

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

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

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

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

Advertising Sales Manager: Jane Michelson jane@orchardhousemedia.co.uk Tel: 01778 382718

Editor’s ramblings | 3

IN THIS ISSUE Welcome from the editor 3 Chairman’s corner 5 Pub news 7–11 Rutland beer fest and ale trail 12–13 Peterborough beer festival 2015 15–19 Brewery news 21–25 Diary dates 27 The rise of micropubs 27 Long summer nights 28 Contacts 30 Join CAMRA 31 list is toilets, but that could be another rant, so I won’t go there, figuratively speaking of course!

Having said all that what we all need to do is ‘value’ bar staff. Treat them as we would like to be treated if we were behind the bar, because where would we be without them – drinking at home!

Food for thought.

Cheers!

Distribution: David Murray chairman@real-ale.org.uk

Proof Reading: Bob Melville - 07941 246693

Printed By: Precision Colour Print Ltd Haldane, Telford, Shropshire TF7 4QQ

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

Cover Image: Illustration by Daniel Speed

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

JB

Beer Around ‘Ere is published by the Peterborough & District Branch of CAMRA Copyright © 2015, The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. Views or comments expressed in this publication may not necessarily be those of the Editor or of CAMRA. The next issue of Beer Around ‘Ere will be available on the 24th September.

We must have your stories, news and advertisements by 2nd September. Please send your stories and other copy to the editor, Jane Brown.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 | BEER AROUND ERE

Chairman’s corner |5

Chairman’s Corner It’s Beer Festival time again! The annual Peterborough Beer Festival is taking place on The Embankment starting on Tuesday 25th until Saturday 29th August.

Now in its 38th year the popular event attracts around 30,000 visitors through the gates to sample the huge range of ales, ciders and wines that are on offer. Full details about the festival opening times and admission prices are in this issue, plus the entertainment we have lined up for your enjoyment.

The festival is set up and run by CAMRA members from our local branch and members from around the country. All are unpaid volunteers who give up their time to help us make the festival such a success. Any member who would like to help us in this gigantic task is welcome to sign on. This year we have declined to send out the usual ‘begging letter’ asking for help as most of our volunteers sign up on-line. You can still sign up before the deadline date in early August, however, only signed up volunteers will be accepted at the festival. You cannot just turn up on the day to work.

Many of you will have seen our new Peterborough City Pub Guide which has every pub (almost) within the city boundary listed. It provides a short description of the pub and the location, with useful bus route information. It is available in most pubs and is free. The guide will also be available at this year’s PBF. Come and give us your support at this year’s beer festival in August. Even better, come and help us.

I can guarantee you will enjoy it.

Cheers for now folks.

David Murray Branch Chairman

A recent report from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has hailed the 2005 Licensing Act which allowed pubs to open all day as a success and has not led to the doom-mongers’ predictions of the time. The report states there have been fewer drink related driving accidents, no increase in A&E admissions or alcohol related deaths. Erroneously labelled as 24-hour drinking by the sceptics who predicted rising demands for alcohol and excessive drinking, the new laws removed some of the constraints on where and when people can have a drink, thus, providing the public with a greater choice. I can think of only a couple of premises within our area that have a 24 hour licence and only one of them actually uses it regularly. Most extended licenses are in places that sell alcohol but, have no bar! I refer to the supermarkets and offlicenses. The IEA director of lifestyle economics, Christopher Snowden, said “the biggest consequence of relaxed licensing laws has been that the public are now able to enjoy a drink at the time and location of their choice.” I’ll drink to that!

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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 | BEER AROUND ERE

Pub News

Ascot, Henley, Wimbledon, the Lord’s Test have all come and gone but the highlight of the English social calendar still awaits us on the Embankment at the end of August. The city hotels will again be full to bursting point and many branch members taking time off to visit or volunteer. Now is the time to focus on some of the unspoilt villages that surround the city and have managed to preserve their pubs. I have tried to indicate where they are accessible by public transport, but for the more athletic we are also blessed with some well preserved local footpaths. So don’t forget to pack your walking shoes.

Oundle Road A trip along the Oundle Road would be a rewarding experience for our less intrepid visitors as there are several pubs on the route leading from the city. Of particular interest is the Ramblewood Inn which is off the main road and set in an attractive wood shadowed by giant Sequoias which were planted in 1860. It has been a centre for real ale for some time now and the four hand pumps are currently serving Adnams Broadside and Ghost Ship plus two guests. I can recommend its Sunday carvery and readers will find details of special offers on page 30 of this magazine. The pub itself was formerly the stables of the adjoining Orton Hall, an eclectic nineteenth century mock Tudor building which was used as a prisoner of war camp during World War 2. The stable feeding troughs are still visible in the room adjoining the main bar, although no longer available to current diners.

The number 1 bus will take you all the way there, but I personally would drop off at the Botolph Arms. This is another spectacular Sam Smiths conversion of what was originally a farmhouse. It is set back from the Oundle Road by a long green with an avenue of protected trees both of the soft and hard wood varieties. I would particularly recommend this pub for parents with young children as the green provides a large play area well away from the traffic. Two thirds of the outside area is now floodlit allowing parents to see into the council playground alongside the pub.

Those drinkers who are erroneously in the habit of Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Pub news |7

referring to a barrel as anything from a pin to a hogshead might be interested to discover that the Old Brewery Bitter is actually served from an authentic 36 gallon oak cask. Sam Smiths is one of the few brewers that I am aware of who still employ a cooper, and I, for one, would love to see this ancient art restored.

Alwalton If you arrive prior to the start of the festival you can jump on the number 24 bus* for a short trip along this road to Alwalton. Amongst the attractions in this delightful village are the Norman church of St Andrew and the Elizabethan manor house (Alwalton Hall). Our target is the Cuckoo, a pleasant roadside pub just off the main road.

Formerly the Wheatsheaf, the bar is the original pub, stone built and 500 years old, as is the main restaurant, originally a dairy.

These two areas are linked by an extension which is sensitively blended into the two historic buildings and a glass conservatory which draws welcome light into the doleful shades of the stone. Two bay windows lead off from the bar area and peer out onto the elaborately landscaped garden, which is an attraction in its own right. It is ring fenced, which provides security for wandering children, and inside here are three ancient horse chestnut trees marking off its perimeter. Clearly some latter day Capability Brown has been at work for these funnel into two conifers which appear to have been planted as columns to draw the customer through an arch into the main entrance of the pub.

I was for some time concerned that this was becoming just a restaurant but it seems to be gravitating back to being a pub serving excellent food rather than a bar as a mere appendage to the eating area. Sharpe’s Doombar and Adnams Broadside were the resident beers with St. Austell Proper Job as the guest on my visit.

Elton The number 24 bus will also take you to the Black Horse in Elton. Proprietor Salvatore Savino serves three real ales rotating and the pub boasts an excellent menu and an extensive, sensibly

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8 | Pub news - continued

priced wine list. Salvatore tells me he is in the business of selling wine to be drunk, not to be looked at – clearly a man after my own heart. The original oak beams are decorated with hop flowers, which I suppose are a belated floral tribute to its inmates, as this was originally the jail which held prisoners on their way to be hung in Peterborough.

The original jailhouse door is preserved in the main restaurant just through the arch leading from the bar. This pub is rumoured to be haunted and the barmaid told me of a customer who witnessed a line of wine glasses spontaneously falling off the shelf and cascading on to the floor. It was at some time run by Harry Kirk who was second only to the celebrated Albert Pierrepoint as chief executioner until he got his ties wrong and strangled one of his customers instead of breaking his neck. Of course it would be absurd of me to suggest that these two facts are in any way connected, but I suspect it was what T.S.Eliot meant when he said that the communication of the dead is tongued with fire beyond the language of the living.

Warmington The public footpath from Elton to Warmington runs through the churchyard, across pleasant undulating meadows and through shaded woods. If you feel that you are getting lost, just locate the church spire and put your trust in your instinct and divine guidance. Once you reach the end of the footpath and arrive at the main road, turn right to the Red Lion. This is basically a food orientated pub, but has a central small bar with two restaurant rooms leading off. One is decorated with local portraits which I assumed were former inhabitants of the premises. Proprietors Richard Bright and Tim Stubbs however informed me that it is the decorating style they chose for the pub and that they have picked them up from local sales.

Fullers London Pride and Nene Valley Blond Session Ale are regular beers.

Ashton This attractive model village, built by the Rothschild family in 1901 to house its farm workers, can be reached from Warmington by the footpath which hugs the main road. Or you can catch the bus and disembark at the roundabout just outside Oundle. From here you take the public footpath BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015

through pleasant rolling countryside and through the chapel yard where you will catch sight of the picturesque green which is the focal point of the village. Just along to the left is the Chequered Skipper. The pub, like the whole of the village is built from local stone quarried about a half mile away. It was almost destroyed by fire 17 years ago and was rebuilt by John Roberts. As you enter now it is all air and light with clean white walls and stone and wood flooring. Since that time it has been run by Ian Campbell who is dedicated to serving high quality real ale. Ian buys from Brewsters, Oakham, Red Squirrel, Blue Monkey, and Rockingham, amongst others. Dog owners will be pleased to note that there is a dog friendly eating area and Ian advised me that partners are also welcome. You can of course reach all of these venues by car, but if you perm any two from drinking, driving and breathing, I personally would recommend drinking and breathing.

Leverington On a pleasant spring day in April, a group of us were invited by Elgoods to the launch of their Cambridge IPA, a hoppy 4.7 pale beer in the traditional style which concentrates the flavour of their standard bitter, Cambridge. The event took place in the Rising Sun in Leverington where landlady, Maggie Sharman’s hospitality seemed to have no bounds. This is an attractive traditional village pub with two bars, one of them a dedicated restaurant area. It also has a spacious beer garden that looks out on to a pleasant rural landscape on the edge of the village. The focal point of this garden is a stone artwork that looks like a miniature stone circle. This is formed by a central column surrounded by four carefully placed stone pillars, each carved to reflect the shape of the one opposite.

As I noticed a distinct absence of druids in the area, it came as no surprise that I failed to calculate the spring equinox from it. On closer perusal it occurred to me that it was actually functioning as a sun dial, thus embellishing the name of the pub.

The IPA was clearly taking effect.

West Deeping Along the old Roman Road, outside Market Deeping, now called King Street, is the tiny village of West Deeping. With a population of little over 300, this village has managed to keep its only remaining Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Pub news - continued |9

pub open. The Red Lion is a Grade 2 listed building dating back to the sixteenth century which you enter through a deep passage leading into a long main bar with two rooms annexed off like the chambers of a mediaeval castle. A perfect symmetry is created by two inglenooks facing each other either end of the bar with a partition wall probing halfway towards them. Whether or not this is an accident of later modification I cannot say but I doubt that the reconstruction could have been performed by hewing through the solid stone which provides the main structure of the pub.

It is currently run by Marie, Dave and their son-inlaw and excellent chef, Gino. London Pride is the house beer and Marie was keen to point out that they have a policy of supporting local breweries with Star, Hopshackle and Potbelly available on my visit.

There are excellent facilities here for children with one room off the main bar with games and a huge garden with a children’s play area. You will not regret a visit to this pub for Sunday lunch but make sure you book in advance.

Fotheringhay This is one of the most delightful villages in the branch, dominated by the high cloistered church of St.Mary and All Saints; it was the birthplace of Richard 3rd. The church itself used to be a monastery and is noted for its unique double towers, an octagon mounted upon a square, with a falcon adorning its highest point. The Falcon was Richard’s emblem and is fittingly the name of the village pub. Run by Sally Facer, it has two bars and a restaurant to the rear. Sally told me that she originally wanted to knock the wall down to the Tap bar, but she succumbed to village opinion and decide to keep it as a separate drinking area.

The pub has a large attractive garden and about three hundred yards away is the mound of Fotheringhay Castle where historians will know Mary Queen of Scots lost her head. It is well worth taking the walk as it gives a glorious view of the surrounding countryside. If you visit the pub on August 1-3 you will have the added attraction of a beer festival.

Helpston Great expectations are soon to be fulfilled with the reopening of the Exeter Arms in Helpston.

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George Sakalli has informed me that the delay is due to his decision to go through the correct Listed Building channels and obtain the official blessing of the local council planning people for the improvements. He is keen to follow the business model that has been so successful at the Golden Pheasant and, as reported in Issue 180, will be exporting the same excellent cuisine to the new venue. In order to enhance this facility, the entire staircase and walls in the centre of the building have been removed to create a spacious open bar and restaurant area. Apart from re-positioning the stairs, a lot of work has been conducted to change the kitchen and cellar areas, and new manager Jon Walker (formerly of the Green Man in Stamford) was delighted to unearth some authentic York slabs when the floor concrete was removed.

Previous patrons of the pub will instantly notice the change to the exterior which is now aesthetically designed to be true to the original building.

It is known that local poet John Clare played fiddle in the barn and was laid to rest in the area which is now the main bar. Although the Exeter as we now know it did not have a licence in those days, I strongly suspect that the music was not unaccompanied by liberal amounts of alcohol.

The Bell Inn in Deeping St. James has reopened under the stewardship of Ian Crosbie. Ian is keen to promote real ale and is currently serving Sharpe’s Doombar, Atlantic and Bass. He also intends to create a children’s play area in the extensive, well appointed patio area to the rear. By the time this article goes to print, all the improvements that Ian has planned should have reached fruition.

In the last edition I reported that the George in Oundle has reopened under the management of Erin Barret. She has written to say: “In the 5 months we (myself and business partner Ted) have been here we have refurbished the pub and given it a whole new look. The kitchen has been fully refurbished with new equipment and extraction. We have achieved the Oakham Academy of Excellence and doubled our real ale sales and are waiting for Cask Marque accreditation. We have also gone from 2 real ale pumps to 3 and if sales continue we may get a fourth.”

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29 North Street, Stanground PE2 8HR.

Tel: 01733 753544 Friendly village pub with riverside mooring.

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BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015

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Pub news - continued |11

Bourne again In these days of conversions of pubs to other commercial premises it is refreshing to walk along North Street in Bourne and see evidence of the reverse process over the last few years. Although the Royal Oak opposite the bus station has disappeared, we now have Archies Bar, formerly a café, the Jubilee Garage – yes, you’ve guessed it, formerly a jubilee - and Smiths, which is a converted grocers shop. All of these serve real ale and the Garage was a revelation on my first visit as I felt I had been driven back to the fifties with its motor trade memorabilia. Dark and cavernous and on two floors, I am still wondering how a five hundredweight van managed to get parked on to the top floor. JHB is the house beer and Oldershaw’s Great Charter and Grainstore Gold were also on tap. Deputy Manager Mark Jones informed me that the pub intends to attract more micros in the future including Nobbys and Horncastle.

Across the road is Smiths, and if you haven’t visited it yet I really don’t know where you have been. Its imaginative redesign draws you into a warren of rooms full of rustic charm. Outside there is a huge patio and garden area and I believe that the pub overall has seating facilities for over 200 customers. Pat and Jane retired in April and will be greatly missed by their regulars, but new proprietors Chris and Ashley will continue their policy of providing six real ales, three real ciders and two craft beers.

I have heard that Mark Richardson has big plans for the Golden Lion including some inventive overhaul of the garden. As this refurb has only just got underway, I hope to have more news in future editions. *This bus does not run on Sundays

PALMERSTON ARMS 82 Oundle Rd www.palmerston-arms.co.uk

14 Ever-changing, gravity fed real ales Wood burner for winter

VINYL NIGHT Bring down your favourite records Check Facebook for next event

UKELELE NIGHT Every Thursday from 7.30pm

PHILOSOPHY NIGHT Check Facebook for next event

LIVE MUSIC WEEKLY Check Facebook & local gig guides

Opening Times Mon - Thurs 3-12pm Fri and Sat 12 - midnight Sun 12-11.30pm

For information on live entertainment go to:

Palmerston Arms

from 4pm

Send us your news!

Calling all landlords and landladies! Had a refurb? Got a great event on? Started selling a new range of ales or cider?

Let us know and we will add your news to these pages.

Just email John Temple at pubs-officer@real-ale.org.uk

JT

ChartersCiderfest

Popular city centre bar Charters is to host their first cider festival this September. The festival will start at 5pm on Thursday 3rd September and run until Sunday 6th September, with 20 + ciders and perries there is sure to be something to tickle your tastebuds. General Manager, Martin Race, said “Over the last six months we have seen a real rise in the popularity of traditional ciders and decided Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

that we would give our customers a treat with a cider festival. Of course, we will still have plenty of guest ales for the discerning ale drinkers”. Keep an eye on Charters website www.charters-bar.com for more information.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 | BEER AROUND ERE

Rutland Beer Festival and Ale Trail

Having been unable, for various reasons, to attend Rutland CAMRA's main event in recent years, we had made it a priority this time and plans had been finalised with military precision. Originally we had planned to throw ourselves on the mercy of British Rail, but following a stomach-lining breakfast at the Stamford Post we enjoyed the rare luxury of not one but two volunteer car drivers including the recently-qualified Dr. Holyoake whose presence was thus doubly comforting...

The prospect was mouth-watering - seven Oakham pubs offering mini beer festivals plus the alestravaganza at the museum. We arrived at the Grainstore just as the rest of our party, Lord and Lady Goodacre of Waltham-on-the-Wolds alighted from the Melton Mowbray train, although

BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015

there was a less-than-auspicious start with only the Grainstore's own products available. Having said that there are worse ways of starting a session than ingesting a pint of Ten Fifty!

Across the road, the Railway had entered more into the festival spirit. A section of the lounge was cordoned off for half a dozen guest ales and I enjoyed halves of Arundel Brewery’s Castle and Ruby Mild from Isle of Man brewers Bushy. We were advised by the landlady not to have the Exe Valley bitter, so naturally we requested tasters of it - and gratefully accepted her advice. Not sure what was up with it - either a bad barrel or there are some strange tastes in the West Country.

The Three Crowns in Northgate, a Steaming Billy house, was next up. Whoever coined the expression “back street gem” must have had a boozer like

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this in mind. Nostalgic decor, friendly dog, delicious cobs, second-hand book section, vinyl records playing on an old-fashioned record player and twelve guests in addition to Steaming Billy's own range. The guests comprised four ales each from Wharfe Bank, Brass Castle and Ilkley. My halves were Brass Castle Tail Gunner and Ilkley Joshua Jane.

We thought we'd aim for the museum next but our route took us through the welcoming doors of the Wheatsheaf, also in Northgate, and here we bumped into an old friend, Rutland CAMRA treasurer Neil Broad. Ales here were hearteningly varied and included Everards Tiger, which delighted professional Leicesterian Mr. Holyoake senior who from time to time delights in informing us that he was weaned on Everards. Thinking about it, that would explain a lot. Hambleton brewery Nightmare and VIP Village Bike were my halves of choice here.

On to the museum and what a treat greeted us!

Delightful setting in the afternoon sunshine with the central courtyard given over to the bar area with its 40-odd ales, straw bales to sit on and scrumptious pork pies to complement the beers, which included a debut for Baker's Dozen Electric Landlady. An ukelele band played to rapturous applause as my halves of Pheasantry brewery’s Lincoln Tank and Good Shepherd (Imperial) went down.

Heading back into the town centre, our next port of call was the Lord Nelson. Twelve ales on here in true Thurlby/Knead tradition, including Jigger Stout from the Backyard brewery and Tiny Rebel's Dirty Stop Out, which pleased our resident mild/stout/ porter aficionado Lord Goodacre. For me, a liquid Lord - a pint of Thornbridge Lord Marples.

Rutland beer festival and ale trail |13

an Oakham (unfortunately my notes at this stage start to resemble ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics).

Our wives were waiting for us at the day's final pub, the Captain Noel Newton. You know what to expect at Wetherspoon's and in a busy atmosphere I finished off with a pint of KCB No. 10 ale. Here we fell into an entertaining conversation with a young (late 20s) couple from Daventry who were making a weekend of the festival. Their commitment to, and passion for, real ale set the seal on a smashing day.

I'm already looking forward to next year!

Alun Thomas

Letter B Cider Pub of the Year Congratulations to Bruce Roan at the Letter B in Whittlesey for achieving the Cambridgeshire Cider Pub of The Year (CPOTY). This is, we believe, the first time one of our branch pubs has been awarded this accolade. The ‘B’ has up to 8 ciders available and they are very popular with the locals as well as visitors. This award follows on from Bruce gaining the branch POTY in 2012. Congratulations to Bruce and his team for their achievement. The Letter B now goes forward to the next stage which is regional selection.

Further down Oakham High Street we turned into the Admiral Hornblower with its large outdoor drinking area. On being asked if there was a porter available, the barmaid looked to see where our luggage was.......but no matter, the ales in here were splendid and varied. I had a pint of Belvoir's Old Dalby and amongst the several other ales on offer were Digfield Chiff Chaff, draught Bass and Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 | BEER AROUND ERE

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BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015

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

The ‘King of Beer Festivals’ is on its way!

Our five day event aims to showcase the best real ales from the UK, all kept in tip-top condition by our expert cellar team. Add to that our location on the embankment of the River Nene in the heart of the city with live music playing every day and you have the perfect festival atmosphere. We believe in getting the best selection of beers that people will enjoy and will continue to talk about long after they have finished drinking. Our attitude to promoting real ale means we get many festival specials produced and this loyalty extends to our visitors who return year after year. So for a truly memorable and unique beer festival experience welcome to Peterborough – the biggest, the brightest and the best!

Beers We will be serving more than 350 draught real ales including favourites, beers from very small micros, many from new breweries, some produced specially for the festival and beers from our LocAle breweries. Almost all of the beers will be served by gravity – straight from the cask. Our aim is always to have every beer ready and available from the opening session – we do not hold any beers back. As always we will be serving beers of many styles including milds, bitters, porters, stouts, speciality flavoured beers and a few real lagers. We regularly get asked for a beer list ahead of the festival – this will be available to view on the website from around July onwards.

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

BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

Children at the Festival Lunchtime or early evening is the ideal time to bring the family, as there is always an easy going, friendly atmosphere. You can bring the dog (on a lead), the Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

PBF15 Information |17

picnic table, food and soft drinks but you must not bring your own alcohol. There will be a fairground at the back of the festival.

Venue The 38th Peterborough CAMRA Beer Festival will be held in massive marquees on the River Embankment, Embankment Road, Peterborough PE1 1EF. The site is only a few minutes walk from the city centre, bus rail and coach stations. A taxi rank will be provided to enable you to get home without driving. REMEMBER beer festivals and cars don’t mix.

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

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

Opening Times and Prices

Tuesday 25th August 2015 5.30pm to 11pm - £5, £3 to CAMRA & EBCU members

Wednesday 26th August 2015 Noon to 3pm -£2, 3pm to 11pm - £5

Thursday 27th August 2015 Noon to 3pm - £2, 3pm to 11pm - £6

Friday 28th August 2015 Noon to 3pm - £2, 3pm to 11pm - £6

Saturday 29th August 2015 Noon to 3pm -£2, 3pm to 11pm - £6 (CAMRA / EBCU members Weds-Sat before 3pm-£1, After 3pm-£3).

Pass outs available after 5pm

More information Tel: 01733 896555 Email: info@beer-fest.org.uk

Web: www.beer-fest.org.uk @BoroBeerFest PeterboroughBeerFestival

CAMRA Members CAMRA members get reduced entry to the festival for all sessions. There are many other benefits too including free or reduced entry to over 160 beer festivals throughout the UK. To find out more or to join online visit www.camra.org.uk/benefits.If you’re not a member you can also join or find out more at our membership and information area or simply have a chat about what we do, ask about beer, pubs, brewing and more.

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

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 | BEER AROUND ERE

Peterborough Beer Festival Entertainment Tuesday 25th August

Open Mic Night After the success of the Open Mic Night for the last two years, we are giving another opportunity to you to show off your unique talents on the Peterborough Beer Festival Stage. This event will again be hosted by Stacy, so if you would like the opportunity to appear, do please contact her IN ADVANCE to register your interest. Stacy can be reached at vocalsoulmate@hotmail.co.uk Expected on stage 7.30pm to 10.45pm

Wednesday 26th August

Grumpy Old Men Not everybody, when they reach a certain age, is resigned to pottering around on an allotment.

United in the belief that the world deserves something better than Justin Bieber, Grumpy Old Men burst on the scene, (well they started anyway), ten years ago. They play a range of pop and rock from the sixties to the present day; from The Who to Snow Patrol. www.grumpyoldmen-band.com Expected on stage 8.00pm to 9.00pm and 9.30pm to 10.45pm

Thursday 27th August

The Expletives A brand new Alternative Covers band from Peterborough formed in June 2014. The four members have wasted no time in putting together an energetic and impressive set of classic late 70’s New Wave & Punk songs, all delivered with energy, fire & skill. www.facebook.com/TheExpletivesBand Expected on stage 9.15pm to 10.45pm

The Stringlers This local all female string quartet has been described as “brilliant”, “spectacular”, “edgy” and “amazingly versatile”! Playing refreshing versions of music from the 1970’s to current chart toppers, expect to hear classics by Queen, Guns and Roses, Coldplay, Beatles and The Stranglers.

BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015

The group are all established musicians in the Peterborough area, from classical, folk and jazz backgrounds but all with a passion for rock music. www.facebook.com/thestringlers Expected on stage 7.30pm to 9.00pm

Friday 28th August

The Activators A unique, hard-working, dynamic 10-piece whose eclectic style includes Rock, Ska, Reggae, Punk, Celtic and World genres - not ones to be pigeonholed! Renowned for chaotic and highly energetic shows (complete with the thumbs-up from Happy Monday’s Bez!), they perform throughout the UK and Europe.This alluring band is definitely NOT to be missed. www.theactivators.co.uk Expected on stage 9.15pm to 10.45pm

Dizzie Miss Lizzys Led by guitar virtuoso Gizz Butt who between 1996 and 1999 toured the world with The Prodigy (when Firestarter made No.1). Inaugurated for fun and initially to support ex Beatle PETE BEST at the “Best Fest” in Liverpool 2010, The Dizzy Miss Lizzys blossomed. Gizz rooted out the ace voices of wiz kid James and bassist Simon plus genius drummer maestro Fozzy and their popularity soared as they became a hot act on the Peterborough circuit with their mix of dazzling guitar tracks, classic hard and heavy rock and timeless Beatles classics. www.facebook.com/TheDizzyMissLizzys Expected on stage 7.30pm to 9.00pm

Palmerston Ukulele Band This is a bunch of guys and gals from the Palmerston Arms who just formed up for a bit of fun and have gone from strength to strength. No beer festival, large or small, is complete without a performance from this multi-talented outfit with their entertaining style of sing along favourites. palmerstonukeband.co.uk Expected on stage 4.00pm to 5.30pm Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

PBF15 Information |19

Saturday 29th August

The Replicas Introducing The Replicas, bringing you something different at every turn, from foot stomping Ska, Soul, Punk, Indy, Northern Soul... and much, much more.

On stage is where this band lives and thrives, delivering a high octane blend of music that will have you on your feet from the first song to the last. With an expectant crowd always in attendance, the band’s motto of ‘something for everyone’ really does come through.

For some foot stomping classics and a chance to throw some shapes....do not miss The Replicas. www.thereplicasband.com Expected on stage 9.00pm to 10.30pm

Saturday Afternoon Bands

Doug Heath Peterborough based singer songwriter with a distinctive soulful voice and intricate style of guitar playing.

Expected on stage 2.00pm to 3.00pm

Lartey Sisters A unique acoustic duo made up of sisters Ashleigh and Faye Lartey. The girls write their songs using Faye’s exquisite acoustic guitar style. Ashleigh, whose voice is often described as "stunning" and "mesmerising," delivers profound and poetic lyrics. Expected on stage 3.00pm to 4.00pm

Nick Corney and the Buzzrats Nick Corney And The Buzz Rats have come to make you dance, sing, love, and sin so ‘Raise your glass in both your hands’ and do not miss this band. Expected on stage 4.00pm to 5.00pm

Lone Groover Named after the anti-hero of a comic strip that graced the weekly music inkies of the 1970s…….. THE LONE GROOVER is a one man and guitar outfit who channels his love of folk, punk and Americana into classic songs of beauty, protest and passion. Expected on stage 5.00pm to 6.00pm

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

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 | BEER AROUND ERE

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BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015

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

Brewery news |21

Brewery News Bexar County Bexar County is going into kegging in a big way and the kind of beers it produces really suit kegs, not all beers do. The first kegs to be sold in Peterborough were at the Coalheavers and each disappeared in just two days. In addition to beers soon there will be alcohol- free sodas being produced, which will actually be fermented and will be similar to Fentimans ginger beer in the way it is produced, but with far more interesting flavours. Brewer, Steve is once again at a large beer festival in Barcelona with some of his beers and where he is also on the judging panel. The next new beer from the brewery will be a chocolate cherry and milk mild at 3.2%.

Collaborations: there is to be a new brewery opening later in the year, with the former brewer from Blue Monkey, which will be called Abstract Jungle and one the first beers to be brewed will be with Bexar County. Bexar County and 3 Blind Mice in Ely, produced a beetroot and ginger beer.

Probably doesn’t sound great but the flavours are unbelievable. Green Tick which was brewed with Xtreme Ales is to make a comeback shortly.

Castor Ales In the last few weeks Castor Ales have launched a new 5.1% pale ale called Nepale and donated 10p a pint towards helping the victims of the Nepal earthquake. Beer sales along with other events have enabled more than £2,000 to be sent to the small village of Tanglichock, in the Gorkha region of Nepal to assist with the rebuilding of a local school.

Thanks to everyone that helped with this project.

Technology is leaping forward at Castor Ales and the Investment Programme has seen the recent purchase of a new malt shovel with early indications suggesting that the beer quality has been maintained. Further proof of this, if it were Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

needed, was seen at the recent Peterborough Heritage Festival, organised by Vivacity and held in the cathedral precincts. A full selection of Castor Ales (5 beers, plus 2 guests) was available in the beer tent, and featured a new beer called ‘Full Tilt’ 4.1% brewed especially to mark the occasion of the first mediaeval joust in a British city centre for 500 years. The fact that it sold out, suggests, just like the jousters, it hit the right spot. The festival celebrates the heritage of Peterborough and it was great to see Old Scarlett, the gravedigger, put in an appearance at the beer tent to have a pint of 4.6% Old Scarlet , the beer.

HOT OFF THE PRESS! Hopping Toad 4.1% has been invited to the Great British Beer Festival at Olympia 11th to 15th August.

Elgood’s Cambridge Bitter is being served on the new P&O cruise liner Britannia.

Apple and Vanilla Wheat has recently appeared at the Barcelona Beer Festival and they have also had beers at the Sour Beer Festival in Amsterdam. The current seasonal beer is Buzz Lightbeer which is a 4% golden ale with honey. Elgood’s will be hosting the SIBA East Anglian Beer Competition and Beer Festival from Thursday 24th September to Saturday 26th September at North Brink Brewery, Wisbech.

Hopshackle Brewery The new 10 barrel brewing kit installed in March 2015 is working well, increasing the annual capacity to 480 barrels or 17,280 pints!

Over 40 outlets are supplied direct with a core range of beers and seasonals. The range of beers produced are traditional and innovative sometimes radical. Bottle conditioned beers are also available.

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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 | BEER AROUND ERE

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Kings Cliffe Brewery (KCB) The special amber brew for the Cross Keys at Kings Cliffe was a great success and will be repeated. They are busy brewing a special for the Peterborough Beer Festival Singles Bar. It will be called SMaSH ABV 6.5% (Single Malt & Single Hop) and is using New World Hops to produce a potent IPA. The brewery is running at full capacity with its regular ales No10, 5C, 66 and P51 in preparation for the upcoming Beer Festival Season. A joint brew is planned with Richard of Mile Tree, but there are no details as yet.

Another special on the cards is an IPA called GoldNZ ABV 4.2% and will be a lower strength version of SMaSH. Both SMaSH and GoldNZ are the creation of David Smith who created the successful and well-received KCB Porter P51.

Bottles and mini-casks of all the current Kings Cliffe brews are available online and from the brewery The brewery is trialling an open evening every Thursday 5:30pm – 7:30pm throughout the summer. Finally Jez O’Neil, the owner and head brewer, is looking forward to meeting everyone at the Peterborough Beer Festival in August.

We offer a range of two permanent and two changing guest real ales alongside two real ciders. Why not enjoy a pint or two in the sun outside on our patio?

A Breakfast menu is served from 10 - 12.

We are a great place for Sunday lunch after a country walk or drive. Served from noon onwards.

We also offer 3 Star AA rated accommodation.

For further information or room reservations please call 01572 822302 14 High St East, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9PY BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015

Mile Tree Brewery Meadowgold 3.8% golden/blonde, Larksong 4.5% amber and Crescent Ale 3.9% are all selling well. Due to popular demand and interest, Dark Secret 4% dark mild will be brewed on a regular basis.

Mile Tree have made appearances at many local beer festivals, the most recent being Haddenham, Ely Folk Festival, Gorefield, Townhouse, Ely and Deeping. They will be having a stand at the Peterborough Beer Festival where visitors will be able to find out more about the brewery.

Nene Valley Brewery Nene Valley are looking forward to hosting the Beer Festival Cellar Team on their brewing day for the 2015 edition of the Beer Festival. I sincerely hope that another Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

“hoppy” brew results. This will be in addition to the “Festival Special” and 2015 edition of Double JIP, at 9.9%, which the brewery have in the pipeline for our Beer Festival.

Nene Valley beers have been seen at a number of local festivals recently and two awards were won at Northampton. Simple Pleasures Ale shared top spot in the Golden ales category with Eleanor’s Ise from Whistling Kite, and Fenland Farmhouse Saison took Gold in Speciality category.

DXB is to be exhibited at GBBF.

The Orange American HefeWeisen brewed for the Cambridge Blue, containing 450 oranges and several kilos of orange peel, has been available in small quantities at the Tap and Kitchen and been very well received.

Australian Pale is now available in a number of outlets in the “Walkabout” pub chain. The keg versions of Pulp Fiction, Big Bang Theory and Release the Chimps have recently been available at the Coalheavers Arms in Park Street.

Meanwhile, demand for cask ales continues to grow in areas both near and far.

A planning application has been submitted to Northamptonshire County Council for permission to expand the brewery and retail outlets in the unit. It is hoped to break ground on the expansion as soon as permission is granted with a view to being complete by Christmas. Dick hopes to be able to increase the number of fermenters to eight, with one used as a conditioning tank and another for “lagering” for a full 6 weeks.

Oakham Ales Building work is underway at the brewery in Maxwell Road, which when complete will see brewing capacity potentially double with the addition of new brewing vessels from Daniel Thwaites’ now redundant Victorian brewery in Blackburn. These will be plumbed in alongside new bottling and kegging lines to keep everything in house. Over thirty people are now employed at the brewery as beer sales continue to grow throughout the U.K. and Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Brewery news - continued |23

further afield. The beers are being exported to eighteen different countries around the world with Italy being a very productive market for them.

The vast majority of export beer is bottles and kegged beer, with the Italians drinking nearly half of the keg Green Devil produced. A second shipment of beers went out to South Africa recently after the first was supped with glee. Other new markets are Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore and Russia.

In this country bottle sales are on the increase with availability in many major supermarkets.

Another top award for cask Green Devil I.P.A. as it was voted Beer of the Year by CAMRA’s Glasgow and West of Scotland Branch. It is only the third time an English beer has won this award in the history of the organisation, the last being during the 1980’s.

Some new beers and old favourites are on the horizon. In July Oakadamy members can try The Robber a 4.8% golden beer with Tranquility at 6.5% making a welcome re-appearance in the Aged & Vintage range. The August seasonal is to be Endless Summer for an extended run. This beer may only be 3.4% but is full of hop flavours & continues to be a very popular summer addition.

Also re-appearing is Dreamcatcher at 6.9%, (first brewed a few years ago for Peterborough Beer Festival) a lovely red-hued beer bursting with fruit flavours. Enjoy!

Shoulder of Mutton Brewery Brewing capacity has been increased by the addition of 2 x 300 litre fermenters. Graham is continuing his policy of brewing monthly specials.

The June special was a special Kolsch style beer called Stahlstadt which means steel town in German. The July special is a black IPA featuring Chinook and Citra hops and debittered midnight wheat. Following the steelworks theme, it is called Bessemer and tastes like a stout with increased hop character. Shoulder of Mutton beers were represented at Grantham beer festival and Dave Allett intends to order a pin for the specials bar and a firkin for the locale bar at Peterborough.

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Brewery news - continued |25

Star Brewing Company Titan 4.2%, a golden/blonde, light bitter, has recently been brewed and distributed.

At present the brewery are busy concentrating on brewing their “core” beers, Comet 3.8%, golden/blonde, Meteor 4.0% traditional amber ale, Astral 4.6% and Lightyear 5.0% pale. They are due to release a new beer at the beginning of August, which will be called Starblast 4.2%.

Tydd Steam There is a new beer soon to brewed called Ratcatcher, which will be a 4.3%, very hoppy, golden beer. There are also plans for a festival special for Peterborough Beer Festival, provisionally named Dream Time, which will be a dark, hoppy strong ale. Learning to Fly and Dr. Fox’s Chicken Choker have been brewed recently and Golden Kiwi will make a re-appearance in the near future.The brewery is working flat out at the moment with beers going to the Kings Lynn Too Music Festival in July and the Holbeach

Diary dates August

Sunday 9th Rutland Ramble, visiting Kings Cliffe and Grainstore breweries, plus a fine selection of Rutland country pubs. Depart the Brewery Tap at 12.00 and return by 7.30pm . Cost £7.00. Book places through John Hunt, Social Secretary.

Monday 10th at 8.30pm Branch Committee Meeting at the Woolpack, North St, Stanground PE2 8HR. All members welcome, please bring membership card.

Tuesday 11th – Sat 15th Great British Beer Festival,

Music and Beer Festival in August.

Xtreme Ales The brewery continues to grow with the addition of a new cold store giving them the option to brew more to capacity in the hotter summer months. Beer festivals are still a major part of their sales with beers being seen at the Ploughman Beer Festival and the Peterborough Town Sports Club Beer Festival. Special beers were brewed for these based on Pigeon Ale. These were Angry Pigeon and Sporty Pigeon.

Away from Peterborough, beers have been to the Townhouse Beer Festival in Ely and the Grafham CAMRA Beer Festival. Charters Bar has recently had Evil Pigeon on.

Peterborough Beer Festival is the biggest week in Xtreme’s calendar! Look out for their festival special that as yet cannot be named. They will have Pigeon Ale on the new LocAle Bar, along with a couple of beers on the singles bar, and Chocolate Stout will be back on the main bar!

CAMRA meetings, socials and beer festivals in the coming months

Olympia, London. 900 real ales plus ciders, perries, foreign beers, food, music. Further details: http://www.gbbf.org.uk

September

Monday 7th at 8.30pm Branch Committee Meeting at Jolly Brewer, Foundry Rd, Stamford PE9 2PP. All members welcome, please bring membership card.

Saturday 26th Joint social hosting Huntingdon branch on a visit to Stamford.

Meet at Peterborough Railway Station at 11.30am. Return at approx. 5.30pm. Cost TBC. Please book places through John Hunt, Social Secretary.

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

October

Saturday 3rd Ascot Beer Festival. Coach from Brewery Tap cost £25 (includes entry ticket £12.50 with CAMRA card & transport). For further information and to book places please contact Roz Fountain via Facebook or email robertroboz@aol.com Thursday 8th - Sunday 10th Booze on the Ouse Beer & Cider Festival Burgell Hall, St Ives PE27 6WU 70 + real ales, real ciders and perries

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 | BEER AROUND ERE

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Now Opening The Blue Bear Grizzly Coffee Lounge Open from 9am Monday to Friday.

Steak Nights Coming Soon!

BEER AROUND ERE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015

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

Micropubs |27

The Micropub Revolution

no tie. A lot of the legal wrangling that makes opening regular pubs difficult and expensive do not apply to these smaller premises. Also, there are vacant buildings everywhere that can easily be converted to a bar as no cellar is required. I recently visited the amazing Barrel Drop, in Nottingham, which was a former shop. They had fifteen beers, all stillaged on shelves behind the bar, with a small cooling kit, which took up hardly any space at all. The Priors Oven, in Spalding, has a horseshoe-shaped bar, with six beers on tilting racks behind the bar. No cellar; having no cellar also means no pipes to clean and no daily pull through so therefore very little waste.

So, what exactly is a micropub? Obviously, as the name suggests, it is small. The official description is “a small freehouse which listens to its customers, mainly serves cask ales, promotes conversation, shuns all forms of electronic entertainment and dabbles in traditional pub snacks.” Sounds perfect to me. A good example is Just Beer, in Newark. It does what it says on the label, sells just beer and nothing else. Because these pubs are so small and there are no electronic distractions, you have no choice about joining in conversations as you can hear what everyone is saying, and talking to a bunch of strangers in a cosy little pub really creates a nice friendly atmosphere.

Locally, we have The Priors Oven, in Spalding, The Liberty Belle, in Ely, The Cask in Hand, in Holbeach, The Bank, in Willingham and slightly further afield is The Beerhouse, in Market Harborough. There are now four in or around Nottingham and several throughout the Midlands.

There is a new phenomenon around at the moment in the world of pubs and beer, that of the micropub. The micropub movement started in November 2005, with the opening of The Butchers Arms in Herne Bay, Kent, and was for four years, the one and only micropub. Slowly over the next few years more and more have opened and recently the number in England reached the 100 mark with the opening of The Lanes, in Dover. Since then four more have opened and I’m pretty sure that with the way this movement is gathering momentum, the number will probably double in the next year or two.

The main advantages for the owner of a micropub are the low start-up costs, the good choice of location, competitive rents and the ability to buy your beers from anyone, as there is Visit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

Last year I visited my first micropub, The Little Chester Ale House, in Derby, which was a former laundrette. You could still smell the washing powder. It was a tiny place that could hold thirty people at a push, but eight beers were available and the place soon filled up due to its popularity and uniqueness. This uniqueness is part of what makes the micropub, as they are all different, yet follow the same concept.

The vast majority of micropubs are in Kent where it all began, but I’m sure they will be everywhere within the next three years.

Dave Botton AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 | BEER AROUND ERE

Membership Matters

It isn’t long until our usual “tented village” springs up on the Embankment meaning, of course, that it is Beer Festival time again. How many of you know exactly where to put your hands on your CAMRA Membership card? You will need it to claim discounted entry to our Beer Festival or any of the other discounts and offers available to you as a CAMRA member. Did you put it away in a safe place (so safe that you can’t remember where)? If so, then now is the time to act, don’t leave it until Beer Festival and think that things will be okay.

You should, ideally, have your membership number to hand when contacting HQ in St Albans, although this is not necessary. The direct dial number for membership is 01727 798440. The membership team should be able to sort out any difficulties in a timely fashion.I look forward to seeing you on the Embankment in August, maybe even as a volunteer.

Bob Melville Membership Secretary

The Jolly Sailor, 43 Great Whyte, Ramsey PE26 1HH

Let there be one measure of ale throughout our whole realm Booze on the Ouse

Beer & Cider Festival 8th - 10th October Thu 5-11pm, Fri 12-11pm, Sat 12-10pm

Burgess Hall, St Ives, PE27 6WU 70+ real ales, real cider & perry

Tel 01487 813388

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

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

Bottled foreign beer, food, wine & soft drinks

www.hunts.camra.org.uk/festival Campaign for Real Ale

BEER FESTIVAL FRIDAY 4th TO SUNDAY 6th SEPTEMBER

Sunday afternoon BBQ and live music

Peterborough Real Ale Pub Guide launch |29

Long Summer Evenings, Visit your Local!

The sun is out; why not visit your local pub?

A staggering 40% of people no longer visit the pub and only 14% of adults visit once a week or more.

23% of pub-goers have stated in independent research, published by CAMRA in January 2015 that they visit the pub less often than they did just 12 months ago.

The Campaign for Real Ale branches are working harder than ever to support your local by running a number of activities throughout the year to promote the local and also to promote choice in the beer provided. I can’t emphasise how important it is for everyone to visit their local and give them their support. Did you know within 25 miles of Peterborough City Centre there are 13 local breweries all producing top quality ales and supplying Peterborough and the surrounding area with locally produced beer? CAMRA has over 170,000 members across the world, and has been described as the most successful consumer campaign in Europe. CAMRA supports well-run pubs as the centres of community life, whether in rural or urban areas and believe their continued existence plays a critical social role in UK culture.

CAMRA also supports the pub as the one place in which to consume real ale (also known as caskconditioned beer, or cask ale) and to try one of over 5,500 different beers now produced across the UK. CAMRA is governed by a National Executive - a board of directors - who are elected at AGM for a three-year term. At local level, CAMRA has over 200 branches across the UK, enabling members to campaign and socialise in their local area.

In June 2015 Peterborough & District CAMRA published a FREE Peterborough pub guide. The Peterborough Real Ale Pub Guide is now available from the 40 Peterborough pubs listed, Peterborough Visitor Information Centre, Peterborough Library and Peterborough Museum. It is also availVisit our web site for up-to-date news: www.real-ale.org.uk

able in electronic format from the Peterborough CAMRA Website. The guide was launched on National Beer Day 15th June at The Ostrich, North Street, Peterborough. Since that day I have been busy visiting all of the 40 pubs listed in the guide to ensure they have enough copies for the rush! So what you waiting for? Not too much on the telly during the summer months, so please pay your local a visit and, if you are looking to get more involved, why not join CAMRA and enjoy all the benefits of membership. A number of pubs in the Peterborough area are offering discounts to CAMRA members and there are lots of social activities you can enjoy. Added to this is reduced entrance fee to the world famous Peterborough Beer Festival on the Embankment from 25th – 29th August 2015.

Mike Blakesley Press Officer

Tipplefair 2015

I was delighted to hear that the Tipplefair was returning to the Peterborough Beer Festival, in the hospitality area, after a year’s absence. This event came into being in the late 1990’s and has been held at a number of different venues with various organisers ever since. For those who don’t know, this event claims to be the largest fair, selling only drink related merchandise, in the country.

Even if you’re not a collector, it’s well worth browsing the stalls to reminisce on drinks and breweries of the past and, who knows, you might ending up buying a few items. We look forward to meeting many of you at the beer festival on Saturday, August 29th. If you would like to book a table contact Steve Williams, mob: 0775 6066 503 or email: steve@pubhistorysociety.co.uk. For the latest news see www.tipplefair.org.uk.

Mike Johnson & Maxine Chantry (British Brewery Playing Card Society)

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015 | BEER AROUND ERE

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cider Officer: Bernidette Gilbert

cider@real-ale.org.uk

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

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

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

LocAle Officer: Dave McLennan 01733 346059 (h) 07854 642773 (m) locale@real-ale.org.uk Webmaster: Harry Morten webmaster@real-ale.org.uk

Brewery Liaison Officers Blue Bell: John Hunt 07923 489917 Bexar County Brewery: Dave Botton 01733 345475

Hopshackle: Noel Ryland 07944 869656

Kings Cliffe Brewery: Mike Blakesley 07747 617527 Melbourn: Don Rudd 07806 731765

Mile Tree Brewery: Steve Williams 07756 066503

Nene Valley: Bob Melville 07941 246693

Oakham Ales: Dave Allett 07966 344417 Tydd Steam: John Hunt 07923 489917

Shoulder of Mutton Brewery: John Temple 07905 051 312 Star Brewing Company: Don Rudd 07806 731765

Castor Ales: Mike Lane 07850 334203

Xtreme Ales: Matt Mace 07809 629241

Digfield: Dave Waller 07821 912605

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

Trading Standards

Elgood’s: John Hunt 07923 489917

The Ramblewood Inn ‘The pub in the woods’

The all day venue – Open for meals and snacks 12pm to 9pm daily A conservatory restaurant with food served all day, nooks and crannies in the old stables, outdoor seating and extensive parking, plus a selection of Real Ales.

Real food, Real ales, Real pub BEST WESTERN PLUS Orton Hall Hotel & Spa, The Village, Orton Longueville, Peterborough, PE2 7DN Tel: 01733 391111

50% OFF

All food purchased when you spend £25 or more

Name Email Postcode Terms and Conditions - Coupon valid only when £25 or more is spent on food, cannot be exchanged for cash, does not apply to spend on drinks cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, not valid for parties in excess of 8 people. Valid until Wednesday 30th September 2015.

If you do not wish to receive further promotions please tick here.

For special offers, news and travel directions visit www.traditionalinns.co.uk

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More than just a Carvery!

A great welcome awaits you at The Farmers, Yaxley.

We are famous for our fresh vegetables and great carvery meats, succulent and served with all the trimmings, then finished off with a tantalising hot or cold dessert!

Open Every Day 10am - 5.30pm All Day Menu & Coffee Midday - 2:30pm Carvery & Specials Menu 5:30pm - LATE Carvery & Grill Menu Sunday Open From 12 Noon - 9pm All Day Carvery

Check out our lunch-time grill menus and our everchanging specials boards. Put it all together with three fine cask ales and you have the perfect place to enjoy dinner with friends or a family celebration. We have a self -contained function suite which is ideal for parties, weddings and all of life’s celebrations.

So if you’ve not been before give us a try and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Planning a wedding or special family event?

We have lots of packages available including our new Green Room facility.

Please call for further details.

Now taking festive bookings

200 Broadway, Yaxley Tel: 01733 244885 Email: thefarmers@btconnect.com

www.thefarmersyaxley.co.uk