E F RE No.179
WINTER 2016 / 17
Norwich Beer Festival photos and awards - Page 18-21
Who’s Brewing? We pick the brains of multi award winning brewer - Wil Wood, Head Brewer of Lacons. 22
Beer Festivals 70s Style Read about the Bystanders, forerunners to CAMRA 44
Magazine of the Norfolk Branches of the Campaign for Real Ale
Norfolk Nips |
The Revitalisation of CAMRA: Round Two results.
In this issue: Revitalisation: Round Two
3-5
Stig’s Words
6
The Ed’lines
7
Pub and Brewery News Around Breweries
8-10 12-13
Spot the Pub
I would like to thank all members who took the time to respond to our second consultation survey, which asked your view on where CAMRA should position itself in relation to the type of drink it advocates and the places it encourages people to drink. As always the views of you, CAMRA members, have been of great value in helping the Revitalisation Project steering committee construct detailed proposals to present to the National Executive ahead of the members having the final say. This second survey attracted 8,200 valid responses from members (following a process of removing duplicate responses and respondents whose membership we were not able to verify).
We are confident this sample size is statistically robust, valid and representative of the views of the membership as a whole. This sample size gives us a confidence level of 99% and a 1.4% margin of error (against an industry standard of 95% confidence and 5% margin of error). In this second survey we also heard from a good balance of new and longer standing members, active and inactive members and older and younger members. The results show a broad unity of majority opinion across these groups. Michael Hardman Chairman of the Revitalisation Project
15
Bird’s Eye View
16-17
Norwich Beer fest photos
18-19
Beers of the Festival
20-21
Who’s Brewing
22-25
National Cider & Perry Trip
27
Cider & Perry Championships
28
Craft beer part two
31-33
Thank you from BUILD
35-37
Beer Festival Diary
39
Pub Beer Scores
40
LocAle Update
43
Beer Festivals 70’s Style
44-46
From the Archives
48-49
Discount Scheme
51
CAMRA AGM
52
A response to craft beer
57
Steve’s Words
58
Last Orders
59
Dates for your Diary
61
Contact Details
62
Continued Overleaf Winter 2016 / 2017 | 3
Norfolk Nips | The Revitalisation of CAMRA - Round Two results Key Facts 70% of responders are over 50 years old Only 3% of responders under 30 years old 62% of responders had been CAMRA members for at least 6 years The majority of voters strongly agreed CAMRA should provide information about, and develop understanding among consumers for Real Ale and strongly in favour for real cider and Perry and other high quality beers. The majority of voters strongly agreed CAMRA should actively campaign for Real Ale and Cider and Perry.
What do the results tell us? Real ale remains a core issue for almost all members and there is strong support for real cider and perry. A majority of members are in favour of some recognition of “other high-quality beers�. There is clear support for pubs remaining at the heart of campaigning, and strong backing for continuing support for clubs. A majority of members would also be in favour of CAMRA campaigning for consumption and sale in other on-trade venues such as bars, brewery taps, sporting and musical event venues
For further information please visit: https://revitalisation.camra.org.uk/blog/ revitalisation-project-stage-two-survey-results
WinterWinter 2016 / 2017 2015 | 5
Stig’s Words Another year draws to its close, a year of many surprises and changes, everything seems to be up for a rethink including CAMRA! I have no intention of going over this ground at all; you’ll be relieved to know. As a branch, West Norfolk has had a challenging year with the (universal it seems) problem of a very low proportion of local members being interested in becoming active within the branch. It seems that there is a perception amongst members that branch meetings are, frankly, boring and long winded affairs where a great deal of time is spent discussing points of order and the fine details of cask design and the policy on cask breathers…zzzZZ, what? Oh sorry drifted off there for a moment!
“CAMRA members join at beer festivals whilst enjoying themselves, but hopefully also because they think that real ale is worth protecting and pub culture is a national characteristic worth preserving”. Nothing could be farther from the truth, most (although not all) CAMRA members join at beer festivals whilst enjoying themselves, but hopefully also because they think that real ale is worth protecting and pub culture is a national characteristic worth preserving especially as pubs help to bind our communities together. If you believe this to be the case, come along to a meeting, you will find that we all joined because we enjoy drinking real ale in pubs as well. Not only that but we have our meetings in those very establishments so we can have a pint and a laugh with fellow members who also very quickly become friends. A large proportion of 6 | Winter 2016 / 2017
the evening is purely social. Of course we also have events such as Sunday walks and various visits to breweries and crawls in local towns. Upcoming is our Christmas trip around Norwich hosted as usual by Tim our ex-chairman (details in this issue) come and meet us enroute, no meeting of any kind will take place, and much fun is usually had. We are still losing venues and pubs at an alarming rate with two of our branch award winners in trouble as you will read within. So come and meet us before it is too late! Anyway as I’ve already used the “C” word once here, may I wish all our readers and contributors, in fact everyone out there a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year. Stig
Norfolk Nips | From the Editors
The Ed’lines The Norwich Beer Festival has just finished for this year which means Christmas is coming. Yet again we had another successful event and had 18400 customers who drank at least 53600 pints of Real Ale. There was also the many tubs of ciders and perries which get more popular each year. This year we had introduced new dispensing equipment in the Foreign and Bottled Bar which proved very popular. It gave the customers more opportunity to taste the beers beforehand which you cannot do with bottles. The system of key-casks has been mentioned previously and have been approved by CAMRA Technical Committee as an acceptable process of dispensing Real Ale. I tried a few myself and still have my doubts as to the quality. They just don't taste the same as Real Ale from a cask. We are a Beer Festival which asks our customers to choose their favourite beers, ciders and foreign and this year congratulations goes to Elmtree Nightlight Mild which won the overall Champion Beer. A list of all the winners are included later. At this stage I would mention there will be another Brewery Awards Evening at the Epic in Norwich on 25th March 2017 so another date for some diaries. Another date is of course the National Winter Ales Festival in Norwich running from 21st to 25 February. We are asking you to keep an eye on the website mentioned by Ian Stamp as this is the best way to be updated on the situation. We will of course be looking for volunteers and I would now like to thank all who helped us at the Norwich Beer Festival. It was good to see new recruits although one decided to hit my finger with a mallet. The dangers of being a member of the Cellar Team. It's not all just about tasting the beers. We regularly have Campaigning Trips on the last Friday of the month in the rural parts of the County and this is a good opportunity to join in the activities. Recently we had trips to Ascot Beer Festival and St Peters Brewery in
Suffolk which shows the social side of our Branch. There are of course the Christmas Crawls to look forward to before we finish the year. I hope you can join us in any of the listed pubs. As you know CAMRA is going through a Revitalisation Project and some details are included later. However it has made us consider your Norfolk Nips and Cask Force magazine and its future. We intend to review all aspects and possibly even a change of name. Its early days but Stig and myself would welcome any comments you would like to make. Any fundamental changes will need to be approved by both Branches so you will all be able to have the final say in what we do. Finally with Christmas approaching I would mention a nice present for somebody’s stocking could be a CAMRA membership. There are a numerous advantages and it would be a welcome surprise. I therefore take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Graham Freeman
Subscriptions We have a growing number of postal subscribers to Norfolk Nips and Cask Force, and I would like to send my thanks for the kind comments and best wishes from those who have renewed their subscriptions recently. If you would like to join them in receiving the next 4 issues by post, send 10 first class stamps or £6.50 cheque payable to West Norfolk CAMRA, 91 Tennyson Road, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 5NG. The magazine is also viewable online at issuu.com
Winter 2016 / 2017 | 7
Pub and Brewery News | Norfolk Nips
Pub and Brewery News News from Norwich & Norfolk The White Lodge at Attleborough has been taken over by Victoria MacDonald of the Cellar House. The Lord Nelson at Reedham reopened August with four ales including one from local brewery Humpty Dumpty. The pub had been closed for well over a year, and has we believe been sold to the people who own the Robin Hood and Windham Arms in Sheringham, and the Captain’s Table at Wells. A real phoenix-from-the-flames in Lenwade, where the Queen of Hearts, which closed in 1982 (then known as the King of Hearts), is now operating as a tea-rooms, bar and restaurant, with two ales from Greene King on the bar, and a darts team formed. I hear that Peggoty’s on King St. in Great Yarmouth is selling real ale again, with Adnams Ghost Ship and Sharp’s Atlantic in good condition and reasonably priced at £3 at my correspondent’s visit in August. Also in Great Yarmouth, the Quayside on South Quay reopened in October, after three and a half years closure, as Quay Pride. Owners and partners Andrew Livingstone and Justin Margetts want to provide a space for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community groups to make use of, as well as pub-goers. But there’s more bad news from around the county I’m afraid! The Pelican at Tacolneston, reported closed in September, has re-opened as a B&B. The Arches, Bradwell, has had planning permission granted for demolition and conversion to housing in September, and the Ferry Boat at Gorleston, has closed. And the Heart of Wymondham is (at the time of writing) to let with Enterprise Inns, and believed to be closed. 8 | Winter 2016 / 2017
And lastly, the Bell at Salhouse has closed again in October. Having been run by several different landlords over the past few years, it is pretty clear that the pub cannot survive as an Enterprise lease, but they say they are looking for somebody to take it on. We hope they do, but do not hold out much hope for the future unless Enterprise dispose of it. Sadly, for Nicki and John, the sale of The Artichoke has fallen through, so retirement hopes have been pushed back. Luckily for us, though, a warm welcome still awaits us at this delightful South Norfolk watering hole.
News from the West There are a few landlords around who could be described as legends, but only one as far as I know who has awarded himself a blue plaque behind the bar. After his name and date of birth, the description reads, Local Historian. Never wrong. Bloody grumpy. I leave it to you to work out where it is. One place that it is not is the Gate at Fair Green. Last time we delivered the magazine we were greeted by the question ‘Why do we never get a mention in Norfolk Nips?’ ‘Tell us something interesting that we can write about’, we said. ‘Perhaps you have some interesting beers coming up. Maybe you are running a beer festival or have a quiz night or a charity event’ He thought a while and said ‘we are still open.’ A pub that did organise a charity event was the
Cock at Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalene (time they shortened the village name, I think) who held their annual ‘Cock Up’ soapbox race in the summer and raised over £2,600 for charity. Every September Lynn hosts a Heritage Open Day, where lots of buildings which are normally closed to the public admit people for a look
Norfolk Nips | Pub and Brewery News around. I took advantage to check out what is going on at the Wenns Hotel, which has been empty for some time. There was a display of the plans for the transformation of the place which looked quite exciting, but the one question that they couldn’t answer is ‘when will the work begin’? As I write there is still no sign of any activity and even the bunting from the open day has not been removed. Another place which opened its doors or rather its cellars was the Bank House. We were taken down by John, one of our branch members who joined the amazing number of volunteers for the day, which make the whole event work. He showed us the extensive network of wine cellars and tunnels which to me resembled the Minotaur’s labyrinth. Some are now blocked off, including the one which stretches as far as the Baker Lane car park. Also taking advantage of the day was the Live and Let Live which had a display of information of lost pubs in Lynn and a Sunday afternoon piano player to add a bit of atmosphere. Credit to them for getting involved, as they did with Cask Ale Week, but it is a distinct warning sign when a good old street corner local is considered as heritage. In September the West Norfolk branch finally managed to persuade the council to award an Asset of Community Value listing to one of our pubs, the Railway Arms on Downham Station, hopefully awarding it a degree of protection from any plans the railway companies have to redevelop the catering outlets on their stations. Our fears were well founded as towards the end of October, the Railway closed as a result of the company that owns the building putting up the rent to an unrealistic level. The future looks bleak, for this former CAMRA National Cider Pub of the Year even with the ACV in place, but any change of use will require planning permission, so it might not be as straight forward to change the use as the land owners hoped. There was no time to rest as several other issues have arisen in the last few weeks. Our September branch meeting was due to be at the Lord Nelson in Burnham Thorpe, a historic pub close to Nelson’s birthplace. Indeed, it used
to be called the Plough but was named after the great man in 1798, being the first pub in the country to bear his name. When I first came down to Norfolk it was run by Les Winter (there is a landlord who deserves a blue plaque), who had gathered a huge amount of Nelson memorabilia, so that it was more like visiting a museum than a pub. There was no bar for service. Instead there was a room with some old wooden settles where you sat while your beer was brought up from the cellar. Three days before our meeting we had a call from the pub telling us that they could not host us, as the place would be closed (and thanks to the Flitcham Social Club for stepping in at short notice and making us very welcome). The day before the meeting was due, the bailiffs arrived at the Nelson and watched as the tenants moved out, taking with them, as was their right, everything that was not part of the building. This included the historic settles which Nelson himself might have perched on. Many in the village and beyond were less than happy about the state of affairs. There has been a village meeting to discuss the way forward and I have had a long talk about applying for an ACV, which I think they will do on their own initiative. Greene King assure us that the place is to be refurbished, returned as near as possible to its former glory and reopened, so hopefully the settles will be reinstated at some time in the future. I contacted Greene King for a comment, but received no reply. Meanwhile, we had our October meeting at the Ouse Amateur Sailing Club in Kings Lynn a few days after the shock news was sent out to those of us who are members that the club is in danger of closing. As you can imagine, this decision has not met with universal approval, and moves are afoot to come up with a way of retaining this wonderful place, which is the current CAMRA East Anglian Club of the Year. In a further development, a plan has been put forward to disassociate the club from the sailors and run it as a separate entity. For the foreseeable future the club will remain open as usual while the details are voted on and finalised. Continued Overleaf Winter 2016 / 2017 | 9
Pub News - continued | Norfolk Nips The situation with all these places is fluid and subject to change, and I will endeavour to keep branch members updated with my regular emails. If you would like to be added to my list, please contact me at jeffhoyle@btinternet.com. Are licences for the sale of alcohol becoming stricter? The Baltic Store in Old Sunway in Lynn has been refused a licence to sell alcohol due to the past record of the applicants, and the Hanse House in Kings Lynn has had the terms of its licence reviewed and is no longer allowed to play music after 11pm outside and in one of the function rooms, though I believe an appeal is planned. Thanks to the people who have provided items of news, including the sale of Tilney Buck by Elgoods to the tenants, Peter and Wendy. I believe that there are considering extending their range of beers and we hope to have a meeting there sometime in the New Year. Another pub that has changed hands is the Old Bell at Grimston which is reported to have a couple of beers and a cider on hand pump alongside ‘no frills’ proper pub grub. Down in
Feltwell the former Good Beer Guide pub, the West End has reopened as Amy’s Diner. Excellent news for a venue that looked like it was gone for good. Mark reports that the Victory at Clenchwarton is to offer CAMRA discount on real ale. I am not sure of the details yet, but should have them by the next issue of Nips, so look out for that, or better still, call in and find out for yourself. CAMRA isn’t the only organisation that presents awards, so congratulations to the Lynn’s Bank House in King’s Staithe Square has been named the UK’s Town Pub of the Year 2017 in The Good Pub Guide and the Duck Inn in Stanhoe which has been named Good Food Guide Local Restaurant of the Year for the Eastern region. Finally, thanks to Pete for recommending the
Lynn Arms at Syderstone and isn’t the new green paint job at the Fenman, opposite Lynn railway station nice? Jeff
12 |
Norfolk Nips | Brewery News
Around Breweries News from the Brewery Liaison Coordinator Since the last Norfolk Nips edition the Norfolk breweries have been very busy! In September, as every year, we attended our Branch Meeting at the Humpty Dumpty Brewery in Reedham. We took the opportunity to celebrate their 10th anniversary in the brewing industry with a special brew. Shaltai Boltai, an 8.2% Imperial Russian Stout, was brewed specially for the occasion - the name is ‘Humpty Dumpty’ in Russian! We also said goodbye to Craig and Mary Anne Fermoy, partners in the business with Stephen and Lesley George since it was set up, who have decided to leave the business - we wish them lots of luck and thank them for all their hard work. Don’t forget their open day on the 3rd and 4th December! Also having their 10th anniversary are Phil Halls and Geoff Wright, owners of Grain Brewery, in Alburgh. Unfortunately due other commitments with the Branch, I wasn’t able to attend, but hear that it was a fantastic and well-attended party, where guests enjoyed, among the other beers, a special brew for the occasion presented in champagne-style bottles. We wish both breweries another ten years of success! Also celebrating good news are Norfolk Brewhouse, Hindringham. They won two Golden Awards at SIBA for their two craft lagers, StubbleStag, 5%ABV and DewHopper, 4% ABV in the Standard Lager and Pilsner categories, congratulations to David and Rachel Holliday and their team.
Lacons Brewery in Great Yarmouth have also been awarded prizes by SIBA, with Encore and Audit ales. They will be launching their Twilight Christmas Ale on the 29th November from 5.30 to 8.00pm. Please contact the brewery to register if you want to attend. Woodforde’s have been very busy with new beers launches, and are having a Christmas market and open day on the 3rd and 4th December, free entry. Finally to thank everyone who went to Norwich Beer Festival and voted for their favourite beers. This year was a great one for local beers with an award in every category. Congratulations to Elm Tree who won Gold for Beer of the Festival with Midnight Mild and Golden Triangle who won the bronze for Mosaic City, and to Brancaster, Fat Cat, Poppyland, Beeston, JoC’s, Chalk Hill, Why Not, Lacons, and Woodforde’s, for their awards on the different categories. If you are a CAMRA member and you want to volunteer to be a Brewery Liaison Officer (BLO) for a brewery there are some vacancies: Fox in Heacham, Oakwood in Wells, Yetman’s in Holt, Yaarbrew at The Pleasure Boat, Hickling and Winter’s in Norwich. If you are interested please email eastanglia.blc@camra.org.uk
Oli Fernandez
Winter 2016/17 | 13
Open from Midday Everyday Freshly homemade food made with locally sourced ingredients where possible. Bar Menu & Specials Board, Sunday Roast, selection of real ales, over 50 Whiskies & Speciality spirits.
Events: Monday Invidia Choir, Ukelele Club & Games evenings alternate Tuesdays, Mickey the Demons Quiz night every Thursday, Open mic night 3rd Sunday of the month - and more - check out our Events Page www.greendragonnorfolk.co.uk
6 Church Street, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 0PH t: 01953 607907 e: info@greendragonnorfolk.co.uk w: www.greendragonnorfolk.co.uk 14 | Winter 2016 / 17
Norfolk Nips | Win a Good Beer Guide!
This sign was spotted by an eagle-eyed CAMRA member in an alleyway next to a restaurant in Slovenia.
Stop Press We are sad to repor t that the Railway Arms in Do wnham Market, a current national finalist in CAMRA’s Cider Pub of the Ye ar competition, has closed due to disagreements over a proposed ren t increase on the property. Look ou t for a report on the presentation of their finalist certific ate in the next issue.
Spot the puidbe! and win a Good Beer Gu
Below are six pub signs with the names removed, all are easy to work out.
Send the answers to: Pub sign comp 19 kemps Lane, Hockwold, Thetford IP26 4LG A draw of the correct answers will be held on 28-2-17, don’t forget to include your address! Winter 2016/17 | 15
I’ll Hav Question: Which TV character had the catchphrase “I’ll have half”? Award yourself one bag of pork scratchings if you correctly answered ‘Jacko’ from the 70’s TV comedy “Love Thy Neighbour”. They don’t make shows like that anymore. Thank goodness. Jacko’s response to almost every question was “I’ll have half”. My response is usually “Mine’s a pint”. Until recently that is. At this year’s Norwich Beer Festival I drank mainly halves and thirds (yes, thirds!). It’s a great way to be adventurous and try as many beers as you can. I’m all for being adventurous and I’m all for trying as many beers as I can. Michele Needleman wrote an interesting article in the October issue of What’s Brewing, which told the story behind the decision to offer souvenir glasses lined at one-third, two-thirds, and three-thirds at the Maidenhead Beer Festival. Apparently the most popular measure was a third, followed by two-thirds. The CAMRA survey, back in the summer of 2015, backs this up. The survey revealed that 34% of people would rather drink their beer from a half-pint glass. As Tim Page (Chief Exec of CAMRA) said at the time: “"People are becoming more open to trying new beers and moving away from the mentality of drinking pint-after-pint of the same brew.” Personally, I do like my tipple in a pint glass. Beer just doesn’t seem right in a small glass. So, at the beer festival, my halves and thirds went straight into my souvenir pint glass. I might be a girl, but I don’t like ‘girly’ stemmed glasses or standard half-pint glasses come to that. I need a large one.
, I do like “Personally a pint my tipple in just glass. Beer ht in m rig doesn’t see ss.” a small gla
There are times however, when I don’t want to be drinking pint after pint (Yes, really). Times when perhaps I have a big day in front of me. Or maybe I’m the designated driver for the night (no, that doesn’t happen very often). Or more likely when I’m just a teeny bit hung-over. What to drink then? Halves don’t last long enough and I’m way past the age when I’d be satisfied with a glass of orange squash and a couple of straws. Where are all the
Norfolk Nips | Beer Bird
ve Half non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beers? And I don’t mean Kaliber or Barbican. Good low-alcohol beers are hard to find. Adnam’s Sole Star at 2.8 is probably the only one I see locally. It’s a fine beer but is that the only choice? Surely with the number of brewers we now have locally, both real and craft, it is possible to create a half-decent drink with little or no alcohol that tastes like beer. In September this year the BBC reported that Professor Nutt, a British psychiatrist and neuropsychopharmacologist (try saying that after a couple of pints of Old Stoatwobbler), had developed hang-over free alcohol. It targets specific parts of the brain to receive: “…the good effects of alcohol, without the toxicity that damages liver heart and other organs of the body.” Currently the professor is waiting for people to come forward and share investment costs. In the meantime, while I’m waiting for the good professor to launch his alco-synth...mine’s a pint! Cheers!
The Beer Bird Follow me: The Norfolk Beer Bird thenorfolkbeerbird.blogspot.co.uk/ The Beer Bird
ANOTHER GREAT
18 | Winter 2016 / 17
N
NORWICH BEER FEST!
Winter 2016/17 | 19
Norwich Beer Festival - Awards | Norfolk Nips
BEERS OF THE FESTIVAL Below is a run-down of the beers, ciders and perries which nabbed an award at this years Norwich Beer Festival!
Mild 1st Elmtree 2nd Brampton 3rd White Horse
Golden Nightlight Mild Mild Black Beauty
1st Golden Triangle 2nd Dancing Duck 3rd Golden Triangle
Best Norfolk Kiwi Southwold Bitter
1st Old Chimneys 2nd Lacons 3rd Woodforde's
Complete Howler CHB IPA
Spinney Abbey
Bitter 1st Brancaster 2nd Jo C’s 3rd Adnams
Barley Wines
Best Bitter 1st Nethergate 2nd Chalk Hill 3rd Forge
Stormbrynger On the Huh Brodie’s Prime
Bad Kitty Chocolate Nutter Kew Green (& Black)
Speciality 1st Fat Cat Brewery 2nd Old Chimneys 3rd Grafton 20 | Winter 2016/17
Totally Tropical Orange Tip Lady Ruby
Monk and Disorderly
Perry Watergull Orchards
Old, Stouts and Porters 1st Brass Castle 2nd Why Not 3rd Kew
Good Queen Bess Audit Norfolk Nip
Cider
Strong Bitter 1st Poppyland 2nd Beeston 3rd Hawkshead
Mosaic City DCUK Hop Lobster
Medium Pear Perry
Key Keg Beavertown
Bloody Notorious
Foreign Huyghe
Delerium Deleria
Champion Beer 1st Elmtree 2nd Brass Castle 3rd Golden Triangle
Nightlight Mild Bad Kitty Mosaic City
Winter 2016/17 | 21
Who’s Brewing ran the 35 barrel plant whilst Jake set up the new 75 barrel plant. When I started at Oakham Ales there was only 3 of us so I did pretty much everything. Most beers were Jake's recipes and they had inherited JHB when they bought the brewery. I did joint collaborations with Jake and I did 3 or 4 of my own. He had been to US and found Citra Hops and had it flown over in 2009. We were the first brewery in the country to use it. Citra has just become their most popular beer. I was looking to go to Scotland as I've always loved it and did a lot of climbing on holidays. I thought I could see all of Scotland if I was up there but it never happened as I ended up chained to the mash tun. I had family up there and wanted to move to create my own beers.
In the brewing chair is Wil Wood, Head Brewer of Lacons. What did you do before brewing? I was an Engineer for 4 years apprenticeship with the London Brick Company. I decided I didn’t want to work in a factory so I became a tree surgeon for 5/6 years. I did my first home brewing when I was 15 and still at school. I started a family so I didn’t go out the pub as often. When Ruddles County went I started to brew this beer and Everards Old Original for myself. Ruddles County was a god of beers but when they were taken over by Morlands and then Greene King the beer was not the same. What got you into Commercial brewing? Brewing had always been my fist choice of job and as my kids grew I was looking for a change. Trevor Hourican who is now Sales Director for Lacons introduced me to Jake Douglas at Oakham Ales. I joined them as 2nd Brewer and 22 | Winter 2016/17
I joined Fyne Ales near Loch Fyne as Head Brewer. My first recipe was Avalanche. I later got the heads up from Oakham that Citra was available so I went on my hop run and they let me have 70kilos. I designed Jarl to have 7kilos in each brew as the 10 brews could last me through the year. I know it has just won Champion Beer at Peterborough which is four years too late for me. I got a call from Trevor at Lacons offering me a job so it basically ran full circle. They had just bought Blackfriars at Great Yarmouth in 2012. I was here for 6 months prior to opening doing test brews. I worked with Bill Russell's Assistant Sean who then went to work in the Cayman Islands. A bit different than Great Yarmouth. How do you go about choosing the style of beers you brew? I pull the styles out of my head, I have plenty more to go. I will design a beer for next year which might be a lower gravity traditional brown bitter. As I said we are planning to introduce Patriot as a regular beer. As Lacons have a long heritage with a history back to 1760 there are recipes in the old records which are kept in the Norwich County Hall. Unfortunately I can only find them going back to the early 1900s. I would like to find earlier ones and have heard
yeasts. Of the 5 ale yeasts three of them look similar and one looks stronger so I think that is the Audit yeast. The other one I'm using I had it re-awoken in 2012 so it had been asleep since 1959. You have to use yeast weekly as it will die and it is expensive to have it cultured up again. When I have the core beers on the new plant I plan to culture up the strong yeast for Audit and Old Nog and keep it going weekly.
there might be some in the Bridewell Museum and the Whitbread archives in London. You have to do a lot of detective work. In the olden days Lacons had 2 handpulls on the bars with Mild and Bitter and everything else was in bottles. I do know right to the end Lacons were brewing strong beers but the old recipes only show the name of the farmer and not the variety of hops. So it is hard especially when the malts are in quarters and not kilos. At present we brew in cask, bottle, kegs and are considering cans. How do you choose your ingredients? The hops are a year long process and the 2nd week in January I go and see my hop factor and pick hops I want. There can be 6 samples of each different hop grown on different farms or different fields on the farms. This gives me a good selection and I feel Lacons are in a minority as not all brewers bother to do that. I order the hops that are in my core beers and then look at what’s new. I use a lot of American hops with others from New Zealand, Germany, England, France, Poland Slovenia and Australia. I love hops as there is a massive variety. I used to grow hops on my allotment.
Are you planning any changes to the brewery? Lacons at present have a five barrel plant and we brew at least five times a week and sometimes seven times. We have ordered a 30 barrel plant which can be installed in next six months making us six times bigger. In the first place I think we will move the most popular brands to the new plant and continue to brew the stronger and less popular beers on the old plant. I've designed the kit to brew the Audit 8.0% in half size brews. I will take 30 barrel grist to make a 15 barrel run as its twice as strong. So it won’t be long before we can move the smaller brands onto the big kit as well. We have six core beers with Encore 3.8% being our best seller followed by Falcon 4.2% and Legacy 4.4%. We are hoping to introduce Patriot 4.0% next year. We brewed it last year as a Festival special for Norwich and this year we brewed Phantom. I would say Falcon and Legacy sell about the same with Encore twice as much. Legacy is completely blonde and Encore has what I call a suntan.
Our malt come from Crisp Maltings at Great Ryburgh. I order one tonne of Maris Otter each week and I'm very happy with them. The yeast is the original Lacons. They own eight original yeast strains which are deposited at the National Collection of Yeast Cultures in Norwich. Lacons deposited them in 1959 and 1960 and quite surprisingly three were lager Continued Overleaf Winter Summer 2016/17 2016 | 23
Norfolk Nips | Who’s Brewing - continued
You do seem to have won a few awards over the years? We have won a few awards but I am most proud of Encore winning a best in the world award. Then Affinity this year in the UK. For me its not what awards the beers have won its that all the core beers have won something so they are the icing on the cake. However it makes my job harder as I have to brew more when there is the demand. What is your favourite Lacons beer? Legacy is my favourite as its what I drink every night. I designed it for me to drink and I wanted it a bit stronger than Encore. A perfect beer for me is around 4.5%. What is your favourite Local, National and International beer? Locally it is a toss up between Elgoods Lambic style sour beers and Golden Triangle hoppy pale ales. Nationally I like Wild Beer in Somerset and don’t mind Oakham Ales.
Internationally I like the Almanac Brewery in US which dominate with sour beers. They seem to have grabbed my attention recently although I have not brewed this style myself. Wild yeasts have to be avoided in the brewery.
Finally is there anything you want to add? We have a passion in what we are doing and with the forthcoming expansion the whole team are looking forward to the future. The interview with Wil could have gone on forever as we discussed whether Lord Nelson had ever drunk Lacons. We were later shown around the impressive museum which was extremely interesting and I strongly recommend a visit. I noted the Lacons family motto was “Integrity is true honour” which says it all.
Graham Freeman Warren Wordsworth - Photos
Winter 2016/17 | 25
Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips
26 | Winter 2016/17
Norfolk Nips | Cam Valley Orchards
October Cider Month:
National Cider & Perry Trip in Cambridgeshire October was Cider month and to celebrate it this year the National Cider Trip was in Cambridgeshire and I was very lucky to attend.
tation can take less than a week, or be a long and gentle process where vessels are kept in barns, or sometimes outdoors!
We boarded the coach at Ely station and from there we headed to Cam Valley Orchards in Meldreth, which is about 30 miles from Ely. We arrived at the farm shop, behind which are nine acres of land with lots of fruit trees of different varieties.
When the fermentation is completed the sugars have been converted into alcohol leaving a dry product. The Cider produced in this region is different from the West Country because is produced mostly with cooking and eating varieties of apple.
After walking round the orchard with Tim Elbourn, we were invited to try their ciders, Discovery 7% (medium sweet) and Scrumptious 7.3% (sweet), both quite dry and refreshing as they were made with cider apples.
The Final visit was to Spinney Abbey in Wicken, who have been awarded Cider of the Festival at the Norwich Beer Festival for three consecutive years, with Monk and Disorderly. Jonny Fuller, the owner, explained how his cider is made. We also sampled Nun Beehaving Badly, made with honey and Virgin on the Ridiculous.
Next stop was Pickled Pig in the middle of the village of Stretham. There we had a lovely lunch provided by the farm, with roast hog for the meat eaters and quiche as vegetarian option, followed by cheese accompanied by different types of cider, medium, sweet and dry. After lunch Charles Roberts, the owner, explained to us the cider process.
It was a lovely day out and I really enjoyed the experience, and would recommend it to anyone! Thank you to Chris Rouse for organising it.
Oli Fernandez
Apples are picked and then washed, then the fruit is milled to extract a pulpy mass called pomace. This is then pressed using a screw press to release the juice. The apple juice that trickles and floods out of the press is sweet and nonalcoholic, and needs to ferment to be called cider. As with beer, in order to have fermentation turning the sugars into alcohol requires the presence of yeast. Different strains of yeast are suitable for cider making. This is naturally present in the apples, in each orchard and each cider house there are different types of yeast, and many cider makers, like this one, allow this naturally occurring yeast to do its thing. FermenWinter 2016/17 | 27
Chairman’s Letter | Norfolk Nips
Cider and Perry Championships most successful to date!
photo by Robert Robertson
Many people will have heard of CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain awards but less of you may have heard of our National Cider and Perry Championships. Throughout the year Regional Cider and Perry competitions are held in different parts of the country and those judged to be the best in these regions are entered into the National Championships. The East Anglia regional competition is held at Norwich Beer Festival and was one of the first to be run, starting around 10 years ago, with a dozen or so entries. Since then the number of producers in the region has increased with around 50 producers to consider.
28 |
The winners of the East Anglian competition did very well at national level this year. In fact, the 2017 championships were the most successful to date for the region with Cambridgeshire producer Hardings winning the Gold Cider Award and, for the first time, an East Anglian Perry, Burnards Stray Perry, was placed in the top three winning the Silver Perry award. Ryan Burnard was presented with his award at The Dove in Bury St. Edmunds, the West Suffolk Cider Pub of the Year and a regular stockist of his products, by Andrea Briers, Chair of CAMRA’s Cider and Perry Committee and East Anglia Regional Director.
Norfolk Nips | Please support our advertisers
Winter 2016/17 | 29
Norfolk Nips | Craft Beer 2 - The Norwich Scene
CRAFT BEER 2 The Norwich Scene
For anyone who read the last edition of “Nips” (which explained how KeyKegs work) such is the pace of change in the “craft beer” world that the cardboard outer case I mentioned has already largely been replaced by a solid exterior plastic canister! Now coming with plastic top and bottom pieces these new Key Kegs (unlike the previous cardboard KeyKegs) will not soak up water or spilled beer etc from cellar floors so are far more hygenic. Anyone who visited the marque at the recent Norwich Beer Festival will have seen these new-style “torpedo” KeyKegs in action. But with such a wealth of existing pubs selling real ale in our “fine city” how is the “craft revolution” taking off in Norwich? The newest recruit to the Norwich scene (and the first of my five faves) hit the ground running as they have bars all over the country and were in the forefront of the craft revolution.
Brew Dog Brew Dog in Queen Street opended in premisies that have had a chequered career since once being Gundry Whites – a long lost and much missed Norwich institution. “Brew Dog” are worthy sucessors, serving the full range of Glasgow–brewed Brew Dog beers. The taps also feature many guest ales often featuring overseas craft breweries. Brew Dog hold an annual Collabfest where beers are designed and brewed in collaboration with other craft brewers. Backed by beer trained staff (something the company are very keen to encourage – oh that more employers were so progessive!) this bar also features an extensive range of bottled beers from Europe (particularly Belgium) and the USA. Well worth a visit.
Gonzo’s Just a few hundred yards away (tucked along a covered alley way at the top end of London Street) is the highly original Gonzo’s bar. A quiet café bar during the day this place becomes a brash/noisy cocktail bar in the evening – they even have an award winning mixologist! However, this is a place that treats beer with the same respect as for their wines and spirits. The eight taps always offer something interesting - Brass Castle and Crossroads Brewing (from Athens in NY State) were both recently spotted here. They also stock a good range of cans including offerings from Beavertown in North London plus bottled beers – the rare De Molen beers from Holland have been sampled here! With 1960’s hippy chic décor (complete with scatter cushions) and knowledgeable bar staff (there is no beer list – “I am the menu” said one of the bar tenders) the place gets busy in evenings often with live music plus DJ sessions. An amazing place!
Norwich Tap House Back up London street, round the corner and down the slope is the Norwich Tap House – the brewery tap of Trowse (Norwich) based Redwell Brewery. Needless to say the bar offers the full range of Redwell beers plus a good selection of craft beers from Britain and beyond. Cans and bottles can be selected from the fridges in the bar - not tucked away behind the bar as they so aften are! During the week of the Norwich Beer Festival the Tap House featured a cask of bright beer (ie racked off at the brewery) served by gravity from the counter. This is something that is very common in Germany where (like Redwell) the brewery is not behind the pub but is often some way away. I only hope that the Tap House repeat the excercise. Continued Overleaf Winter 2016 / 17 | 31
Craft Beer 2 - The Norwich Scene | Norfolk Nips
St. Andrews Brew House Just down the hill is another bar which has become a Norwich flagship in the short time it has been open. The St.Andrews Brew House occupies the premises of the former Delaneys Irish pub. In another league from the previous craft bars mentioned, the St.Andrews has it’s own brewery on site where the award-winning brewer not only produces real ales but a range of craft beers too! The bar boasts five handpumps (for the real ale fundamentalists!) plus eight taps for kegs. The fridge contains 20+ cans of craft beers from a variety of UK and USA breweries. The “St.Andrews” even produce two of their own “craft” ciders. I have became a bit of an addict for their faggots and mushy peas – all washed down with a pint of their excellent Tombland Porter!
Belgium Monk Finally for this brief insight into the Norwich craft scene, I will round off with the Belgium Monk on Pottergate. For over 10 years now (can it be that long?) this bar has been flying the flag for (arguably) that Land of Beer. Ter Dolen beers still rule the roost but the once fixed beer list now rotates so there is always something interesting to tempt the palate. Not for nothing is this the only bar in Norwich to feature in the CAMRA published “Good Beer Guide to Belgium”! If you have visited any of these bars the thing that will have struck you is (apart from the higher strength of many craft beers) the price of a pint! Admittedly, because craft beer is often served chilled (to avoid “fobbing” at the taps) it has to be brewed to a higher ABV otherwise the tastes wouldn’t come through. Then again, KeyKegs cannot be re-used (or for that matter recycled – they have to go to landfill!) so each brew length requires new KeyKegs at £15.00 a pop! This does not compare well with a cask which can last for 30 years or more! I asked one of our local brewers to come up with some figures – so here they are. 32 | Winter 2016 / 17
The rough costs of brewing real ale (before VAT) is about 25p per pint but with Beer Duty/tax at 25p per pint gives a price of 50p per pint. The sale price to the pub would be about £1.00 per pint so (with the pub mark-up) the cost over the bar would be about £2.50 per pint (+ 20% VAT) = £3.00 per pint. The cost for a craft beer would be the same (i.e. 50p per pint) but if the cost of the nondisposable KeyKeg is factored in the cost does rise. If a 30 litre Key Keg (about 52 pints) costs £15.00 then the additional cost per pint is 28p - which is more than the cost to brew the stuff! The brewer might want a profit on this and add (say) 50p per pint which gives a price to the pub of £1.28 per pint. Factoring in the 2.5 pub mark-up again gives a price of £3.20 (+ 20% VAT) = £3.84 per pint – almost £1.00 more expensive than real ale! Peter C.Wells
Correspon Dear Sir, I think that Peter Wells’ article on Craft beer in this month’s Norfolk Nips and Cask Force is misleading, presumably deliberately so. He says that modern craft keg beer can in no way be compared to the products of large British keg producers as all the new micro brewers create real ale. Surely he knows that all keg beer is initially real ale and only ceases to be so when, amongst other things, the yeast is removed from the product before it is kegged?
Norfolk Nips | Craft Beer 2 - The Norwich Scene
ndence on Craft Beer Part One - A Beginners Guide. He also says that keykeg beer is real ale as the added gas does not come into contact with the beer in the keg? What happened to the definition of real ale that stated that it must contain live yeast? If keykeg is real then so are most bottled beers then, not just those that state 'Real Ale in a Bottle’. If that is the case then we might as well just stock up on cheap bottles from the supermarket rather than paying £4.50 a pint at the pub. CAMRA really does seem to be losing it's way in my opinion. Yours faithfully,
Steve, No – I did not set out to deliberately mislead and am aware that “all …..beer is brewed the same”. However, while real and craft brewers use only natural ingredients the mega-keggeries use cheap (very often inferior) ingredients plus a raft of adjuncts to ensure clarity, head retention and even flavour! As regards the definition of real ale containing live yeast – well so do many of the beers in KeyKegs. In fact all the craft beers in the marquee at this years’ Norwich Beer Fest contained live yeast!
Steve Lenane Ex CAMRA member.
Peter Winter Autumn 20162016 / 17 | 33
Norfolk Nips | BUILD - Beer Festival Charity
Thank you from BUILD, the Norwich Beer Festival Charity Ladies and Gentlemen, I wanted to speak to you on behalf of the many volunteers, staff team and people with disabilities, and their carers, to express our sincere thanks and appreciation for your support at this year’s Norwich Beer Festival. As a CAMRA Branch member myself, and having volunteered at the festival in the past, I always knew it would be a fun week, I always knew it would be a long week, but I had underestimated how much of a humbling week it would be in the face of such generosity shown not just by our customers but by the CAMRA team of volunteers in helping us maximise our opportunity to raise funds and profile. From bar staff, to stewards, to staff managers, and back office teams, the products team and indeed the staff at The Halls, all felt part of my team, of BUILD Charity’s team, in helping us raise around £4,500 in cash donations and an as yet unpublished amount in donated unused beer card tokens. To illustrate the benefits I would like to share with you one or two stories from the week. Leading up to the festival, we introduced some of our people with disabilities to real ale through a mini-pub crawl, taking in The Adam & Eve, Wig and Pen, Ribs of Beef and Take 5 showing them that pubs could be welcoming, that bar staff could be helpful and understanding, and that in line with our own charity’s values, they had as much right to be in a pub as anyone else. On the Tuesday evening, we hosted a small group of people with disabilities at the Beer Festival, they bought glasses and tokens, were guided through the programme, saw the range and types of beers available, and joined the queues to buy and taste their beers, finding out what they liked and didn’t like, and were ably
assisted in getting advice and information from bar staff volunteers along the way. For them, the most exotic beer they had tried before was a pint of Fosters, now they had tried Norfolk Real Ale – and they were impressed. During the week we had 50 different people on site at various times, manning our information point, or collecting cash and donations in the Halls, by the doors or outside in the queues. These people, were on the whole all volunteers, and included parents of people with disabilities, supporters from local businesses that shared our objectives, and of course people with a range of physical, learning and sensory disabilities who use our services. We experienced support from stewards who helped us encourage donations at the door, bar staff who encouraged people to donate tokens and even people who hugged the Chief Executive when he was knackered having to work a full week around managing our presence at the Beer Festival. All our supporters were made welcome, refreshed and made to feel part of the event, not just seen as guests at a party. For that we want to thank each and every member of the CAMRA team for treating people, like people – a central element of our work. So what difference has this made to the lives of people with disabilities in Norfolk as a result of all of our hard work – well there is the cash of course as a significant contribution to a charity that celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017, but so nearly went out of business earlier this year, which would have seen the loss of around 200 separate social, leisure and learning activities for people with disabilities through over 3,000 individual engagements. There are the contacts Continued Overleaf Winter 2016/17 | 35
Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips
The King’s Arms The Green, Martham, Norfolk NR29 4PL
Coachmakers Pub & Kitchen Dereham, Norfolk
Free House Five real ales • Fifteen real ciders All real ales £3 per pint CAMRA members with card £2 per pint Home cooked food served all day Traditional sunday roasts Parties catered for For further information call: 01493 749156 36 | Winter 2016/17
Real Ales on gravity • Lovely interior Freshly cooked food at reasonable prices Great Service • Ample Parking Food Serving Times: Wednesday - Monday 12noon - 9pm Sunday lunch 12noon - 7pm 144 Norwich Rd, Dereham
01362 695734
Norfolk Nips | BUILD - Beer Festival Charity - continued – two pubs and a fishing club are talking to us about being their charity of choice in 2017 as a result of discussions at our information point. There are the new volunteers who want to join us, who shared our passion for making a real difference to the lives of real people, there is the higher profile we raised through the use of social media, through Facebook and Twitter postings, linked to the Beer Festival, that brought new audiences to us and then there are the things you cannot trade, but have great currency. There is the difference you have made to some of our volunteers with disabilities who felt valued, important and integrated, not just because I gave them a gold bib and a bucket, but because you welcomed them, and treated them as normal people.
to see how accessible they really are to people with disabilities, not just in terms of physical access, but how customers are treated, what adaptions to behaviour are experienced. I am keen that the team that has made such a difference to our people in one week, will continue to work with us to ensure that Norwich is not just seen as a nationally heralded City of Ale but as a city that integrates people with disabilities into its social drinking culture. Once again thank you all so much for your hospitality, your kindness, your generosity but above all your acceptance that the people I work with are no different to you or me, they just need that extra bit of help, once in a while, to feel wanted, to feel special and to feel part of something great – and you did that wonderfully. Thank you.
James Kearns Our partnership does not stop there. In March we will be hosting pub-style quiz as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations, and as part of a national disability access campaign will be spending three days surveying pubs in Norwich
Chief Executive Follow us on Facebook: Build-Norfolk Follow us on Twitter: @BUILDCharity Tel 01603 618029 www.buildcharity.co.uk.
COAST ROAD, WALCOTT, NORFOLK NR12 OPE Telephone
(01692) 650371 FREE HOUSE
Proprietor since 1989: STEVE BULLIMORE
OPEN FOR FOOD & DRINKS ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, 11am - 11pm Food available all day until 10.30pm 10% off food and drink on production of CAMRA membership card
FOUR REAL ALES & CIDER www.lighthouseinn.co.uk Winter 2016/17 | 37
Norfolk Nips | Beer Festival Diary: December - February
The Lion Beer Festival Diary 27th Jan 8th Elysian Winter Beer Festival The Maltings, Ship Lane, Ely, CB7 4BB Approx. 70 ales + 20 ciders sourced locally, regionally and nationally. Open Friday 10.30am-10pm; Sat 10.30am-8pm. Membs - free entry, non-membs £2 entry. Commemorative glass £3, refundable. www.ely-camra.org.uk 28th Jan Angel Ian’s 29th Anniversary Party Angel Gardens, Angel Rd, Norwich Tel: 01603 427490 30th Jan - 4th Feb The Vine Winter Beer Festival Dove Street, Norwich Tel: 01603 627362
Somerton
Easily reached along the Norfolk coast road between Winterton on Sea and Horsey, the Lion has a traditional and relaxed atmosphere throughout in which to simply enjoy a drink at the bar, savour some of the delicious homemade food on offer in our restaurant. As a free house we serve a range of real ales, a choice of lagers and cider as well as wines, spirits and soft drinks. Home cooked food is served every day from 12pm to 9pm. We have a pool table, dartboard and a great jukebox. Free wireless broadband access. Crisp and clean bed and breakfast accommodation available with twin, double and family rooms. 01493 393861 The Lion, Martham Road West Somerton, Great Yarmouth, NR29 4DP
6th - 12th Feb Trafford Arms Valentine Beer Festival Grove Rd, Norwich Tel: 01603 628466 10th February Hucknall Beer and Cider Festival John Godber Centre, Ogle Street, Hucknall, NG15 7FQ Approx 60 cask beers, plus ciders and perries mainly sourced from the smaller producers. All Day opening Friday from 11.00am and Saturday 12.00 noon to 11.00pm; 12.00-3.00pm Sun. hucknallbeerfestival.co.uk 24th February Rugby Beer & Cider Festival Arnold House, Elsee Road Rugby CV21 3BA 30+ real ales, ciders, and perries. Foreign beer bar, tombola, pub games, Sat auction. Open: Fri 2pm-11pm; Sat 11am11pm. £2 entry all sessions. £1 to card carrying Camra members. More details on www.rugbybeerfestival.com 21st - 25th February National Winter Ales Festival 2017 St. Andrews & Blackfriars Hall, St Andrews Hall Plain, Norwich, NR3 1AU. www.nwaf.org.uk Winter 2016/17 | 39
It’s the time of year when the West Norfolk CAMRA branch starts the process of choosing their Pub of the Year, which will be announced next February. We ask for nominations from members and then compile a short list of four that members can survey in order to choose the winner. If there are more than four nominations we take those which have the highest average score on the National Beer Scoring System (NBSS), a facility that allows any CAMRA member to enter a score which reflects the quality of the beer in any pub that they visit. See https://whatpub.com/ for more details. As I have been preparing the list to resolve the selections, it seems like a good opportunity to share some of the results with our readers. All the figures are based on the year up to late October, and the scores are out of 5. There were a total of 99 pubs in our branch area with at least one score entered. The leading pubs with at least 10 scores registered are the Eagle at Great Hockham (4.34), the Kings Arms at Shouldham (4.13), the Red Lion at Hockwold (4.12), the Stuart House Hotel in Lynn (4.06) and the Angel at Larling (3.96). Clearly, pubs with fewer scores entered may have a less reliable average, but should still be worth a look, so here are the leading establishments which have more than one and fewer than 10 scores entered. The Twenty Churchwardens at Cockley Cley (4.33), the Cock at Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen (4.3), the Kings Head in Great Bircham (4.25) and the Windmill at Necton (4.25). There are also four pubs which just had a single score of 4.5 entered, which are the Castle Hotel in Downham, the Ostrich in Castle Acre, the Bedingfeld Arms in Oxborough and the Hoste Arms in Burnham Market.
40 | Winter 2016/17
Equally interesting to me, is the pubs that our members go back to time and time again, so here are the pubs which have attracted most scores, an indication I think that a reliable pint is on offer. Hockwold Red Lion attracted 189 scores, the Old Windmill at Great Cressingham 82, and the Great Hockham Eagle 74. Finally, another measure that I find interesting is the number of different people who have entered scores for each pub. There are several factors that might play a part. Has it hosted a CAMRA Meeting? Is it in a centre of population or near a transport hub? Is it listed in a guide book? Has it won or been nominated for an award? It will perhaps come as no surprise that the pub which was scored by most different members was the Kings Arms at Shouldham, our current Pub of the Year, equal with the Globe Hotel in Lynn. Close behind were the Lattice House, Larling Angel, the Coach and Horses in Dersingham, and the Crown and Mitre. Does the NBSS produce a definitive list of the best beer in the area? Perhaps not, though with 1108 scores entered over the year, it should at least provide the best guide around. Over recent months more people than ever have started to participate which should increase the accuracy. One of the uses of the scores is to help to select pubs for the Good Beer Guide, so if your favourite is not listed, this might be why. So, if you are one of over 400 CAMRA members in the branch area, why not add your expertise to our data, and help to make our information even more accurate? bar.man@btinternet.com A version of this article appeared in the Lynn News
Norfolk Nips | Please support our advertisers
A real ale shop specialising in truly wonderful Norfolk Ales and Ciders
So if you fancy trying something a little more interesting than you' pick up in your local supermarket like a Donkey Kisser, a Black Moth or even a Chocolate Nutter then pop in pick up a selection and give your tastebuds a treat!
The Giddy Goat | 2 The Courtyard |Station Road Sheringham | Norfolk | NR26 8RF “Celebrating Norfolks’ Independent Breweries”
Winter 2016/17 | 41
Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips
Town Green, Wymondham Telephone: (01953) 605675
Freehouse listed in The CAMRA Good Beer Guide Pub food 7 days a week served lunchtimes and evenings. Function Room for parties or meetings. Large Car Park A warm welcome awaits you!
Xmas eve open all day
Xmas day 11am-2pm Boxing Day open 11am New Year's Eve 11am-2:30pm & 7pm- late Open to public NO ticket required.
42 | Winter 2016/17
Here is a current list of all the pubs in Norfolk which are part of the CAMRA LocAle scheme. New entries are in Bold.
Horseshoes, Alby Black Boys, Aldborough London Tavern, Attleborough Crown Inn, Banningham Berney Arms, Berney Arms Chequers Inn, Binham Cock Inn, Barford Kings Head, Brooke Artichoke, Broome Green Gate, Caister-on-Sea Reedcutter, Cantley Crown Inn, Catfield George Hotel, Cley-next-the-Sea Three Swallows, Cley-next-the-Sea Victory, Clenchwarton Muskett Arms, Clippesby Red Lion, Coltishall Ugly Bug Inn, Colton Albion, Cromer Cottage, Cromer Red Lion Hotel, Cromer Royal Standard, Dereham Bob Carter Centre, Drayton Royal Standard, East Dereham Queens Head, Emneth Erpingham Arms, Erpingham Bull, Fakenham Wellington, Feltwell Kings Head, Filby Rampant Horse, Freethorpe Locks Inn, Geldeston Wherry, Geldeston Dock Tavern, Gorleston Mariners Compass, Gorleston Dabbling Duck, Great Massingham Barking Smack, Great Yarmouth Mariners, Great Yarmouth Oliver Twist, Great Yarmouth Red Herring, Great Yarmouth St. Johns Head, Great Yarmouth
Hill House, Happisburgh Fox & Hounds, Heacham Kings Head, Hethersett
Greyhound Inn, Hickling Pleasure Boat Inn, Hickling Victoria, Hockering Swan, Hilborough Eagle, Hockham Buck, Honingham White Hart, Hopton Nelson Head, Horsey Brickmakers, Horsford Elm Farm Country House, Horsham St. Faith Live and Let Live, Kings Lynn Star Inn, Lessingham Swan Inn, Loddon Dog Inn, Ludham Fox and Hounds, Lyng Anchor Inn, Morston White Horse, Neatishead Relish Restaurant & Bar, Newton Flotman Railway Hotel, North Elmham Orchard Gardens, North Walsham Adam and Eve, Norwich Angel Gardens, Norwich Beehive (Leopold Rd), Norwich Bell Hotel, Norwich Cellar House, Norwich Champion, Norwich Cottage (Silver Road), Norwich Duke of Wellington, Norwich Earlham Arms, Norwich Eaton Cottage, Norwich Fat Cat and Canary, Norwich Fat Cat Tap, Norwich Fat Cat, Norwich Garden House, Norwich Jubilee, Norwich Ketts Tavern, Norwich Kings Head, Norwich Leopard, Norwich Lollards Pit, Norwich Lord Rosebery, Norwich Maids Head Hotel, Norwich
Murderers, Norwich Plasterers Arms, Norwich Red Lion (Bishopgate), Norwich Reindeer, Norwich Ribs of Beef, Norwich Rose, Norwich Sir Garnet, Norwich Take 5, Norwich Temple Bar, Norwich Trafford Arms, Norwich Vine, Norwich Wig and Pen, Norwich Royal Oak, Poringland Ferry Inn, Reedham Ship, Reedham Kings Arms, Reepham Swan, Ringland Three Horseshoes, Roydon Lobster, Sheringham Windham Arms, Sheringham Chalk and Cheese, Shouldham Kings Arms, Shouldham Goat, Skeyton South Walsham, Ship Peddars Inn, Sporle Sprowston Manor Hotel & Country Club, Sprowston Ferry House, Surlingham Lynn Arms, Syderstone Red Lion, Swaffham Pelican Inn, Tacolneston Red Lion, Thetford Gunton Arms, Thorpe Market Queens Head, Thurlton White Horse, Upton Cherry Tree, Wicklewood Willow House, Watton Stag, West Acre Bell, Wiveton White Lady, Worstead Green Dragon, Wymondham The Mill, Yaxham
Autumn 2016 | 43
Beer Festivals 70’s style The Bystanders first beer festival took place at 5 Thorpe Road, Norwich, in October 1970, a year before the inauguration of CAMRA. The background is best described by reprinting an article written by the late, great, Richard Boston, which appeared in The Guardian on 6 October 1973. 44 | Winter 2016 / 17
Norfolk Nips | Beer festivals done 70’s style ‘Norwich is one of those unfortunate places where virtually all the pubs in the area are owned by one large brewer. In this case the brewer is Watney’s, which at the best of times is not the first choice of every discerning drinker. In such a situation a powerful thirst can build up, with a consequent loss of cool. When I visited Norwich recently I even met a member of an organisation called SPEW (the Society for the Propagation of the Elimination of Watney’s). I suspect that he had only formed the society a few minutes earlier and that he was its only member, but it was still an indication of how strongly people can feel on these matters. An even more eloquent indication, and a society that certainly does exist, is the Bystanders, and it was their annual beer festival that brought me to Norwich. The society, its publicity officer Ted Williams told me, was founded in 1959……..they have pleasant premises, where the work is done by members on a voluntary basis. The bar serves real draught bitter by Adnams of Southwold with a handpump acquired from Greene King (who are unfortunately removing all their pumps and going over to top pressure). The Bystanders’ bar therefore provides a welcome oasis for local drinkers of real beer, and with about 200 members, plus perhaps as many wives, husbands, friends, relatives, and camp-followers, they average a firkin (72 pints) a night. Not satisfied with this, they put on beer festivals, the third of which started on Monday. There have in the past year or two been several attempts at beer festivals which flopped completely because all they consisted of was the big brewers setting up stalls serving nothing but boring old keg beer. There’s nothing like that at the Bystanders. Going down into their cellar a wonderful sight greets the eyes- rows and rows of casks of bitter from all over the country being served by tap. Members of the club have fetched it from all over the country in their own time and at their own expense, and the result is a collection of living beer the like of which I have not previously encountered.
Brewers represented include Bateman of Wainfleet, Cameron of Hartlepool, Darley of Doncaster, Dudgeon of Dunbar, Elgood of Wisbech, Fullers of Chiswick, Paine of St. Neots, John Roberts of Shropshire, Ruddle’s of Rutland, Wadworth of Devizes, Young’s of Wandsworth. It’s a pleasure just to repeat their names. The John Roberts beer, incidentally, comes from his Three Tuns Brewery, Bishops Castle, one of the only five pubs in Britain that brew their own beer. Such a gathering, which so far as I know is unique, not only provides a convivial occasion in itself, but also performs invaluable educational work. As the big brewers spread their standardised gassy products there is a very real danger that people may forget what real beer tastes like. There are even those tragic cases of people who actually prefer keg beer, probably because they’ve never had a chance to acquire a taste for the real thing, or to discover the diversity of flavour in draught beers from one part of the country to another. The Bystanders’ festival provides such an opportunity. It runs for another week, until 14 October, and I recommend anyone in the neighbourhood to visit 5 Thorpe Road and join. The achievement of the festival will be even greater if it encourages people elsewhere to go and do likewise.’ Records of the earlier festivals are somewhat patchy, but beers available to drinkers in 1975 were as follows: LC Arkell, Donnington Brewery, Stow-on-theWold J Courage, Directors Bitter, Reading Eldridge Pope, Dorchester Hardys and Hansons, Kimberley Brewery, Nottingham Hook Norton, Banbury T Hoskins, Leicester (which had one tied house, in Market Bosworth) Hydes, Anvil Brewery, Manchester Mitchells of Lancaster (50 tied houses) Morrell’s of Oxford JC and RH Palmer, Bridport Frederic Robinson, Unicorn Brewery, Stockport Samuel Smith, Old Brewery, Tadcaster John Roberts, Three Tuns Brewery, Bishops Castle, Shropshire T&R Theakston, Wellgarth, Masham, Ripon. Old Peculier a speciality. Continued Overleaf Winter 2016/17 | 45
Beer festivals done 70’s style - continued | Norfolk Nips Acquired State Brewery, Carlisle. Wethered, Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Tolly Cobbold (featuring ‘a new strong draught, Cantab’) .
The 1977 festival featured 15 brewers: Adnams, Southwold Border, Wrexham Burton, Burton-on-Trent Golden Star, Norwich Greene King, Bury St. Edmunds Hardy and Hanson, Kimberley Hartley, Ulveston Kings and Barnes, Horsham McMullens, Hertford Ridleys, Hartford End Samuel Smith, Tadcaster Shipstone, Nottingham Theakston, Masham Thwaites, Blackburn Youngs, Wandsworth A report shows that the Committee comprised Ted Williams, Liz Henderson, Ron Henderson, Jim Davies, Dave Rivett, Roger Litten. ‘One firkin of Youngs and a polypin of Kings and Barnes were supplied by Bernard Drage. One kilderkin of Burton Ale and a firkin of Gold Star Ace were obtained locally by Jim Davis. The Lees letter was passed on to Ollie Chasteney in the hope that he could arrange transport from Manchester. Those breweries which refused to supply us were Boddingtons, Youngs, Gales, Greenall Whitney, Higsons and Brains. Paul Castle could not obtain a sample brew from the Three Tuns Brewery, Shropshire, because the fortnightly brew-up did not coincide with our festival. Transport this year was a real problem. Very few volunteers came forward……we missed the Hook Norton and condemned Charles and Ted to an epic journey which took them to North Wales, Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire in one day! We must acknowledge the generosity of Bob Hume of Willhire for the free use of a new one-tonne van for this trip. The transporters were Jerry Spalding, Dave Rivett, Bob Wiles, Ted Williams, R W Chaplin. The return of casks was co-ordinated by Ted, who delivered to Rusts of 46 | Winter 2016 / 17
Cromer with Chris Morley. Jim Davis completed the arrangements. 35p a pint was charged for all beers. Bar takings were £666. The devil obviously had a hand in it all.
1978 offered 35 beers from 24 outlets: Bass Charrington- Bass Batemans- XXXB; XXB Courage- Directors Everards- Old Original Davenports- Bitter Elgoods- Bitter Fullers- ESB; London Pride; Hock Greene King- Abbot Holdens- Bitter Hook Norton- Hook Bitter Hoskins- Bitter Ind Coope- Burton Ale McMullen- Country Bitter; AK Marstons- Pedigree; Merrie Monk Morland- BA; PA Morrell- Varsity Bitter Ridley- Bitter; IPA Ruddles- County; Bitter (Blue) Shepheard Neame- Bitter Theakstons- Old Peculier Tolly Cobbold- Cantab Bitter Wells- Fargo; Eagle IPA Wethered- IPA Rayments- Bitter Paines- Bitter Incidentally, those interested in off-license prices may care to note that in 1971- the first year of decimalisation- Bar Manager Doug Boyd was offering Newcastle Brown at 6p the half pint bottle and Anams Pale Ale at 12p the pint bottle. 7 pint cans of Tolly Bitter went for 75p. Gordons Gin was £2.85 per bottle and Vat 69 whisky £2.90. The previous year Bar Manager Ray Plunkett was still pre-decimal, offering Bocardo Sweet Sherry at 19/6d and Babycham at 1/11d.
Norfolk Nips | Beer festivals done 70’s style - continued
Editors Note In some ways the 1st Beer Festival was the result of a happy improvisation. The Society was about to organise a Bavarian theme night with ompah music and Lager. This was a popular activity of the time and whole establishments were given over to it. Of course the drinking community was smarting under arrogant treatment by a few powerful breweries and a takeover bloodbath. We suddenly realised that as we had avoided any tying agreement we could procure beer from whatever source would supply us. We would have a British Beer Festival. Of course there were no middemen specialising in procuring draught beer as there are now so we had to arrange not just collection, but also return of casks.
Angel Gardens Free House
This independently run freehouse has been under the ownership of Ian Warren since 1988 and is situated on the north of the city near to Waterloo Park.
Ian’s 29th year anniversary party on Saturday 28th January 2017 Up to NINE reasonably priced Real Ales including THREE guest ales and SIX real ciders available. Showing all SKY and BT Sports Live entertainment every Saturday
Six Real Ales Fine selection of Lagers & Spirits Great Food BBQs and Buffets Live Music Events Sunday Roast dinners served 12-5pm and only £8.95!
Monday Night Quiz Tuesday Night Poker Free Function Room Hire Huge Beer Garden and Smoking Area Pool Table Freeview Sports Shown
Sunday Lunches served between 12-8 Bookings advisable
96 Angel Rd, Norwich NR3 3HT
01603 427490 www.norwichinns.com email: ikwarren-angel@tiscali.co.uk
Winter 2016/17 | 47
From the Archives (July - September 1976) | Norfolk Nips
(July – September 1976) A look back through some of The Branch minutes from 40 years ago. The July branch Meeting was held on 27th July at what appeared to be their usual venue in those days, The Beehive in Norwich and was chaired by Mr P Walter. Nick Hawkins, The Regional Organiser, was in attendance as a guest. At this meeting the Chairman reported that a boundary with Kings Lynn Branch had been agreed and would be ‘a point just west of Wells to Fakenham and then all area west of A1065’. He also reported that sales of the new local real ale guide ‘Real Beer in Norfolk’ were going well with over £100 taken already. A reprint was being considered. There were to be socials shortly coming up to Heydon (presumably the Earl Arms?) and Geldeston Wherry. Although the dates were not recorded in the minutes. It was reported that Norfolk had been granted a total of 77 entries for The National Good Beer Guide 1977. 20 were allocated to the Kings Lynn Branch. Nominations for the next committee were invited as the first Branch AGM was to take place in September. CAMRA Real Ale Investments were still looking for a pub in the area.
The August Branch Meeting was held on 24th August again at The Beehive and with Mr P Walter in the Chair. Matters reported here included were that entries to the Good Beer Guide had been submitted. The total number being submitted was 54. Sales of the Local Beer Guide were still going well with 1700 copies having been sold. A total of 68 guides had been sold via an advert placed in ‘What’s Brewing’. It was agreed to send 2 delegates from The Norwich Branch to attend the forthcoming ‘Central Area Conference’ which was coming up shortly and they were to be given £5 expenses each. The next social was to be to at The Scole Inn on 8th September.
The Branch’s first AGM took place on 21st September at The Beehive in Norwich with Mr P Walter in the Chair. Guests attending included – Mr P D Loftus (Adnams), Chris Bruton (Chairman N E), Nick Hawkins (Regional Organiser and Ian Myhill (Area Organiser). A document entitled ‘Review of the Year 1975/76’ was circulated among members
48 | Winter 2016 / 17
attending. This document listed all the achievements of the Branch over the previous year including campaign and social activities.
Norfolk Nips |
Also distributed at the meeting were the annual accounts for 29/9/75 to 21/9/76 which revealed that the Branch now had a surplus of £293.04, much of which was due to good sales (£295) of the local beer guide. The accounts were accepted by members unanimously. National Chairman, Mr Chris Bruton addressed the meeting. In his speech he reported that CAMRA Real Ale Investments were still looking as a priority for a suitable pub to buy in the area. Information from the Monopolies report on Watneys was urgently required. A national membership drive to boost numbers up to 30,000 had been launched. The officers for the new 1976/77 committee were then elected and Chris Bruton announced the results. Simon Loftus, Marketing manager for Adnams gave a talk and slide show and kindly provided a pin of his bitter free for the meeting.
The Gatehouse Pub 391 Dereham Road, Norwich NR5 8QJ Tel: 01603 620340
FOUR REAL ALES Wednesday Irish Folk Music ursday Folk & Singing Music Friday & Saturday Live Music Sunday Folk Music
Large garden overlooking the River Wensum OPEN: Mon - urs 12-11 Fri & Sat 12-12 • Sunday 12-11 Winter 2016/17 | 49
Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips
g Excitinals Speci d Boar le Availab
Cur r y Night day Tues Ever y and Drink Cur r y .50 £9
Steakt Nigh esday
Wedn Ever y ks for the
Two Stea of one price
Main Road, Clenchwarton, King’s Lynn PE34 4AQ
50 | Winter 2016 / 17
Grab a CAMRA Discount at your local! The following local businesses offer a discount for CAMRA members (usually on presentation of a Membership Card, discounts are on real ale only unless stated). Full details of all pubs can be found at WhatPub.com The Vine, Norwich: 10% off food and drinks (not Early Bird Menu) on Mondays The Whiffler, Norwich: 50p off a pint (with your CAMRA vouchers)
Albion, Cromer: 10% off real ales, draught and bottled The Bell, Norwich: 20% off all food. 50p off a pint (with your CAMRA vouchers). Brickmakers, Horsford: 10p off a half, 20p off a pint of real ale. Cherry Tree, Wicklewood: 30p off a pint of Buffy’s Compleat Angler, Norwich: 10% off all real ales Green Gate, Caister-on-Sea: 20p off a pint of real ale Glasshouse, Norwich: 20% off all food. 50p off a pint (with your CAMRA vouchers). London Tavern, Attleborough: 20p off a pint of real ale Leopard, Norwich: 10% off all real ales
Red Lion, Drayton: 10% off Oliver Twist, Great Yarmouth: 10% off across the board - please show card before ordering Railway, North Elmham: 10% off B&B and camping Plasterers, Cowgate, Norwich: 10% off all real ales (available to all customers on Mondays) The Red Lion, Drayton: 10% off The Rose, Queen’s Rd, Norwich: 15p off pints
The Woolpack, Norwich: 10% off The St Andrews Brewhouse, Norwich: 10% of their own real ales If your pub or business offers a discount to CAMRA, but isn't on this list, please contact pubs@norwichcamra.org.uk and let us know the details (including any restrictions). Please note: We believe the discounts listed are offered at the time of going to press, however pubs may of course withdraw or change offers at any time!
Lighthouse Inn, Walcott: 10% off all real ales Rosebery, Rosebury Rd, Norwich: Selection of beers all at £2.50 on Monday nights, on production of a valid CAMRA card.
Lollards Pit, Norwich: 10% off Winter 2016/17 | 51
“The Country Pub On The Edge of Town” Bacton Road, North Walsham NR28 0RA FREE
ACCESS
OPEN ALL DAY FIVE REAL ALES Meals Served
12noon to 2.30pm and in the evening 6.30 to 9.30pm
Bookings 01692 404800
CROWN FREE HOUSE THE BANNINGHAM
We are in it!
Traditional Country Pub and Restaurant
5 Real Ales•Great Food•Log Fires BOXING DAY
Kemps Men Morris Dancers 12 noon
Colby Road, Banningham, Aylsham, NR11 7DY
01263 733534
www.banninghamcrown.co.uk
Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips
THE RED LION OPENING TIMES Mon-Thurs
12noon-3pm, 5.30pm-11 pm Fri & Sat 12-11pm, Sun 1210pm
Open all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12noon. Sunday food serving 124pm with full menu and roas t available We Also Have Free Wi fi Available To Customers. Telephone for further deta ils of any of our events, or come in and have a look for yourself, ever yon e welcome.
54 | Winter 2016 / 17
East Church Street, Kenninghall, Norfolk, NR16 2EP 01953 887849 Email: theredlionltd@aol.com
A traditional country pub with real ales and excellent home-cooked food. Restaurant open lunch and evening. Open for Bed & Breakfast every night of the week. EVERY FRIDAY IS FRESH FISH FRIDAY
Delivered that morning, available Lunch & Dinner! Crispy, Beer-battered Fish, Chips & Peas-ÂŁ9.95
Regular Monthly Events: Jam Sessions (second Sunday of the month) Quiz Nights Open Mic Nights (last Tuesday of the month)
www.redlionkenninghall.co.uk
Norfolk Nips | Please support our advertisers
Winter 2016/17 | 55
Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips
56 | Winter 2016 / 17
Norfolk Nips | Correspondence
A
response
to the craft beer article in the last edition... I read with interest the article published in the autumn issue of Nips (178) about craft beer. All very nice and well written but, I thought to myself, what is an article about craft beer doing in a magazine about real ale? I understood the explanations on key keg and gas pressure, but to be brutally honest with you, craft beer is still not cask conditioned real ale, and never will be and should not be in this magazine. CAMRA should have nothing to do with the promotion of craft beer, I suspect the powers -that-be at CAMRA HQ are attempting to sell our collective souls to the corporate devil, this has more to do with commercial interests than to do with real ale and the pubs that serve it, and those who brew it. I believe we are getting away from our original key aims and ideals and onto a road that will split this organisation. Have we all forgotten the fight against Watney’s Red Barrel and the big national brewers? I am very much afraid that if CAMRA accepts craft beer into the fold then this organisation could well come to an end, it is also a style of beer that is expensive, you can pay around £5 for a pint (or even a half!), and it seems to me drives up the price of real ale when next to
craft beer on the bar. We pay enough now. I’m not saying don’t drink craft beer (that’s your choice), I have tried one or two and enjoyed them (interesting ingredients and styles), but craft beer will never divert me away from my real ale. Like I said earlier CRAFT BEER IS NOT REAL ALE and never will be, and CAMRA should have nothing to do with it. We even now have key keg at the Norwich Beer Festival, something I strongly object to. This is the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA), not the Campaign For Real Ale & Craft Beer (CAMRA&CB), or the Campaign For Real Ale, Craft Beer & Cider (CAMRACB&C), doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue! For me personally cider and the APPLE arm should be a sister organisation to CAMRA, and craft beer lovers should have their own group, I am sure we can coexist in harmony. To finish, CAMRA need to get back to reality, to promote real ale, it’s pubs and independent breweries. If CAMRA accepts craft beer then I for one will no longer be a member, this is a slippery slope on the highway to hell, thank you. Tim Spitzer Former Chair West Norfolk CAMRA
Winter 2016/17 | 57
Steve’s Words With the onset of winter, I find it very depressing to go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. The only daylight is through the small office window, with the occasional glimpse of some late sun. In the Norfolk area it has been quite a depressing time in relation to a number of pub closures. Possibly the most iconic pub in our area, The Lord Nelson at Burnham Thorpe closed suddenly. To date Greene King has said that they plan to re-open it once suitable tenants have been found. The sad part about this is that everything has been stripped inside. The interior was always one of the attractions of the pub with the old settles and other Nelson memorabilia. It is reckoned to be the first pub named after Nelson; he was born about 500 yards away and held a party there once!
Our multi award winning Cider Pub at Downham Market has closed its doors, new lease terms appear to be the problem. Hopefully this can be sorted as The Railway Arms is one of a few in the County that specialise in Cider. The Ouse Amateur Sailing Club appears to be having financial problems. The committee have recently voted to close the doors, but a Members petition has been started to stop this happening. Let’s hope this is successful. The next major event in our calendar is West Norfolk CAMRA Pub of the Year. The shortlist this year is: The Victory, Clenchwarton The Angel Inn, Larling The Kings Arms, Shouldham The Peddars Inn, Sporle All these are worthy of the title, to nominate your favourite, you need to judge all four according to the criteria laid down. Jeff Hoyle has the necessary paperwork, so contact him (You must be a member of the West Norfolk branch). Enjoy the journeys out and become a part of this important process. The winner will be announced in February. The major benefit of this time of the year is that many new beers are produced that reflect the season, usually dark, often strong, very flavoursome and heralds the start of Christmas. May I wish on behalf of all of us in West Norfolk a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Keep drinking. Cheers Steve Barker W.N. Chairman
58 | Winter 2016 / 17
Norfolk Nips | Last orders
One Festival Down, Another On Its Way! Norwich Beer Festival I’m writing this column the day after the Beer Festival staff party, with the Festival all over bar the wrap-up meeting later in the month. Yet again we've enjoyed putting on a fantastically successful event, showcasing the best beer from all over the country to over fifteen thousand customers, raising a significant sum to go towards CAMRA campaigning, and also our Festival Charity, BUILD. On behalf of the Norwich & Norfolk Branch, I'd like to thank the organisers, Rob Derbridge and his two deputies Emma Pinder and Craig Harmer, and all the three-hundred-plus volunteers who worked so hard to set up, run and take down the Festival over almost two weeks.
‘winter’ ales - in fact the selection will be similar in range to Norwich Beer Festival, but with a slightly more 'national' emphasis. We'll also be open all day from Wednesday to Saturday, so will need lots of volunteers - if you've ever thought of volunteering and not done it, please do - you won't regret it, and will have a great time! For more information visit the volunteering page at nwaf.org.uk/event/volunteering, or follow @WinterAlesFest on Twitter.
Ian Stamp Norwich and Norfolk Branch Chair
Innovation We continue to try to improve things every year, and regular festival-goers will have noticed beer cards speeding up service, and 'fast-track' correct money lanes speeding up the queues over the last couple of years. This year was no exception, and as well as squeezing in a little more seating at the far end of Blackfriars, we also invested in some new dispense equipment for the foreign beer bar. The new system proved to be faster, and less wasteful than the old equipment, and also allowed us to add a small range of UK beers from key-cask - mostly stringer and more 'interesting' beers! We hope to increase this range next year.
National Winter Ales Festival In previous years we would take a rest for a few months before thinking about the next Festival, but as I'm sure most of you know, we are doing it all again in just three months, with the National Winter Ales Festival running from February 21st to 25th. Don't be fooled by the name - there will be a lot more than just Winter 2016/17 | 59
Norfolk Nips | Dates for your Diary
CAMRA Branch Calendar
Friday 17th February Campaign Trip – 7.15pm Castle Mall visiting up to 5 pubs on the outskirts of Norwich. Booking essential.
Tuesday 21st - 25th February National Winter Ales Festival – St Andrews and Blackfriars Halls. Refer website: nwaf.org.uk
Friday 3rd March First Friday Five – 8.00pm start Black Horse, Garden House, Alexandra, Belle Vue, Fat Cat.
Thursday 16th March Branch AGM – 8pm Take 5.
Norwich and Norfolk Branch Wednesday 8th December Midweek Christmas Stroll – Noon Duke of Wellington, Angel Gardens, Rosebery, Fat Cat Brewery Tap, Leopard, Plasterers, Kings Head.
Wednesday 14th December Branch Christmas Quiz – 8.00pm Fat Cat Brewery Tap.
Friday 16th December Branch Christmas Crawl – Fat Cat, Belle Vue, Alexandra, Reindeer, Plough, White Lion, Golden Star, Ribs of Beef, Wig & Pen, Kings Head, Plasterers.
Friday 6th January 2017
Tuesday 21st March Midweek Stroll – Noon Reindeer, Micawbers, Ten Bells, Plough, Mash Tun & Gin Palace.
Saturday 25th March Brewery Awards Evening – Epic Studios, Norwich.
Friday 31st March Campaign Trip – 7.15pm Castle Meadow visiting up to 5 pubs. Booking essential.
Friday 7th April First Friday Five – 8.00 start Queen of Iceni, Hotel Nelson Bar, Compleat Angler, Red Lion, Adam & Eve.
West Norfolk Branch
First Friday Five – 8.00pm start Steam Packet, Edith Cavell, Take 5, Lawyer, Glasshouse.
Tuesday 13th December
Tuesday 17th January
Saturday 17th December
Midweek Stroll – Noon: Rose Tavern, Mulberry, Georgian Townhouse, Temple Bar, Coach & Horses (Bethel Street).
Thursday 19th January
Norwich Tour, start 11am, The Rose, King’s Arms, Trafford Arms, Coachmakers, Champion, Coach and Horses, Micawbers, Plough, Mash Tun, White Lion, Golden Star and Ribs
Branch Meeting & Social including GBG voting 8.00pm venue tba.
Tuesday 10th January
Old Bell, Saham Toney
Friday 27th January
Windmill, Great Cressingham, short meeting + Post Christmas Dinner
Campaign Trip – 7.15pm Castle Mall visiting up to 5 pubs on the outskirts of Norwich. Booking essential.
Wednesday 22nd February
Friday 3rd February
Narborough Social Club, Beer Guide Selection Meeting (Steve to arrange)
First Friday Five – 8.00pm start Pig & Whistle, Woolpack, Owl Sanctuary, Murderers, Bell.
Tuesday 14th February
Wednesday 15th February
Buck, Tilney St. Lawrence Tuesday 14th March, Stag, West Acre
Midweek Stroll – Noon Champion, Coachmakers, Trowel & Hammer, Trafford (Beer Festival).
All Tuesday dates are branch social including a short meeting. Winter 2016/17 | 61
Branch contacts | Norfolk Nips
Contact Details Norwich & Norfolk Branch Chairman: Ian Stamp Email: chairman@norwichcamra.org.uk Secretary: Rob Whitmore Email: secretary@norwichcamra.org.uk Social Secretary: Michael Philips Email: socialsecretary@norwichcamra.org.uk Pub Campaigns Coordinator: Ian Stamp Email: pubs@norwichcamra.org.uk Pub Protection Officer: Neil Bowers Email: pubprotection@norwichcamra.org.uk Press Officer: Jenny Bach Email: pressofficer@norwichcamra.org.uk West Norfolk Branch Chairman: Steve Barker email: steve.barker495@btinternet.com Vice Chairman: Nige Nudds Secretary and Branch Contact: Ian Bailey Tel: 01553 766904
Published every 3 months by the Norwich and Norfolk & West Norfolk branches of the Campaign for Real Ale Š N&N CAMRA 2017 Norfolk Nips is produced and distributed by members of the branch in their own time. Views expressed in Norfolk Nips are not necessarily those of the editor or of CAMRA. Edited by: Graham Freeman Email: norfolknips@norwichcamra.org.uk Chris Lucas Email: chris-stig@tiscali.co.uk Design & Production: Daniel Speed - Orchard House Media 01778 382758 Email: info@orchardhousemedia.co.uk Advertising: For advertising enquiries please contact Jane Michelson on: 01778 382718 jane@orchardhousemedia.co.uk
Treasurer: Jim Fergusson Deputy Treasurer: June Parsons Membership Secretary: Jeff Hoyle Press and Publicity: Ros Harre Pubs Officer: Claire Harvey Pub Protection Officer: Jeff Hoyle Webmaster: Nige Nudds Cider: Andrea Briers Branch websites: www.norwichcamra.org.uk www.camra.org.uk/wnorfolk Branch mailing list web page: Branch Facebook Page: facebook.com/groups/NorwichCAMRA
62 | Winter 2016 / 17
Distribution: 12,000 copies / four times a year Norwich and Norfolk District: Adam Gannaway 07720 512453 nipsdistribution@norwichcamra.org.uk West Norfolk District: Ros Harre r.harre@btinternet.com
“A Pub is For Life Not Just For Christmas”
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our Customers Old and New
REAL ALE • REAL WELCOME • REAL FOOD
....
Serving Main Meals, Bar Meals and Sandwiches Food is available 7 days a week Check out our website for opening times and menu FOR BOOKINGS Tel 01508 493734. Visit us online at www.poringlandroyaloak.com 44 The Street, Poringland NR14 7JT