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Issue 173 | October / November 2013
Also inside:
Coalies on Tour in Cambridge
Pub News
PBF 2013 Review Gigs Guide
Local Brewery Update Peterborough & District Branch of CAMRA | www.peterborough-camra.org.uk
Chairman’s Corner | 3
T
Chairman’s Corner
he fences are all down, the stillage has gone and the road-way all lifted. With the next showers of rain that fall the grass will revive to a healthy looking green. So ends yet another great Peterborough Beer Festival. We had the sunniest and warmest festival for over nine years but, with a sting in the tail, the irritating rain on the Saturday afternoon and evening. In spite of that we managed to attract over three thousand more people than last year. All the stats about the festival are in this issue on page 14 and 15. It just remains for me to extend a great appreciation and thank you to all our volunteers, who once again made the festival still one of the city’s premier events of the year. As if we needed any proof that real ale is the most successful sector of the UK beer market, we can back that up with the fact of the membership of CAMRA has now topped the 150,000 mark. This has grown steadily since 2003 when our total membership was 65,000. The number of drinkers now trying real ale is over 50 per cent with women (34 per cent) the largest increase. On the 23rd September CAMRA will launch WhatPub to the public on a new web site whatpub.com in which they can access details of pubs within a specific area. There are currently 35,800 pubs that serve real ale on WhatPub. This is far more than any other on-line guide. CAMRA branches have provided full details for over 21,000 of these pubs which include details of beers, opening hours, pub description plus features and facilities. This number will increase in time as branches survey and provide more details of pubs in their area. The launch of WhatPub has coincided with challenging people in Britain to celebrate our national drink during Cask Ale Week which runs
from 27th September - 6th October. Pubs are being urged to involve their CAMRA branch in an event and get cask ale drinkers to “introduce a friend” through sampling or promotions. Also throughout October pubs are being asked to impress on customers the important role that locals play on people’s lives, as part of CAMRA’s campaign to raise the profile of pub-going. Our congratulations go out to the Elland Brewery in West Yorkshire for achieving the coveted Champion Beer of Britain prize at the Great British Beer Festival, just a week before our own PBF. So what, I hear you say – well, we do have a connection, our current Branch Secretary, Dickie Bird, is an Elland Brewery Director. So well done to him and his team. We would like to give a welcome to all of the new members who joined CAMRA at the PBF this year. We would like to encourage you to become ‘active’ within our branch. Delivering BAE to a few pubs, updating WhatPub data or volunteering to help at next year’s PBF, these are just a few of the helpful things you might consider. Our monthly branch committee meetings welcome any members who wish to attend. Venues are published in each issue of this tome and on the web site. Finally, as the nights close in, a visit to the local for a good pint of ale can disperse the winter gloom. Buying just one extra pint a month could make the growth of the British brewing industry a reality after years of decline. The pub is a far more vulnerable than other sectors of the leisure industry but, it wouldn’t take much to tip the scales the other way. Cheers David Murray - Branch Chairman. Peterborough Branch Website |www.real-ale.org.uk
Pub News Around ‘Ere
S
o the Peterborough Beer Fest is over for another year and what a Fest! It was great to meet up with so many of our Local Landlords and listen to how things are going and what plans they have for the future.
Staying in Whittlesey, in August, the George Hotel held a very successful Woodforde’s “meet the brewer” event and beer festival. This is just one of “meet the brewer” events the pub has seen and long may they continue.
One thing about the Festival that got people talking was the opening times. Should it stay open all day? Should it shut? Speaking to many of the city’s Landlords the Festival was a great success for them, bringing people in to the pubs when the Festival shut. Which can only be a good thing!
Great news for Stuart, landlord at The Vine in Coates. The pub is now officially a free house having been signed over from Charles Wells with the backing of a private investor. The pub is to undergo a £50k refurbishment and will continue to sell four real ales Bombardier, Golden Newt, plus two changing beers. A new website has been created www.vinefreehouse.wordpress.com
The Peacock on London Road has had a major facelift and is looking fantastic. One real ale is usually available and is normally Sharp’s Doom Bar. The Ram in Whittlesey has also under gone a facelift and is looking splendid. Two real ales are normally available.
The Drapers Arms continues to break new records. Not only is it currently the Wetherspoon’s Real Ale Pub of the Year, it recently became the top Wetherspoon’s in the country for selling the most pints of real ale in a week. This is something Chris and the team can be really proud of having been close on a number of previous occasions. The Office on Oundle Road has reopened under Enterprise Inns. However, there is no real ale on sale but it’s good to see the place open rather than shut or becoming another supermarket! Some sad news from Stamford as The Dolphin in North Street has closed its doors, probably for good. Wells and Young have no plans to reopen the pub and it will almost certainly be sold as a private dwelling. The Landlord of the Shoulder Of Mutton, Weldon is pleased to report great support from the community for the Shoulder of Mutton, Weldon. Real ale particularly has been the saviour and they now have four hand pumps on the bar. Food has also been popular and there is now a new chef at the pub. Revised figures reveal they sold 2600 pints at their beer festival in July.
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Pub News| 5
On a happier note, The Drum and Monkey on Casterton Road has re-opened under the steady hand of Yorkshireman, John Davison. The pub is owned by Smart Inns, a subsidiary of Enterprise Inns, and ales that have been on offer are Marston’s Pedigree and Sharp’s Doom Bar. We wish John well. The Cross Keys in Upwood is for sale with a “No Reasonable Offer Refused” sign on it. This is the only pub in Upwood. Neil Holmes - Pubs Officer Email: pubs-officer@real-ale.org.uk New Beer Website EeBria.com, a new online beer website for breweries in the UK, have contacted the Peterborough Branch of CAMRA with a fantastic offer of 15% off all orders until October 31st 2013.
different from the usual supermarket offerings. The breweries are grouped by location and while the range is currently limited, it is of a high standard and we imagine will grow with time. Eebria showcase not only beer but the best in British cider, wine and spirits all directly from source to your door. To claim the 15% CAMRA offer add the code ‘CamraMembers’ at the checkout. Cheers to Mr Shilling Chris Shilling, who was the sales manager of Beer Around ‘Ere, is moving on and we would like to say thank you for all his hard work and contributions to the magazine for the past five years. Cheers and all the best for the future.
EaBria claim to not like mediocrity and only sell from the best breweries. After taking a look at the web site they do seem to supply a range which is
Peterborough Branch Website |www.real-ale.org.uk
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The Prince of Wales Feathers
Castor, Peterborough Tel: 01733 380222
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
Live Music SATURDAY 30th NOVEMBER ROCKET DOGS 9pm
www.real-ale.org.uk
Award winning village local in historic Castor.
Close to the Nene Valley Railway & Ferry Meadows
Serves 6 guest ales & craft beer. Walker & dog friendly.
Home cooked food lunchtime & midweek evenings
HOME OF CASTOR ALES
The Mansion House & More
Pub Review | 7
The main bar and dining area of The Mansion House, Kennington Park Road, London
A
wet start to the second day’s play in the final test match of the summer against our hapless antipodean foe at The Oval saw four intrepid souls go hunting for the new Oakham Ales venue, The Mansion House. A six hit and a bus ride, No’s 133, 155, & 333 serve the route from near the ground (it’s a twenty minute walk but there was persistant precipitation) the Mansion House is situated at 48, Kennington Park Road, SE11 4RS, a short walk from Kennington tube station on the Northern line. From the outside it has the appearance of a certain national pub chain with dark wood front doors, large sliding patio doors with outside wooden seating and a welcome large canopy. Inside, an L shaped venue with the front set out more for drinkers, with a smart large wooden bar serving area with the familiar polished steel beer engines in pride of place, plus various type of tables and informal leather stools. The side section has lots of wood and mirrors giving a nice modern twist to a traditional decor with tables set for food. It’s slightly smaller than I envisaged with the plush toilets downstairs playing piped T.M.S. (Test Match Special) giving us updates on the state of play back at the cricket. The Pan Asian cuisine is proving very popular and while we were there the place soon filled mainly with eager diners.
As for the beer it’s from the Oakham stable, I think there were seven on when we visited and I have to say those sampled were in excellent nick. The regular range are usually on with a rotation of Oakadamy and seasonal specials. A word of warning: the J.H.B. is priced at £3.80 a pint, others rising in price depending on strength but I understand this is the norm in these parts. I know many locals are delighted to have good beer available in an area which isn’t exactly brimming with good venues. So that was that, an hour and a half enjoyed by all and then the rain relented so it was back to the cricket. If you are in this part of town for the beautiful game, or passing by, give The Mansion House a look. It’s a welcome addition to the area, even though we’re all a little older than when the plans were first submitted. Dave Allett
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 www.real-ale.org.uk
Elgoods September saw the launch of a new range of 330ml bottled (not bottle conditioned) beers. The range is called the QE range (Quintessentially English) and consists of the following five beers:-
eight different brews have been requested. These will be specifically brewed and not rebadged or tweaked beers from the existing portfolio. A delegation from Peterborough will be attending the festival for quality control purposes!
Apple and Vanilla Wheat (4.0% ABV) Cherry and Raspberry Wheat (3.6% ABV) Cherry Stout (4.1% ABV) Black Beer with Port (5.5% ABV) Talon Russian Stout (6.6% ABV)
Oakham Gilbert’s Fridge, 4.1% ABV, is the latest Oakadamy beer which is available from 9th September. Perun, 5.5% ABV, beer is the latest vintage beer and is now available. Endless Summer has been brewed for the third time this year and will be available until Asylum, 4.5% ABV, appears in October, with old favourite Black Hole Porter returning mid-September.
The next seasonal beer will be Billy the Squid at 4.8% ABV. The October beer will be a Plum Porter called Harry Trotter and the Deathly Swallows. The Lambic beer is maturing well and there was another Lambic brewing day at the end of September. Tydd Steam Dr Foxes Cunning Linctus won beer of the festival at the Sheringham Beer Festival for the second year running. The entire batch of Camarillo Honey (brewed for Peterborough Beer Festival) sold out to the trade in a day! This beer will be entering the brewery’s occasional portfolio. The next available beer from the occasional portfolio will be Quench with Leveller making its annual autumn appearance soon. As part of the ongoing plan to improve the brewery, Will is looking to install a larger chiller unit in the near future. Bexar County Brewery Bexar continues to brew both on the full size plant and also the test kit. The beers appear in various places including London and Cambridge occasionally. The beers were well received at the Peterborough Beer Festival where, despite an aggressive marketing and tee shirt campaign the brewery only managed a Silver award in the New brewery category for Anciano (AKA MJF)! Steve is currently brewing a selection of beers for the Nottingham Beer Festival in October where www.real-ale.org.uk
Gongs have been won at the International Beer Challenge with a Gold for Citra and Bishops Farewell and Bronze for Inferno and Scarlet Macaw. Also two beers bottled for M&S Cambridgeshire Golden Ale and Citra IPA won Gold and Silver respectively. These bottled beers are all filtered but are excellent versions of their cask cousins. The brewery has celebrated twenty years on 13th September. A full account will be in the next edition. Finally, a visit to the brewery for CAMRA members and associated friends of Oakham Ales has been arranged for 26th October at Maxwell Road, Woodston with an 11am start until 3.30ish A look around the brewery with one of the brewers or an informal chat and a pint or three, it’s always a good day! There will be a small charge of £2 as food will be provided. Please contact John Hunt in the normal manner to confirm numbers. Nene Valley Brewery The appointment of Jacky Rees, as Sales Director, in March has resulted in a doubling of sales over the quarter. Production has, as a result, undergone a similar increase. Turnover of the business as a whole has doubled in the past 12 months. Planning for the Brewery Tap
BLO Reports | 9
/ Restaurant on the site has taken longer than expected and the opening has been delayed until April/ May 2014. Three new beers have been added to the portfolio, Dark Mild (MLD) 3.8%, Jims Little Brother (JLB) 3.8% (a lighter version of JIP) and Australian Pale (OZP) 4.4%. Wharf Anniversary Gold (WAG) 5.8% was brewed as a Festival Special for Peterborough Beer Festival 2013. Mild will be brewed again in October with a stout planned for the Christmas period. Bottled beer sales at the Brewery Shop are buoyant and after a quiet August, cask sales are now returning to previous levels. A selection of the brewery’s bottled beer has been shortlisted for the final of this year’s Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2013/2014. These are Artisan Local Drink: Nene Valley Bitter (NVB) and Blonde Session Ale (BSA) and New Local Drink: Jim Irving Pale (JIP). Nene Valley are also producing a chestnut brown beer, as yet un-named, for the 2013 World Conker Championships to be held at Southwick, near Oundle, Northamptonshire on 13th October 2013. Hopshackle Brewery – Market Deeping Nigel, the brewer, is delighted with his Gold from The Peterborough Beer Festival for American Pale Ale 4.4% ABV in the best bitter category and Bronze award in the overall Champion beer 2013. Hopshackle have three beers featured by Roger Protz in his new book “300 More Beers to Try before You Die”, Momentum 7% ABV, Restoration 9% ABV and Imperial Stout 9% ABV all of which get a full page description. The Beer Hawk website has included Hopshackle Restoration 9% in their “Champion Bottled Beer of Britain 2013 selection (all available online) Hopshackle are expecting delivery of a new fermenting vessel which has been specially built to
match the existing charmingly good looking brewery kit. Castor Ales Castor Ales was pleased to support Andy and Stuart Simmonds and their charity fund raising for RSS Unit at Papworth Hospital. A new beer called “Hopping Toad” was brewed for The Ploughman’s Beer Festival. It also featured in the Dragon and went to the other Simmospoon pub, The Queen’s Head in Brixham. To coincide with the start of the football season a friend, brewing assistant and Pompey fan, Smylie suggested a new beer. The collaboration resulted in the 12th Man 4.5% light, balanced beer with an abundance of Amarillo hops. The name refers to those fans who support their teams through thick and thin. The pump clip allows publicans to write their favourite team’s name. Castor Ales obviously support Posh, and the beer is available at the Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor, The Beehive and The Ostrich, whose landlords are all passionate Posh supporters. Up the Posh! The beer also featured at the Sir Loin of Beef in Portsmouth, where it is affectionately known as Play Up Pompey. The final summer offering from Castor Ales was a strong IPA style beer weighing in at a hefty 5.55% AVB. The beer is called DLV, the brewer’s initials, it is also 555 in roman numerals and the brewer is nearly 55.5 years old. Finally a big “Thank you” to all volunteers at Peterborough Beer Festival for yet another fantastic year. Let there be raised glasses... Melbourn Brewery Still brewing same four bottled fruit beers Apricot, Cherry, Raspberry and Strawberry. The beer list has been updated to show that all four beers are organic, vegetarian and vegan.
www.real-ale.org.uk
Freehouse
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CAMRA GOLD AWARD CASK MARQUE
3 Cask Ale pumps with at least 1 LocAle and others from far and wide
4 REAL ALES AND CIDER
Food served every day • Sunday Carvery
Never the same beer twice! Takeaway available!
Function rooms available to hire for all occasions
BOTTLE STORE
Quiz Night every Wednesday 8.30pm start
100 + bottled beers, changed every month, drink in or take away!
Pool Table & Dart Board • Whisky Rack Big Screens - Live Sports MonDAYS
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Monday to Friday 12 - 6pm Greene King IPA, Thatchers or lager - only £2.20 a pint
Burger and a Pint only £4.95!
London Street, Whittlesey PE7 1BH Tel: 01733 351001
BEER CLUB All real ales just £2 a pint!
TUESDAYS
PALMERSTON ARMS
WINE CLUB All just just £2 a glass!
WICKED WEDNESDAYS
82 Oundle Rd www.palmerston-arms.co.uk
MUSIC WITH A THEME
TWISTED ThursDAYS
KICKSTART THE WEEKEND
FriDAYS FREE LIVE MUSIC 9PM
SatURDAYS ANYTHING GOES
Check website for full deta ils
SunDAYS
Noon: pub games 3PM: FREE Live Music 8PM: Quiz night
OPENING TIMES
Monday - Thursday 12 - 3pm & 5 - 11pm Friday - Sunday 12 - 11pm
749 Lincoln Rd, New England PE1 3HD
www.thecrownonline.co.uk Tel: 0843 523 5181
14 Ever-changing, gravity fed real ales Wood burner for winter
QUIZ NIGHT Every Sunday from 7.30pm Cash jackpot and a gallon of ale!
VINYL NIGHT Bring down your favourite records Check Facebook for next event
UKELELE SESSIONS Every second Thursday from 7.30pm
PHILOSOPHY NIGHT Check Facebook for next event
LAZY SUNDAYS from 3pm
Opening Times Mon - Thurs 3-12pm Fri and Sat 12 - midnight Sun 12-11.30pm For information on live entertainment go to Palmerston Arms
Coalies on TourBLO - Cambridge Reports || 11 11
I
t was The Coalheavers’ landlord Tom’s 40th birthday recently and he wanted to celebrate with a trip to Cambridge and we weren’t going to let him down. 18 seasoned pub crawlers started with the usual Wetherspoon’s breakfast then it was off to the station. The only down side to going to Cambridge is that the train operator is Cross Country and so there are no discounts or group saves so it cost us £16.60 each. You can do London, Leeds or York for less than that. Never mind. First pub of the day was The Haymakers in Chesterton which is about 2.5 miles from the station so it was a taxi job. The Haymakers recently re-opened after being bought by Milton Brewery who also supply The Coalheavers. I know a few people still moan about Milton beers but they have changed so much for the better recently and some of their beers are up there with the best. So much so that while we were there we presented a certificate for Justinian which won Gold in the Bitters category at this year’s Peterborough Beer Festival against stiff competition. The Haymakers is definitely worth a visit, they have done a really good job and there are eight beers available, plus a cider and a perry on
COALIES IN CAMBRIDGE
draught. Several Milton beers will always be available together with up to four ever changing guest beers. We all agreed that we could easily have stayed there all day.
Pub number two was The Hopbine, a bit of a walk but worth it. The bar is quite small and it was a bit of a squeeze but then we realised there was another larger area round the corner. Eight beers were on here including Hopping Mad Brewery, Adnams and Woodforde’s. A good range with something for everyone. Pub three was Cambridge`s smallest pub, The St. Radegund. It has just one small triangular bar but eight beers were on including two or three from Milton, the Augustus at 5.8% was exceptional. There were also beers from Adnams, Fullers and Salopian and all were in good nick. The one negative about The Radegund is the toilets. A bit grim. Only go if you really need to.
Continued Overleaf
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Coalies on Tour - continued | 13
Please don’t let that put you off going, it’s a great little pub. It’s normally around pub three or four on these trips that the fine sheet comes out for such things as drinking halves, leaving beer, getting lost and bad jokes. There were a lot of bad jokes and the money bag was filling up nicely. Next on the list was The Cambridge Brewhouse, a fairly new pub that we hadn`t visited before. Despite a strong fishy smell, (from the restaurant, nothing to worry about), it was a great pub with the majority of the beers being their own and brewed on site, but also a couple of guests including one from Elgoods that I have not seen before. It is a big pub with a large dining area which was actually fairly quiet which was good as it meant everyone was drinking. The next pub was The Maypole which is tucked away round a corner by a multi-storey car park and it was very busy with a quite scary hen party dominating the outside area. They were a bit loud but very funny. The pub had eight beers from Milton, Fullers, Oakham and Elland. The pub has a large outdoor area with boards full of pump clips from recently sold beers. Onwards now to The Alexandra Arms, a Greene King pub!! We would normally avoid Greene King pubs like the plague but it seems they have finally realised that stocking real guest beers and not just ones from their own stable or from breweries they have taken over, actually pays dividends. There were only two GK beers on and five guest beers from all over the country and their house beer is Oakham Ales Inferno. It has been tastefully re-furbished and has a nice beer garden. The pub is in what is probably Cambridge’s best area for pubs which is the Mill Road and Gwydir Street area. There is The Alex, Live and Let Live, The Cambridge Blue, Kingston Arms, The Geldart and just a short walk away is Miltons other pub and sister pub to The Coalheavers, The Devonshire Arms, which was to be our final stop for the day. The Devonshire is a nice pub with a decent sized bar and another larger area at the back. Again eight beers were available from Milton, Great Heck, Springhead and Tring. A couple of pints
Presentation of award to Richard Naisby of Milton Brewery at the Haymakers, Cambridge
here is ideal when you are waiting for your train as the station is just round the corner. All in all a really good day. Cambridge is quite expensive but as long as you realise that, you won’t be too shocked if you visit. It’s still cheaper than Oxford and has better pubs. Cambridge has a good mix of modern pubs and ancient historic ones and as there isn’t a large dominant local brewery there is always a very large range of beers on offer. Definitely one to recommend. Dave Botton
Peterborough Beer Festival 2013 Round-Up
T
he organisers of the 36th Annual Peterborough Beer Festival are hailing 2013 as another great festival as numbers were up again on the previous year. Overall attendance this year was 29,616 with Friday being the most successful night with over 10,200 making the most of the long Bank Holiday weekend. This was close to the record Millennium year when just over 11,000 visited the Festival on the Friday evening – a remarkable feat when you consider the declining number of pubs and the above inflation beer prices that pub goers have endured over the past decade. The event got off to a flying start on Tuesday 20th August with the opening Trade Session and a raft of invited guests from the beer industry. The Tuesday afternoon session is fast gaining an important reputation for pubs, brewers, and industry insiders to network and gain access to the emerging trends within the real ale market. Amongst the fun and friendly atmosphere there is serious business going on and the Peterborough Beer Festival is one of the most important events of its type within the beer calendar.
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At 5.30pm the doors opened to the public and the queues had already been forming for close to an hour. The warm, dry weather had proved to be just one of the attractions for many who chose to come to the Festival Embankment site on the opening day. As soon as the crowds poured in it was down to business for another five busy days for the 300+ volunteer staff. Don’t be fooled though – most are here every year and enjoy every single minute of it. The showcase of the beer festival is of course the diverse range of real ales and ciders and this year did not disappoint. The advertised tally of 350 real ales was actually closer to 420 this year and the choice of breweries was over 170. One of the most exciting developments in real ale over the last few years has been the surge in new breweries and the Peterborough Beer Festival proudly displayed beers from 43 new breweries. Each year a number of brewers produce a festival special ale and this year some 21 unique brews were made for Peterborough.
Peterborough Beer Festival 2013| 15
Champion Beer judging took place from midday Wednesday and the results were made available by late afternoon. A notable feature of the winners this year was the two darker beers in the ‘Overall Champion’ category, echoing the win of the Elland 1872 Porter at the GBBF in the previous week. In order they were: Gold - Boggart Hole Clough Mud Brawler Vanilla Silver - Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild Bronze - Hopshackle American Pale Ale On the LocAle front Hopshackle, Milton, Bexar County and Oakham all enjoyed success and proved once again that Peterborough and District is well represented by acclaimed breweries. Full details of all of the winning beer categories can be found on the Peterborough CAMRA website at www.beer-fest.org.uk. Peterborough Beer Festival is also renowned for putting on a great choice of live entertainment. This year took on some additional, diverse acts which brought a real crowd-pleasing atmosphere to the music tent. On the Tuesday evening festival goers were treated to an array of local talent at the very first hosted ‘Open Mic’ night. Given the popularity this will surely be a regular feature in years to come. Tuesday also saw impromptu performances by East 17 star Terry Coldwell and the up and coming performer Teri Hopkins. Friday afternoon saw the very first performance of the Palmerston Arms Ukulele Orchestra (a collective of novice and experienced musicians organized only a few months prior to the Festival) to rapturous applause. Other acts featured included Children of the Revolution, Hooker and Think Floyd who returned to the Saturday night stage five years after their last Festival performance.
really did help to save lives. To many visitors the Peterborough Beer Festival is simply a great place to meet up with family and friends, socialize and have fun. Every year holds surprises and this year saw amongst others: a couple who cycled 90 miles from London to be there, a marriage proposal (she said “yes” by the way) and a Morris dancing chicken! It attracts males and females in equal number, the old and young, and both new and returning visitors every year. The overwhelming feedback the organizers receive is positive and is a great source of encouragement when the huge task of planning the following years Festival takes place. With that in mind then don’t forget to put a marker in your diary for Tuesday 19th August 2014; after all, it’s less than 49 weeks away! Karl Simpson Press Officer
On Saturday a very special presentation was made on behalf of the RNLI to local Peterborough fundraiser Quentin Bainbridge who has given 35 years of service at the Festival to raise money for the charity. Mike Lane, Chair of the Festival Committee said after the event that close to a quarter of a million pounds had been raised since 1989 and that everyone’s small change www.real-ale.org.uk
Photography by John Moore
CAMRA Cricket News | 19
P
eterborough CAMRA Cricket team have been working hard this summer shaking off their pub team image by winning some silverware, although we must admit it has been with a little help from our friends! Peterborough & District Midweek League: League 2 Champions Following a disastrous season in the Vitas Premier mid-week league last year, we re-joined the Peterborough & District League in Division 2. Despite home and away losses to Hampton, the team won all other matches. Many thanks go to Orton Park who loaned us their pitch and a number of players throughout the season. Impressive batting performers include Nick Bradbury, Andy Bennett, Neil Wright (Capt.) and James Fountain, who all averaged over 50, and bowlers Neil Wight with 15 wickets and Max Rippon with eight. Peterborough & District Midweek Cup: Plate Champions Following a comprehensive defeat in the first round of the main cup to Perkins A, the team played through Perkins B and Swiss Cottage to set up a plate cup final with Bharat Sports on 15th August. CAMRA won the toss with Captain Wright deciding to bat. Andy Bennett, James Fountain and Nick Bradbury all retired on 35 or more to set Bharat Sports 154 to win. Two wickets each for Tom Plant, Hamish Meichan and Zac Brown limited Bharat Sports to 108 giving CAMRA their second piece of silverware. Retained the PACT Cup The weekend team have been having another successful summer winning six of their seven weekend games since tour. This included the defence of the Peterborough Argus CAMRA Telegraph (PACT) Cup, which we won on tour to
Leeds a few years ago by defeating a Bradford Telegraph & Argus team. The match, which consisted of two 20/20 games added together, was played on Sunday 25 Masheder showing off his August at Orton Park. balancing skills with the With previous members PACT Cup Richard Voisey (now in Norfolk) and Stuart Masheder (now in York), having stayed on from the Peterborough Beer Festival to play, CAMRA won the toss and batted. 194 was put on with Neil Wright and Nick Bradbury retiring at 50. BTA openers Cuthbertson and McKenney also retired on 50’s but with little batting to follow the opposition posted only 134. BTA then batted their second innings with Cuthbertson again shining, scoring an unbeaten 63 in a total of 141. Batting failures by Masheder (1), White (0) and Voisey (12) could not stop the inevitable, with the home side winning by seven wickets with seven overs remaining. Matt Mace
Gold Award at the Crown, Lincoln Rd The Crown on Lincoln Road, Peterborough received its Gold Award on Saturday 3rd August at 8pm. A crowded pub listened as CAMRA branch chairman Dave Murray welcomed everyone and the vice chairman Matt Mace presented landlord John Lawrence with his award.
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Beer Expert visits Peterborough | 21
The Quest for the Perfect Pint:
Meet beer expert Andy Hamilton in Peterborough
Beer and brewing enthusiast Andy Hamilton will be in Peterborough giving a talk about his new book ‘Brewing Britain: The quest for the perfect pint’. Andy travelled the length of Britain in a quest to uncover new and unusual beers and to find that elusive perfect pint, in this essential companion for beer drinkers. Andy’s talk has been organised by Vivacity Peterborough Libraries in partnership with The Brewery Tap, and takes place on Wednesday 6 November, at 7pm. It will be held in the Tap Room of The Brewery Tap (Westgate, Peterborough). Tickets for the talk cost £6, which includes a pint of beer. Tickets can be booked in advance at any Peterborough Library or Waterstones Bridge Street. Andy is no stranger to Peterborough. He says "I grew up just down the Nene in Northampton and so I know the area very well. I have to say that Oakham Ales have rapidly become one of my favourite breweries in particular the Scarlet
Macaw. To share this with the good people of Peterborough will be an absolute delight.” With over 200 new breweries opening in the UK every single year, there’s no excuse for sticking to ‘a pint of the usual’. Andy has tried literally hundreds if not thousands of pints in this avalanche of f lavours, to make sure that you don't miss out on the perfect porter, an irresistible IPA, a super stout or that marvellous mild. • Discover how to tempt a lager lout off lager, which beer will win over wine lovers, the ideal temperature for serving ale, and the best glass to drink it from. • Experiment with 40 recipes from ancient times to the modern day, uncovering secret ingredients • Hone your tasting skills at sessions in local pubs, breweries and beer festivals near you. Northampton born Andy Hamilton is an expert on home grown food, wild food and brewing.
n For more informatio about the event, brar y on telephone Central Li ail 01733 864280 or em
com. acity -peterborough. libraryenquiries@viv
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29 Scotgate, Stamford
Tel: 01780 753 598
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
LUNCH TIME FOOD NOW SERVED SEVEN DAYS A WEEK Monday - Saturday 12-3pm Sunday 12 - 4pm One Course £8.00 • Two Courses £10.00 • Three Courses £12.00
Matt and Emma welcome you to the
freshly made pizza’s cooked in an authentic wood fired pizza oven every Friday from 5.30-10pm
Charity Fireworks & Bonfire Night
Tel: 01778 560238 Barholm, Stamford, Lincs PE9 4RA A Traditional Ale House with an open fire
Six Real Ales with four on rotation
2nd November - Starts 6pm
3 Ciders • 2 Lagers • Fine Wine & Spirits
Donated Entry Fee
large beer garden • Pool room
Pub Quiz
First Wednesday in the month Starts 8:30pm Teams of Four • Cash prizes.
Live Music
Opening Times Open from 4pm week days, 1pm Saturday and 12pm Sundays
Saturday 12th Oct Pennyless - 8:30 to 11pm 365 Smokin’ Hot BBQ available from 4pm
www.real-ale.org.uk
The Cherry Tree 9 - 11 Oundle Road, Peterborough PE2 9PB Tel: 01733 703495
FOUR Real Ales available including Oakham Inferno,Timothy Tayor Landlord and two changing guest ales.
NOW SERVING SIX REAL ALES plus Ciders and Perries. Over 30 Malt Whiskies
• Food served daily •
OPEN ALL DAY EVERYDAY Traditional Meals Served Mon - Thurs and Sundays
12-3pm Monday - Sunday 6-9pm Friday & Saturday
Private Function room holds up to 40 people Ideal for small meetings, weddings and parties
• Sky HD and 3D showing Football and Rugby •
Covered Smoking Area AMPLE PARKING • CAMRA GOLD AWARD
www.cherrytree-inn.co.uk
t. 01780 755141 w. jollybrewer.com Foundry Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 2PP
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:
DIARY DATES OCTOBER Wednesday 2nd PBF Committee” Wash-up” Meeting at Hand & Heart, 8.30pm Tuesday 8th Branch Committee Meeting at the Drapers Arms, 8.30pm Monday 14th Open PBF “Wash-up” meeting Brewery Tap, 8.30pm Saturday 26th Oakham Ales Brewery branch visit 11am. Make your own way to brewery in Maxwell Road, Woodston. There will be a small charge of £2 to cover refreshments. Please book places through Social Secretary John Hunt. NOVEMBER Saturday 9th Delaine Day bus trip to Market Deeping and Bourne. Will be visiting Bourne and the Deepings meeting at Queensgate bus station at 10.15am for 10.30am bus. Current cost for Delaine Day Rover ticket is £5.30. Please book through Social Secretary John Hunt.
Diary Dates and Festival Listings | 25
DECEMBER Monday 2nd AGM at Brewery Tap, 8.30pm
BEER FESTIVALS OCTOBER 2nd - 5th October 36th Bedford Beer & Cider Festival Corn Exchange, St Paul’s Square, Bedford More than 100 power-cooled real ales, 40 ciders + perries and a range of draught and bottled foreign beers
5th - 8th October The Chequers Annual Beer Festival 71 Main Road, Little Gransden, Bedfordshire Featuring 30 beers and ciders NOVEMBER 27th Nov - Dec 1st Dove Street Inn Winter Beer Festival Ipswich dovestreetinn.co.uk
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P
GO Ceterb W LD AMRoroug IN AW A h NE A R RD 20 13 Real traditional ale house in the heart of the city
5 Regularly Rotating Ales Opening Times :- Sunday to Thursday 12noon - 11pm Friday to Saturday 11am - 1.30am
Live Music Fridays and Saturdays ring or check facebook for details! North Street, behind Westgate House, Peterborough Tel: 01733 746370 www.facebook.com/ostrichinn www.real-ale.org.uk
IN THE CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE 2013
The Gig Guide Gig Guide | 27
Saturday 9th November – East Meets West with Pennyless and MuHa.
4 Oct Under Covered - Dragon, Werrington 4 Oct Children of the Revolution - Swiss Cottage, Woodston
5 Oct The Band of Four - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor 5 Oct Ramshackle Serenade - Palmerston Arms, Woodston
5 Oct Rocket Dogs- Dragon, Werrington 5 Oct The Overdubs - Straw Bear, Whittlesey 6 Oct Nick Corney, 3.30pm - Charters, P’boro 6 Oct Pennyless - Mama Liz, Stamford 7 Oct Charters Unplugged 8pm - Charters, P’boro 11 Oct The Tom Wright Band 10:30pm - Charters, P’boro
11 Oct The Tunnel - Dragon, Werrington 12 Oct Tiger Club - Dragon, Werrington 13 Oct Agi Jarocka 3:30pm - Charters, P’boro 13 Oct Poorboy 4-6pm - Mama Liz, Stamford 18 Oct Stone Pony 10:30pm - Charters, P’boro 18 Oct The Guards - Dragon, Werrington 19 Oct The Claimed - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor 20 Oct Isiah 3:30pm - Charters, P’boro 25 Oct Blackout UK 10:30pm - Charters, P’boro 26 Oct On The Ceiling - Ploughman, Werrington 27 Oct Adam ‘n’ Jane 3:30pm - Charters, P’boro 27 Oct Bianca & TheTopCats - Mama Liz, Stamford 1 Nov One Eyed Cats - Ploughman, Werrington 2 Nov Skullduggery - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor 15 Nov Dizzy Miss Lizzies - Ploughman, Werrington 16 Nov Gone to the Dogs - The George, Oundle 23 Nov Park Lane - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor 23 Nov Faster Mutley - Ploughman, Werrington 23 Nov Children of the Rev- Dragon, Werrington 30 Nov The Electric Warriors - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor
30 Nov The Guards - Ploughman, Werrington 30 Nov Rocket Dogs - Woolpack, Stanground Please send any details for December / January gigs to info@orchardhousemedia.co.uk.
A fantastic night of live music from two bands working at either end of the folk spectrum. Pennyless are from South Lincolnshire and MuHa are based in Nottingham. Both bands were seen recently at Peterborough Folk and Rootz Festival at Charters and perform nationally with several CD’s released to good reviews. This event is sponsored by local brewery Castor Ales and real ale will be available to buy on the night. For all other drinks please bring your own and nibbles too as there will be informal table seating. Saturday 9th November, Kings Cliffe Memorial Hall, Eagle Lane, Kings Cliffe PE8 6XB Tickets £8 on the door or from Penny 07875192054 Doors open 7pm.
28 | 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 Brown bae-editor@real-ale.org.uk
Chairman: David Murray 01733 560453 chairman@real-ale.org.uk Treasurer: Paul Beecham 01733 311981 07710 008693 0870 7620848 (fax) 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: Neil Holmes 07886 974977 pubs-officer@real-ale.org.uk Press Officer: Karl Simpson 07737 297072 press-officer@real-ale.org.uk Young Members: Katie Barrett 07951 919451 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
Distribution: David Murray (See Chairman on the left) Advertising: Jane Michelson 01733 211933 Mobile: 07732 393621 jane@orchardhousemedia.co.uk
Magazine & Advertising Production: Daniel Speed 01733 211933 info@orchardhousemedia.co.uk Proofreader: Bob Melville See details below Brewery Liaison Officers Blue Bell: John Hunt 07923 489917 Bexar County Brewery: Steve Williams 07756 066503 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 Trading Standards 08545 040506 www.consumerdirect.gov.uk Check out our websites at: www.real-ale.org.uk www.beer-fest.org.uk
The next issue of BAE will be available on: 21st November We must have your stories, news and advertisements by: 4th November Late copy cannot be guaranteed entry. Please contact Jane Michelson Mobile: 07732 393621 jane@orchardhousemedia.co.uk for all of your advertising needs. Neil Holmes pubs-officer@real-ale.org.uk or 07886 974977 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 © 2013, The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. Views or comments expressed in this publication may not necessarily be those of the Editor or of CAMRA.
Hodgson Centre, Werrington PE4 5EG Tel: 01733 578088
SAT 9th NOVEMBER • LIVE MUSIC WITH CIRCA 73 • HOG ROAST • SUPPORTING THE KELLY SIMMONDS FUND • PETERBOROUGH CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2011 • GOLD AWARD 2013
Staniland Way, Werrington centre PE4 6NA Tel: 01733 327696
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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 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. So if you’ve not been before give us a try and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Introducing our new Green Room, available for parties and weddings. We are now taking booking for 2013/14!
Now taking bookings for Christmas and New Year 200 Broadway, Yaxley Tel: 01733 244885 Email: thefarmers@btconnect.com
www.thefarmersyaxley.co.uk