Reports of the death of cask ale are, it seems, premature. In a report jointly published by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the Independent Family Brewers of Britain, the Society of Independent Brewers, the Cask Marque Trust and the Why Handpull? Group, the finger of blame for the years of decline is pointed squarely at the big four national brewers and their failure to invest in big cask brands such as Bass, Tetley’s and Worthington’s. Up to 80 per cent of all volume decline in ale comes from Coors, Scottish & Newcastle, InBev and Carlsberg.
In contrast small brewers are booming like never before and regional and family brewers are seeing significant growth averaging 7.5 per cent a year. How can cask ale be in permanent decline when we have more cask ale brewers in the UK than at any point in the last fifty years, with 160 new breweries opening in the last two years alone? When the latest edition of CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide lists 3,000 different cask ales? When both new and long-established brewers are reporting growing sales? When the number of pubs stocking cask ale is increasing, and CAMRA is boasting record membership levels and bumper attendances at its beer festivals? Cask Ale accounts for a massive 2.4 million barrels of beer a year or a staggering 694 million pints!
Interestingly, the influence of women on cask ale is significant and growing. More than half a million women are cask ale drinkers and anecdotal evidence from cask ale pubs, and research carried out for the trade paper the Morning Advertiser, shows that in good cask ale pubs, as many as one in five drinkers is female. Cask ale is undeniably perceived as a very masculine drink, but where it is presented and served properly, it is proven to attract more women. There is nothing intrinsic in the product to exclude women from drinking it, and women therefore represent a huge opportunity for real volume growth.
It seems according to the report that people choose cask ale when the occasion is all about simple socialising, when you’re unhurried, chatting with friends, not drinking excessively. As people get a little older they don’t stop going out to pubs, but they do start to appreciate pubs where they can hear each other speak. These are places where cask ale is more likely to be found. I think we all knew that, but it is nice to have it confirmed.
Finally for statistics, perhaps the most surprising aspect of cask ale drinkers is their apparent affluence: 78% of cask ale drinkers are social grade ABC1. So it seems us cask ale drinkers are well off professionals. Remind yourself of that as you cough up for your next pint!
“More Beer” has always banged the cask ale drum and will continue to do so. It certainly isn’t a gloomy scenario locally as readers of this newsletter will know, with a record number of local breweries producing the stuff. So get out there and drink it. It is upmarket, classy and socially responsible. It is green, it is fresh and it is good and for our female readers, it is just the drink for you! We knew that too, didn’t we?
The cask ale report is on line here:
http://www.caskalereport.co.uk/report.pdf
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Welcome to Issue 9 as we hurtle towards the festive season and all those wonderful, warming winter ales (and a National Festival of such in January!) If you’re having a Christmas party, why not contact your local microbrewer? Many will be able to provide you with a polypin, or even a cask, of beautiful beer at a reasonable rate.
And remember, it’s Bury Beer Festival at the Met on the 16th & 17th November and we’d appreciate your support – come and drink the beer or, if you’re a Camra member, why not try helping out even if it’s for a couple of hours? It’s good fun, good company, and there are usually other benefits available. Also upcoming:
• 28 Feb – 1 Mar Forever Bury Beer Festival, Bury FC Social Club, Gigg Lane, Bury BL9 9HU.
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 – camraclive@uk2.net
Pubs officer: Bernie Jackson
Email – acksionman@ntlworld.com
More Beer Editor: Sue Barker
Email – suebarker@bulldoghome.com
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 newsletter. 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 © 2007. The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd., Rochdale, Oldham & Bury Branch.
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Friendship Re-opens
Holt’s Friendship in Scholes Lane, Prestwich
re-opened in early September after a major
refurbishment. Worst fears for this very
traditional roadside pub have not been realised,
but depending on your point of view it has
been either sensitively modernised, or the feel
of it being a traditional local’s pub has been
diluted more than somewhat. The main
wooden gantry and surrounds remain and the
small tap room is much the same, but wooden
floors, plasma televisions and a separate
restaurant area to the left as you go in has
certainly taken the pub upmarket. Food from
Holt’s standard menu and specials are available.
One local CAMRA member told me
enthusiastically “they even have duck and hoi
sin pizza!” Indeed. Manager Steve who has
been there for many years is still in charge.
Holts Bitter, Mild and seasonal are offered and
were in good nick on my visit. “More Beer” is
available too. I didn’t try the pizza!
Hare and Hounds
Lees “closed and boarded” Hare and Hounds on Long St, Middleton had a “Sale by Auction” sign attached to it at the end of September and might well have been sold by the time you read this.
New Beer for the Tandle Hill Tavern
Go ahead licensee Michelle Fenton has“nagged” Lees into producing a special beer for the Thornham Lane pub. Cask ale enthusiast Michelle explained that with Lees only having a seasonal beer four times a year, she felt she needed something more to offer her customers by way of variety. “This is very much a cask-led pub and I just wanted something different and Lees have agreed to produce this beer for us. The locals have been very much involved as we had a competition to name the beer with a vote taking place. Entries were £1, with proceeds going to Kershaw’s Hospice Appeal”. The name chosen by the THT regulars is“Bumpy Lane” the origins of which become very apparent to anyone visiting the pub. Lees will be pleased that none of the more salacious entries was the winner!
Bumpy Lane went on sale on the 28th of September and is an easy drinking, likeable and tasty brew 4% brew, which, to this author at least, tasted like a dry hopped version of another well known bitter produced at Greengate! It is well worth a try, as is the pub, a current Good Beer Guide entry, where a warm welcome is assured.
PS. Congratulations to Michelle on her award for Pub of the Year at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards.
Peter Alexander
The 16th Saddleworth Museum Beer Festival in September was well attended and nearly 90% of the beer on offer was supped over the two day event. Surprisingly, given the recent trend to pale hoppy ales, the most popular beer at the festival was Black Five from Greenfield Brewery, described as “a 4.0% dark bitter”. The second beer to sell out was Alchemists Ale (4.3%) from Pictish, while Tiger Rut and The Station from Millstone, Phoenix’s Thirsty Moon, Golden Golden Best from Timothy Taylor and Shaw’s Globe were also popular. Friday night was a particularly enjoyable session with music from Pennine Jazz creating a good atmosphere. The 17th Festival is already pencilled in for 5/6th Sept 2008, so make a note in your diary now!!
CAMRA’s 2008 Good Beer Guide has just been published and contains a number of well established real ale pubs in Saddleworth, which offer a variety of styles and facilities to satisfy all tastes. In Uppermill the Waggon is a village centre pub offering good value food in the bar or restaurant and quality B&B accommodation, while the Cross Keys is a classic moorland pub with the local Mountain Rescue HQ attached. The Diggle Hotel is located in a pleasant hamlet and also provides B&B and popular home cooked food. Both pubs in Dobcross have an interesting history - the Swan (Top House) was built in 1765 and owned by the Wrigley family who later developed their chewing gum business while the Navigaton, next to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, was built in 1806 to slake the thirsts of the navvies digging the Standedge tunnel. In Greenfield the Railway offers a variety of entertainment including live music, as well as B&B facilities, while the King William IV (King Bill) is a village local providing wide-screen TV for sports enthusiasts and serving home cooked food. The Royal Oak (Th’heights) is a beautiful old pub overlooking the Tame Valley which serves evening meals at weekends. Last but not least, the White Hart at Lydgate is an upmarket hotel and eatery which has frequent themed dining events including one where the food courses are matched with beers.
According to various licensees the impact of the July 1st smoking ban has been mixed, some saying it has had no effect, while others have seen a downturn. One local dining pub observed that some smokers are now leaving the pub after eating instead of having a few more drinks at the bar before going home. One of the problems with some of the more exposed old pubs in the area is that it is difficult to get planning permission for simple smoking shelters which comply with local planning regs, and are effective and substantial enough to remain standing after a storm.
On the news front Copper Dragon’s Black Gold, a 3.7% dark beer based on a 19th century recipe, has become a regular feature at the Diggle Hotel, who are also planning to showcase a number of Christmas brews over the festive season. Apparently these will be available for the first time from the Enterprise Inns beer range.
Perhaps not surprisingly, given the alienation (and banning!) of several regular customers and the inability to retain kitchen and bar staff for more than a few weeks, Donna at the Cross Keys will be leaving the pub in the near future. A number of people have shown interest in this JW Lees tenancy including the licensee of another well-regarded real ale pub in Saddleworth.
The GBG 2008 is out, and Rochdale and Littleborough have the most entries for a number of years. The worthy entrants are the Merry Monk, the Baum, the Regal Moon, the Flying Horse, the Cemetery, the Albion, the Healey, the Moorcock and the White House. A new entry this year is the Cemetery, gaining re entry following a number of years of absence. This Camra Heritage pub, part of the Punch chain, is one of the few pubs in the area within the group who can buy from the SIBA beer list which means the likes of Copper Dragon, Bank Top et al could all be lining up on the bar in the near future. Congratulations to the “grumpy” landlord and the team, quite rightly earning recognition for the quality and range of beers on offer.
Congratulations are also due to Simon and his good lady at the Baum on their recent addition to the family. We are assured it is not something in the beer and Simon continues to offer a contrasting range of beers from some of the lesser known microbreweries.
The Mark Twain seems to be going from strength to strength and is now offering three cask beers and one of the regulars is usually a Phoenix beer whilst the Pineapple Inn also appears to be doing well. The Albion continues to offer a good range, all in excellent condition, and further up Whitworth Rd. the Birches now offers four cask beers of which a Moorhouses is one of the regulars. We know this is outside our area (just) but it is still worth a visit.
Another pub on the up is the Cask and Feather that also seems to be regaining its popularity following its unforeseen closure. This leads us nicely into the town centre pubs where the Regal Moon offers a wide range of beers of varying strengths from the breweries here in the North West. When this article goes to print the coolers should have been repaired and cask beer should be available again - just in time for the Real Ale Festival (Nov 1-18th). The Reed has a “To Let” sign outside and the opening hours are unclear. Nevertheless it offers a good pint of Jennings. On the up side, the Merry Monk continues to maintain the high standards we have come to expect from this hostelry.
The Gallows in Milnrow offers a good range of beers with Black Sheep Bitter and a Copper Dragon beer amongst the regulars. Unfortunately, the Freemasons has closed although a refurbishment appears to be under way. The choice in Littleborough is restricted to the Moorcock and the White House and whilst the King Bill is improving, the centre is crying out for a pub offering a decent pint. The Wine Press at the Lake (formerly the Fish) is also worth a visit, offering a couple of cask beers.
On a recent excursion into Castleton we called in the New Inn and what a pleasant surprise. This is a Robinsons house and offers a comprehensive range of beers, seasonals when available and Old Stockport when not. The recently introduced OB bitter will be added to the beers on offer in the New Year. At £1.90 for a pint good value. (Peter - please note). Twelve months in the trade, the landlady deserves great credit for the cleanliness of her pub and her depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for the product she purveys.
The Success to the Plough continues to receive comment for the poor quality of their beers. Whether this is a pub or brewery problem is not clear but certainly JWL have achieved notoriety in recent months for the variability of its beers. The Clog and Shawl has reopened, for how long only time will tell.
In the last More Beer it was reported that a new brewery had been established in Rochdale. The Greenmill Brewery is going well and by the time you read this article, a new beer will have been added to the range. This will be a Pale Ale, 4.2% and expected to be very hoppy. The Greenmill beers have been available at the Baum, the Moorcock and the Hare and Hounds in Wardle and hopefully in the future at the Flying Horse. Further afield they are on at the Crown in Stockport and are currently being distributed through Boggart.
Imagine our surprise when we popped into our favourite Robinsons pub only to be told there was no Unicorn bitter available and that we would have to make do with the Oldham bitter. Not a problem but our surprise turned to consternation when we were informed that the OB had run out. The landlord rather brazenly explained that an influx of CAMRA members had enjoyed the beer so much that they had drunk him dry. A likely story Peter.
We’ll finish as we started by offering congratulations to Hobsons Brewery in Shropshire for winning Champion Beer of Britain at GBBF- Hobsons Mild 3.2%, not a DM nor a Dark but a MILD. Thank goodness for a bit of common sense.
Sadly two deaths to report among the beer writing fraternity. Firstly the doyen of beer writers, the Beer Hunter himself, Michael Jackson died on 30th August. Michael Jackson had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for 10 years. He was second to none in knowledge and in ability to write with style and panache. In his last interview he said “Beer is all about taste. If you can’t taste it, why bother?” Exactly!
The other sad loss was John White who among many other things organised beer travels in Europe. Though not as well known as Jackson, he was a mine of information about Belgium and Germany and his web site, dedicated ironically to his hero Michael Jackson, is a wonder to behold.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he “will not hesitate” to make changes to the new licensing laws and admitted there were “problems”. In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, said: “Where there are things that are wrong and where mistakes have been made we will look at these things and change these things. I will not hesitate to change policy if I think that we have to make these changes in the interests of the country.” However he ruled out raising the legal drinking age to 21. “I don’t think that is going to solve the problem,” he said. During the interview, Brown also pointed the finger at shops on the issue of underage selling. “I want to be very tough with those shops that are selling alcohol to teenagers, they should lose their licence and they should lose it for a long time,” he said. “That’s what’s contributing to binge-drinking in our cities in towns and our communities.” A government review of the Licensing Act is expected to report back by the end of the year.
Lovers of the white stuff, no, not milk, will be interested to learn that having moved production to the lager plant at Jupille in French-speaking Belgium, InBev are fully reopening the original Flanders brewery in Hoegaarden and moving all production back there. They say that they need the space at Jupille due to the popularity of the Jupille Lager brewed there, but it seems the real story is that they couldn’t replicate the beer properly, had to destroy loads of batches, had poor to non-existent availability and sales have plummeted. All Hoey in the UK for the last 18 months or so has come from Jupille and insipid just about describes it. For sheer incompetence, hard to beat!
The Branch trip for August was to Holmfirth and surroundings. Unfortunately we were not blessed with our usual good weather. Somebody on the coach must have upset the weather gods hope they’re not on the next trip!
First stop was the Sycamore Inn on New Mill Road in Holmfirth, with a stone & tile floor, and several dark and cosy rooms, one of which had a large TV showing cricket. Regular beers are Banks’ Bitter, Black Sheep Best Bitter and Tetley Bitter. Guest beers on our visit were Oldershaw Old Boy and Bradfield Farmer’s Blonde, a beer of which we had fond memories from our trip to Sheffield, and which again gave no cause for disappointment.
Second, and lunch stop, was the Boot & Shoe at Scholes. Here there was a great view over the valley from the back window. A plentiful buffet was laid on for us despite the landlady’s husband having been hospitalised following a bad motorbike accident - we wished him well. Regular beers are Taylor’s Landlord and Tetley’s Bitter and the guest beer was Phoenix Arizona, which pleased the brewer, who happened to be on the trip with us.
Then to the Red Lion in the valley at Jackson Bridge, from where can be seen the row of cottages from Last of the Summer Wine, and where regular beers are Adnams Bitter, Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Greene King IPA and
Tetley Bitter. Guests were Batemans DM, Batemans Valiant, Ossett Silver King and Copper Dragon Best Bitter.
Next to the Farmers Arms, Burnlee, Holmfirth. Tucked away down a lane just outside of Holmfirth, this had some locals enjoying a quiet pint until our coach arrived, when some lively banter ensued. Regulars are Adnams Bitter, Black Sheep Best Bitter, Fuller’s London Pride, Taylor’s Landlord and Tetley Dark Mild. Guests were Milestone Loxley Ale, Greene King IPA and Hardy & Hanson’s Olde Trip, so well worth the effort in finding it.
To finish off the day we were dropped off in the centre of Holmfirth, where we had Hervey’s Bar, Rose & Crown (aka the Nook) and the Old Bridge Hotel to try. Hervey’s was a surprise - a continental-style bar with bottled foreign beer and good food including tapas, and overlooking the river Holme with an outdoor seating area. On offer were Copper Dragon Bitter, Copper Dragon 1816 and Copper Dragon Golden Pippin. No complaints from me, then!
The Old Bridge Hotel offers ‘7 regularly changing beers’ but on our visit we were disappointed to find that they were all fairly mainstream (e.g Black Sheep).
The Nook presents a small frontage onto an alley, but opens up as you get further in and again offers a pleasant outside drinking area overlooking the river. Regulars are Moorhouses Black Cat, Taylor’s Best Bitter and Taylor’s Landlord. Guest beers were Slaters Queen Bee, Kelham Island Renaissance and Kelham Island Roulette. Unfortunately we missed their summer beer festival by days. There are also monthly live music events.
So a good, compact crawl with some excellent beers and the usual good company.
Situated 63 kilometres north of the large city of Nuremberg, Bamberg, on twin forks of the River Regnitz, in Franconia, is an unspoilt Baroque city of some 70,000 people at the foot of the Stiegerwald Hill range. Like Rome it is built on seven hills, boasting a church on each. The baroque city is built on its medieval pattern and many of the beautiful buildings are hundreds of years old. The Old Town of Bamberg is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and unlike its large neighbour, was one of the few German cities that sustained virtually no damage during WWII.
But while the unique charms of this ancient town have much fascination to the casual tourist, for the drinker, beer is the undoubted attraction. While all varieties of German beer are available, it is smoked beer (or Rauchbier in German) for which it is, perhaps, best known. This is achieved by using a large percentage of smoked malt in the grain bill. The most famous of the smoked beers is Schlenkerla from the Heller brewery which can be enjoyed fresh at the Schlenkerla tavern on Dominikaner Strasse in the old town. If you like smoked fish or cheese then you’ll probably like it.
Bamberg is currently home to 9 traditional breweries (Brauerei Fässla, Brauerei Greifenklau, Brauerei Heller-Trum (“Schlenkerla”), Brauerei Kaiserdom, Keesmann
Bräu, Klosterbräu, Mahrs Bräu, Maisel Bräu and Brauerei Spezial) which is unprecedented in a city of only 70,000 people. Now smoked beer is very much an acquired taste and not to the taste of this author, but the Schenkerla tavern itself is a wonderful multi roomed rambling pub which is simply a world classic. It is a symbol of the confidence (some might say arrogance) of the German brewing industry that “Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier” is the only beer (and more or less the only drink) sold. The place is nonetheless bustling from morning until night! If only British brewers had such self belief.
Bamberg’s brewpubs have a habit of cuddling up to each other, with Keesman and Mahrs being more or less opposite each other as are Spezial and Fässla though in different parts of this compact town. Keesman is a particular favourite of mine with its neat tap room, typical scrubbed deal tables and a very traditional clientele. There is a stand up drinking corridor and a pleasant beer garden behind. The showpiece beer here is Herren Pils with its clear lemon gold colour and its astonishingly bitter herbal nose followed by a distinct hoppiness throughout. It is in my opinion one of the best
pilsner beers brewed today. It was in Keesman that I encountered a most ancient Franconian custom, where a knock on your table as a new customer enters denotes an unspoken “Gruss Gott” or God’s Greeting, the everyday “hello” in this part of the world. Across the road is Mahrs Brauerei. The tap room here is more boisterous and smoky with brewery knick knacks providing both interest and décor. The beer to drink here is Keller Beer, mid brown and hoppy, served in a traditional ceramic mug. For those wishing fresh air, there is an outside courtyard area.
Back in the Old Town, I preferred Fässla with its excellent gold bier, the unusually named Zwergla , a visible brewery, sunny enclosed courtyard and its quirky serving hatch. It also brews an excellent pilsner beer and serves hearty, well cooked German fare in large portions. Directly across the road directly is Spezial famous as the “other smoked beer brewery”, but this time not so pronounced. The beer to drink here for the non smoked fan is “Ungespundet” or simply “U”, a less gassy malty / hoppy beer of some character. Both these pubs do accommodation.
Bamberg is also a proficient exponent of the beer garden, or rather, in local parlance, the Beer Keller. Spezial is excellent as is Greifenklau, the latter with its single keller beer, though both involve long uphill walks to the top of the town. The drinker, once he has recovered, is rewarded with spectacular views over the town, hearty, well prepared food and first-rate beer.
Bamberg is also an excellent centre to venture into the countryside with its many local breweries. You can do as I did and rent a bike for a very modest fee and cycle 7km along the Main Canal to Bischberg, where the excellent Braurerei Zur Sonne serves tremendous home brewed beer. Less energetically a train will take you in a short time to Buttenheim by where, after a mile or so walk, you come to St Georgen Brau and Lowenbrau sitting side by side on a tiny street behind the main drag of this very quiet market town. Both are worth a visit, but we walked to their beer kellers (yes
next door to each other), the latter with lovely views back over the town and excellent keller bier dispensed by gravity. Disappointingly St Georgen Brau, whose keller bier appears in Wetherspoon’s in cask conditioned form from time to time, for some unknown reason serves their beer at the keller via a fake barrel, fully gassed by CO2. Shame on them.
Bamberg is not the easiest place in the world to get to, as it always involves a flight and train, usually to Nuremberg, but it is so rewarding for the beer drinker. In the Bamberg area,
as a bonus, you will rarely pay more than £1.50 a half litre and much less out in the country though prices shoot up considerably in Nuremberg (which is worth a visit in its own right.) So with history galore and a beautiful location, plus some superb beer, what are you waiting for?
Our autumn weekend trip was organised by Branch members Mel Carney and Phoenix Brewery’s Tony Allen. Sunshine was delivered to order as per usual as we set off on the Friday for the Midlands. We stopped for lunch at the award-winning Station, Chapel Lane, Codsall - rather like Stalybridge Buffet Bar but in a prettier location and a Grade 2 listed building, which was being painted in a fetching colour scheme. There is a conservatory and raised drinking/train watching area. All the light and airy indoor rooms have railway memorabilia on display. A boules piste at the side of the station/pub car park holds a beer festival in early September - missed it by days again! Here we had a good choice of food for lunch and regulars Holden’s Golden Glow, Holden’s Bitter, Holden’s Mild, seasonal special Holden’s Saints & Sinners Septimus Sid, and guest Black Hole Supernova.
Our arrival at the Three Kings, Church End, Hanley Castle was delayed by 45 minutes due to unexpected roadworks and encountering the school run - I bet that was the first time they’ve ever seen a 50-seater coach squeeze down that lane! Described as an unspoilt 15th-century pub, it has been run by the same family for 95 years and some people commented that it might not have been cleaned for the same amount of time.....Here were regulars Butcombe Bitter and Hobson’s Best Bitter and guests Wizard’s Apprentice and Titanic Triple Screw. None were outstanding. The location is very picturesque, though.
After another delay due to a shut road and trying to find a diversion wide enough to fit the coach, whilst enjoying the spectacular views afforded by the Malvern Hills, we arrived at the Green Dragon, Bishop’s Frome, a 17th century warren of flagstoned bars. Regulars were Taylor Golden Best, Theakstons Best Bitter and Wye Valley Butty Bach. Guest beer was Dragon’s Brew.
In the evening, after checking into our hotel, appropriately named Hopbine House, on the outskirts of Hereford, we were dropped off in the centre with a map and a numbered guide of all the pubs (including those with no cask ale). Here we split into several groups. We went first to Wetherspoon’s King’s Fee in search of decent cheap food to soak up the beer. Here I had a most acceptable Hanby All Seasons. Next we went to the Barrels, the Wye Valley Brewery Tap. On our last visit the brewery and fermenters had been in the back yard. Now it’s been moved to larger premises and the building now houses another bar and a live music stage. The yard has been landscaped to provide extensive and pleasant outdoor seating - and it was still bursting at the seams with a high proportion of young people enjoying good beer including Butty Bach, IPA (excellent) and Best. Next we went to the Victory, the Spinning Dog brewery tap with a bar in the form of a galleon and a nautical theme throughout. In contrast this was almost empty, and we found nothing acceptable in any of the brewery’s four beers available that night - in fact we left them.
On the Saturday morning, after a good breakfast, Tony had organised a tour of the hop farm of Charles Faram & Son. First was explained the process of kilning the hops to reduce moisture and prevent mould. At the time of our visit they were harvesting Fuggles and Goldings, the rainy weather having affected the yield of the latter. In fact due to the weather over the last two years supply is lower than demand. We then had a guided walk through the hop yards. Here it was explained that the hop is perennial, pruned to the ground every year and can last 20-30 years, with a tap root that can go down 20 feet. Every year in Spring the strongest two or three shoots, which grow clockwise, are trained, while the rest are cut off. The stringing process is very labour intensive and a dying trade. Hops contain essential oils and resins whose medicinal benefits have not all yet been discovered. It cannot be predicted from the seed which will be a male or female plant, so hopyards plant from cuttings. There is a breeding programme ongoing, to obtain good crosses and disease resistant crops. New dwarf varieties are being developed which can be harvested without the bine being cut down, this allows the plant to continue getting nourishment and improves the yield in the next year. Different strains mature at different times which evens out the load on processing. Our hop-loving member Clive Taylor, on his way home from holiday and hoping to rendezvous with us, managed to miss the entire tour and arrived as the coach was leaving!
Back to business at the Nag’s Head, Bank Street, Malvern Link. This had incredible views across the hills, excellent beer gardens with some quirky ornamentation both at front and back (raised). The food was not cheap but good and well-presented. Regular beers are Banks Bitter, Greene King IPA, Marston’s Pedigree and 8 guest beers included Bathams, St George Dragon’s Blood and Enville White. An excellent lunch stop.
Next to the Chase Inn, Chase Road, Colwall. This pub on the slopes of the Malvern Hills had a large and sloping back garden in which to enjoy the views. It is under the same ownership as the Nag’s Head and also offers excellent food and beer. On offer were Bathams Bitter, Hobson’s Best Bitter and Woods Shropshire Lad.
On to the Farmers Arms, Birts Street, Britsmorton. Another black and white country pub down a quiet lane, regulars were Hook Norton Hooky Bitter and Old Hooky. Guest beer was Hereford Pale Ale.
Retracing our route a couple of miles, we arrived at the Plume of Feathers, Gloucester Road, Castlemorton. Another classic country pub, but oh dear, what’s this? A beer festival in a marquee in the garden! 18 ales plus ciders and perries. Plus what’s available in the main bar, which was Batham Best Bitter, Greene King Old Speckled Hen, Hobson’s Bitter plus guests Greene King Abbot Ale and Three Tuns XXX. As it was a nice afternoon we all remained in the marquee, where my favourite was Fyne Ales Innishail, a golden beer of 3.6% which had taste way above its strength. Good cheap festival food too.
On the way back to the hotel in the early evening we were again dropped off in Hereford and left to our own devices, several people wanting to find a pub with a screen to watch football/rugby with a curry/more beer. This meant back to the King’s Fee. After the Plume of Feathers many opted for a fairly early night.....
On Sunday, after another good breakfast, we had an hour to look round the Hereford architecture and the Cathedral (had to do something to spend the time before the pubs opened). Back on the coach and off to the Olde Tavern, Victoria Road, Kington. A very small two-room pub, with lots of interesting local characters, and a bistro at the back, it serves as brewery tap for the Dunn Plowman Brewery. Herefordshire & Worcestershire CAMRA pub of the year 2005, available beers were Dunn Plowman Tavern Bitter, Early Riser, Shirehorse Ale and Kingdom Come. Beer was very cheap, less than £2 a pint. Next to the Olde Oak Inn at Wigmore. Here were Wye Valley Butty Bach and Three Tuns Three B.
Our final pub of the day, and the weekend, was the Sun Inn at Leintwardine. On Camra’s National Inventory of pub interiors, it’s an end of terrace cottage with a small entrance hall and a drinking parlour to the right, where beer is brought to you by glass or pitcher direct from the barrel in the kitchen, the only beer available being Hobson’s Bitter – cue jokes about ‘Hobson’s Choice’. It’s currently being run by a team of neighbours due to the illness and age of the landlady, who holds court from her chair by the fire in the lounge. An excellent large garden was available for taking advantage of the fine weather.
An excellent and varied itinerary - our thanks to Mel and Tony. Rumours are that next Spring’s trip will be to Prague - why not join us?
About 2 hours from the centre of
Manchester by train is the village of
Staveley, which in July saw the 1st
Hawkshead Beer Festival. Regular trains
provide easy access to this little village four
miles from Windermere. The station is five
minutes walk from the brewery. Right outside
the station is the Railway Hotel, serving
Jennings. At the Ashes Lane Caravan & Camp
Site the Whistling Pig bar also serves Jennings.
The Duke William on Main Street has Black
Sheep, and the Eagle & Child on Kendal Rd has
several changing guest beers. If you want a bit
of a walk you can go to the Watermill at Ings
where there is even more variety, good food
and accommodation, and a brewery set up
in 2006.
The Hawkshead Brewery is located in the old Staveley Mill Yard complex which has been turned into various small craft businesses and shops. There is ample parking available. A cafe serves good food. A patio for fine days overlooks the River Kent. The Beer Hall, relocated here in 2006, is reminiscent of an American brewpub. Lots of bare wood, locally made bar stools of interesting design, several comfy chesterfields, tables made out of slabs of tree. The bar overlooks the stainless steel/chrome brewery, where trips are available at weekends (or at regular intervals during the festival). Local pork pies with Hawkshead relish were available, as were huge and well-filled baguettes and free nuts on the bar. Or you could have meals brought in from the cafe. Free soft drinks were available for designated drivers and 10p per half discount given on production of a public transport ticket. A beer menu listing many foreign bottled beers was also bound in ‘wood’.
Good quality background music and lighting gave the bar a modern but cosy feel. One wall is given over to perspex-covered blocks explaining the Hawkshead brewing process in text and photographs. Large, framed, interestingly-angled photos of pumpclips, barrels and bottles grace the walls.
Four Hawkshead beers were available, together with 20 SIBA Champions, all on handpump. Normally there are 4 or 5 beers served, all their own. These are:
(Hawkshead Bitter (OG 1037, ABV 3.7%)
A pale, hoppy, fruity and bitter session ale, with the distinctive aroma of Slovenian Styrian Golding hops.
U.P.A - Ulverston Pale Ale (OG 1041, ABV 4.1%)
A very pale ale, light fruity and dry. A blend of three English hops, two traditional, Fuggles and Golding, and one newly developed tall hop, Pilgrim.
Red (OG 1042, ABV 4.2%)
Formerly called Best Bitter. A Red Ale. Bitter-sweet. Malty and spicy, with a long dry finish, using Fuggles as the aroma hop.The red colour comes from Dark Crystal malt. Also in bottles at 4.4% abv.
Lakeland Gold (OG 1043, ABV 4.4%)
Formerly called Gold. A Golden Ale. Hoppy and uncompromisingly bitter with complex fruit flavours from the blending of a modern English hop, First Gold, with the American, Cascade. Also in bottles, as “Gold”.
Brodies Prime (OG 1047.5, ABV 4.9%)
A dark premium beer with an unusual medley of flavours. It is rich and malty with a roasted stout-like edge, yet also light and dry with spiciness and fruit, from the blend of hops: Exuberant American Cascade restrained by traditional English Fuggles with a touch of Bramling Cross.
5X/Lakes Lager/Aussie John’s Pilsner.
It’s the colour you would expect for a lager. It’s a Pilsner- style beer, made with 91% Lager Malt, 9% Torrified Wheat, and three German lager hops — Perle, Tettnang and Hallertau Hersbrucker, brewed as a real ale, with our normal top-fermenting yeast.
Opening hours are normally 12-5 Mon-Wed and 12-6 Thur-Sun, but this is subject to change depending on what’s happening – see www.hawksheadbrewery.co.uk for exact details. The venue can also be hired for parties. An excellent and compact crawl can be had in Staveley, or even a weekend. B&B or camping are available locally.
Even on the Friday afternoon, the bar was busy but not uncomfortably so and the bar was well-staffed.
All the people we spoke to were having an excellent time - there was even an American couple there - many had taken advantage of the train service.
It would appear to have been a great success, and we hope for and look forward to a visit to the 2nd Hawkshead beer festival - and we’ll be stopping over next time as we had no chance to sample the other pubs. The brewery has recently confirmed that it will be running a second summer event and also hopes to organise something in the winter.
Just when you thought it was safe to drown your sorrows at the pub, new research shows that even the way we hold our pints reveals our innermost secrets. From feeling libidinous to reflective, our grasp on the glass betrays our mood, according to a study. The report, by Dr Aric Sigman, a psychologist and biologist, sponsored by the brewer Guinness identifies six basic poses adopted by the average pint drinker. Body language has been analysed and celebrities who personify the classic ‘pint posture’ identified. They include ‘libidinous’ Robbie Williams, ‘pompous’ Tony Blair’ ‘Jack-the-lad’ Gallagher brothers and ‘henpecked’ David Beckham, as well as ‘anally retentive’ Eastenders Ian Beale and ‘deep thinker’ Jude Law.
Dr Sigman identified the different categories of drinking demeanour after studying male drinkers aged 18 - 40. In addition pint-swilling celebrity ladettes, such as Zoe Ball, Denise Van Outen and Ulrika Johnson, like the singer Robbie Williams, display the “sex-mad” or “libidinous mood” profile. This is exemplified by a “firm erect grip” round the middle of the glass, coupled with an arched back, stretching pectoral muscles and a swaying pelvis, while generally making gestures with non pint-holding hand.
Then there is the “self-righteous”, a style for the pompous, typified by Tony Blair, but which also applies to the former leader of the opposition William Hague, famed for his 14-pint-a-day drinking claim. This style is exemplified by a firm grasp of the glass, held out in front almost as if the drinker is making a toast with himself.
The third style which Guinness identifies is the “deep thinker” - epitomised by actor Jude Law - staring deeply into the head of the pint, occasionally fondling it gently with his fingers, giving the impression the drinker’s thoughts are elsewhere.
The “Jack-the-Lad” pose, that of the Oasis Stars Liam and Noel Gallagher, sees the pint grasped like a weapon or trigger. When adopting this pose, the pint arm is outstretched, risking spillage. Arms are often gesticulating.
Fifth is the “anally retentive” look, hunched over the pint protectively, depicting a loner like Ian Beale from Eastenders. Finally, the David Beckham “henpecked” look is where the drinker holds the pint tilted inwards, near the chin with the elbow tucked in as if protecting against unwanted advances. Instead of bringing the pint to the mouth, this drinker brings his mouth to the pint while the head remains tilted forward, especially if there is an assertive or dominant admirer nearby.
© The Scotsman Newspaper