While the national press and the big brewers would have us believe that real ale is in terminal decline, it certainly isn’t all gloom and doom by any means on the cask ale front. Our local microbreweries continue to go from strength to strength and not a pint of nitrokeg or lager in sight. From the well established Phoenix in Heywood to the newest brewery at Greenfield, all are churning out the real stuff as fast as they can and it is flying off the shelves. Most are working near capacity and are brimming with confidence. ‘More Beer’ spoke to Tony Allen of Phoenix who said “We have had a phenomenal last five years and I have a growing band of loyal customers, some of whom have been with me for 20 years. I enjoy producing the kind of beers our customers want and feel very positive about the future”.
It was a similar story at Pictish Brewery in Rochdale, where owner and brewer Richard Sutton said “Our beers continue to enjoy an excellent reputation and are much sought after in the free trade and at CAMRA Beer Festivals. I have every expectation that my business will continue to thrive.” A similar tale is told by others, with optimism for the future, enthusiasm and a firm belief in cask ale a common thread.
Cask conditioned real ale is still the way to enjoy beer at its best and growing numbers of discerning customers have become aware of this. Rochdale, Oldham and Bury Branch is lucky enough to have seven micros in the area, brewing around 40 different beers between them. In this very competitive environment and with free trade accounts hard to come by, not all will survive, but they are to be cherished for the variety and innovation that they provide. We feature a local brewery in most editions of this newsletter, so why not seek out some local beer soon? You’ll be supporting our local brewers and getting yourself a really tasty pint into the bargain.
If your neighbourhood Pubco pub does not sell a local cask beer, ask them why not. Let’s put pressure on them to provide real choice, not just the usual suspects from big brewers, bought cheaply and sold expensively. Let’s supply what the customer wants. Let’s supply quality real ale.
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has launched a new website at www.camra.org.uk which makes getting information about real ale and the consumer organisations campaigns easier than ever before.
Superseding the previous website, the design is cleaner making it easier to navigate. It contains information of CAMRA’s creation in the1970s to secure the future of real ale, successes such as lobbying to secure flexible licensing hours in England and Wales, and plans for the future.
Head of Marketing for CAMRA, Louise Ashworth, said: “One of the main aims of the new website is to have a more campaigning focus and enable consumers to get involved in some key CAMRA campaigns. This ranges from protesting about the closure of a brewery, lobbying for an honest full pint or showing disappointment at the Chancellor’s recent budget decision to increase duty on beer whilst freezing duty on champagne. You can email the Chancellor from our home page to show what you think of his decision!” “We also wanted to make it clear what CAMRA stands for, and that we campaign for quality real ale, good pubs and consumer rights in relation to the drinks industry. The site also includes details on joining CAMRA and different ways in which people can get involved with us, whether it’s by visiting a beer festival, signing an online petition or joining other members in surveying pubs for the annual Good Beer Guide”.
Locally, Rochdale, Oldham & Bury’s Branch website goes from strength to strength. It has now been live for 10 months with the hits per month running at about 4,000 with a peak of 8,000 during the month of March (the Oldham Beer Festival). Andy Booth, Webmaster for ROB, said: “It’s really great that the hard work done to prepare the website now shows in the hits rate. Obviously the site does its job and new features are being added all the time. I’m always looking for feedback. Please tell me if you think it can be improved even more”.
Why not visit at www.robcamra.org.uk
Welcome to this our fourth edition of “More Beer” the newsletter from Rochdale, Oldham & Bury CAMRA Branch (Campaign for Real Ale). Our cover story hails the success of our regions Micro’s with most of them working flat out to meet demand. This is not just unique to the North West, but is a nationwide phenomena. The upsurge in demand for different tasty brews is a winning formula, some thing that escapes the national and global giants. It just goes to show that bigger (breweries) Doesn’t always mean better!
With that in mind, in this case bigger does mean better, the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) returns in August to a new venue, Earls Court in London. As the pre-fest press release says, “A hand picked selection of over 700 different real ales, ciders, perries, and bottled beers will be available at the festival” We’ll say no more
Chairman: Peter Alexander Email – peter@peteralexander.plus.com
Secretary: Pam Ellis Email – pam@pamellis.fsnet.co.uk
Membership: Mike Robinson Email - jmikerobby@aol.com
Social Sec: Ken Holt Email – kenjan.holt@btopenworld.com
Treasurer: Clive Taylor Email – ctaylor@rapidial.co.uk
Pubs officer: Bernie Jackson Email – acksionman@ntlworld.com
Campaigns: Alan Ainsworth Email- alan.ainsworth99@ntlworld.com
More Beer Editor: Allan Whitehead Email – ed-morebeer@tiscali.co.uk
MORE BEER is produced by the Rochdale, Oldham & Bury branch of The Campaign for Real Ale Limited. The editor, the Branch committee or CAMRA does not necessarily endorse any opinions expressed in this news- letter. The editor would be pleased to receive contributions on relevant topics – by post or E-mail. Publication cannot be guaranteed, of course, as space is a premium in any free publication, contributions may be edited and certain grammatical errors corrected – if spotted in time. Copyright © 2005.
The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd.,Rochdale, Oldham & Bury Branch.
POST CONTRIBUTIONS TO:
The Editor, More Beer C/O 6. Roundthorn Road, Glodwick, Oldham OL4 1YS
OR POST TO:
CAMRA R.O.B. P.O.Box 108, Oldham OL2-5RE
CAMRA HQ.
230 Hatfield Road St.Albans.Herts, AL1 4LW 01727 867201
Web: www.camra.org.uk
Email: camra@camra.org.uk
SHORT MEASURE PINTS
Complain to your local Trading Standards office.
Oldham. 0161-911-4471
Rochdale. 01706-864-186
Bury. 0161-253-5566
Or Email www. Either To Bury, Oldham Or Rochdale.gov.uk
THE NEXT ISSUE OF MORE BEER WILL BE OUT MID - OCTOBER WE MUST HAVE ANY CONTRIBUTIONS BY THE 15TH SEPTEMBER AT THE LATEST
Long standing CAMRA members Jan & Geoff Hibbert, ably assisted by daughter Nickie, have taken over the Diggle Hotel, although previous incumbents Pauline & Danny will continue to work there for the foreseeable future. Jan and Geoff have only limited previous experience in the licensed trade but have been involved in various retail business activities which should stand them in good stead.
Beer selection will be limited to some degree by the Enterprise Inns portfolio and initially they will continue to sell Taylor’s Golden Best and Landlord, Black Sheep Bitter, Jennings’ Cumberland Ale and a regular changing guest beer (Everards’ Tiger on a recent visit). The popular Sunday afternoon brass band concerts will carry on during the summer months, and a small bands contest is planned for mid-July. Looking ahead they are considering upgrading the three guest bedrooms to en-suite, and hope to organise a beer festival at the Diggle Hotel next year.
Going over the hill, it’s all change at the long standing Good Beer Guide listed Cross Keys in Uppermill after Dougie and Alison Bramwell left at the beginning of June. Donna Harcourt has taken over this JW Lees tenanted house and is looking to return it to its former glory, helped out in the bar by her children Katie and Rachael. Originally from South Manchester, Donna has considerable experience in the catering and pub business with seven years in Jersey and most recently in two premises in Alderley Edge including an ex Hydes pub-restaurant.
Without changing any fundamental character of the pub her plan is to develop the food side, offering snacks and grills at lunchtime and more inventive meals from fresh local produce in the evenings. The full range of John Willie’s cask beers will continue to be available including the seasonal brews, with ‘Scorcher’, their summer brew, due to come on as MORE BEER went to press.
In addition to his role in the prize winning Leyland (Brass) Band, Tom Haslam has taken over as cellarman with the important task of keeping the cask beers in excellent fettle! Also, through his contacts at the Royal College of Music, he is hoping to start a jazz quartet which would play in the Cross Keys during an extended Sunday lunchtime session. Folk music will continue on Wednesday and Sunday nights but will move from the barn to the more atmospheric environs of ‘Buckley’s Kitchen’, the public bar. Donna welcomes the involvement with various local groups, including the Oldham Mountain Rescue Team, located in a building attached to the pub, a Clay Pigeon club and the Garland Girl Dancers. Looking ahead, the Cross Keys is a focal point during the Saddleworth Rushcart Festival at the end of August and by then it will be interesting to see the changes to the pub after a hectic introductory period.
In Uppermill village new licensees Debbie and Jamie have reorganised the cellar at the Granby and now sell four cask beers, currently Black Sheep Bitter, Wells Bombardier, Taylor’s Landlord and the ubiquitous John Smith’s Bitter. Regular guest beers are to replace one of these (unfortunately not John Smith’s as it’s their best seller!) and nearby Greenfield Brewery is in the frame, being on the Enterprise Inns approved list as a member of SIBA.
The rarity of new pub openings means that the prospect of any such venture is welcomed as eagerly as a metatarsal bulletin. And so it was with some anticipation that I surveyed Bury’s latest addition. The Fairfax in Prestwich is tucked away in the centre and, unusually, is based in an apartment complex. And that seems to be the basic problem. Despite being branded a “Smith & Jones” pub on the outside, it has all the appearance and charisma of what it is-a glorified hotel foyer. Despite three wickets being on the bar, only one was in use and that was dispensing very average Flowers IPA. I can’t imagine Prestwich punters queuing round the block for that. No surprise to learn that it is operated by Barracuda, a pub company that seems to revel in its ephemera attitude to the licensed trade.
There’s much better news in the beer wilderness of Ramsbottom. A cask revolution has been taking place at the Good Sam under the stewardship of new landlord, Roger, who has firmly placed this local on the real ale radar. Alongside the ever-present Lees, there are two changing guests, as the growing pump clip collection testifies. Having proven popular with the locals, Copper Dragon Golden Pippin has recently become a permanent fixture. If that wasn’t enough, the pub held its first beer festival over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Definitely worth calling in for one (or more), and very conveniently placed on the Ramsbottom bus circular.
You could do worse in the hot weather than while away a few hours sat outside in sunny Summerseat. The Hamers has been impressing with its guest beer policy-Jennings Cumberland was on recently complementing Theakstons and Ruddles. And then it’s straight across the road to the Footballers. If you can make it past the half a dozen real ales, you can enjoy some splendid views from the rear garden. It’s great to see such choice in a small area. However, it’s often an uphill struggle to get the pubco bosses to see sense where real ale is concerned. They seem to have an atavistic fear of guest beers and continue to assume the ostrich position when considering consumer choice.
Talking of choice, the rarely seen Holt’s seasonals have been making fleeting appearances in Wyldes, but blink and you’ll miss them. Maple Moon was well received, being judged to be just on the right side of sweetness. Fifth Sense met rather more of a mixed response, with one connoisseur describing its taste as “week long wet cardboard.” Definitely proving a hit is Thwaites Playmaker, which has debuted at the excellent Black Bull on Ainsworth Road. Meanwhile, Hyde’s seasonals can be found at the Pack Horse in Affetside, where work nears completion on its extension. Also doing well is the Rose & Crown on Manchester Old Road where new landlady Val has ensured it’s very much as you were on the beer front. Even Blind Tiger has gotten into the act offering bottleconditioned beer to its customers.
Finally, two late-breaking pieces of news. Firstly, it seems that Ramsbottom Brewery has brewed its last with the appearance of End-Ex at the Trackside. Whilst not totally a surprise, it’s a sad loss to the area-as you were with pubcos’ and lack of access to markets. Secondly, there has been a change of licensee at the Hare & Hounds in Holcombe Brook. It’s too early to comment on the situation as regards real ale, but watch this space.
Contact me with any Bury Pub News At alex_ k_uk2000@yahoo.co.uk
In Failsworth The Wood house Gardens has under gone a significant refurbishment. Closed for two weeks whilst work was carried out it re-opened for trade in mid May it now looks much brighter with it’s Light Oak woodwork and the accessibility has been much improved by some internal structural modifications. Furnishings have been completely renewed and friendly new tenants Barry and Christina are now providing their own, more extensive restaurant menu than your present J.W. Lees eatery. The beer garden is looking very nice too. At present, Lees Bitter is the only cask ale available.
Further down the road also in Woodhouses the Dog and Partridge are promoting a guest beer each week with Jennings Tom Fool served recently and in excellent condition, this move is well received by the locals with over 300 pints of the Jennings Beer being sold
Over in the Rochdale area the Moorcock on Halifax Road, Littleborough has now installed two more hand pump thus extending the range of cask ales available.
3 coming up on the horizon - Saddleworth Museum in early September, (1st & 2nd) SeptemBuryFest Bury Round Table (29th & 30th Sept) and Edgworth Real Ale Festival (29th & 30th Sept). If you want to mention your local charity beer festival then send an email to the usual address: ed-morebeer@tiscali.co.uk
Drinkers may have noticed that Carlsberg lager has appeared on the bar in selected Lees pubs. It is understood that this is presently being tankered in to Lees from the Carlsberg Northampton factory and kegged at Greengate. There are plans to brew it at Lees under licence, so watch this space.
Sharp eyed readers may also have spotted a fair number of ”Tenancy Available” signs on Lees pubs recently. Lees web site shows 14 available as we went to press, but this number will fluctuate up and down. Amongst those in the ROB area are notables such as the Tandle Hill Tavern, the Assheton Arms, the Ship Inn and the Jolly Carter, all in Middleton and the Ratcliffe Arms, adjacent to Rochdale Football Club. The full list can be viewed at www.jwlees.co.uk
On the refurbishment front, the work done on the White Hart in Middleton is a very fine job indeed. Sympathetically opened out, using a good choice of materials, this popular local has been transformed into an extremely pleasant place to drink, yet still retaining individuality and character. The beer was jolly good too. More refurbishment news will hopefully appear in the next edition.
Maeve Thomas of the Good Beer Guide listed Horton Arms in Chadderton has won the Lees Tenanted Pub of the year competition. A very well deserved award, as the Horton Arms is a credit to her and the beer lives up to its GBG entry. Other news from around the Lees estate is that there is a newly extended beer garden at the popular canalside Rose of Lancaster. New managers at the Lancashire Fold are Steven & Carla.(sorry no surname yet). Sarah Lockwood is the new manager at the Success to the Plough. Barry & Christina Evans (twice winners of Lees Pub of the Year) have taken over the Woodhouse Gardens as tenants, so all should be well there.
The current seasonal beer is the popular “Scorcher”, which was incidentally, in very good form when CAMRA ROB visited the Spring Inn at Broad Lane Rochdale as part of Independents Day Campaigning. The Cask Mild and Bitter were super too in this rather upmarket, semi rural pub. The Spring Inn carries on winning awards, including Family Pub of the Year (The Publican) and landlady Carol has won Rochdale Business Woman of the Year.
And lastly JW Lees Head Brewer, Giles Dennis has now been manning the mash tuns for 25 years at Greengate. Well done Giles and congratulations!
(Tuesday Meetings all 8.30pm Unless Otherwise Stated)
CAN’T ALWAYS GET TO OUR BRANCH MEETINGS? BUT WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE ACTION !
Make sure we have your up-to-date E-mail Address on our Secretary’s data-base. Information and Social Events can be E-mailed out to you. Please Note: These Are Proposed Venues Which May Change – Consult The Web Site or What’s Brewing to Check
AUGUST
Tues-Sat 1st – 5th Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court, London
Tues 8th Branch Meeting- Horton Arms, Streetbridge, Chadderton
Sat 12th Social Meeting - Whitworth Crawl by Public Transport
Sat-Sun 26th-27th Saddleworth Rushcart Festival Weekend, Cross Keys / Church Inn Uppermill
SEPTEMBER
Tues 5th Branch Meeting - Good Samaritan, Peel Brow, Ramsbottom
Fri-Sun 22nd – 24th Long Weekend Social - Berlin, Germany by Air
OCTOBER
Tues 3rd Branch Meeting - Red Lion, Halifax Road Littleborough
Sat 7th Coach Social – Pennine Pubs, Lancs & Yorks
Sun 29th Social Meeting – Annual 10k Fun Run, Tandle Hill Tavern Middleton
NOVEMBER
Tues 7th Branch Meeting White Hart, Stockport Road, Lydgate
Fri-Sat 17th-18th Bury Beer Festival - The Met, Bury.
Volunteers needed for setting up come along all help is valued
Wed 22nd Evening Coach Social - Visit Hydes Brewery
Further Details on social events are available from the Branch contact or Social Secretary Further Details on social events are available from the Branch Contact or Social Secretary – Changes to the diary and other events may be announced at branch meetings.
CAMRA (The Campaign For Real Ale) has revealed that there are now 570 small and regional brewers in the UK, compared to only 440 in 2002 when Small Breweries’ Relief was introduced. There is now greater choice than at any time since CAMRA was founded back in 1971.
Small Breweries’ Relief means that small brewers pay reduced tax on the beers that they produce. Under the current system all brewers producing 60,000 hectolitres a year benefit.
Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West) has tabled a parliamentary motion backing Small Breweries Relief, and is calling for the threshold to be raised to 200,000 hectolitres so that even more brewers can benefit from this extension.
CAMRA Chief Executive Mike Benner said: “Small Breweries’ Relief has helped create renewed interest in real ale, and this can only be good news for all those that care about real ale. Over 130 more small real ale brewers is fantastic news to our 80,000 members and of course all fans of real ale”.
“It’s a sad fact that 80% of the beer drunk in the UK is produced by four global brewers. Small Breweries’ Relief is crucial in helping Britain’s small and regional brewers to compete against the huge economic muscle of the global brewers. Thirteen EU Countries now provide tax relief for small breweries producing up to 200,000 hectolitres annually and CAMRA is urging Britain to follow the lead of other beer loving nations such as Germany”.
Greg Mulholland MP said: “The relief for small brewers is of course welcome. However there are small independent breweries that do not currently qualify for such relief. It is time they were given the same support levels that allow all small breweries to flourish”.
So far 37 MPs from all parties have signed an Early Day Motion 1955 calling for the Small Breweries’ Relief to be extended. Why not contact your own MP and ask him/her if they are supporting the EDM 1955 and if not why not?
It’s not often that I receive any letters to More Beer, but had to print this one, as it strikes a note on a subject close to my heart - Cask Mild. (Ed)
Dear Sir,
Having recently just read my first copy of More Beer magazine (spring 06) I feel I must write to comment on the JW Lees advert featured inside “that’s what I call a beer belly” I fear that my own figure is about to attain that of the slender model used! I shall explain, the reason is quite simply lack of beer drunk, Lees Mild (Cask Version) that is. Being a modern lady I like to consume a beer or two and although I am no beer aficionado I know what I like and the standard Lees bitter is a bit to harsh for my taste but I’ve really fell in love with the less strong Cask Mild.
My boyfriend is a bitter drinker and is quite happy to drink the Lees bitter all night if I let him. Now that is great for him but not for me, whenever we go out and about in JW Lees land I have to substitute my choice with either a soft drink or face the cold keg version of the mild, I can’t even try the seasonal and there have been ones in the past that I really liked, as finding them is a rare as rocking horse droppings. I fear that Lees brewery will lose my custom and more importantly that of my bitter swigging boyfriend, so I appeal to Lees to tell me where I can get the cask mild in my area or any of the seasonals and keep both of us happy and not just the bitter drinking males of society!
Yours
Ms. J. Turnbull of Rochdale.
Anybody had similar experiences or maybe not? We’d like to hear from you. Please write to the usual address: Editior More Beer. C/o 6 Roundthorn Road Glodwick Oldham OL4 1YS
More Beer contributors Lisa Knight and Andy Roberts recently headed off to Prague to sample the fine architecture, the beautiful winter walks and of course the beer – and at some places coming at 40p a litre who could blame them.
To some Prague may seem like just another European capital city with Pravda shops, pubs and eateries a plenty, however some have described the city as a gem with a thousand spires which has now enjoyed more than 14 years democracy free from the Communist regime.
There are over 150 pubs, bars and eateries throughout Prague, which along with extremely inexpensive yet exquisite beer attracts such a diverse range of characters, both tourists and natives who both equally never miss the opportunity to meet for a beer (or three!) The cuisine has improved a great deal over the years and you can now find dishes from around the world as well as traditional Czech dishes of Goulash and Dumplings, which certainly warms you to the core on the more chilly days!
To work up an appetite for the pubs and bars there are numerous sights to be seen, all within walking distance of our hotel just off Wenceslas Square, a good tip is to ensure you have a good pair of walking shoes or boots to negotiate the cobbled streets.
Starting at Wenceslas Square head towards the Old Town Square and marvel at the fine yellow, cream and mint green buildings, fight your way through the numerous buskers, peddlers and tourists for on the hour, every hour since 1490 people gather around the wondrous Astronomical Clock to watch its wooden doors swing open and the saints emerge to roll above lurid figures illustrating greed, vanity, death and ‘the Turk’.
From the Old Town Square head to the Charles Bridge to cross the Vlatva River and into the Black Tower to listen to the full story of the bridge and its architecture. Once over the bridge brave yourself to climb the steep hill to Prague Castle, the climb is worth it for the views over Prague alone, and there are numerous sights to be seen once inside the castle many of which are completely free of charge, if you can’t quite manage the climb all in one go there are plenty of drinking establishments along the way, varying from Jazz to traditional Czech bar/cafes.
From the castle head back over the river and into perhaps the most haunting part of Prague, this is the Jewish Quarter, which commemorates the Jews who died throughout World War II.
There are many more sights to be seen, too many to mention here as by now you will have worked up a good appetite and thirst.
So now for the best bit………
The beer. With a wide range of beers to choose from including Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar, Gambrinus, Staropramen, Radegast and Velkopopovick? Kozel Lisa and I headed off on crawl on a freezing cold Friday evening. Our first port of call was “Senk Vrbovec” which was a small bar and although on the main drag of Wenceslas Square was very traditional and attracted a fair share of locals unwinding after a long week in work. First up was a bottle of Staropramen, as they had no draught beers on at all.
Lisa and I then headed down to a bar just off the old square and one that came highly recommended, “U Vejvodu” is deceptively small from the outside and tucked away around a corner, yet serves pristine quality Pilsener Urquell and traditional Czech food from 12noon till 4am. The bar is made from, and decorated with old brewing apparatus, rather impressive to point out was that the main bar which is made from a gigantic old brewing copper kettle split in two! To drink here we started on what appeared to be the favourite of everyone, Pilsener Urquell. Turning left and down the stairs from the main bar you appear to be in an underground subway, which then opens up into another large bar/restaurant area. We decided that here would be a good place to eat, Andy felt that he needed warming so went for the Goulash and dumplings, Lisa went for a Beef roll stuffed with chicken and egg served with rice, both of which were extremely good and kept us going for the rest of the night.
Next on the agenda was a small traditional establishment, but by this time the beer was taking its toll so forgive us for forgetting the name of the place but if you’re interested the name, when translated was “Little Goat”! When entering it appears to be someone’s front hall way, however tucked away down the stairs is the cosy bar area, there are beer menus on each table which helps as the bar serves quite an array of weird and wonderful sounding beers, Andy went for a Gambrinus and Lisa decided upon Budvar.
Finally, the days walking, beers and goulash caught up with us and we decided to go back to our hotel, however on the way back we stumbled upon a small back street café/bar called…. Well your guess is as good as ours but it looked too good to be missed, especially as they served their own home brewed speciality spirits and liquors! Perfect for finishing the night (and both of us!!) off. Ahhhh bed…
If you do get the opportunity we would both highly recommend Prague for a long weekend. It has something for everyone, from the city walks with magnificent sights to the traditional and international cuisine, which can all washed down with the fabulous beer!
Andrew Roberts Lisa Knight
If you have ever wondered if CAMRA will publish a German Beer Guide then wonder no more. It has been a long time in the coming and is certainly well worth the wait. An impressive 573 pages long, no pocket sized guide this, but with 1250 breweries and 7500 beers to go at, that is not at all surprising. Do not expect to find full beer tasting notes, but instead, a sensible and well written description of the various beer styles likely to be encountered and more importantly, where to find them.
This is where the book really comes into its own. It is sensibly divided by German State, with each town with a brewery listed alphabetically, together with details of the brewery, its beers and the brewery tap - if it has one - or where to get the beers if it hasn’t. Perfect. Even better, details of the nearest German rail station or bus route, are described with commendable clarity. A nice touch is the mention of the all important “ruetag” or rest day when the pub will be closed. This will save many a wild goose chase as I know to my cost! Maps abound, but a cautionary note must be sounded here. The state maps in particular would have benefited from the inclusion of locations as well as numbers, which need much page flicking to decode. The larger beer centres such as Munich, Bamberg, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Cologne and seven other cities have their own detailed chapters, this time with several pub recommendations, which the avid beer buff will find invaluable. Here the maps are better.
To add to this veritable cornucopia there is advice on German pub culture and the Germans, useful words and phrases, beer gardens and much more besides. This is a comprehensive work and a labour of love. The author tells us how he had originally thought he would do a few pages, 60 or so, just for himself and friends, but a chance meeting on an obscure German railway station with one Tim Webb, well known beer writer and cofounder of CAMRA books changed all that. This superb volume is the outcome.
Published by CAMRA Books on high quality paper with full colour photographs throughout, Good Beer Guide Germany is a must for the beer tourist or anyone interested in German Beer culture. It can be ordered from CAMRA with a discount for members.
The Great British Beer Festival will be held at Earls Court for the first time this year and is expected to be the biggest beer festival with over 450 real ales available for visitors to sample. This is the largest showcase for real ale and is the perfect place to visit if you want to find out more about real ale or you have some favourite beers that you want to rediscover. There’s plenty to entertain you during your visit with bar games, pub quizzes, street theatre and live music plus a selection of hot food and snack. Opening times are as follows:
Tuesday 1st August 17.00 – 22.30: Admission £7, CAMRA members£5
Wednesday 2nd August Noon – 22.30: Admission £7, CAMRA Members £5
Thursday 3rd August Noon – 22.30: Admission £7, CAMRA Members £5
Friday 4th August Noon – 22.30: Admission £7, CAMRA Members £5Saturday 5th August Noon – 19.00 Admission £6, CAMRA Members £4
The announcement of the Champion Beer of Britain is made during the trade session. So why not go and visit for a few days? Better still, if you are a CAMRA member, why not volunteer your time to help at this year’s event? You’ll be made very welcome and don’t forget for giving up your time to help staff and run this event the accommodation is given to you free!
Visit www.gbbf.org or call 01727 867201
It was a bright May weekend when a party of about twenty descended upon the Castle Rock Brewery which is located next to the Vat & Fiddle pub in the centre of Nottingham. One thing which made this brewery visit slightly different from others that have been made in the past was that on this occasion it was a Sunday morning at 10.45 am with many of our party still feeling the after-effects from a Saturday night’s drinking in Nottingham. The brewery visit took place during the Branch’s weekend away to the East Midlands area.
We were met at the brewery entrance by head brewer Adrian Redgrove (former brewer at Brakspears); he guided the party up the first flight of steep steps to what is now the Hop and Malt store. Here Adrian gave an outline of the brewing process, explaining that the area in which we were all standing was the old part of the brewery and that, as we proceeded along with the tour, we would be able to see the improvements and investment made to the brewery, which now take brewing capacity to nearly 100 barrels per week.
The party snaked through the brewery site with Adrian explaining that the new brewing plant occupies more of the rear of the new building and that the former Micro Brewery site at the front is being transformed into extra dining space for the next door Vat & Fiddle, with large viewing windows in place so drinkers and diners can see the brewery in action. This area will also double up as a reception area for the increasing demand for brewery tours.
Adrian also explained how he likes to be quite experimental with some brews, with the `Natural Selection’ beers (brewed to help raise funds for the Nottingham & Sheffield Wildlife Trusts) being an obvious example, with a few pints of the current wildlife beer with added St John’s Wort consumed by many in the Vat & Fiddle after the tour. Adrian also pointed out that some of the old micro plant had been saved. Pointing to a large cylinder on its side, similar in size and shape to a decompression tank used by divers, this, he said, was now used as a holding tank and the casks were filled from this tank direct, thus a fermenting vessel could be emptied and quickly cleaned ready for the next brew to start its fermentation.
The final part of the tour led us through the cold storage area where the barrels are kept at cellar temperature ready for dispatch and on that note we all dispatched ourselves to the next door Vat and Fiddle for a beer or two, all of which were very moreish and as you’d expect also rather fine.
The 15th Saddleworth Museum Festival will be held in the gallery of the museum in Uppermill on Friday evening 1st and Saturday 2nd September 2006. As in previous years proceeds will be used to support the museum, which features local themes from this old Yorkshire region on the “wrong side” of the Pennines.
By National CAMRA standards, the Saddleworth Beer Festival is a modest event, although in recent years it has moved away from serving national beer brands to showcasing smaller local breweries, including a number which did not exist 15 years ago. In 2005 a selection of beers was available from nearby Greenfield Brewery, Millstone Brewery in Mossley, Shaw’s (Dukinfield) Brewery, Phoenix of Heywood, Saddleworth Brewery as well as the more established JW Lees (Middleton) and Timothy Taylor of Keighley. This included a number of traditional bitters, paler “summer beers”, strong and dark ales as well as an American-formulated hoppy, full-bodied brew. It is expected that a similar range of beers will again be served the old-fashioned way, straight from the cask, this year.
As well as the range of ales on offer, Winos of Oldham will provide wines and food will be available to soak them up.
Music will be a feature of both evenings’ sessions with the popular Pennine Jazz Band returning after a successful appearance last year. All in all it promises to be another fun event at this attractive canal side venue, which can be reached easily by bus to Uppermill (service 184 from Oldham) or train from Greenfield station (only 10 minutes walk away).
One of the few genuine free houses in the area, the Royal Oak at Heights has been in the Good Beer Guide continuously for the last 14 years, although the pub itself has been around for over 230 years.
According to Rob Magee (Saddleworth Pubs and their Licensees c1674 – 1998) the pub opened soon after the adjacent St. Thomas’s Church was established in 1768. In the early 1800s it was called the Punch Bowl Inn, then became the Clothiers’ Arms before a further name change to the Royal Oak, better known locally as Th’heights.
As the Punch Bowl its name was remembered fondly by local poet Ammon Wrigley: “A lusty and appropriate title, and so full of fragrance; heavy with the smell of yeomen and the better end of folk. There is the flavour of old Church meetings about it; great bowls of hot steaming punch, silver ladles, long Churchwarden pipes, grey-bearded wardens, and jovial red-necked Parsons”.
At one time owned by Oldham Brewery, it was sold to Bentley and Shaw’s in 1950 and became a free house in 1969. The current licensee, Sheila Fancy, runs it with her husband Mike, who keeps himself busy during the day by rebuilding racing car and bike engines!
As reported in the Spring edition of ‘More Beer’ the pub has recently been refurbished as shown in the photos. As well as the regular beers from Moorhouses, Black Sheep and Millstone, there are up to two guest beers from all over the UK. Home cooked food is available in the evenings at weekend. Although the pub can be difficult to find it is well worth the effort and in the good weather the garden patio provides superb views over the Tame valley.
Bury Round Table Bury Round Table will be holding their inaugural SEPTEMBURYFEST? Beer Festival on Friday 29th September (evening session from 5.30pm) and Saturday 30th September (all day from 12 noon) at the Oddfellows Hall on Manchester Road, Bury.
There will be up to 30 real ales available. All proceeds will go to local charities. Bury Round Table are seeking further sponsorship for this event. There are attractive sponsorship packages available so please make contact if you are able to help.
Further details are available from: Matthew Parr mrdpuk@yahoo.co.uk
A day trip over to the other side of t’ Pennines to visit the May Fest in Halifax with our intrepid reporters - on this occasion, Andy & Lisa.
After a blazing hot week with temperatures reaching around 25 – 26 degrees the omens were looking good for the weekend, Lisa and I had been discussing the previous year’s antics on the other side o’t’ hills all week and we couldn’t wait to get back over there. After being cooped up in the office and not seeing much of the glorious weather the bright days had to offer, feelings were high for our annual pilgrimage to Mayfest 2006. And so it was – 4.30 pm on the dot I leapt from my chair and left the office to be greeted with…… RAIN!!
This did dampen (excuse the pun) the spirits somewhat but as Friday left and Saturday came, things were still looking the same way. But this did not put us off, far from it. Instead we enjoyed the whole day sat inside the grand Square Chapel where Mayfest has been held for the last 4 years.
We paid and entered up the steps to be greeted with an L shaped bar area taking up 2 sides of the square chapel. All the beers were on hand pump which had been kindly supplied by the Halifax Steam Brewery. We wasted no time in getting the first beer in, thanks to the complimentary beer tokens that come with the admission price. (just one of the many benefit from being a CAMRA Member) First up for Andy was Beartown’s Bearskinful – this didn’t really live up to Andy’s theory that the first beer at a festival is always the best beer – it was slightly disappointing. However Andy’s theory was correct in Lisa’s case, she opted for a Daleside Blonde from Daleside in Harrogate at 3.9% - a very pale session beer, with masses of hops in both taste and aroma, which was on great form.
Next up was a wheat beer from the Mordue Brewery in North Shields, Tyne and Wear. Al’Wheat Pet (4.2%) is a well-balanced beer with strong floral flavours with hints of lemon. We then went to the opposite side of the country and tried Betty Stoggs from Skinners in Truro, Cornwall. Very hoppy and fruity – a lovely beer indeed. After a few more samples of the real stuff Lisa decided to bravely hit the cider bar and Andy – even more bravely - hit the international beer bar. For a break from the norm these really are a godsend. Andy opted for a German wheat beer – Maisels Weisse – and Lisa went for Brimblecombe’s farmhouse cider from Dunsford in Devon with both bringing a refreshing change, so much so that we bought a bottle of Knights cider from Herefordshire to share when we got home.
However, it was now time to sample some more ale. We left what had been a great day at Mayfest 2006 to stumble down the road for another annual trip to the Pumproom. This is a great pub – it must be said – with a fantastic range of ales on as well as cider and continental beers. The owners also host their own beer festivals throughout the year where they extend the bar to hold up to 15 handpumps! At this point neither Lisa nor I can remember what ales we actually had! However I do remember finishing with a pint of Erdinger.
And with that it was time to finish the drinks and get the train back home – thankfully you could pretty much see the station from both the venues. Back in Rochdale we finished off with a few in the Regal Moon where the Wetherspoons festival was in full flow, then a quick one (maybe two) in the Baum where we met up with other (rather merry) Halifax festival goers. Then finally one for the road in our local, the Healey Hotel.
Despite the let down in the weather this was great day out. As we mentioned previously this is becoming a pilgrimage for us and I can highly recommend it becoming one for you as well! Roll on Mayfest 2007!