BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:27 Page 1
pl
EE FR
Beer Around ’Ere
ea
bae se
ta
ke
on
e
Issue 165 | June \ July 2012
COALHEAVERS ON TOUR
Also inside Pub News • Letters • PBF 2012 Gig Guide • Local Brewery Update and more! Peterborough & District Branch of CAMRA | www.peterborough-camra.org.uk
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:27 Page 2
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:27 Page 3
Chairman’s Corner
Chairman’s Corner | 3
G
reetings to all our readers and discerning drinkers. I am reliably informed that our watered down beer is coming to an end, with sunny and scorching days ahead to put a smile back on our licensees’ faces. Ok, maybe sunny days but not many smiley faces. A mixture of success and disappointment at our recent local beer festivals due to the monsoon conditions deterred many people from venturing out to the pub. Also yet another hike in beer prices by additional taxes will have put a lot of drinkers off. This brings me to a petition that CAMRA have launched to fight the duty escalator and bring it to a halt. If we can get 100,000 signatures - which is less than the total membership of CAMRA the campaign can work to force a high-profile debate in the House of Commons about beer duty. The aim is to have hit the 100,000 target by October/ November in time to start a debate in December. As Budget 2013 approaches we would then encourage our MPs to write to the chancellor to tell him to abandon the duty escalator. Although the chancellor did not increase duty on beer as such in this year’s budget, nevertheless due to the duty escalator being in place duty was automatically increased by inflation +2%, resulting in an increase of around 10p a pint on average. On the other side of the coin CAMRA has backed the call to introduce a minimum price of 40p per unit of alcohol. Yes, we are in favour of this increase in beer prices! The government say it’s a way of curbing irresponsible supermarket booze deals and “turn the tide” against binge drinking. I’m not so sure it will solve the latter but any measures to close the gap between off trade sales and pubs can only be a help to our ailing pub sales. Pub drinkers should have no fears about their beer prices rising even more as I do not know of any pub that can sell their beer at a low enough price to have the minimum price implemented.
We have completed our selection of pubs (way back at the end of February) that have been put forward to be included in the 2013 GBG (Good Beer Guide). The reason I bring this up is simply due to the high number of both licensees and members who still appear to be unaware of our procedure for selection. Voting forms are sent out to our members to nominate pubs they wish to be considered. The pubs that receive the most number of votes are then ‘surveyed’ by our team of volunteers who are mainly committee members. As we are only allocated a certain number of pubs for each of our districts within the branch area, the ones that come out on top are put forward as our selections. Pubs can only be nominated by CAMRA members. The main criteria for selection has to be the quality of the real ale served - it is after all the Good Beer Guide. Every year I receive questions as to why certain pubs are not in our selection. Simply put, nobody bothered to vote for it, (just like the local elections eh)!
If you’re not the energetic or sporty type, I’m sure there are still some pubs where you can enjoy a pint, without having to endure watching kicking, throwing, running or splashing about in water as a form of entertainment. Me? I love it as well as a good pint. Remember we have a pretty energetic event on The Embankment in August. That’s it folks. Cheers. David Murray - Branch Chairman.
ARE YOU MISSING OUT? Only the beer-stained copy left?
Get Beer Around Ere delivered to your door! For a year (6 issues) send a £3.30 for second class or £3.90 for 1st Class cheque/PO payable to “Peterborough CAMRA” and your address to:Daryl Ling, 19 Lidgate Close, Orton Longueville Peterborough PE2 7ZA Peterborough Branch Website |www.real-ale.org.uk
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:27 Page 4
Peterborough Beer Fes tival 2012 4|
S
o, been a few months since my last PBF update, so time for a bit of an update. Like any other commercial venture PBF must prepare a business plan and acceptable working budget for the entire event which MUST be approved by the Campaign for Real Ale before we can even start to deal with our suppliers and place orders and I am pleased to say that our plans are accepted and we are in the process of working with our suppliers to move forward.
You will recall that I mentioned in my last update that our intention is to revert to the old style festival layout with two parallel bars and the music marquee as a link to both bars. This is now finalised and we have our new layout budgeted, planned and booked with our supplier. Our logo for this year is decided and has been available on the website for some time now and of course you can follow the progress of the beer festival via our website at http://www.realale.org.uk /index.php?bf=1 and it is through this site that we will keep you advised of progress as it happens. Just be aware those of you that submitted designs with medals or wreaths or any reference to that event in London end of July early August, they strictly forbid any venture from using any material that might be associated with their event, so rejected, sorry. As previously stated we have reviewed our opening times and will open “all day” only on Friday and Saturday. We have reintroduced reasonably priced lunchtime sessions (Wednesday through Saturday) and the opening times and admission prices are again already on the website. Don’t forget your glass is a hire cost, you do not have to keep it and you can always get your money back as you leave, of course we would prefer that you buy it and take it home, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO. Most of our vendors love the beer festival as much as we do, BUT, there are always opportunities for new openings, particularly new and fresh www.real-ale.org.uk
ideas. So please look at the contacts page on the website to find the “e” mail address to apply.
I am pleased to announce THE FAB BEATLES will be back on Saturday night after almost a 10-year absence and if you can remember back so far this was one band that the audience could “almost” out sing. You all know the words; you all know the tunes and the guys will drag you in to the party atmosphere. This is a band you would pay 25quid+ to see anywhere else. Even if you don’t like beer you cannot afford to miss Saturday night at PBF, take a look at the band at http://www.fabbeatles.com /home.html, supporting them will be one of our finest local bands with a huge Peterborough following. It is still far too early to be listing beers, ciders, wines etc, but recommendations are always welcome and if you’ve had a great pint somewhere and would like to pass on the recommendation to our team, then again via our website or through Beer Around ‘Ere.
(
)
“ Our intention is to revert to the old style festival layout with two parallel bars and the music marquee as a link to both bars. This is now finalised...”
One final important point, please. ALL volunteers are very welcome and hugely appreciated for any help offered with the build, running and take down of the festival BUT there are times when we do not have enough staff and equally there are times when we have far too many people offering their services. Please DO use the website to PRE REGISTER your interest in working at PBF 2012 to give us a chance to organise ourselves in advance. There could be occasions during the festival where non-pre registered staff may not be required, but hey, you can still be a customer and
)
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:27 Page 5 Peterborough Beer Festival Update| 5
enjoy the night without the responsibility of being a member of staff. Getting there, let’s just keep everything crossed for good weather, As you “die hards” know full well once you get into the festival the weather outside doesn’t really matter, nice and warm and dry as toast, but don’t keep it to yourself, let your mates know as well….. Cheers
Mike Lane Chair Peterborough Beer Festival Organising Committee.
BREAKING NEWS! Letter B Triumphs Again
Our own Peterborough Branch Pub of The Year (POTY) has gone one step further in being awarded the accolade of the Cambridgeshire POTY. The pub came out on top from the other three contenders from the other three branches of Cambridgeshire. These were The Devonshire (Cambridge), The Pig & Abbott (Huntingdon /St.Neots). and The Prince Albert (Ely). Landlord Bruce Roan of the Letter B was delighted to have received the award and thanked us for bringing his pub to the attention of the judges. We will announce a date to present the Pub with the accolade in the near future. Look out on our web site for the date. It just remains for us to congratulate Bruce, Denise and their Staff on their achievement. DM.
29 North Street, Stanground PE2 8HR. 01733 753544 Up to 4 Real Ales available • Friendly village pub with riverside mooring • Large garden • Dogs welcome
Food served: Tues to Sun 12 - 2.30pm, Mon to Sat 6pm - 9pm
EVENTS and OFFERS
BEERFEST 10-12 AUG details to follow!
LIVE MUSIC
Sat 9 june- 9pm - ALTERED EGO Sat 21 july - 9pm- ELECTRIC WARRIORS
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 6
I
St George and the Dragon ...a
f you’re going to organise a trip around a few pubs it helps to have a theme, and our idea of a day of patriotic imbibing proved to be an excellent and enjoyable one. St George’s Day is generally a low key event in our collective minds when compared with the black stuff excesses of St Patrick’s Day and so this year we committed ourselves to raising the profile of our Patron Saint by embarking on a day of pubs, beer, cheese and dragon slaying. A full bus load of us departed the Brewery Tap at midday on a pleasant Sunday near enough to the 23rd April to make no difference and headed south to the ancient village of Stilton, not forgetting to pick up our Chairman and his better half in Woodston. Mr Chairman had been awarded Honorary Englishman status for the day and his Scottish ancestry was temporarily put on hold for the duration!
Stilton as many will know has four pubs, or more correctly three pubs and a club. The Bell Inn is a magnificent establishment with a history dating back before the 1600’s and excels in what it does. A clutch of handpumps on the bar offered Digfield, Oakham and a couple of other beers of lesser note. Its place in history is inextricably linked with the story of Stilton cheese and the Bell now manufactures a similar article, although for legal reasons it can’t be named Stilton! Liam McGivern our Host made sure that we were acquainted with the home grown variety and the consensus was that it may well be indistinguishable from the real McCoy. Directly opposite is the Stilton Country Club, a private members club to which we were granted temporary membership for our visit. Roy Baines who runs the club has a passion for real ale and we weren’t disappointed with his recommendations of Doom Bar and Otter Ale, both of which were superb. The club is situated in what was a part of the stables of the Angel Inn which in times past was considered the main rival to the Bell. The Angel is now an Indian restaurant. The other www.real-ale.org.uk
two pubs in the village are the Talbot, a Charles Wells house and the Stilton Cheese which is a freehouse offering Adnam’s Lighthouse and Tim Taylor Landlord. Both were visited by our enthusiastic throng and comments were most complimentary. We said our farewells and headed to our next port of call, the Fenland town of Ramsey. There were two pubs on our itinerary, the award winning Railway and the Jolly Sailor. A selection of ales was on offer at the Railway as we expected but a nice surprise awaited us at the Jolly Sailor. Our local Punch Taverns representative, Jean-Paul Russek had arranged a free pint for us which was accepted as any true Englishman would, with grace, gratitude, followed by the swift downing of it on the assumption that there may be a second one if you’re lucky! Mine hosts had provided us with a few nibbles to keep us happy and had pulled out all the stops to make sure we had a wide choice of ales on offer. The pub has recently started providing Sunday lunches and if the quality of the food is anything like the beers then they should prove a resounding success. Despite the fact that the nearby 5 Alls in Benwick was holding its first beer festival we reluctantly decided to push on to the town of March and return this way another day. Holding a pageant and festival to celebrate St George must be a good idea and March does it superbly. As we pulled into the town the activities were winding down a bit but there was still plenty going on with George’s pub doing its best to cope with the crowds. Nigel Marsh the landlord was busy running around supervising his costumed staff and mingling with the abundant pub goers while still managing to sneak a social glass or two with us visiting out of towners. Nigel had obviously put a lot of effort into the day’s activities by converting the pub into a makeshift
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 7 Pub News | 7
on ...and a few more pubs besides castle complete with drawbridge and associated cut out knights to guard it. The scene was completed by a slain dragon lying outside the pub so we all knew that St George had done a magnificent job! Some of our happy breed ventured over to the award winning Ship to sample a few local ales whilst the rest of us were contented with what was on offer in the ‘Ale & Cider Shed’ inside George’s. We’d like to thank Nigel the landlord for supplying a carry out or two to keep us refreshed on our arduous journey back to our last port of call. The Dragon in Werrington concluded our superb day and our thanks to the Simmonds Brothers for providing a wide choice of ales and an absolutely excellent meal. After discussions with my co conspirators we have already decided to repeat the event next year but make it bigger, better and more patriotic! Watch this space next year! Stamford Stuff I have now finally made it to the London Inn after many months of it being open. The place has had an extensive refurbishment and what we have is a very nice quality establishment. Real ale is on offer and the food trade seems to be going extremely well, especially at lunchtimes. Children are permitted and there is an upstairs beer garden which could be used in the unlikely event of us getting some sunshine before winter kicks in. The pub attached to Melbourne’s brewery now has new people behind the bar and the usual Sam Smiths will be on offer. The bar once known as the Troubadour is now the Theatre Bar and is currently open from 4.00pm everyday except Monday. They currently have 4 real ales which include Doombar, Spitfire, Old Speckled Hen and Greene King IPA (what-
ever that is?). One pump may be a LocAle one in the future. The Dolphin now have Steve & Marion behind the bar and will be offering their own choice of ales alongside the usual Chas Wells beers. They’re anticipating a bit of a spruce up for the old place to make it look a bit brighter and food will be on offer with Marion looking at putting on a range of seasonal dishes which sounds interesting. They are also open to suggestions for charity events and would like to make the pub a real asset to the town. Let’s do our best to support them, so please drop in and say hi. Ramsey town Apart from the mention of the Jolly Sailor and the Railway earlier on there are several more pubs in the town. I am pleased to say that the George in the High Street now has new people in charge. The company running it is Hertfordshire Leisure and have put Shane, Darren & Adrian behind the wheel. All of whom have long experience in managing major real ale pubs in Bromsgrove and Sudbury. This will hopefully mean a move to excellent ale in superb condition as opposed to the appallingly flat and insidious liquid that was on offer on my visit some months ago. The pub will also benefit from a good scrub, a lick of paint and a dose of enthusiasm. We look forward to the new look. The Outer Limits
It may be on the extremity of our area but the Dun Cow in Christchurch now has new people running the place and so warrants a mention. Elgoods’ Cambridge is on draught as you would expect with positive comments on the quality so far. Occasional guest beers will surface as trade builds up. We wish them well for the future.
Continued Overleaf www.real-ale.org.uk
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 8
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 9 Pub News continued| 9
A sporting pub My thanks to Steve and Lydia of the Sportsman Pub in Chatteris for telling me all about themselves and the pub. I thought my knowledge was pretty extensive when it came to knowing local pubs but the Sportsman had past me by! Despite the fact that they only have one real ale on offer they are enthusiastic and are looking forward to a second one in the near future. They introduced real ale in 2010 with the uninspiring Greene King IPA but have now moved onto something more popular such as Doom Bar and Black Sheep amongst many others. Ales are sold at £2.50 a pint and they would like to announce their forthcoming mini beer festival which will run from August 3rd to 5th. They hope to be serving a minimum of 12 real ales. This is a landmark change from a keg only pub so we congratulate them on their efforts. From little acorns, mighty oak trees do grow! The pub appears to thrive despite the best efforts of the economy to dampen spirits. The pub sports bingo, dominoes, crib and 2 pool teams. Add to this the ever popular darts, consisting of 4 men’s teams and 2 ladies teams and we have a pub which is bucking the trend. The Sportsman pub can be found on Fairway in Chatteris. Peterborough Changes It’s been many a year since I ventured through the portals of the Palmerston Arms in Oundle Rd for a variety of reasons but it was a pleasure to reacquaint myself with the old place just last month. A change of face behind the bar seems to have made a marked difference to the place with old customers like me once more stepping over its threshold to sample its delights. Our new man on the scene is Ian Benton who has been a regular at the pub for some time and as he just lives up the road he’s decided to take over the reins. A range of well kept beers are on offer as you would expect with a slight slant away from the Bateman’s beers on offer before. We wish Ian well and I know that the ‘Palmy’ is destined for great things as it should be.
It is with much regret that we have to say goodbye to longtime landlords Ann & Jess of the Cherry Tree in Oundle Rd who have decided to call it a day after 16 years behind the bar. In their time they have raised countless thousands for charity, and I mean COUNTLESS thousands! The number of causes that have benefited from their unceasing hard work is massive and we wish them all the very best for their retirement. Taking their place are Janet and Tony who have jumped right in and are ready for a challenge. Janet said ‘we want to keep things more or less as they are and continue Ann & Jess’ good work’. Food will continue to be a big feature of the pub and the beer quality is second to none (the Tim Taylor Landlord seemed to slip down effortlessly last week anyway!). Our support and best wishes go to the new team who we know will continue making the Cherry Tree one of the city’s premier pubs. That’s All Folks….. keep the pub news coming. Steve Williams - Pubs Officer 0775 6066 503 steve@pubhistorysociety.co.uk
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 10
More Pub News 10 | Other News
Mechanic of the world beating Bourne based BRM motor racing team. Real ale has made a welcome return with Castle Rock Harvest Pale + 2 guests on offer. The pub is open all day every day (till 2am on Saturdays)
News from Bourne After a short period of closure The Jubilee on North St, Bourne reopened on April 5th as the ‘Jubilee Garage’. The building which was once indeed a Garage, has undergone a major refit under the guidance of owner, Michael Thurlby. Branded ‘Fuel and Food’ it now features a host of mostly vintage ‘automobilia’ in the form of old signage, oil cans, a petrol pump and even half of a genuine 1972 VW camper van put to a new use as the upstairs bar!
Also recently reopened after refurbishment is The Lord Burghley. Slap bang in the middle of Bourne Town Centre, this pub stands on the spot where Queen Elizabeth’s Lord High Treasurer was born back in 1520.. After a long period as a real ale-free zone, there’s now at least one handpump in operation dispensing cut-priced (£1.70 -£2.20 depending on strength) ales from the Enterprise list. There’s now a pleasant restaurant area with very reasonable ‘meal deals’ from just £1.99. Opening hours remain all day everyday with a 2.30am extension on Fridays and Saturdays.
Whilst it could be construed as an American theme bar, all the artefacts are in fact British including a collection of 1960’s photographs from the collection of Cyril Atkinson, then Chief
CAMRA Young Members Hello all! For those of you who know me, hello again, but for those of you who don’t, I’m Katie Barrett and I have taken on the role of the Young Members contact for CAMRA Peterborough and District. At the age of twenty-one, I have discovered the delights of drinking real ales, with great people, in great atmospheres! Well guys and girls, my aim in the upcoming months is to organise a number of events for young members and to drum
www.real-ale.org.uk
up some more interest with younger people who may see real ale as ‘boring’ or ‘not a young person’s drink’. There are a couple of ways to keep up to date with what I am planning or just letting people know what we’re all about. Hop on to Facebook and add the group page ‘CAMRA Young Members-Peterborough & District’ to stay updated. You can also contact me on here with anything you may want to know or find out! If you would like to message me my email address is katie.barrett90@live.co.uk That’s all for now, hope to see some of you in the future!
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 11 Pub News continued| 11
Matt and Emma welcome you to the Tel: 01778 560238 Barholm, Stamford Lincs PE9 4RA A Traditional Ale House with an open fire
Six Real Ales with four on rotation 3 Ciders • 2 Lagers • Fine Wine & Spirits
large beer garden • Pool room Opening Times
open from 4pm week days
1pm saturday and 12pm sundays
21st June - 20/49 Motor club 7pm 7th August - Morris Men 7pm One Eyed Cats playing Sunday 10th June and Sunday 12th August from 2pm
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 12
Local Brewery Update 12 |
Castor Castor Ales’ Brewery Liaison Officer Mick Lane celebrated a ‘big’ birthday in February and with a little help from Steve Saldana, we obliged with a birthday brew. With a nod to Castor’s Roman heritage, the beer was named MIXLX, almost unpronounceable but it gives away Mick’s big one! At 6% ABV MIXLX proved to be a big hitter, but a session beer it wasn’t. A couple of casks are still maturing, awaiting a surprise outing! Continuing the birthday theme LocAle Officer, John Rice celebrated his 75th birthday and we produced another birthday brew. It was a huge surprise to John when it appeared at his birthday bash at the Ploughman, Werrington at the end of April. Castor Ales supported the Forever Bury Beer Festival again this year. Forever Bury is a Football Supporters Trust providing much needed funds to Bury FC. We sent a dry-hopped Falcon Stout and named it Beardyman Brew after a nickname of a founder member of the trust that unfortunately died last year. The 39th Cambridge Beer Festival featured Roman Gold, Old Scarlett and a festival special: John Buchan Bitter. The festival has a theme involving steps, a man on the run and the Forth Railway Bridge! Therein lies the clue for the name of the festival special. Other regular Castor Ales include Roman Gold, Old Scarlett, Edmund Tyrell Artis (ETA), and Imperial Palace Gold (IPA). Digfield After many months of juggling their time between running their current brewery and setting up the new brewhouse which is situated two miles away. Mike Cohrs and Paul Waring will be starting to use their new 15 barrel plant at the beginning of www.real-ale.org.uk
June. They will be continuing to brew the current portfolio of beers, Fools Nook 3.8% abv, Barnwell Bitter 4% abv, March Hare 4.4% abv, Shaklebush 4.5% abv, Mad Monk 4.7% abv and IPA 4.7% abv. Elgoods Black Eagle Stout has now been bottled and will have a limited availability. Cockerless Fours is the latest of the Dog Decathlon range and sales of all the beers so far have been good. The Chequers at Friday Bridge re-opens with new tenants on Saturday 19th May. As mentioned previously. Pageant is being re-named Royal Pageant for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Hopshackle Hopshackle Simmarillo 3.8% is selling extremely well and is now on permanently at The Willoughby Arms in Little Bytham and The Burghley Square Club in Peterborough. Hopshackle Red 4.3% is also a regular guest beer at The Vine in Market Deeping. The Brewery now has an automatic cask washer which cleans 2 casks at a time. Nigel has also purchased some more casks and The Vine is being supplied in Kilderkins. After two months of conditioning Black Mule 7% is now available. Black Mule is a hybrid between an Imperial IPA and an Imperial Porter. Hopshackle Bohemia 5.6% a cask conditioned lager will be released at the start of June and is already booked to go the Jolly Brewer and Green Man in Stamford, The Vine in Market Deeping and the Burghley Square Club. A range of Hopshackle beers can also be found regularly at The Goat in Frognall, The Five Horseshoes in Barholm and The Horse and Panniers North Luffenham.
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 13 Local Brewery Update | 13
Melbourn Melbourn has no changes to the beer brewed. It now has new tenants in the pub attached to the brewery and they should be starting tours again soon. Nene Valley Brewing has been going well over the past couple of months and an “experimental” brew called DXB (4.6%) was released in April. A second brew is almost ready to go out to pubs. The make-up of the brew and the name could change in the future. The inside of the new brewery is to receive cladding next week in preparation for the move of the existing equipment and the new plant from DME in Canada. A grand opening event is planned for early September when all of the plant is operational. The other half of the brewery building has been let to Trek-Kits, an outdoor equipment retailer, which already had a presence in Oundle. Oakham Ales
to take the Supreme Champion title. Adrian Posnett, Managing Director of Oakham Ales, said, “We’re delighted to have won this very prestigious Award, especially for Green Devil IPA, which we only started brewing 12 months ago. Awards like this help to cement our reputation and raise our profile with retailers and drinkers; they are a testament to the talent and hard work of our brewing team.” Taking a Gold award at the National Beer Competition brings more than just prestige. The seven cask beer winners are now guaranteed a place on the SIBA Champions Bar at the Great British Beer Festival this summer. SIBA chief executive Julian Grocock said: “With standards rising every year, it becomes ever more challenging to select the best beers from a very strong field. Winning an award at a regional competition is an achievement to be proud of and to take one at the national competition an even greater one…. winning an award offers the successful brewers the promise of much-increased awareness among beer enthusiasts, and new listings in the growing number of beer-oriented pubs, bars and off-trade outlets.” For the first time this year, Punch Taverns - a pub company with a portfolio of around 5,000 pubs nationwide - is offering to showcase the Overall Gold, Silver and Bronze cask competition winners through its Finest Cask guest ale scheme, which is made available to 1,000 of its pubs. Crucially, the listing will run during May and June, taking in the busy Euro 2012 and Diamond Jubilee trading periods.
Oakham Ales took top honours winning Supreme Champion with its Green Devil IPA 6.0% cask ale at a national beer award competition organised by SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers), announced last week in Stratford-upon-Avon. Golden in colour, it has a harvest hop aroma with tropical fruit flavours bursting through. Green Devil IPA won the Gold Award in the Premium Strong Beers category before going on
Tydd Steam Sandman has made a re-appearance and Quench is also now available again for a short period. Sales are still very strong and Will has just about caught up from his holiday break. Will is currently working on the recipe for a Peterborough Beerfest Special but recipe and name have yet to be finalised.
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 14
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 15 Please support our advertisers | 15
www.real-ale.org.uk
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 16
Coalheavers Mystery Tour
A
s regular readers may know, The Coalheavers Collective usually has a bi-monthly trip to somewhere out of Peterborough and the latest one was going to be a mystery trip. How long could I keep it a secret? More importantly, how long could the wife keep quiet for? As it turned out no-one knew where we were going until we changed at York and then the destination was revealed as Harrogate. It was a bit of a surprise to a few people but it was well worth the visit. Harrogate has about six pubs in the Good Beer Guide and they all had between six and twelve beers available from dozens of different breweries. We had to change trains at York and fortunately the wonderful York Tap was open and we had a 40 minute wait. Time for a quick pint. More about this pub later. First port of call once we found our bearings (Google maps are not great) was the local Wetherspoons, The Water Gardens. This is one of the best Wetherspoons I’ve been in. It’s an old converted bank and there were about 12 beers available, all in great nick. www.real-ale.org.uk
Pub number 2 was Harrogates oldest pub, Hales Bar. This is a small, dimly lit bar but very friendly and with a great atmosphere. 6 beers were available including their house beer Hales Ale brewed by Daleside. The walls are covered in pictures and stuffed birds and there are two gas burners continually burning on the bar. I think these were used as cigarette lighters back in the smoking days. The next pub was my particular favourite pub in Harrogate, The Old Bell Tavern. This is a two room, very busy pub with 8 or 9 beers on, all of which were superb and were from breweries such as Rudgate, Roosters, Hawshead Lancaster and Briscoe and all had prices like £2.89 or £3.04. When beer goes up 4p in the budget that’s how much it goes up in the pub. The ceiling and walls were covered in pump clips showing just how many beers this pub gets through, and there were about 300 spares. From there we crossed the road to The Fat Badger which is situated in The White Hart Hotel which is where Agatha Christie was found
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:28 Page 17 Coalheavers Arms on Tour | 17
when she went missing. On my previous visit here the beer choice was slightly better but there were still 6 beers on including WharfbankTether Blond, Moorhouses Blond Witch and the usual Tetleys and Landlord. For saying it was a rather posh hotel, the prices were pretty good. If you were staying in this hotel you would not be disappointed with its bar. The Coalies fining system was in place as usual and the £`s were pouring in from such offences as drinking halves, spillage and bad jokes, but the biggest earner is for ogling. The final pub was The Tap and Spile which is slightly out of the centre which may be why they are struggling a bit, but there were still 8 beers available. The landlord here is quite passionate about his real ale and it showed through the beer quality. Time to leave and a wrong turn meant we ended up running for the train, even though if we missed it, it would have been no hardship staying in Harrogate for another hour. However, we just caught it and returned to The York Tap. This place has 20 hand pulls and several inter-
York Tap
Thornbridge and Magic Rock and many others. If you are ever in York, you need to visit The Tap. You won’t be disappointed. All in all, a great day. Dave Botton
Summer at The GOLDEN PHEASANT Jubilee Bank Holiday Monday 4th June 12noon - 10.30pm: Live Music from Pennyless, The Collaborators, Park Lane, Lingerers, Lloyd Watson and Murray Hockridge (from The Voice).
Farmers Market • BBQ • Raffle Childrens Rides and Bouncy Castle Donations on gate going to Help For Heroes The ‘Heavers Posse on tour
esting foreign strong keg beers and some wonderful American bottled beers. It’s an old building which used to be the railway staff`s canteen. It has a large round bar in the middle of the room and the beers are reasonably priced considering its location. There were beers from localish breweries such as York, Ilkley,
WINNER CAMRA GOLD AWARD 2011
FOUR real ales! (Batemans XB + 3 Guests) 1 Main Road, Etton, Peterborough PE6 7DA Tel 01733 252387 kateshinkins@hotmail.com Web www.thegoldenpheasant.net
www.real-ale.org.uk
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:29 Page 18 18 | Please support our advertisers Beautiful traditional stone built oak-beamed pub just 2 miles from Stamford
FIVE Real Ales including Summer Lightning, Draught Bass, Greene King IPA + guests from Oakham Ales and Abbeydale and a Old Rosie Cider Open Tues-Thurs 12-2.30pm and 6-11pm (Friday from 5pm) Sat/Sun OPEN ALL DAY from 12 noon
Beer Festival 3rd to 5th August
15+ good real ales & ciders Charity Duck race 4th August from 3pm
Extensive menu of good value home cooked food served at lunchtimes 12-1.30pm and evenings 6.45-8.45pm – advance booking advisable! 2 course Sunday lunch – just £7.95 Ample Car parking – popular with walkers – park up, pre-order lunch or dinner and enjoy the countryside! • Covered smoking area • • Real Fires • Beer Garden • nd Rutla RA CAM Year the Pub of r up Runne 2012
Shepherd’s Walk, Belmesthorpe, Stamford, Lincs PE9 4JG Tel 01780 753081
nd Rutla RA CAM eason the S Pub of - Winter r Winne 11 20
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:29 Page 19
Letters Page
Your Letters | 19
Hiya all at Peterborough CAMRA Branch,
I have been a proud member for a few years now and as an ex-Kings School boy who used to attend the Rugby Club when I first took up drinking, I was at the very first Beer Festival. Who would have predicted what CAMRA and our own Branch have achieved over the last 35 to 40 years? Thanks to all who have and do put the hard work in. However, I am not writing just to sing your praises. I am just reminding you of how hard it has been over the years; and how many, often varied obstacles, have had to be overcome to get us to where we are. Mick Parr, Laughing Bob, Taff Welsh and I were some of the first customers to venture into the Palmerston Arms after Irvine had managed to resurrect it from near certain obscurity. What a success! He saw the potential and fulfilled it. CAMRA recognised this very early on, as it became a mecca for real ale in the area. One of the reasons for his success was his willingness to supply (within his own vision) whatever the customers asked for. That very first night he had Old Hookey on. He asked what would go down well in Peterborough. Almost in unison we replied with a beer that had recently been winning all the awards - ‘Summer Lightning’. Finding it wholesale meant that it became the staple beer as long as Irvine was behind the bar. Similarly he asked for some names of quality Malt whiskies, we put together a list of maybe a couple of dozen, thinking he might buy one or two. But we weren’t the only ones who had supplied him with a list. Those of you who like a drop of Malt will know that the rest is, as they say...history!! I believe the last count was over 120! Where am I going with this? Irvine ran one of the best pubs that I have ever frequented. Simple and true. To me he achieved everything CAMRA
aspired to when the Campaign began. However, with football crowds wanting entry and then not being very pleasant about the lack of an ice cold lager on tap, it was obvious to Irvine that on match day he needed a “home supporters only” entry policy. This suddenly became his downfall in the eyes of CAMRA. The refusal to allow entry to a CAMRA official meant the pub was increasingly ignored by the campaign. Irvine was never bothered by this snub, as he knew that he had created something special and wasn’t going to let one ‘power-blind’ official upset his magical establishment. But the snub was always justified in the eyes of CAMRA, because of his restricted entry policy.
(
)
“I do now wonder whether Peterborough Branch still has a policy of ignoring pubs which have restricted entry? I ask this for one simple reason - ‘The Old John Clare’”
I do now wonder whether Peterborough Branch still has a policy of ignoring pubs which have restricted entry? I ask this for one simple reason ‘The Old John Clare’. Now run by a pleasant landlord, Simon, who is a listener - as was Irvine he has a “Members Only” sign on the door. The regulars are given key-fobs and anyone else is required to ring the bell, which has a CCTV feed. I have been a regular since soon after it reopened. The restricted access is relatively new, but has been a success. With the Royal Oak closing, the awful refurbishment of the Paul Pry, the Lime Tree changing its opening hours and the refusal last year to turn the heating on at the Harrier, the Clare has become increasingly popular. A weekly football results game, Crib
Continued overleaf www.real-ale.org.uk
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:29 Page 20 21 | Letters continued
team and Golf Society are proof that it is on the up. Most important is the choice of beers and the quality to which they are served. With 4 cask ales on regularly, Simon and his staff are keen to retain high standards and it seems a shame that this may not be recognised due to the restricted entry policy.
membership list. Whether these pubs are ever going to be real ale houses doesn’t matter. We are losing pubs at an alarming rate. The John Clare suffered the same as many estate pubs. Its reputation has kept many a good drinker away, while others want to find a pub where they are not refused entry.
Can I make clear that I was very sceptical about the restriction, but am now relaxed about it and would like to think that CAMRA can be persuaded. As I said at the beginning of this article, to achieve what has been achieved over the past 40 years or so is remarkable considering some of the obstacles that have had to be overcome. One pub in the Walton / Paston /Gunthorpe area that I did not mention above, was of course, the Postillion (not sure about the spelling there chaps!!). I think we all know what happened there. It will never be a pub again. Similarly, that beacon of Home Ales, which is no longer with us - the Peter Pan. Another pub which nearly left us was the Westwood. Again, plagued with trouble, a deal had to be struck for a
The Old John Clare is worth a visit. Seeing a “Members Only” sign on the door is probably offputting, but they don’t bite in there anymore. Real ale drinkers will find a good pint is served and in good company, especially at lunch time where a regular crowd will make you feel at home. I do hope CAMRA can understand why Simon has felt the need to control access into the pub, as those of us who use it want to continue to do so for many years to come. Thanks for bearing with me, from what was originally a letter, I have written a monster!! Bottoms Up. Ian Neeve. Ian Neeve. CAMRA Member: 140457.
Talk about April showers! Perhaps Hand and Heart landlord Bram should be renamed Noah, after building an ‘ark’ in his beer garden. When organising his annual St George’s Day Beer Festival, he had galvanised a team of handymen locals into building a wooden beershed – a cross between Wimbledon and Little House on the Prairie – which duly stood up against the deluge that engulfed beer tasters and tickers in the last weekend of April. A great addition to the facilities in Peterborough’s Highbury Street and for beer festivals etc to come. Great idea Bram! Chris Hooton Peterborough
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:29 Page 21
2nd - 5th August 2012 40 Real Ales & Ciders Craft Keg Beers Food available all day including German Sausages and Sauerkraut & BBQ
LIVE MUSIC: Thursday 2nd Aug:
One Eyed Cats 9pm (Rock N Roll)
Friday 3rd Aug:
TBC Saturday 4th Aug:
Thomas Ford 9pm (Delta Blues)
Foundry Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 2PPt. 01780 755141 w. jollybrewer.com
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:29 Page 22
Diary Dates & Beer Festivals June Saturday 2 June – Norwich City of Ale Festival. There will be a rail trip to Norwich to celebrate the festival. The cost using Groupsave will be £10.00. If you wish to book a lunchtime meal can you please contact Mick Slaughter m.slaughter45@ntlworld.com or phone 01733 390598 or text 07766 213240. Meet at Peterborough Rail Station between 09.00 and 09.10am to enable time to purchase groupsave tickets. Return to Peterborough on the 6.57pm arriving at Peterborough at 8.25pm. Tuesday 12 June – Branch Committee Meeting. 8.30pm at The Ploughman. Saturday 16 June – Oakham Brewery Trip. As promised there will be a visit to Oakham Ales grand plant in Maxwell Road, Woodston, Peterborough. This is a 10-45 meet at the Brewery for an 11o’clock start. So it is a chance to view how its brewed, sample some fine ales & have chinwag with the folks from the brewery. This is free but please contact John Hunt to book a place. Monday 18 June – Open Meeting for Peterborough Beer Festival. 8.30pm at the Brewery Tap. July Saturday 14 July – Annual CAMRA Cycle Rally. 5pm start from Cathedral Square, Peterborough. Contact Paul Berrisford on 07947 449535 Monday 16 July – Branch Committee Meeting. 8.30pm at the Drapers Arms. Wednesday 18 July – Open Meeting for Peterborough Beer Festival. 8.30pm at the Solstice 8.30pm
June 1 - 4 June - 10th Bourne Festival 80 beers plus ciders, live music throughout.
1 - 5 June - Tobie Norris Jubilee Beer Festival 10 Jubilee themed real ales plus 10 ciders. 1 - 4 June - Falcon, Whittlesey – Jubilee Beer Festival with live music and family fun day on Monday. 2 - 4 June - The Packhorse, Northborough – Queen’s Jubilee Festival 1 - 5 June – Millstone Inn, Barnack - Diamond Jubilee Beer Festival 1 - 4 June – Dragon, Werrington Jubilee Beer Festival • 18 plus Real Ales 2 - 4 June – Blue Bell, Easton on the Hill Diamond Jubilee beer festival 2 - 5 June – Cock Inn, Werrington - Diamond Jubilee Beer Festival 2 - 3 June – Lord Burghley, Stamford Jubilee Music Festival • Bands and DJ’s 15 - 17 June – Welland Valley Beer Festival, run jointly between 15 pubs. www.wellandvalleybeerfestival.co.uk July 29 June - 1 July – Goat, Frognall 9th Annual Beer Festival 4 - 11 July – Pig ‘n’ Falcon, St Neots Summer Beer Fest - 30 ales and ciders 5 - 8 July – Ploughman, Werrington Beer festival with Live Music every day / night. 6 - 8 July - Blue Boar, Eye Summer Beer Festival August 2 - 3 August – Jolly Brewer, Stamford Beer Festival with 40+ Ales, Music and Food 3 - 5 August – Blue Bell, Belmesthorpe Beer Festival 15+ Real Ales and Ciders 10 - 12 August – Woolpack, Stanground Beer Festival
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:29 Page 23 Diary Dates | 23
Exotic Thai Food & Handcrafted Beers NEW MENU COMING SOON
17/34 Pint Polypins of ale available for all your personal or business events
Europe’s Largest Brew Pub 80 Westgate, Peterborough PE1 2AA
Tel: 01733 358500 Web: www.oakhamales.com
Pub Merit Awards & Gold Awards The committee feel that pubs outside of Peterborough are missing out on Gold Awards and so they have introduced a new Merit Award for pubs that are continuously outstanding. If you know of a pub in our area that deserves a Merit Award or Gold Award then please complete the following form and send it to our Secretary. Pub name:
Pub address/town/village:
Reason for award:
Your name:
Your phone number or e-mail address:
Your membership number:
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:29 Page 24 24 | Please support our advertisers
The Prince of Wales Feathers
Castor, Peterborough Tel: 01733 380222
Broad Street, Stamford - 01780 763426 © Mick Slaughter 2009
A FREE HOUSE Open all day - every day Six Real Ales available • Large Beer Garden
Award winning village local in historic Castor. Close to the Nene Valley Railway & Ferry Meadows.
Serves 5 guest ales & real cider. Walker & dog friendly.
Home cooked food every lunchtime and NOW available midweek evenings too!!
BREWERY TAP OF CASTOR ALES details at: www.princeofwalesfeathers.co.uk
Blue B~ oEyear~ Selection of Real Ales including Oakham Ales Sky Sports • Pool Table • Darts Regular live music and Karaoke
Food Served Monday - Friday 12 - 2pm Saturday 12 - 2.30pm
Jubilee Music weekend Saturday 2nd The Extones Sunday 3rd June 7storeysoul Bands and DJs • Hog Roast or BBQ available on the Saturday.
Beer Fest 6th, 7th and 8th July
10 guest ales + 4 inside, Cider and Perry also available.
Bar snacks available Tuesday to Saturday lunchtimes Home cooked Sunday Lunches
Band Fest on 7th Jult with 6+ bands in afternoon including Easyersaid.
Small conference room available
The Sound Injectors playing at night!
(Weddings,Christenings and business facilities) FREE
BBQ and family fun!
46 High Street, Eye, Peterborough PE6 7UY Tel: 01733 222234
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:29 Page 25
Simmospoons Night
A
pril saw the launch of Community Pubs Month, CAMRA’s latest initiative to support the British Pub. To support this initiative, Peterborough branch joined forces with local publicans Andy and Stuart Simmonds to organise Simmospoons Night. The tongue in cheek reference being an allusion to their growing pub empire! Andy is the landlord of under threat Werrington freehouse the Ploughman and brother Stuart is Mine Host at the nearby Charles Wells pub the Dragon. Although of modern design and certainly not street corner boozers, both of these pubs are the epitome of well-run community locals. They both support extensive pub teams in various disciplines and also regularly hold charity fundraising events. The evening drew a large number of branch members with twenty five people turning up at the Dragon. Here we were treated to ales from Elland of West Yorkshire and Hunters of Devon as well as the usual range from Charles Wells. Cask beers were all discounted for the event. The evening here was a pleasant mixture of good beer and conversation. The conversation often referring to the plight of Community pubs and how these two pubs were bucking the trend through sheer hard work and enthusiasm.
Andy and Stuart then kindly laid on transport for those who needed it to the Ploughman. Again beers from Hunters were available along with several others including local brewery Elgoods. The Hunters beers were imported from that other far flung part of the Simmospoons empire, Brixham where yet another Simmonds brother, Chris, also runs a pub. The beers were all of excellent quality and were much appreciated. Hot food was also kindly provided. Andy and his team are running a vibrant campaign against supermarket giant Tesco who wish to close this pub. In the time Andy and Stuart have been involved with the pub it has been turned from a troubled estate pub to Peterborough CAMRA Pub of the Year for 2011. For these reasons and the fact that these two pubs serve their local communities so well it was decided to focus our Community Pubs Month activity here. As Social Secretary I think the event was a great success and would like to thank Andy, Stuart and their respective teams for a superb evening. Finally a call to all of the drinkers in the area, get behind the campaign to save the Ploughman or yet another fine pub will be lost to the people of Peterborough. John Hunt - Social Secretary
www.real-ale.org.uk
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:29 Page 26 26 | Please support our advertisers
Real traditional ale house in the heart of the city
5 Regularly Rotating Ales Opening Times :- 11am -11pm Monday to Thursday, 11am -1am Friday to Saturday, 12 - 11pm Sunday,
Live Music Fridays and Saturdays ring or check facebook for details! North Street, behind Westgate House, Peterborough Tel: 01733 746370 www.facebook.com/ostrichinn
IN THE CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE 2012
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:29 Page 27 Campaigning | 27
A Steady Hand at The Ship ated the recognition that CAMRA had given to Paul for his efforts. Our congratulations to him and his team.
update
W
ednesday 11th April and a small boarding party set course for the Fenland town of March. A fair breeze saw us make good progress to our destination lying alongside the old river Nene. The Ship is one of the town’s oldest buildings with her keel first being laid in 1680, and much of her beams ‘purloined’ or diverted from their original destination - Ely Cathedral. Originally a Greene King brewery pub, it was converted into a free house and refurbished just over two years ago. One of the major features of the pub is the quirky uneven wall and floor that leads to the toilets. Many a customer must have experienced the ‘wobbles’ to and from them and got the impression of one over the top. The purpose of our visit was to present landlord and licensee Paul Wing with a Gold Award, for the outstanding effort that he has put into restoring and reviving a truly magnificent pub into one of the towns much admired hostelries. Although our party from Peterborough was not large in numbers, the pubs regulars had made a great effort in turning out to witness the award presentation. The original nomination had been made by our membership secretary Steve Saldana, who unfortunately was unable to attend. The presentation was made on his behalf by the branch chairman David Murray. A truly memorable night was had by all, with many of the pubs locals commenting on how much they appreci-
DM.
During the last few months we have seen several pubs leave the Scheme mainly because of change of management or closures, however this month we have three new entries and we welcome aboard The Jolly Sailor in Ramsey, The Angel in Yarwell and The 5 Alls in Benwick. It’s good to see these Pubs serving beers from Local Breweries and wish them all the best for the future. John Rice - LocAle Officer
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:30 Page 28 28 | Please support our advertisers
Freehouse
Jubilee Bank Holiday BEER FESTIVAL 1st - 4th June
Friday 1st June
Beer Festival with 16 Real Ales
Saturday 2nd June
Soul All-Dayer! 12noon - Midnight
Sunday 3rd June
7.30pm - Jubilee Quiz Gallon of Beer for the winner!
Monday 4th June
Family Fun Day with Bouncy Castle, Kids Face Painting and singer from 4pm
FOOD AVAILABLE ALL WEEKEND
London Street, Whittlesey PE7 1BH Tel: 01733 351001
Summer Sundays Start Sunday 10th June then weekly until 23rd September Visit www.oakhamales.com for full details. Town Bridge, Peterborough PE1 1FP
Tel: 01733 315700 Web: www.oakhamales.com
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:30 Page 29
Rhythm and Booze
Gig Guide | 29
GIG GUIDE
Steamin’ Blues
It’s Steamin’ Blues time again! Enjoy an evening of music with “local boy” Colin Hodgkinson performing with other blues artists like Maggie Bell and Zoot Money on Saturday 30th June. What’s even better, if you live in Peterborough you can catch a steam train from Peterborough Nene Valley station, Orton Mere or Ferry Meadows to take you to the gig and bring you back. The train has an all-important bar on board and there is a well-stocked real ale bar in the marquee. This is the twelfth year of the Steamin’ Blues and every year tickets sell out quickly so if you want one, contact Hannah at NVR on 01780 784444.
1 - 4 June 10th Bourne Festival, over 20 bands, Fridat evening to Monday evening.
2 June Soul All dayer - Falcon, Whittlesey 4 June Family Day / Bouncy Castle and singer Falcon, Whittlesey
4 June Filthy Lucre - Ploughman, Werrington 8 June Messanger Roots - Blue Boar, Eye 8 June The Guards 10:30pm - Charters, P’boro 9 June Isiah 10:30 - Charters, P’boro 9 June Saturday Night Brew 9pm - Brewery Tap, P’boro 9 June Comedy on Tap 9pm - Brewery Tap, P’boro 9 June Overdubs - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor 9 June The Helix - Angel Inn, Yarwell 9 June Altered Ego 9pm - Woolpack, Stanground 9 June - Pennyless - Ruddy Duck, Peakirk 10 June One Eyed Cats, 2pm - Five Horseshoes, Barholm
10 June The Replicas 3:30 - Charters, P’boro 15 June Jasmine Allan 10:30 - Charters, P’boro 16 June Disco - Blue Boar, Eye 16 June Cheryl Lee 10:30 - Charters, P’boro 16 June Conspiracy Club - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor 16 June - Haylie-Mai - Ruddy Duck, Peakirk 16 June Saturday Night Brew 9pm - Brewery Tap, P’boro 17 June One Eyed Cats 3:30 - Charters, P’boro 22 June Animal Instincts 10:30 - Charters, P’boro 23 June The Wash - Blue Boar, Eye 23 June 101 PROOF - Angel Inn, Yarwell 23 June Saturday Night Brew 9pm - Brewery Tap, P’boro 23 June Opaque 10:30 - Charters, P’boro 24 June Freepeace 3:30 - Charters, P’boro 29 June Rocket 57 10:30 - Charters, P’boro 29 June Children of the Revolution- Blue Boar, Eye 30 June Symptom 10:30 - Charters, City Centre 30 June Emerald - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor 30 June Jelly Roll 9pm - Brewery Tap, P’boro 30 June Saturday Night Brew 9pm - Brewery Tap, P’boro 6 July - Motor City Vipers - Ploughman, Werrington 7 July - James Edmonds - Ruddy Duck, Peakirk 7 July - Amplified (afternoon) Replica’s (eve)
- Ploughman, Werrington 8 July - Easier Said (Afternoon) - Ploughman, Werrington 8 July - Nuggets (Evening) - Ploughman, Werrington 21 July - 9pm- Electric Warriors - Woolpack, Stanground 28 July - Haylie-Mai - Ruddy Duck, Peakirk Sat 11 August - The One Eyed Cats, DB5 & The Nuggets - Ruddy Duck, Peakirk 12 August One Eyed Cats, 2pm - Five Horseshoes, Barhol Please send any details for June / July gigs to info@orchardhousemedia.co.uk before 15th July.
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:30 Page 30
Huddersfield -
H
Beer Capital of the UK?
uddersfield is a claimant for Beer Capital of the UK due to its range of real ales on sale any one day in pubs that are within easy walking distance. The town has two home brew pubs and is home to two micro breweries producing wonderful hoppy beers – Mallinsons and Magic Rock – recently named by Imbiber Magazine as the ‘Best New Brewery’. There are two ways you can travel by train from Peterborough for a reasonable cost: 1) For ‘turn up and go’ tickets a group of 4 can use Groupsave (P’boro to Nottingham & Nottm to Sheffield cost £66.40 for 4) and travel on the scenic Penistone line to Huddersfield (cost £8.50) i.e. £25.10 each. 2) Buy advance tickets to Leeds on the East Coast website 3 months in advance and use the ‘Big Savings for Small Groups’ offer – we recently get to Leeds for £12 – then bought a Leeds to Huddersfield Off Peak Day Return for £6.10 so we only paid £18.10 each. If travelling via Leeds you have a bonus of being able to visit the West Riding Licensed Refreshment Rooms at Dewsbury, which is an
www.real-ale.org.uk
excellent 1994 conversion of three rooms in the station buildings selling 8 real ales and had a sign on the wall “Last week you drank 2,809 pints of real ale”.
On arrival at Huddersfield the first port of call is the Kings Head on the station platform, which was selling 10 real ales – 4 regulars and 6 guests from micro breweries. The main room has a lovely tiled floor, two marble fireplaces and there is a separate snug. Turn left past the George Hotel and go under the train lines and you will see the Sportsman, which was the winner
Kings Head range of ales
Abbeydale Black Mass 6.66%; Bradfield Farmers Blonde 4.0%; Clark’s Traditional Bitter 3.8%; Dark Star Hophead 3.8%; Magic Rock Curious Original Pale Ale 3.9%; Milltown Brewing Co. Platinum Blonde 4.0%; Salopian Golden Thread 5.0%; Timothy Taylors Dark Mild 3.5%; Best Bitter 4.0% and Landlord 4.3%;
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:30 Page 31 Huddersfield Trip | 31
of CAMRA English Heritage Conservation Pub Design award for the sympathetic restoration of its three roomed 1930s interior. In 2011 a brewery was opened in the cellar and 8 real ales are on sale – 1 or 2 Sportsman beers, 3 regulars and 4 guests from micro breweries. They also sell real cider and perry; a number of so-called ‘craft beers’ from the USA and Belgium and a wide range of bottled beers. What is good to see is small glasses alongside each handpump to indicate the colour of the beer. We chose the Sportsman to have a meal – their home made pies are wonderful and change each week – we ate Steak, Stout and Bubble and Squeak pie with vegetables, chips and plenty of gravy. This is ‘One of Yorkshire’s Real Heritage Pubs’ and the right hand snug is one of the best pub rooms in the town with its fixed seating including bell pushes from the days of table service; ancient tables and on the wall framed old adverts for Bass, Double Diamond and ‘Good Wholesome Beer’. A visit to the 1930s intact gents is recommended (if you can!) to view the rare sportsmen tiles in relief !
Sportsman range of ales
Sportsman Hops Cotch 3.9%; Black Sheep Best Bitter 3.8%; Elland Eden 4.2%; Mallinsons Castle Hill Premium 4.6%; Redwillow Ageless Double IPA 7.2%; Moorhouses Pendle Porter 5.0%; Timothy Taylors Dark Mild 3.5% and Landlord 4.3%.
Right - Rare tile on the walls of the gents’ at the Sportsman, Huddersfield
Real ale information at the Cherry Tree, Huddersfield
Our next pub was the Cherry Tree, a Wetherspoons conversion of a former bed shop in the base of a 1960s office block. On sale were 8 micro brewery real ales.
Cherry Tree range of ales
Greenfield George’s Dragon 4.5%; Hambledon Stud 4.3%; Hawskhead Brodie’s Prime 4.0%; Leeds Pale Ale 3.8%; Lymestone Ein Stein 5.0%; Saltaire Raspberry Blonde and Rye Pale Ale 4.4%, Thornbridge Jaipur IPA; Ruddles Best 3.7% and G K Abbot Ale 5.0%. Closeby is the Albert, another Yorkshire Real Heritage Pub, which has the finest historic pub interior in the town. There are two bars on different levels and both have unique screened serveries with alternating etched glass panels and long narrow mirrors with the bar counters made of marble. On sale were Copper Dragon Golden Pippin 3.9% and Mallinsons Station 4.2%. Leaving the town centre and crossing the ring road we came to the Grove which in 2011 was listed as one of the 10 best craft beer pubs in the whole country for its astonishing selection of real ales etc. They have 3 regular beers, a low gravity bitter, 8 handpumps are reserved for 8 breweries whose beers rotate, and also there are up to 6 guest beers making 17 different real ales on sale!
Continued overleaf www.real-ale.org.uk
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:30 Page 32 32 | Please support our advertisers
The Kings Head offers a superb selection of real ale and a new 2 courses for £5 children’s menu making it the perfect retreat for the whole family.
Lunch of the day + drink for £10 Evening Menu 2 courses for £14.95 3 courses for £17.95
sic Sun 26th August 4pm - late Hog r oast Live Mu Tickets only £7 before July 1st (£7.50 after)
Tickets include Entry, Pork Roll, Pint of Beer/ Glass of Wine, Live Music, Stalls, Kid’s Activities, Free Car Parking and more! Exciting rang e of ales
ities Kids Activ
Kings Head, Apethorpe PE8 5DG | 01780 470 627 | enquiries@kingsheadapethorpe.co.uk | www.kingsheadapethorpe.co.uk
www.real-ale.org.uk
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:30 Page 33 Huddersfield Trip continued | 33
Grove range of ales
Magic Rock Curious Pale Ale 3.9% Taylors Landlord 4.3% Thornbridge Jaipur IPA 5.9% Hawkshead Bitter 3.7 Buxton Imperial Black 7.5% Dark Star American Pale Ale 4.7% Durham John Duck 3.9% Fullers HSB 4.8% Gadds Seasider 4.3% Magic Rock Carnival 4.3% Marble Ginger 4.5% Thornbridge Topaz 5.3% Dancing Duck Abduction 5.5% Kent Brewery Black Gold 4.0% Roosters Leghorn 4.3% Quantum Stout 4.8% The right hand bar at the Grove – 17 real ales on sale
The highly hopped Magic Rock Carnival was one of the best beers of the day and had a wonderful aroma of fresh hops. Very helpful and knowledgeable staff will help you to choose a beer to your liking – with the incredible wide range of flavours no one can say they don’t like beer but they may be able to say they haven’t yet found a beer they like! They also sell 7 guest kegs/craft beers, real cider and perry, nearly 250 whiskies, flavoured vodka’s and a a range of rums, gins etc. The range of crisps and snacks is quite staggering and included Jerky – air cured meat with flavours such as Red Wine & Cracked Black Pepper; and for the more adventurous Crick-ettes (flavours include bacon & Cheese) and ‘the original worm snax’ that are Larvets! There is a small right hand side bar and a larger left hand side bar which has a fine Hammonds enamel sign and a carpeted area on the far left. Heading out of town onto the A616 Lockwood Road and you come to the Rat & Ratchet, an Ossett Brewery owned pub that at the end of 2011 opened the Rat Brewery on site. Expect to find 2 or 3 beers from the Rat Brewery normally
but in advance of a Mild Ales Festival some handpumps had been freed up and no own brewed beers were on sale. This ale-house style pub with four small bare boarded areas, some on raised levels, sells up to 14 real ales but on our visit they were only 8.
Rat and Ratchet range
Boggart Brewery Dark Mild 4.0% Fullers ESB 5.5%; Goose Eye Blackmoor 4.0% Hawkshead Lakeland Gold 4.4% Ossett Citra 4.2% King Offa 4.3% and Silver King 4.3% Pictish Alchesmists Ale 4.3%. Heading further down the Lockwood Road and into Albert Street you will find the Star, which opens at 5pm Mon to Fri. It holds three beer festivals a year and has 10 real ales on sale.
Star range of ales
Boggart Brewery Drew 3.6% Five Towns Brewery of Yorkshire Baby Blue 4.5% Glentworth Twice Lucky 4.2% Hardknott Continium 4.0% Mallinsons Aramis 3.9% Oxfordshire Ales Bull Ox 4.5% Pictish Brewers Gold 3.8% Smart Brewing Co. Market Mild 4.0% Steel City Brewing Vane Tempest 4.8%
Continued overleaf
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:30 Page 34 34 | Please support our advertisers
BEER FESTIVAL JUBILEE WEEKEND 1st - 5th June Held in the marquee, enjoy specially selected real ales and ciders.
Over 30 Real Ales A Range Of Bottled Beers including Belgian and Fruit Beers, Country Wines, Ciders And Perries. 9A North St, Stamford Lincs PE9 1EL 01780 765888 www.mamaliz.co.uk
Food & Drink Awards, East Midlands Winners 2011 Peterborough CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2010 Three ales served from the likes of Oakham, Digfield, Tydd Steam and Black Sheep Continental Lagers • American bottled beer Opening Times 12 midday to 11.30pm, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 12 midday to 2am Friday and Saturday, closed Tuesday.
Please see website for our wide range of music entertainments for all ages and tastes
Live music throughout the weekend Friday 1st PARK LANE 6 - 8pm LOOSE BABY CHARLOTTE 9 - 11pm Saturday 2nd DEEPING DIXIELANDERS 3.30 - 6.30pm STUART JAMES SOUL DISCO 7.30 - 11.30pm, Sunday 3rd COLLABORATORS 5 - 7pm BLIND VINYL Feat. SHERYL RYAN 8 - 10pm Monday 4th THE 925’s 5 - 7pm A.V.B.- 8 - 10pm
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:30 Page 35
The Steel City beer has a mind blowing 94.7 IBU i.e. very very hoppy. The pubs interior has been opened up with still retains three distinct areas with old fixed seating and bell pushes. There is another pub well worth a visit further down the road into Lockwood itself – it is the Shoulder of Mutton and is another of ‘Yorkshire’s Real Heritage Pubs’. It opens at 7 Mon to Fri and at 5pm Sat and is very handy if you are travelling back to Peterborough via Sheffield as Lockwood Station is a few minutes walk away and is the first one on the Penistone Line out of Huddersfield. Expect to see six real ales on sale. With time running out it was time to walk back into town and visit the Head of Steam situated in the left hand part of the Grade I listed Huddersfield Station. It has a characterful interior of four small rooms and on sale were 10 real ales and a range of real ciders and perry.
Head of Steam range
Adnams Lighthouse 3.4% Black Sheep Best Bitter 3.8% Camerons Strongarm 4.0% Copper Dragon Golden Pippin 3.9% Glentworth Little Nuggett 4.1% Great Newsome Sleck Dust 3.8% and Frothingham Best 4.3% Harviestound Bitter & Twisted 3.8% Rudgate Ruby Mild 4.4% There’s lots of railway memorabilia such as enamel signs on the walls. In the 8 pubs we visited in Huddersfield there were amazingly 70 different real ales on sale and I can strongly recommend a visit . A map of the town’s pubs can be downloaded from the Huddersfield CAMRA website under ‘Local’. Mick Slaughter All photo’s courtesy of Mick Slaughter. If you require photographs of your pub you can contact Mick on 01733 390598 or email m.slaughter45@ntlworld.com to discuss your requirements.
www.real-ale.org.uk
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:30 Page 36 36 | Please support our advertisers
Established in 1796 as one of the ORIGINAL Stamford Ale Houses with a large beer garden, providing accommodation with free WI-FI.
Serving eight real ales and six real ciders.
We also host two annual beer festivals in April and September. Live Music events please call for more information 29 Scotgate, Stamford
Tel: 01780 753 598
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:30 Page 37
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:31 Page 38 38 | Contact Details
Branch Committee
Beer Around ’Ere
Secretary: Dickie Bird 4 Cissbury Ring,Werrington Peterborough, PE4 6QH 01733 574226 (tel & fax) 07731 993896 info@real-ale.org.uk
Editor: Jane Flew bae-editor@real-ale.org.uk Distribution: David Murray (See Chairman on the left) Advertising: Jane Michelson
Chairman: David Murray 01733 560453 chairman@real-ale.org.uk
01778 420888 Mobile: 07732 393621 jane@shillingmedia.co.uk
Treasurer: Paul Beecham 01733 311981 07710 008693 0870 7620848 (fax) treasurer@real-ale.org.uk
Magazine & Advertising Production: Daniel Speed 0845 838 7581 info@orchardhousemedia.co.uk
Vice Chair: John Hunt 07923 489917 vice-chair@real-ale.org.uk Social Sec: John Hunt 07923 489917 social-sec@real-ale.org.uk Pubs Officer: Steve Williams 07756 066503 pubs-officer@real-ale.org.uk Press Officer: Karl Simpson 07737 297072 press-officer@real-ale.org.uk Young Members: Katie Barrett 07581 270590 young-members@real-ale.org.uk Membership: Steve Saldana 07988 067260 membership@real-ale.org.uk Festival Org: Mike Lane 07850 334203 festival-organiser@real-ale.org.uk LocAle Officer: John Rice 07759 342702 locale@real-ale.org.uk Webmaster: Harry Morten webmaster@real-ale.org.uk
Postal Distr: Daryl Ling 01733 235881 Brewery Liaison Officers Blue Bell: John Hunt 07923 489917 Castor Ales: Mike Lane 07850 334203 Digfield: Dave Waller 07821 912605 Elgoods: John Hunt 07923 489917 Hopshackle: Noel Ryland 07944 869656 Melbourn: Lew Clayton 01780 765063 Nene Valley: Bob Melville 07941 246693 Oakham Ales: Dave Allett 07966 344417 Tydd Steam: John Hunt 07923 489917
The next issue of BAE will be available on: 1st August We must have your stories, news and advertisements by: 9th July Late copy cannot be guaranteed entry. Please contact Chris Shilling 01778 421550 Mobile: 07736 635 916 or Jane Michelson 01778 420888 Mobile: 07732 393621 jane@shillingmedia.co.uk for all of your advertising needs.
S H L J
Steve Williams steve.williams@beeraroundere. org.uk or 0775 6066 503 is always looking for pub news. Please send stories and other copy to bae-editor@real-ale.org.uk Beer Around ‘Ere is published by Peterborough & District Branch of CAMRA Copyright © 2012, The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd.
5
Views or comments expressed in this publication may not necessarily be those of the Editor or of CAMRA.
Trading Standards 08545 040506 www.consumerdirect.gov.uk Check out our websites at: www.real-ale.org.uk www.beer-fest.org.uk
TH
Stan
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:31 Page 39
www.savetheploughman.com
Sky Sports Happy Hour Mon - Fri, 5-7pm Live Entertainment (See Rythm and Booze section) Join our Facebook group The Ploughman
Your A Winnin ward g SEVE local with
N Real
availab
Ales
le from
£2.00 a p
int!
5TH - 8TH JULY• 30+ ALES! (preview on Thursday 5th July)
LIVE MUSIC Friday: Motor City Vipers Saturday Afternoon: Amplified Saturday Evening: Replicas plus Charity Auction Sunday Afternoon: Easier Said Sunday Evening: The Nuggets
THE PLOUGHMAN Staniland Way, Werrington Centre PE4 6NA Tel: 01733 327696
BAE 165 Prog_Layout 1 25/05/2012 17:31 Page 40
Big kfasot 11am rB eSaat 8 t ! 95 ry
ree At Least Th
y, er v r r ca t fo e th ea m can o fr u elf yo s e ur as ev lp yo uch e H as m
on
Real Ales!
. 5 £ ly
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! Check out our new lunch time grill menu’s and our ever changing 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.
Open Every Day 10am - 5.30pm All Day Menu & Coffee
So if you’ve not been before give us a try and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Midday - 2:30pm Carvery & Specials Menu 5:30pm - LATE Carvery & Grill Menu Sunday Open From 12 Noon - 9pm All Day Carvery
200 Broadway, Yaxley Tel: 01733 244885 Email: thefarmers@btconnect.com www.thefarmersyaxley.co.uk