Issue 178 of Norfolk Nips & Cask Force

E F RE No.178

AUTUMN 2016

39th Norwich Beer Festival is on it’s way!

See page 21 for more information

It’s not just about the beer!

How do you get to your local pub?

Beer Bird explores what makes a pub female friendly. 17

We take a watery route to the Geldeston Locks Beer Festival. 45

Magazine of the Norfolk Branches of the Campaign for Real Ale

Norfolk Nips |

In this issue: The Revitalisation continues Stig’s Words

6

The Ed’lines

7

Pub and Brewery News Around Breweries

The Revitalisation of CAMRA continues...

CAMRA’s Revitalisation Project has reached its halfway point with a second survey being launched to get more detail about members’ views on the future direction of the Campaign.

More than 20,000 members have completed the initial survey and more than 1,000 have made their views known at around 25 consultation meetings across the UK. The first survey and the consultation meetings have shown members hold a wide range of opinions on who CAMRA should represent and how it should go about representing them. With another 20 members’ meetings still to come, it's likely that the range of opinions will continue to grow.

In addition to talking to members about CAMRA's future direction, the Revitalisation Project steering committee has talked to people who work in and around the pub and brewing industries, as well as to politicians.

The committee has commissioned analysis on the key economic, political and social developments that influence the world that CAMRA operates in. This includes the threats and opportunities presented by changes in society, in consumer spending habits, in the way people socialise, developments in brewing technology and how we are likely to be affected by anti-alcohol campaigning and a changing attitude to health risks.

Continued Overleaf

3-5

8-10 12-13

Lacons ‘Best Bitter in the UK’

15

Bird’s Eye View

17

What’s in your Beer?

19

Norwich Beer fest Charity

20

39th Norwich Beer Festival

21

Who’s Brewing

22-23

Tewkesbury Trek

25-27

Cider as it used to be Craft beer beginners guide What Pub?

28 31-33 34

Once there was a time

36-37

Good Beer Guide 2017

39

Name change & collaboration 40-41 LocAle Update

45

From the Archives

48-49

Discount Scheme

51

Beer Festival Diary

52

Your Community Pub

53

Thirst Consultants

55-57

Steve’s Words

58

Last Orders

59

Dates for your Diary

61

Contact Details

62

Autumn 2016 | 3

Available for private hire, parties etc

The ONLY Thai Restaurant for Norwich in THE GOOD FOOD GUIDE!

Good Beer Guide 2016 listed pub

Families welcome

Open Monday to Saturday

City Centre Location

Thai Food lunchtimes & evenings

Well Kept real ales

Our offers and events...

Curry and a Pint for £10 Quiz Nights Monday to Thursday 5-7pm First Tuesday of the Month Starts 7.30pm. £10 a Ticket CAMRA Night Every Monday 10% discount Includes curry and a pint of ale or small glass of wine on Food and Drinks We are in the Good Beer Guide 2016

(valid membership card required - Excludes Early Bird Menu)

£20 voucher to winner!

Please book tickets in advance.

Every Wednesday is Student Night 20% discount on food on production of a valid student card Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer

SERVING FOOD ALL DAY DURING THE NORWICH BEER FESTIVAL

Norfolk Nips | The Revitalisation of CAMRA continues...

Despite the wide range of opinions and factors for the committee to consider, several key issues have been highlighted which need to be explored with further consultation, of which the survey launched in August is the first part.

Committee chairman Michael Hardman said: “We’ve got some big questions to tackle. Should CAMRA continue to support and promote real cider and perry, or would both campaigns benefit from being run separately? Is it better to focus our campaigning on real ale, or do we need to widen our support to other types of beer to follow developments in consumer trends and brewing technology? Do we limit our campaigning to encouraging the drinking of beer in pubs and clubs only, or would it support the brewing industry more effectively to stretch our activity to advocating buying and drinking beer in a wide variety of different establishments?

“Only you, our members, can help the steering committee refine the proposals it will make for the future direction of CAMRA. We need to know where CAMRA should position itself in relation to the type of drink it advocates and the places where it encourages people to drink.

“Throughout this process your views as members have been fundamental and will continue to be. The information you give us will help the committee construct detailed proposals to present to the National Executive, with the membership having the final say when it votes on a proposal at CAMRA's Members' Weekend in Bournemouth in April 2017.”

I know a lot of our local members have already expressed their views to the Campaign and we will have had a forum meeting in Norwich which we will report back on later.

Autumn Winter 2016 2015 | 5

Stig’s Words The middle of the year has passed and it has finally warmed up, beer festivals abound from small and medium pub organised ones to large town and city based events organised by CAMRA branches and of course the big one the GBBF! I didn’t make the big kahoona this year but I have managed some smaller events such as the ever excellent NNR festival in Sheringham and the now classic Larling Angel festival. One features live steam and the other live music and Charlie’s hilarious beer tasting notes.

Big events are great but none of them would have the guts to produce such an irreverent document as Larlings beer list, long may it continue. I also discovered that Landlord Andrew’s tireless partner Liz has been unwell, so all the best from all at West Norfolk CAMRA.

“Big events are great but none of them would have the guts to produce such an irreverent document as Larlings beer list, long may it continue”.

Some campaigning news, Jeff has succeeded in getting the Railway at Downham Market Station listed as an ACV. This is in response to a general trend to change waiting rooms on this line into coffee shop franchises.

The Beeston Ploughshare is under threat and a community group are trying to save it. Details at http://www.beestonploughshare.com/#!shareoffer/vza6v, we wish them all the best. They have been in contact with the successful folk at Shouldham King’s Arms for advice.

6 | Autumn 2016

On this subject their first year of trading has turned a tidy profit and they are soon to produce school dinners in the village at another venue.

The Good Beer Guide 2017 will be published in September, we will have a launch event at the Stuart House Hotel in King’s Lynn on the 21st September starting at 7-30pm where branch members can come and meet us and buy a copy at members rates.

Congratulations to the Ouse Amateur Sailing Club upon winning the East Anglian CAMRA club of the year, onward to the National competition!

Finally enjoy the rest of the summer and as usual thanks to all the people who make this magazine possible.

Stig

Norfolk Nips | From the Editors

The Ed’lines It has been quite a busy Summer for the many Beer Festivals in Norfolk and beyond. I usually visit a few and the most enjoyable were Chelmsford, Poppyline and the Jolly Sailors, Brancaster for various reasons.

The first was a very hot day but the beer was cooled nicely. The second I find hard to beat as you can sit on a moving steam train drinking real ale. The third I wanted to use the Coasthopper bus for a potential future article.

There are still a few more to attend and I sometimes wish I had retired and could visit a lot more. Some people say they don’t like Beer Festivals but I find them very useful in carrying out my research into new beers which we may order for our Norwich Beer Festival. This year it will be held from the 24th-29th October in St Andrews and Blackfriars Halls and I know we have some new beers for you.

If you would like to help, please volunteer and enjoy the experience. If this is not possible then please visit anyway as somebody has to drink all our beers, ciders and perries on offer. The Foreign Beer Marquee will be extra special this year.

There will be some slight changes this year as we know what you like and do not want to alter many aspects. However the National Winter Ales Festival next year will be different and we will start giving you a lot more information after our own Beer Festival has finished. Watch out on our Branch website for details as it will be very exciting times ahead.

We have nearly 3,500 members in our Norwich & Norfolk Branch and I know the Revitalisation Project will affect us all. Please have your say as without your views we have no way of moving forward. We don't want CAMRA HQ to dictate which way we go do we?

I recently got involved in the voting for the East Anglia Pub of the Year and spent a long day travelling hundreds of miles to the other pubs.

They were Black Lion, Leighton Buzzard. Falcon, Huntingdon. Compasses, Great Totham. Half Moon, Hitchen. Stanford Arms, Lowestoft. The Fat Cat Brewery Tap was much closer and I wish them well in this round. It is a duty we have to perform and please let us know in you are interested in helping next year as we woul like more people involved. You get to drink in the best pubs in the other counties so it can't be all that bad.

I have included an article on “Craft Beer” as a pre-cursor to a survey that I will become involved with. With the Revitalisation Project going on it will be useful to see just what it is all about.

Finally, I would like to congratulate our local Brewers who have won National and even International beer awards. It just shows if you put a lot of time and passion into brewing you can come up with a Champion beer. I might even have to take up brewing myself. Now what shall I call my Brewery?

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

Autumn 2016 | 7

Pub and Brewery News | Norfolk Nips

Pub and Brewery News News from Norwich & Norfolk In the county, I hear the Lighthouse at Walcott, and the Butchers Arms at East Ruston were both put up for sale earlier this year, at £495k and £450k respectively. The fact that both sales were initiated shortly after we visited them on a campaign coach trip is of course purely coincidental - we hope!

Fakenham Crown Hotel re-opened July, having been closed for seven years - any updates as to beers available etc would be gratefully received!

In Norwich we have lost a couple more pubs, with the Surrey Tavern being converted to a cafe and residential flats; and the Ketts Tavern, our Branch Pub of the Year in 2002, and recently known as Virtuoso, also being given permission for conversion to residential use, and likely to be sold to developers.

The Pig & Whistle in Westlegate has re-opened having been taken on by the licensees of the Walnut Tree Shades, and the Mad Moose has had a refurb and re-opened as Warwick St Social.

Norwich & Norfolk Branch have submitted a number of Asset of Community Value 8 | Autumn 2016

nominations in the last couple of months, mostly in South Norfolk, where we are waiting on decisions on about fifteen pubs, plus four in Norwich. We re-submitted an ACV nomination for the Berney Arms, which at the time was listed for auction, but unfortunately Broadland District Council didn’t accept (or really address, to be honest) our arguments against their previous refusal, and rejected the nomination again, mainly on the grounds of there being no local community. There is now something of an impasse with the pub, as the owner, who resolved the financial issues which had let to the proposed sale, unwilling to open it as a pub, but unable to get planning permission for anything else. We hope this can be resolved soon, although obviously it is too late for this summer season.

And finally, an advert for WhatPub.com, CAMRA’s national pub guide, which has listings for over 35,000 pubs across the UK, and gets hundreds of thousands of ‘hits’ (unique visitors to the whatpub.com website) each week!

As such, it is a massive shop window for pubs, and for CAMRA, and is now by far the biggest, and we’d like to think, the best, online pub guide in the country. But it does need to be kept up-to-date, so please, use it to find pubs, and when

you visit, if you notice any details - especially opening and food service times - are inaccurate, PLEASE use the feedback form to send me corrections and additions. You can find the form at the bottom of the information about the pub, by clicking the Send an email to the CAMRA Branch link.

News from the West It’s always a worry when pubs are put up for sale or change hands. Will they reopen, and if they do, will they attract enough customers to survive in the long term? There are several local pubs that have fallen into this category in recent months, so we have been and had a look at a few of them to see how they are getting along.

First up was the Lattice House in Lynn which was sold by Wetherspoons to Hawthorn Leisure, a pub owning company which was formed in 2013. Many customers from the Wetherspoons days were fearful for the future, with some even predicting the closure and demolition of the property, but thankfully this has not come to pass. In fact other than the lack of Wetherspoon branding, little has changed. Some of the staff are still there and the range of regular beers is much the same, with around half a dozen guests in the other bar. The carpet, furniture and pictures

Norfolk Nips | Pub and Brewery News are unchanged, Tuesday is still steak night and although they do not accept your CAMRA Wetherspoons discount vouchers, they will knock 20p off a pint if you show your membership card. The prices are a little bit higher than before, but still cheap and although few new customers are likely to be attracted most of the existing ones should be retained.

Next was the Crossways, which for many years was a Greene King pub in the south of Lynn, but which I believe is now also owned by Hawthorn, though when I showed my card and asked for a discount, I was met with a blank stare.

To be fair, the bar maid was also unclear as to what cask beer was available. She knew that the Greene King IPA was off and assured me that one of the other pumps had some beer, but in the absence of a pump clip she could not tell me what it was.

One of the guys at the bar helpfully informed me it was Doom Bar and I settled back with my quite acceptable pint contemplating the merits of the rap music emanating loudly from the juke box.

I quite like the rhythm and repetitive nature of some of it but I think that for me, the overemphasised obscenities, misogyny and glorification of violence and drug culture doesn’t make for a particularly relaxing pint.

We drank up and left, happy in the knowledge that the pub

was still open, attracting custom and serving draught beer, but thinking that it is perhaps not really my type of place.

Just up the road is the Lord Napier, another street corner community pub which has recently been taken over after being run for many years by Sharon and Michael Bunn.

We went down on a summer Saturday evening when Lynn had turned into party town.

Passing the disco and barbeque parties seemingly being held in every garden, we first called in the Stuart House, but as the birthday celebration disco was being prepared we headed off, ignoring the sound of the boxing tournament being held at the Walks, hoping for a quiet pint in the Nap. What we hadn’t reckoned with was that it was karaoke night and young and old (mostly old) were belting out their favourite tunes with gusto. The barman advised me that the Sharp’s Atlantic might be a bit past its best, and after a sample I agreed, so had a pint of the seemingly ubiquitous Doom Bar, which was fine. All too soon, the party had to stop and it was off back home to the wives, musing on what might have been if we had had the courage to belt out a couple of numbers by The Fall.

Much more sedate was our lunch at the Winch. Seemingly back in the game with a healthy number of cars parked outside when we have been past recently, we ventured in to try the Sunday carvery. First impressions were disap-

pointing, with no sign of cask beer, but a further examination of the bar at the front revealed a hand pump nestling in the corner. This turned out to dispense a pretty good pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, and once we had worked out the serving system the lunch was not bad either. It seems that the management are not trying to run before they can walk, and are steadily increasing the range and times of food as they become more established. Hopefully they will feature the beer more in the months to come.

So, four pubs all doing OK in their own way, showing that they is still some life in the licensed trade. The next one in the blocks, we are lead to believe is the West End at Feltwell, which I thought had gone for good, but hopefully it will be reopen by the time you read this, selling cask beer.

One pub whose future was never in doubt after a change in hands was the Hare Arms in Stow Bardolph, for details of which see the separate article.

Hopefully these success stories will inspire someone to take on the empty premises around which seem to be engaged in a race to crumble away and fall down before our very eyes.

Bringing up the rear is the old RAOB club on St James Street in Lynn which has, I believe, has been granted planning permission to be transformed into a bistro. Slightly ahead in the crumbling stakes is the Lord Kelvin, by the bus Continued Overleaf Autumn 2016 | 9

Pub News - continued | Norfolk Nips station in Lynn of which I know nothing. Meanwhile the Wenns by Saturday Market Place seems to be held up by the planning notices pasted to the outside, which I thought had been granted months ago.

Every time I talk to people who should know, I am told work is to start later in the month. The clear winner in the dereliction stakes is the old Glendevon Hotel on Railway Road which seems to have acquired a new guest – a tree growing out of one of the bedroom windows.

Does anyone care? Putting aside my love of pubs, I wonder how many people would rather head off to Wisbech for their shopping with its free parking rather than to pay ever more expensive amounts to park in Lynn surrounded by these embarrassing crumbling buildings.

10 | Autumn 2016

Some people do care about their pubs if the plans to rescue the Ploughshare at Beeston and the classic Hand and Heart in Peterborough which some of our West Norfolk members will remember from a visit a few years ago are any guide. Both have groups trying to raise money to invest in these premises in a similar way to the Kings Arms at Shouldham. www.beestonploughshare.com /#!share-offer/vza6v, www.facebook.com/Handand-Heart-Community-Enterpri se-1697420373854364/, for more details. For our part, we have applied for an ACV order on the Railway on Downham Station, which some suggest may be affected by a scheme to turn it into a branded coffee outlet, a plan which may be repeated on all

the stations in the area.

News has reached us that Greene King XX mild is no longer regularly available at the Crown at Gayton, which as far as I know was about the only outlet for it in West Norfolk.

If you are looking for good beer in West Norfolk, why not try one of the highest scoring pubs over the last three months on the NBSS system.

These are Hilborough Swan (5/5), The Berney Arms at Barton Bendish (4.75), the Cock at Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen, the Peddars at Sporle and the Ostrich at Castle Acre (all 4.0). If you are a member of CAMRA, why not add your own scores to the system?

Jeff

Around Breweries News from the Brewery Liaison Coordinator Summer has been very interesting and busy around all breweries. I had the opportunity to visit two breweries that I haven’t been to before.

The first visit was at the end of June to Norfolk Brewhouse in Hindringham with the Ladies Beer Coven formed by Cheryl Cade, and the event was organised by Aey Allen, landlady of the Vine in Norwich. We had a great reception from David and Rachel Holliday and their dog Max. David explained to us the process of brewing, showed us the brewery and we had several generous “samples” of their lovely Golden and Amber Ales and also we got invited to a buffet lunch at the Chequers pub in Binham. It was a very educational and great day, which all of us enjoyed, and some took the opportunity to visit the Binham Priory ruins as it was a lovely day.

The second visit was with the Norwich & Norfolk Branch to All Day Brewing in Moor Farm in La Salle, at the end of July. Again a great trip, we tried some beers, all at £3.00 pint, including Stag Beetle Ale, a reddish 4.5% with a very hoppy finish. Also there was a Wild Elderflower, 3.4%, light in colour and body, very 12 | Autumn 2016

subtle and quite quaffable, and the third one was Norfolk Green Hop Saaz, a 4,2% Golden Ale, hoppy and refreshing. All Day also produce cider, and their Blossom Cider was like drinking apple juice, very nice. Miles and Simon, the brewers and owners, showed us their hop plantation which is quite impressive and growing fast, with about a dozen different varieties. They also offered us some delicious homemade vegetarian and vegan tapas, and a courgette and carrot cake for dessert which was scrumptious.

Hop plantation at All Day Brewing

On the same day, 31st July, Lacons Brewery held an Open Day where anyone could sample their beers, have a tour through the brewery

Norfolk Nips | and talk to Wil Wood the head brewer. Congratulations to them for winning the Gold Award for Affinity as Best Bitter, and Bronze for Legacy in the Golden Ales Category at the recent World Beer Awards - both well deserved!

Also celebrating an award with a huge smile is Kevin Tweedy from Golden Triangle, who has won the Gold Award for Mosaic City in the Golden Ales Category at the Champion Beer of Britain, judged at the Great British Beer Festival in Olympia.

Some of the Norfolk breweries took the opportunity in summer to have a Beer Festival, with Brancaster Brewery organising their Music and Beer Festival from the 17th to 19th of June, with a great selection of beers, local and national, and also local bands like The Vagaband.

Humpty Dumpty were also very busy with their annual beer festival, as per usual they had on sale their beers, but also a great local and national selection and very successful festival.

As per every year, they will be hosting the local branch meeting in September. Don’t forget to write in your diary their Open Day on the 3th and 4th December.

CROWN FREE HOUSE THE BANNINGHAM

We are in it!

Traditional Country Pub and Restaurant •5 Real Ales•Great Food• •Sheltered Gardens•

01263 733534

Colby Road, Banningham, Aylsham, NR11 7DY

www.banninghamcrown.co.uk

As we speak, Panther Brewery is ready for their third year beer festival in Reepham, from the 26th to 28th of August, featuring among their well known beers, a selection of over 20 real ales and ciders.

Poppyland is also busy brewing as summer sales have been quite productive. Martin, the brewer, is planning to brew more Norwegian Farmhouse, but this time with juniper berries, as he managed to get some from a trip to Scotland, and also more Lost World with samphire from Stiffkey, and last but not least a new brew Flowers from the Field brewed, of course, with flowers from the field!

Autumn 2016 | 13

A traditional coastal inn Recently refurbished bedrooms • Traditional bar • Home-cooked food Selection of real ales • Dogs are very welcome

Up to

50% OFF our room rates in January

Ship Lane, Thornham, Norfolk, PE36 6LT Tel: 01485 512236 info@lifeboatinnthornham.com | www.lifeboatinnthornham.com 14 | Autumn 2016

Norfolk Nips | Lacons Brewery award Lacons Affinity has an ABV of 4.8% and is handcrafted using the highest quality Nelson Sauvin and Simcoe whole-cone hops combined with Norfolk grown Maris Otter malt, water and authentic Lacons yeast to give the ale its unique flavour and malty dry finish.

Norfolk ale wins Best Bitter 4-5% in the UK The success and quality of Norfolk brewing continues to receive national and international recognition. With the nation’s annual Cask Ale Week just over a month away, the quality of Norfolk ale was further commended as Lacons, the Great Yarmouth Brewer received the fantastic news that its Affinity ale has been crowned as the Best Bitter 4-5% ABV in the United Kingdom.

The World Beer Awards is an internationally renowned competition with over 1500 beers from 30 countries entered into a variety of judging categories of beer styles. Lacons, a name that has been associated with Great Yarmouth since 1760 beat off heavy competition to receive first the Best Bitter 4-5% in the UK and then a gold medal for the current CAMRA Champion Golden Ale of Norfolk Encore, finishing off with a Bronze for its Legacy ale.

The World Beer Awards brings together an international and highly respected judging panel chaired by journalist and renowned beer writer Adrian Tierney-Jones that is charged with identifing the best beer styles available from across the globe.

Lacons Brewer Wil Wood commented, “We are thrilled to receive national recognition from the WBA for our ales. Affinity, now it has been judged as the overall UK winner will progress into the final stage of the competition to compete for the international title in category, with the possibility of it being crowned the best in the world - results are being announced on the 23rd September – We obviously have our fingers crossed!”

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

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

Autumn 2016 | 15

Norfolk Nips | Bird’s eye view

It’s not just about the beer So there I was. All on my own. Again. Sitting in the corner of my local, waiting for The Chap to arrive. It’s not such a bad place to be. A pint of Dark Star American Pale in my hand and a packet of dry roasted peanuts to nibble on.

I was happy; in the pub, on my own, drinking and nibbling, not being harassed.

It hasn’t always been this way. A generation ago few women went to the pub alone, and if they did it certainly wasn’t for the beer. Or the peanuts. At the very least you could expect raised eyebrows, and at worst, abuse and harassment. It would have been rare for women to be seen at the bar, they were usually banished to the snug or the off-license (behind that glass door in the corner). Many pubs would not have even had female toilets. Until recently women didn’t really drink much beer, let alone real ale.

Our favourite tipple would most likely to have a spirit, a soft drink or perhaps a half of lager.

Beer in a pint glass? Unthinkable!

So yes, we’ve come a long way. And yet lots of women still feel uncomfortable in pubs. Many have had unpleasant experiences, often involving the drunken bore, but often it is just the little things that need improving. So what makes a pub female friendly? A welcoming environment would be a start. More seating.

An absence of sexist and offensive displays and

marketing. Cleanliness. Healthy, good-value food (but keep those dry roasted peanuts!).

Books and magazines to peruse. Soft furnishings (a cushion or two perhaps?). Outside seating.

Clear signage for toilets. Ah yes, toilets. Don’t get me started on toilets.

Those dark, smelly, neglected loos with wet floors and doors that don’t shut. Toilets that have no hot water, no hand wash, and dryers that don’t work. I could go on. Now I’m not a delicate little flower that gets easily distressed or distraught. I’ve used festival loos – overflowing cubicles, long-drop tanks, and those funny ones where you take a shovel-full of sawdust in with you. But I don’t want to experience any of that in a pub thank you very much. And talking of festivals, I’ve been in some pub loos where I’ve regretted not wearing my festival wellies! Some subjects are best not dwelt on….

I’ve heard of one or two pubs that have offered back massages and beauty treatments to entice women to their pubs. Now I’m not sure my landlord would go that far (and I’m not sure I fancy a back rub from him either), but women do want a friendly welcome and good manners, and a relaxing, safe environment to meet your mates in. Don’t blokes want that too? Now, where’s that toilet? Cheers!

The Beer Bird Autumn 2016 | 17

Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips

RAMPANT HORSE Country Alehouse & Dining FESTIVE MENU NOW AVAILABLE Please call for details Quiz Nights & Entertainment Supporting Local Breweries

2 SIRLOIN STEAKS AND A BOTTLE OF WINE for £25 with this voucher (valid until 30th November Advance booking required)

2 Chapelfield, Freethorpe NR13 3LY Tel: 01493 700103 Bus 730 from Reedham & Acle www.rampanthorse.net 18 | Autumn 2016

Rampant Horse

Norfolk Nips |

What’s in your beer?

Look along the range of hand pumps in a trendy freehouse these days, and you are likely to spot at least one beer with odd ingredients. Maybe its honey, chocolate, coriander or fruit. They wouldn’t be my choice, but clearly someone out there loves a pint of plum porter or honey ale.

Traditionally, beer contains just four ingredients, malt, hops, yeast and water but there are few restrictions on what else can be added, at least in this country. As the craft and microbrewery scene grows, all manner of experiments have taken place with unfamiliar ingredients. I even bought a bottle of garlic beer from the garlic farm on the Isle of Wight. For the record, it was disgusting.

This freedom to add extras is not universal. In Germany there is a law dating back to 1516 called the Reinheitsgebot or German Purity Law which bans any additives other than the four main ingredients, and some German brewers are upset that they are not allowed to experiment and compete with brewers in other nearby countries, such as Belgium which is famous for fruit flavoured beers such as kriek (cherry) and framboise (raspberry) which can be imported even though they are not brewed in accordance with the law.

You might think that they have a cut and dried case – why not allow brewers to add what they like and let the drinkers decide? Surely if it is good people will buy it, but if it doesn’t work, then it will remain unsold, after all how many garlic beers have you seen around?

The reality is a bit more complicated. The freedom to add other ingredients doesn’t end with a few pounds of fruit. There are some rather more worrying additives lurking in some pints of beer. How about propelene glycole algi-

nate which some big brewers use to stabilise the foam on the head, or betaglucanase which speeds up the brewing process. Some American beers (and maybe others) also use high fructose corn syrup which may have been genetically modified and has been implicated in some health issues whilst many beers contain isinglass which is derived from fish and is a problem for vegetarians and vegans.

In cases like this, the usual advice would either be to trust the manufacturers have your best interests at heart and believe that they would not sell you anything that is likely to damage your health, or alternatively do a bit of research and check the label to see if there are any ingredients with which you are not happy. Except you can’t. Beer is one of the few foodstuffs exempt from displaying a list of ingredients on the label. A senior brand manager at a big lager producer is quoted on the BBC website as saying that ‘its current labelling complies with existing legislation and is consistent with other brands within our category’. Reassured? Me neither.

I don’t want to upset our anti Europe friends by going so far as to suggest that we adopt a German law, but at the risk of coming over all Gwyneth Paltrow, surely the time has come for all ingredients to be listed on bottles and cans of beer, and be available for draught beer. We can work out if we have an allergy, avoid those ingredients that we don’t think are good and wholesome or give us hangovers and check out the claims made in the adverts about the purity of the ingredients. Bureaucratic red tape or a breath of fresh air blowing through the dark and secret corners of faceless companies? You be the judge. bar.man@btinternet.com A version of this article first appeared in the Lynn News Autumn 2016 | 19

Norwich Beer Festival Charity Partner This year the Charity partner for the Norwich and Norfolk Branch of CAMRA, and the Norwich Beer Festival, is the BUILD Charity.

Established in 1967, BUILD is a Norfolk based charity providing social, leisure and learning opportunities for people in Norfolk with disabilities. Each year it provides around 300 community activities offering people with disabilities the opportunity to access the kind of social life that most of us take for granted.

Programmes have included a weekly social club, run by, and for, people with disabilities which includes a disco, coffee bar, pool challenge, creative arts project, women’s project, cookery classes and indoor sports events. The

community activities programme also includes sport, gardening, country walking, a Sunday Lunch Club, ten pin bowling, visits to the cinema, theatre and cultural and heritage attractions, as well as a monthly “World Food Challenge” where people visit different internationally themed restaurants to experience overseas culture without leaving Norfolk. In addition a “Skills for Life” programme provides workshops to aid independent living skills such as cookery, money management, personal safety, housework, forming friendships, supermarket shopping and first aid.

The Charity has faced significant financial challenges in recent year, but is now sustainable and looking forward to celebrating its 50th anniversary next year. It runs with only three employed staff and relies totally on around 85 volunteers to support the activity programme, and play roles in the marketing, fundraising and governance of the charity.

As part of the partnership with the Norwich & Norfolk branch, the charity is organising a Real Ale Trail for people with disabilities in Norwich in October, will be present at the 2016 Norwich Beer Festival receiving public donations, and will undertake a “Pub Accessibility Survey” to rate pubs in Norwich on their accessibility for people with disabilities.

For more information please visit www.buildcharity.co.uk/ or call 01603 618029

20 | Autumn 2016

Norfolk Nips | Norwich Beer Festival 2016

39th Norwich Beer Festival is on it’s way!

The Norwich & Norfolk branch of the Campaign for Real Ale would like to welcome you to the forthcoming 39th Beer Festival which is to be held from Monday 24th October to Saturday 29th October 2016 at St Andrew's and Blackfriars Halls. There are only a few months to go to the Beer Festival and we would like you have have enough warning so you can make arrangements to visit us and enjoy the event.

Over 200 cask-conditioned Real Ales from Britain’s independent brewers will be on sale, with a few festival specials as always, along with draught and bottled beers from Continental Europe and over 40 real ciders and perries.

Brexit has made no impact on the special beers we will have for you.

We hope you will like the logo which was designed by Richard Smith on his third attempt in the competition. This will be used on our souvenir glasses, pin badges and clothing.

Richard said “I'm really pleased to have won and it gives me a great excuse to spend even more time at the Beer Festival this year. The design was inspired by seeing and enjoying the rows and rows of Real Ales at the Beer Festival being served by the volunteers. I just wanted to do a simple design which showed a happy/merry dragon helping to pour a pint of Real Ale from one of the casks” I hope you like it as it is one of the better ones we have had in last few years although at a slightly drunken angle?

On mentioning volunteers our Beer Festival Organiser Rob Derbridge says “that without their help we would have no Beer Festival and we can't thank them enough for their involvement”. We have staff who work in various jobs

including stewards, merchandise, bar staff, glasses, membership, cellar team, logistics. games and many more. In fact we know you will find a job that you will enjoy and we even give you training so there is no need to be concerned. We know our staff come back year after year and we really welcome new volunteers as we are folk who enjoy drinking with new friends.

For further information about the Norwich Beer Festival please see our web page www.norwichcamra.org.uk/festival/festival.htm

LORD NELSON Bradenham

Opening Hours Wednesday 7pm - Midnight Friday 6pm - Midnight Saturday 2pm - Midnight Sunday 2pm - Midnight (Monday, Tuesday & Thursday - as notified)

Regular Monthly Events 1st Sunday - After The Rain 3.30pm 2nd Sunday - Fundraising Quiz 7.30pm Regular Live Music - see Facebook Christmas Eve - Trio 8.30pm

thelordnelsonbradenham@gmail.com Tel: 01362 822111 Autumn 2016 | 21

Who’s Brewing In the brewing chair is Kevin Tweedy, Golden Triangle, Unit 9, Watton Road, Norwich, NR9 4BG. What did you do before brewing?

I was a Video Tape Engineer with London Weekend Television. I was recording programmes and playing back the tapes.

I got interested in drinking as it was the culture in the 80s. I didn't do any home brewing at the time. I then left and went freelance as I was fed up with travelling to London.

What got you into Commercial brewing?

What inspired me in the first place was living near The Beehive in the Golden Triangle area of Norwich. I lived near Wolfe Witham and he organised brewery trips from the Beehive to Wolf Brewery. He talked about hops and yeasts and I was very interested.

In 2009 I was sitting in a pub and a friend asked what would I call a brewery if I decided to become a brewer. I said Golden Triangle and the next day I registered the name. I then did a couple of years home brewing which was mainly from the kitchen table. In 2011 I decided to enrol on a course at Brewlab in Sunderland. I signed up for three days but Wolfe said he could tell me all that himself and suggested I needed a longer course. There was a three week course which cost ÂŁ3,750 so it was not cheap. He said I would learn more and later on it would save money as I would make less mistakes. He was right of course.

Of the 10 people on the course I know five are still running commercial breweries.

Whilst I was there I was looking for some brewing equipment and I found this set up at Ufford Ales near Peterborough. I agreed to buy the 10 barrel kit which I still have today. They let me do some trial brews beforehand so all my brews have been on

the same kit. I looked for premises in the city centre but there was nothing available so I found this place and moved in November 2011.

How do you go about choosing the style of beers you brew?

To start with I noted that the style of beers I liked were not being brewed by Norwich Breweries. I liked the pale hoppy beers that Oakham and Dark Star were doing but there was none in Norfolk. When I first did City Gold 3.8% there was nothing like it around this area. I choose beers beers I like and styles and ones where I think there is a gap in the market.

I wanted to go into a pub and drink a beer I liked but found it was from somewhere else.

I thought there is a need for a local beer so I decided to brew them myself.

How do you choose your ingredients?

I use what hops are popular and what I can

get hold of which gets harder. Mostly I use American hops and my beers are a kind of synthesis between Norfolk meets America. I use Crisp Maltings who are local and I feel are the best. The water is local and is treated as usual.

The hops are not local. The Brewery is moving up a gear from second to third. There are still a couple of gears to go like the Olympic cyclists.

I might get there in the end.

Are you planning any changes to the brewery?

The brewery is spacious and bright and I have room to expand so there is no reason to move.

I will be expanding though and taking on more people or maybe increase the hours of my existing team which also includes my son Josh.

I'm buying a new cask washer but I'm at a bottleneck at the minute as I could brew more but this is stopping me. I brew once a week but can increase the brewing output significantly without having to move or expand the premises.

You do seem to have won a few awards over the years?

I did ask for this meeting to be after the Great British Beer Festival as I was aware I was one of the finalists in the Golden Ales Category. I had no idea I was going to win Gold with Mosaic City. It is described as a 3.8% single hopped pale ale brewed with Maris Otter extra pale malt and the unique Mosaic hop. I had sent new pump clips and T-shirts to GBBF in the event of a win as the old design needed changing anyway. I knew I had a chance as on the Tuesday I was told I was in the final three out of eight beers and the winner would be announced at the awards evening. So I knew I had won at least a bronze and was over the moon. I had tasted the other two beers – Grey Trees Diggers Gold and Marble Lagonda IPA and thought the Marble beer would win. I was shocked and very happy going up to pick up my award. I have been busy trying to catch up and expect I will be even busier.

What is your favourite Golden Triangle beer?

Well it has to be Mosaic City followed by Citropolis 3.9% where I used the Citra and

Mosaic hops.

What is your favourite Local, National and International beer?

Locally I like Lacons beers as they have a similar style. I also like Bullards. The 2 brewers that I rate are Will Wood and David Jones.

They seem to have the right approach to their beers.

Finally is there anything you want to add?

I would like to say thank you to the local Norwich & Norfolk CAMRA branch for their support in getting Mosaic City nominated in the first place. Also I thank Ian Stamp my Brewery Liaison Officer as without his support I would not have won anything.

Graham Freeman Warren Wordsworth - Photos

The Real Ale Shop is a unique off-licence offering over 60 bottle conditioned ales from 15 Norfolk brewers.

We are located on a beautiful arable farm close-by Wells-next-the-Sea, which provides much of the malt used in brewing the ales we sell.

The Real Ale Shop, Branthill Farm, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1SB.

Tel: 01328 710810 www.therealaleshop.co.uk Summer Autumn 2016 | 23

Norfolk Nips | Tewkesbury trek

An unexpected visit to Tewkesbury where it’s always 1471!

My “other” hobby is photographing aircraft, so I decided fairly late in the day to visit the Air tattoo at RAF Fairford. What has this to do with Tewkesbury, you may ask, all will become clear!

Fairford airshow is huge, by far the biggest military airshow in Europe and consequently absorbs all of the hotel and b&b accommodation for miles around as it is a three day show.

So an internet search found me a room in Tewkesbury, not too far away and still cheaper than anything close to the venue.

I stayed at the Bell hotel opposite the Abbey, an Old English country inns pub (ie GK).

I had checked the local info on the history of the town and it seemed interesting with its wars of the roses connections, a pivotal battle was fought there in 1471, stabilising the

reign of Edward IV for the rest of his life.It also seemed that the town was packed with half timbered buildings quite a few of which witnessed the battle and some which were Good Beer Guide pubs!

This sounded like good fortune and when I arrived in town I saw that by pure luck it was Tewkesbury’s medieval festival weekend with a battle re-enactment involving 2,500 soldiers.

The place was buzzing with plenty of strangely garbed individuals about, plus loads of re-enacters!

The Pubs were excellent with my first port of call being the Berkeley Arms in the Church Street, serving a superb range of ales and its legendary Continued Overleaf

Banter 1471 style!

Autumn 2016 | 25

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 full menu served 7pm and Sunday Roast 12-123pm 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.

26 | Autumn 2016

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 | Tewkesbury trek - continued Not all of these pubs were visited on one night and some were re-visited. There was also the beer tent at the medieval festival, surrounded by local and international colour. The participants in the re-enactment came from all over the UK and Europe so conversation was broad ranging and the event itself spectacular with to be honest not enough space for the whole crowd at the side of the battlefield but highly recommended.

The town is very picturesque and would fit any visitors image of an English country town. For me a great discovery!

By the way I did make it to the airshow for three days as well.

Stig

The Berkeley Arms pies, which live up to their reputation. The atmosphere was very friendly and the building fascinating. I returned several times.

The Nottingham Arms in the High Street also boasted superb ales and was ancient with a complicated layout which just added to its charm, great Thai curry on the menu. The Tudor House Hotel was just down the street and kept up the standard but was perhaps a little more formal.

Further down the High Street is the Black Bear worth a visit and further along in Bredon Street you will find the White Bear a slightly more modern building with a range of beers including Sarah Hughes Ruby, it was Karaoke night when I visited and things were very lively and entertaining. If you go there look for snoopy on the urinal wall, you’ll see what I mean (unless your female, of course!).

Autumn 2016 | 27

Chairman’s Letter | Norfolk Nips

Good Cider as it used to be!

Believe it or not, it is nearly 30 years since CAMRA published its first edition of the Good Cider Guide. This book first came out in October 1987, compiled, almost singlehanded, by cider enthusiast David Kitton.

wise, Captain Thimbleby at Wolfeton House no longer produces, but the eccentric medieval and Elizabethan house is open to the public (at least it was the last time I checked).

He had originally produced an earlier version, published by Virgin, but this was the first time that CAMRA had seriously promoted real cider and perry to the outside world, and it is interesting today to see how the cider industry has changed, by looking at the producers and outlets that were around in those days.

There were, of course, a number of producers who were subsequently bought up and closed down by the big companies.

One of them was Symonds in Herefordshire, whose family had been making cider since 1727. But this meant little to Bulmers, who eventually bought them and closed them down, while still making a keg cider called Symonds Scrumpy Jack. Likewise, Bulmers did the same with Inch’s in Devon, who had been making cider since the beginning of the 1900s. Once again, bought up and closed down. (See, it isn’t just breweries that do it).

There were around 80 producers listed in the Guide, although there were a lot more that were not included, but nothing like the hundreds of producers that you can find today, and only about a third of them are still going, with some areas having changed dramatically.

One of the most remarkable changes has been in Wales. This country was traditionally a big cider and perry area, but when the Guide came out there were no known producers at all. Look how that has changed today, where there has been a big revival in cider and perry production and now several dozen makers.

Similarly Dorset, another traditional cider area, has taken off again recently, with a whole range of new producers. When this Guide was published, there were only two, and neither of them are still producing. Mill House at Overmoigne is now a museum, and has one of the most amazing collections of cider presses to be found anywhere. Like-

28 | Autumn 2016

Those of you who have heard of Brogdale in Kent, who have the national collection of apple and pear trees, may not know that the cider apples and perry pears were originally at the Government-funded Long Ashton research Station in Bristol, and they made their own cider as well.

In the East of England there was James White Suffolk Cider, no longer producing.

When this Guide came out, it seemed that every other pub in East Anglia was selling it.

And in Herefordshire, Westons was still producing and seen in many pubs throughout the country. But by far the largest number of outlets with cider (including a lot of off-licenses) were stocking Bulmers, so some things never change!

Indeed, in those days Bulmers had even

Norfolk Nips | owned a small number of their own cider houses, which were sold off. The one at Quatt in Shropshire is the only one still open, although now independent.

But the list of producers who are no more is a long one. A lot of cidermakers were also farmers, and cider had been made for generations, and when they retired or died there was often no-one to take over the business. But luckily, as well as the hundreds of new producers, some of the family businesses are still there. So you can still say hello to makers like Roger Wilkins and Derek Hartland, both cidermakers in the old tradition, while welcoming all of the new ones as well.

And I hope that they don’t mind me saying this, but thank goodness that a lot of the newer producers are just as eccentric as the old ones!

Mick Lewis

The pub with no bar, ales direct from cask.

Watch www.nelsonslocal.co.uk for forthcoming events.

Tongue twizzling food, and great value.

Huge garden and children’s play area.

Shooting parties, lunch & dinner menus available

Victory Barn Function Room for Weddings and Parties Come & visit Nelson’s local.

Walsingham Road, Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk PE31 8HN

01328 738241

Autumn 2016 | 29

Norfolk Nips | Craft Beer - A beginners guide

CRAFT BEER A beginners Guide

There has been much talk in beer circles of the so-called “craft beer invasion”. But what exactly is craft beer and where did it spring from?

Over the Atlantic beer in the USA was, at the turn of the century, brewed and dispensed the same way as everywhere else in the world, either in a bottle or in a wooden cask. In the twenties as beer was sent ever and ever further away from the breweries (at first by rail and later by road) American brewers started using pressurised metal casks to keep the beer intact.

There was then no need to hand-pump the beer to the bar and fonts replaced the traditional beer engines. CO2 gas was also introduced at the point of sale to revive the beers after what could be several days in transit.

By the time America entered World War 2, real ale and hand-pumps in the US were already a thing of the past.

Fast forward to the 1980’s and the growth of the “green” lobby with a reaction against the corporate conglomerates (added to a relaxation of laws regarding home brewing) led to the start of micro-brewing in the US. Faced with bars (and more importantly staff) whose only knowledge of ales was kegged/CO2 dispensed lagers and ales it was only natural that the newly established brewers were forced into kegging their products. This situation is slowly changing as more American micro-breweries undertake training courses for bar staff. As a result hand-pumps (and even gravity dispense) is slowly coming back to the US and Canada.

Unlike the UK, the American ABA (a bit like our SIBA) have come up with a “definition” of “craft beer”.

It goes as follows; 1) Breweries must produce under 6 million (!!) barrels.

2) Mega breweries can have no more than a 25% financial stake.

3) At least half of the owners production must be craft beer.

So why do we (along with McDonalds and Starbucks) have craft beer over here?

With the death of brewing in London (of the “old” breweries only Fullers remain) by the 1990’s a similar situation to USA existed in London. While pubs were (and still are) declining in our capital a huge number of caféstyle bars have opened up where the owners and staff have no knowledge of real ale. It is therefore not surprising that when the wave of new brewers started up in our capital they looked to the American beer scene. So it was that they also started to keg and (again following the lead from Canada and the US) even can (!) their products. Of course these beers can in no way be compared with the lack lustre products of the British mega-keggeries.

All our new micro-brewers create “real ale” and although mostly filtered (there are a few “cloudy” beers out there – yes, even in cans!) these beers are all un-pasteurised just like real ales.

It is in the method of packaging their beers either in a keg, can, bottle or “KeyKeg” that sets these breweries apart from the “real ale only” brewers. The mention of “Key Kegs” needs some explanation.

Continued Overleaf Autumn 2016 | 31

Keg starts out with internal bag full of beer - beer has conditioned inside the keg just like a big bottle.

The carbonation of the beer has been decided by the brewery and cannot be changed by the application of gas pressure.

Pressure inside keg “squeezes” beer out of the internal bag.

Clear beer is served from the top - whilst sediment settles to the bottom.

Basically the beer is put into a plastic bag or sphere inside a cardboard box. The gas goes into the cardboard box and squeezes the beer up to the font or hand-pump. This is the same system (but on a much larger scale) that is used in many bars on the Continent where the beer is pumped into a cellar tank (a bit like a bathyscape!) and gas is merely used to compress the bag inside the tank.

As the gas in a “KeyKeg” does not come in contact the beer unlike keg beer (where the gas goes directly into the beer) CAMRA has decreed that beer served this way is “real ale”. If you have worked at Norwich Beer Festival you will have seen these cardboard “KeyKegs” in operation down in the Foreign Beer bar. The main “problem” for the connoisseur when it comes to “Key Kegs” is that there is no indication on the bar as to how the beer has arrived in your glass!

A hand-pump is for all to see - whereas a font on the bar could be real or keg! Furthermore “Key Kegs” (like some foreign kegs) can also be

When the bag is empty the beer will stop flowing. All that is left is the sediment.

Key Keg illustration courtesy of Mr Daniel

Speed

connected to a hand-pump which only helps to confuse us punters even more!

Just to close this article the CAMRA Technical Advisory Group states “As craft beers cover the whole spectrum of style, production and dispense, we (ie CAMRA) can have NO general policy on accepting or not accepting “craft beers” into our campaigning fold as a grouping of beer”. As we already have a foreign “craft beer” bar at our Norwich Beer Festival, what about another bar just for British craft beer in 2017?

In Part 2 (yes – there is more to come!) your editor and I will look at the Craft Beer scene in Norwich, In the meantime here (in no particular order) are my favourite Norwich craft beer bars; 1) Brew Dog (Queen Street) 2) Gonzo’s (London Street) 3) Norwich Tap House (Redwell Street) 4) St.Andrews Brew House (St.Andrews Street) 5) The Belgium Monk (Pottergate) Peter Wells Autumn 2016 | 33

Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips

whatpub.com Featuring over 35,000 real ale pubs

2YHU RI %ULWDLQ¶V UHDO DOH SXEV IHDWXUHG

,QIRUPDWLRQ XSGDWHG E\ WKRXVDQGV RI &$05$ YROXQWHHUV

&UHDWHG E\ &$05$ ZKR SURGXFH WKH 8.¶V EHVW EHHU SXE JXLGH

Thousands of pubs at your fingertips!

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 34 | Autumn 2016

Once there was a time...

Once there was a time when most of the pubs around were emblazoned with the names of the breweries that owned them. In Lynn, you may have seen Bullards, Steward and Patteson, Morgans or Bagges proudly displayed outside, advertising the beers on sale in the bar. By the time I arrived in town there were four Greene King pubs, one Elgoods and most of the rest were Watneys. How did this happen? Most industries start with a large number of small enterprises and as time goes by, these are combined by merger or takeover to form a fewer number of big operators.

companies such as Enterprise or Punch Taverns.

In the past the landlord of a pub tied to a brewery would either enjoy a low rent or a large profit margin on beer sales. With the property companies the rents increased, and whilst the companies could buy their stock at a discount due to the volume purchased, these savings were not passed on to the landlords. This resulted in a lot of people entering the trade, and losing a lot of money when they realised they could not make a profit, with pubs closing to be sold off to pay interest on the money borrowed to set up the pub chains in the first place.

Look, for instance at the car industry or the growth of supermarkets at the expense of independent shops. With breweries the aim of the takeovers was mainly to acquire the pubs, a guaranteed market for the beer which could be brewed at one large brewery to take advantage of economies of scale. However this resulted in the establishment of the large national concerns such as Watneys and Whitbread. In 1989, the beer orders were published to try to curb the influence of these large companies and, for example, force them to take guest beers.

For years CAMRA has campaigned against this system and for introducing safeguards for tenants, and in July this year, the pubs code finally came into force. Tenants of tied pubs that belong to companies operating over 500 pubs in England and Wales are now protected by the legislation which gives around 12,000 tenants new rights and protections such as increased transparency about the tied deals available, a fair rent assessment and the right to move to a freeof-tie tenancy in certain circumstances.

This had the unintended consequence of the separation of the pubs and the brewing operations, eventually resulting in many of the countries pubs being owned by property

Companies that are covered by the legislation include Greene King, Marstons, Admiral Taverns, Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns. To find out more about the code check out the website

36 | Autumn 2016

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ pubs-code-adjudicator, or call 0800 528 8080.

Naturally, CAMRA is pleased with this enhanced protection for landlords, but are less pleased by the identity of the Pubs Code Adjudicator who will make the decisions. He is Paul Newby and before taking the job he was a director of Fleurets who are a firm of specialist surveyors and one of the leading firms involved in selling licensed properties in the country which involved working for some of the groups named above. It seems that there could be a conflict of interest by appointing a person who has essentially made his living selling pubs for two decades into a role adjudicating disputes between pub owning groups and tenants. He has given up his directorship and promised to take a ‘balanced’ view of disputes. Time will tell – let’s hope the new system works and gives some relief to hard pressed landlords. bar.man@btinternet.com A version of this article first appeared in the Lynn News

Norfolk Nips | Please support our advertisers

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 38 | Autumn 2016

Norfolk Nips |

Serving a good selection of changing local real ales Also serving home cooked food.

Sunday roast 2 courses for £9.50.

Two main meals for £10.00 from our set menu.

(Monday and Tuesday lunch times only.) ghout the theme nights throu Various events and events. ng mi co up all te for year. See our websi

ber Sunday 4th Decem

rty istmasEnterPa Kids’ Cthehr r ner tai d an Christmas with Fa

The Street, Catfield, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR29 5AA Telephone: 01692 580128

www.catfieldcrown.co.uk

Autumn 2016 | 39

Name changes and collaborations We all hear of pubs that close, scary numbers in some parts of the UK. Of course there are debates held in many pubs up and down the country as to why – as you will read elsewhere in this edition of Norfolk Nips, the best way to help save pubs is to get down your local!

Of course, many pubs do a great job for their customers and will always strive to do better.

Two such pubs are in Necton and Colton.

The Ugly Bug inn, nestled in the quiet Norfolk village of Colton, is everything you expect today in a rural, British pub and maybe more. Since it opened in 1991 the pub, housed in what is a converted fruit barn dating from 1810, has gone from strength to strength. With John and Alison Lainchbury having been the heart of the family run establish40 | Autumn 2016

ment for ten years this Christmas, regulars will know the family well, however, it is their four legged furry friend by the name of Alfie, who is the most renowned! Alfie is a lovable and character full Norfolk Lurcher pub dog! Now a change is on the horizon at the Ugly Bug. With the presence of Alfie, now considered a real local celebrity, and he is easily the most recognised member of the team, the pub is being renamed in his honour (amongst other, more practical reasons). As of September 1st 2016, The Ugly Bug Inn will be renamed The Norfolk Lurcher home of The Ugly Bug Restaurant. But rest assured, nothing but the name will be changing.

John and Alison have worked hard over the years to establish themselves as a high quality pub, serving local beers and sourcing local food, welcoming food lovers and drinkers alike.

You may not be aware that the newly named Norfolk Lurcher has long had an encouraging relationship with The Necton Windmill, owned

by Dave (also known as Scoob) and Mandy

Norfolk Nips | Ugly Bug Inn changes name Whitehair. The Necton Windmill dates back to the 1800's, then it started life as three cottages adjoining Necton Tower Mill. One of the cottages started as a beer house for the gentlemen workers. Over the years the remaining cottages were purchased and eventually became the Necton Windmill as we know and love it today.

For years the two pubs have informally been supporting each other, sending customers in each other’s direction and bouncing new ideas off one another. However, as of September 1st, the two pubs will be officially working together.

This is probably not surprising given the similarities between the two pubs. Scooby and Mandy have equally run their pub for ten years, with the same family values at their core.

The two pubs will be producing their own newspaper, comically called The Lurching Windmill, promoting their wares from their real ale producers, and other local suppliers of food and drink. This paper will be available directly at both pubs. Despite each pub having a first class restaurant, they are keen not to neglect their roots as village pubs. Aiming to supply their patrons with top-notch beers and keeping their CAMRA supporters happy, the two pubs offer a rotating choice of local beers from the likes of Beeston, Humpty Dumpty and Grain breweries to name but a few.

Penny Lainchbury of the Norfolk Lurcher and Rob Whitmore- Branch Secretary

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

The Necton Windmill Autumn 2016 | 41

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 NEW 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

Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips

44 | Autumn 2016

Norfolk Nips | Geldeston Locks Beer Festival

How do you get to your local Pub? We had thought about this question when we decided to visit the Locks Inn, Geldeston for their Beer Festival in May. As you know this pub is rather remote but well worth a visit. The Festival was in partnership with Grain Brewery so we thought it would be a good idea to do some research. We thought it best not to drive and decided to take the Big Dog Ferry from Beccles.

This is a small motor boat that carries up to 12 passengers (umbrellas provided if it rains!) and runs along the River Waveney between Beccles Lido (NR34 9PL) and the Locks Inn, Geldeston (NR30 0HS) a journey of about 3 miles. The journey time is approx 40 minutes.

The ferry was full and we found some customers were very keen on seeing the wildlife en-route. Well they had big binoculars and were going to the Locks for a meal and then walking back to Beccles on one of the 2 routes – Angles Way (3.5 miles) and Waveney Footpath (5 miles). I’m glad we chose to get the return ticket. On the journey we saw Marsh Harriers and Kingfishers. The boat slowed down at inter-

It runs daily from the end of March through to the end of October with usually 4 return trips per day. Fares are – Adult return £12 (single £6), child return £6 (single £3). If you are making the journey from Norwich you can get to Beccles easily by public transport using the X2 bus. You depart the bus in Beccles town centre and the Lido is only about 10 minutes walk down to the river. For more information see www.bigdogferry.co.uk Bookings can be made by phoning 07532072761. esting points and used an electric motor so we could proceed in silence. It was a wonderful way to start our visit and a unique way to get a beer.

We met with Colin Smith, Steward of the Locks who is well know to the people of Norfolk. I will not go into his history as that might be another article in itself. He told us throughout the 16th to 18th centuries the river Waveney was the main transport route for goods from the valley's grain milling and malting industries, and coal to fuel it. The Geldeston Locks played a major part in this as the goods were hauled by wherries and lighters between the Continued Overleaf Autumn 2016 | 45

Geldeston Locks Beer Festival - continued | Norfolk Nips ports of Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth to Bungay. This navigation and other staithes and cuts, coal wharves, maltings and granaries like those in Geldeston were owned by the merchants, brewers running all this and the tolls were collected using the lock by the keeper from his cottage. This became the now iconic and historic Locks Inn in the 17th century which I have to say has not changed much when you look at the sloping walls.

It was an interesting arrangement and has today led to a lovely relationship between the valley, river and beer which was why we were there. Their closest brewery Grain had erected a beer tent and so we had to review the contents.

Well the choice was Grain Oak 3.8%, 316 3.9%, Best Bitter 4.2%, Redwood 4.3%, Rye Pale 4.8%, Pale 5.0%, and Slate 6.0%. I did find the Rye Pale exceptionally good. There was also Golden Triangle, City Pale Ale 4.2%, Elderflowerpower 4.2%, City Gold Extra 5.0%. There were

46 | Autumn 2016

even Grain beers in keg Pilsener 4.0% and Weizen 5.0%. I'm glad they did say keg and not craft beer which I will leave there for the time being.

Overall it was a very unusual way to travel to get a beer. I wonder if you know some other ways?

Graham Freeman and Warren Wordsworth

Norfolk Nips | Please support our advertisers

Autumn 2016 | 47

From the Archives (Oct-Nov 1991) | Norfolk Nips

Issue Number 57 October /November 1991 Editors Rod & Sara Dent CAMRA joins the Lord Mayors Procession On the evening of Friday 12th July a group of CAMRA stalwarts otherwise known as the “scrubbers” gathered at Broadland Brewery with brooms and buckets in hands. The theme for the procession was “A song to remember” and the song we had chosen was “Down at the Old Bull and Bush” to be sung on a Woodfordes Dray decked out as an Edwardian pub.

It was no mean feat removing mud from the dray in preparation for the dressing up which was planned for the following morning. A red undercarriage was revealed and we even discovered reflectors and number plates. On Saturday we painted the tyres black and began the dray dressing ceremony. We finished after three hours and went to slake our thirsts at the Tap & Lion – I mean the White Spile. Nothing surprises the regulars there so when various ladies disappeared into the loos and emerged in pseudo Edwardian gear, no one batted an eye-lid. Several more participants had joined us by now and at 3 o'clock we boarded the float for a hair-raising ride to Newmarket Road. The table almost took off, and at St Stephens roundabout Wendy's cape became wings and she was almost airborne, attracting the attention of shoppers and causing quite a commotion. Suffice it to say everyone enjoyed being part of the procession. As the time came to set off the atmosphere became more charged. It was surprisingly difficult to keep up

48 | Autumn 2016

with the walking pace of the Lord Mayor who led the procession since we were overwhelmed with crowds wanting freebies whilst collecting cash in buckets for the charity of the year, the St Christopher’s Coach for people who are handicapped. We didn’t win a prize but we had a good day and had publicised our favourite organisation, We were one of only three floats apart from the winners, who got a mention in the press – for our rousing chorus of “Down at the Old Bull & Bush” and we had raised the profile of CAMRA in Norwich.

Cynthia Kirby

NIPS NEWS The Mustard Pot, Thorpe Road, Norwich is selling Wethereds Marstons Pedigree and Boddingtons. David Turner has opened the Crown, Goldwell Road, Norwich after a period of closure and is selling Greene King IPA, Abbott and Elgoods Bitter. In a period of fast rising ale prices Samuel Smith claims it will not be increasing the cost of their ale until August 92. The Provision Stores, Dereham Road, Norwich is regularly guesting Batemans Mild.

The Man in the Moon, Reepham Road, Norwich is boarded up and set to be a doctor's surgery and the Southwell Arms, Norwich has been boarded up as well. The Red Lion at Caston has re-opened after six months closure and will be selling Courage beers. City Wines, St Benedicts is now known as the Drinks Company and is stocking takeaway polypins of

Norfolk Nips | Woodfordes Wherry and Phoenix along with interesting bottled beers. The manager of the Warwick Arms has now taken over the lease and is selling Batemans XB as a regular guest. Don & Jackie Curry have left the Gordon at Thorpe St Andrew to return to the USA. Dick Seaman Farms have had an application approved for a new licensed house at Church Lane, Hindolveston. Watneys closed the last of the four pubs here in 1986. A new brewery has been started up in a former garage at the Green Dragon (previously Horse & Groom) Bungay who bought the pub from Brent Walker. They do at least three ales including Chaucers Ale and Bridge Bitter.

Beer and Footy Ever willing to help the local community and further relations with the public the Norwich and Norfolk branch of the Campaign for Real Ale wrote to Norwich City Football Club at the end of last season asking for details of sponsorship. When we hadn't heard anything by the start of the current season we assumed that the club once sponsored by Fosters Lager and whose ground advertisers Websters Yorkshire Bitter had been visited and warned by the notorious Grotney's Hard Men! We needn't have worried the club wrote to us giving details as a result of which the branch is now proud to sponsor the full kit of Jason Minnett, one of the city's band of up and coming players. By an enormous co-incidence the sponsorship will be highlighted in the programme for the home game against Luton Town on October 26th, the Saturday before the Norwich Beer Festival. The branch wishes Jason and Norwich City success in the coming season a happy amalgamation of what is undoubtedly the two most important loves of many people. Real Ale and the Canaries.

“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

Summer 2016 | 49

Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips

Live Music from 8:30pm 8th Oct The Avi8tors 22nd Oct We Ghost 19th Nov The Lovinhandfull 31st Dec New Years Eve Disco

Live Bands, Quiz and Poker Nights We’re in it!

Check our website and Facebook page to stay updated Fresh rolls served daily or bring in your favourite take-away

Free Wi-Fi • Dog friendly 50 | Autumn 2016

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 Autumn 2016 | 51

There’ssupport Please a festival our near advertisers you! | Norfolk | Norfolk Nips Nips

52 | Autumn 2016

Norfolk Nips | Chairman’s Letter

Your Community - Your Pub The traditional British pub is known and envied the world over. So let’s give more recognition to a valued social hub that has existed for hundreds of years. Pubs should be full of friends, some of whom you have yet to meet! There are many ways you can recognise the value of your pub.

The first one of course is to use your local pub. We have all heard the “use it or lose it” phrase, and it’s only all too true. Some people say they don’t like their local and they don’t put on in there what would attract them to it – well, you know what, have a word with your landlord and see if he can accommodate your communities needs. You may be surprised how receptive they are to attract customers and your money!

One other way to see pubs recognised is the excellent The South Norfolk Community Pub of the Year Award organised by South Norfolk District Council.

The Community team there have gone to great lengths to keep this award going and to recognise and reward from their perspective the best Community pubs in South Norfolk. We hope you will support the initiative by voting for what you consider to be your South Norfolk Community Pub of the Year.

Details on how to vote are

outlined below, but before that here is some more information.

The South Norfolk Community Pub of the Year Award was launched in 2009, during a time of sharp economic decline, as part of the Council's fight to save pubs from closure.

Pubs are recognised for their innovative and diverse community business ideas from building outside bars and grills to opening community shops, real ale outlets or even integrating post office services.

The judging panel includes South Norfolk Council cabinet member, Clayton Hudson, a representative from The Pub Is The Hub, the editor of a local paper and District Councillors.

Councillor Hudson said. “The Council launched this competition to support and promote the great pubs that we have in South Norfolk”.

“The popularity of the competition just goes from strength to strength. It’s a great example of communities and businesses working together and shows just how much residents value their local pubs”.

At the end of the judging, which includes a visit to each of the shortlisted pubs, five “neighbourhood” winners are chosen from which an overall Champion is crowned. Every winner gets a “South Norfolk Community Pub of the Year

Award” plaque, while the overall winner also gets £500 to put towards staging a community event.

Which pub is your favourite?

You have these ways open to you to vote: Vote online at www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/pubs Text ‘PUB’ to 80010* followed by the name and area of your favourite pub (e.g. PUB Muddy Duck, Poringland) *Standard network charges apply.

Email your favourite pub to pubs@s-norfolk.gov.uk Post the name and location of your chosen pub on our Facebook page There are five neighbourhood areas in South Norfolk, and there will be a winner in each area. Of these five there will be one overall winner chosen by our judges.

Only one vote per person per method will be counted.

Voting closes on 9 September.

The overall winner will receive £500 to spend on an event for their community. The judges will take into consideration the amount of votes received, plus the evidenced relationship the pub has with their local community.

The award ceremony will be held on 10th October 2016.

Rob Whitmore Branch Secretary Autumn 2016 | 53

Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips

g Excitinals Speci d Boar le Availab

Cur r y Night Ever y y Tuesda

Steak Night Ever y ay sd Wedne

Main Road, Clenchwarton, King’s Lynn PE34 4AQ 54 | Autumn 2016

Yes, we drink beer for a living.

I am often asked, ‘so what do you and your husband do?’ I answer, ‘we are Beer Sommeliers,’ generally the person nods and then looks blank, at that point I say, ‘I taste beer for a living.’ The resulting look on a persons face is always the same, a massive smile followed by wow!

It is often difficult to explain what we do, so let me take you across the water to Europe and the USA. I think most of the people reading this article will have heard of the ‘Craft Beer Revolution’ and right now a couple of you will sigh, but it has done some amazing things to the beer industry and a most of them good. One of things it has done is look at how beer is viewed by people. If I was to talk to you about wine you would be thinking about a high quality drink that matches with food and is special. This is where the ‘craft industry’ felt that beer also belongs. It is made (especially by the brewers we meet) with love, passion and using the best ingredients, so it should be looked at with the same respect we

give a wine. The USA and Europe looked at developing courses that gave the same level of accreditation to peoples knowledge about beer as is found in the wine industry, a ‘Sommelier/Cicerone’.

In the UK Sommeliers are accredited by the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) and when we were looking to start our business we wanted to show that we have that level of expertise. The courses mean that we are able to identify, different beer, styles, faults, the foods they match and how they are made.

This is then tested in a One to One exam.

Our first idea for a business was to open a beer shop with a tap room in Norwich, I then did a business course and realised that this would not allow for all the other things we wanted to do around beer.

Let’s put it in simple terms, after years of helping at Norwich Beer Festival on the Foreign Beer Bar and taking friends over to Belgium on tours we realised we have a passion for talking to people about beer. Especially when you think that there are between 60-80 different beers styles (depending on UK Continued Overleaf Autumn 2016 | 55

Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips

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 56 | Autumn 2016

Norfolk Nips | Thirst consultants - continued or US judging guidelines).

We also really like arranging beer tours.

I also am passionate about encouraging ladies to explore beer and with Mark & Laura from The Fat Cat Brewery Tap we started the Ladies Beer Coven. Following this I was invited to go to Brewery De Hugye (Delirium) to brew their Ladies Beer, Deliria, which will be available at Norwich Beer Festival on the Tuesday. The only beer festival in the UK to have it!

As beer sommeliers we also arrange fully guided beer tours to Europe and around the UK. Bring the pub to you with your own private tasting. Help brewers to develop new beers, advise pubs on what beers to match with their food and provide European beer bars for festivals like The Reepham Beer Festival.

Yet we also like a challenge and we are currently working on beer and chocolate matching with a Chocolate Sommelier to further our ‘Adventures in Taste’.

I have also had the pleasure to be a beer judge, for the World Beer Awards and International Beer Challenge as well as to be invited to become a member of the Beer Writers Guild.

As I write this I have also been informed that we have been nominated for a 2017 Luxury Travel Guide Award for our beer tours.

I hope that you now have an idea what a beer sommelier is but also that to be involved in beer you don’t have to be a Brewer, Publican or a retailer to have a career in beer. So cheers and keep trying all those beautiful beers!

Cheryl - The Thirst Consultants

Autumn 2016 | 57

Steve’s Words The good news for our area is that the Ouse Sailing Club has been voted East Anglian Regional Club of the Year. This is a well deserved award as the Steward and Committee work really hard to keep the real ales and ciders in excellent condition. The next round will be the shortlist for National Club of the Year, good luck from everyone at the Branch.

Once again, The Railway Arms is through to the final of Cider Pub of the year, good luck to them, the quality and range of ciders and perry is quite exceptional.

I had a very enjoyable break in the Yorkshire Dales recently. One of the more noticeable difference is that fewer pubs appear to have John Smiths on tap as a real ale, a good sign I suggest!

The majority of pubs have three or four hand pumps in use and all have a varied selection of breweries, mainly local, which is excellent. I have sampled some truly excellent beers in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

Looking at the various investment vehicles, it is interesting to note that several breweries are looking to raise funds through crowdfunding.

This is where many people provide the funding needed. People commit to anything from ÂŁ250.00 upwards.

CAMRA members may be interested in the CAMRA Investment Club, which invests in all sizes of businesses. Members can invest monthly, annually or a lump sum. Having invested for a number of years, my investment has risen steadily. This is a good way to invest in real ale with a risk that is less by spreading the risk.

Finally, on behalf of all the members of the West Norfolk Branch may I wish you all an enjoyable Autumn. Keep drinking.

Steve Barker W.N. Chairman

58 | Autumn 2016

Norfolk Nips | Last orders

The Beer Festival and CAMRA Discounts By the time you're reading this, the 39th Norwich Beer Festival will be just a few weeks away! As always, a huge effort has been made to ensure it goes ahead, and literally hundreds of staff will be looking forward to working at what is one of the oldest and biggest festivals in the country. We'll have beers from all over the country, including six beers from our ‘featured brewery’ Tiny Rebel, whose ‘Cwtch’ (Welsh for ‘cuddle’!) beer was Champion Beer of Britain 2015. We'll also have several casks of Mosaic City, from Norwich's own Golden Triangle Brewery, which was named Champion Golden Ale 2016 at the recent Great British Beer Festival - the highest award won by a Norfolk beer for over a decade we believe. Congratulations go to Kevin Tweedy, owner and head brewer of Golden Triangle!

We'll also have plenty of cider and foreign beer, and this year as an experiment, a few beers served from key-cask, and some from the wood, so there really is something for everyone!

There is a perfectly reasonable argument that pub margins are thin, and that if pubs can afford to discount for CAMRA members they should reduce prices for all customers, or not discount at all, and if that is what a pub chooses to do, I completely agree with them - it is their choice.

There’s also an argument that CAMRA members should refuse discounts, or that we should refuse to publicise them, on the grounds that the pub can’t afford them and we should be helping the pub by refusing to take up the discount. If members wish to do this, they are of course welcome to do so, but why stop there? Why not also chip in a fiver towards the cost of the band, or a tenner towards the rates! No, in short, we respect the publicans choice to offer a discount or not.

Ian Stamp Norwich and Norfolk Branch Chair

If you’d like to get involved in the Beer Festival, I can heartily recommend it - you’ll have fun, meet some lovely people, and have the opportunity to try lots of different beers. You can volunteer for as few or as many sessions as you like, but be warned - it can be addictive!Volunteer on our website at norwichcamra.org.uk/festival/staffing.htm On a completely separate subject, I’ve had a few conversations on social media recently about pub discounts for CAMRA members, and thought I’d take the opportunity of this column to outline what our policy is and why. The first thing to say is that we have never asked, as far as I know, and will never ask while I’m chairman, for discounts. But if pubs wish to give a discount to CAMRA members, as part of their marketing policy, we’re happy to accept, and to publicise the discount to our members. The assumption is, as with all marketing, that the pub owners judge that they will, overall, be better off by giving a discount and encouraging extra trade, and we have no intention of telling pubs how to run their business.

Autumn 2016 | 59

Please support our advertisers | Norfolk Nips

60 | Autumn 2016

Norfolk Nips | Dates for your Diary

CAMRA Branch Calendar

Friday 4th November First Friday Five – 8pm Champion, Trafford Arms, Kings Arms, Freemasons, Rose.

Wednesday 9th November Midweek Stroll – Noon Bell, Walnut Tree Shades, Garnet, Vine, St Andrews Brewhouse.

Wednesday 16th November Branch Meeting & Social – 8.00pm Venue tbc

Friday 25th November Campaign Trip – 7.15pm Castle Mall. Visiting up to 5 pubs north of Norwich.

Norwich and North Norfolk Branch

Friday 2nd December

Thursday 15th September

First Friday Five – 8.00pm St Andrews Brewhouse, Playhouse Bar, Golden Star, White Lion, Kings Head.

Midweek Stroll – Noon Earlham Arms, Black Horse, Alexandra, Belle Vue, Fat Cat.

Thursday 8th December

Tuesday 20th September Branch Meeting & Social – 8pm Humpty Dumpty Brewery (Coach departs Castle Meadow 7.15pm)

Midweek Christmas Stroll – Noon Duke of Wellington, Angel Gardens, Rosebery, Fat Cat Brewery Tap, Leopard, Plasterers, Kings Head.

Friday 16th December

Friday 23rd September Campaign Trip – visiting up to 5 pubs to the west of Norwich - Booking essential

Branch Christmas Crawl – Fat Cat, Belle Vue, Alexandra, Reindeer, Plough, White Lion, Golden Star, Ribs of Beef, Wig & Pen, Kings Head, Plasterers.

Friday 30th September Trip to Ascot Races & Beer Festival – train from Norwich tTBC

Friday 7th October First Friday Five – 8.00pm start Heartease, Windmill, Jubilee, Coach & Horses, Fat Cat & Canary.

Sunday 9th October

West Norfolk Branch Tuesday 13th September Lord Nelson, Burnham Thorpe

Wed 21st September Stuart House Hotel 7.30-9 GBG launch

Brewery Tour to St Peters – Coach leaves Castle Meadow 1.00pm. Tour 2.00pm.

Tuesday 1st October

Tuesday 11th October

Tuesday 8th November

Midweek Stroll – Noon Eagle, York Tavern, Unthank Arms, Eaton Cottage, Beehive.

Branch meeting – Albion Thetford

Friday 21st October Beer Festival Staff Get Together – 7.30pm Leopard

Monday 24th - 29th October Norwich Beer Festival, St Andrews Hall.

Branch AGM (confirmed)

Tuesday Dec13th Branch meeting Saham Toney Bell

Saturday 17th December Norwich Christmas tour Note: all Tuesday socials start 8pm and include a short meeting.

Autumn 2016 | 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 Pubs Officer: Ian Stamp Email: pubs@norwichcamra.org.uk West Norfolk Branch Chairman: Steve Barker email: steve.barker495@btinternet.com Secretary: Ian Bailey Contact: Ian Bailey Tel: 01553 766904 Branch websites: www.norwichcamra.org.uk www.camra.org.uk/wnorfolk Branch mailing list web page: Branch Facebook Page: facebook.com/groups/NorwichCAMRA Published every 3 months by the Norwich and Norfolk & West Norfolk branches of the Campaign for Real Ale Š N&N CAMRA 2016 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.

62 | Autumn 2016

Edited by: Graham Freeman Email: freem_kwak@yahoo.co.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 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

“Not just a Pub!”

AUTUMN BEER FESTIVAL Fri 28th - Mon 31st October

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