Beer Blog with Roger Protz

Marston's Fast Cask spreads

2010-05-01T12:18:00.002+01:00

Marston's new Fast Cask system for storing cask beer will be used in every Piano & Pitcher bar along with any other sites that take the brewery's new EPA brand. Fast Cask employs "yeast beads" that drop straight to the bottom of casks but allow a normal secondary fermentation to take place. The system was launched during Cask Ale Week in March. Justin Wray of Marston's said the system had been well received. "CAMRA's endorsement -- or at least a lack of opposition to it -- has been really good news for us."
As reported exlusively on beer-pages.com, the concept allows beer to "drop bright" almost immediately, which means it can be served from upright casks in bars or pubs that do not have conventional cellars. Fast Cask removes the problem of casks being knocked and having to wait for several hours for it drop bright again.
The system is being rolled out to Pitcher & Piano sites as a programme of refurbishments for the bars is completed. "We've also had pubs in the free trade signing up for Fast Cask and these are pubs that have never had cask ale before," Wray added.
Fast cask was initially available for two beers: Marston's Pedigree and Wychwood Hobgoblin but it's now also available for Marston's EPA, which was launched on St George's Day.
"EPA is a new product and it will only be avilable using Fast Cask, whereas the other brands are also available in conventional form," Wray said. "As a result, we think it should be a lot easier to encourage trials of Fast Cask via EPA."

Mild comes storming back

2010-05-01T10:16:00.003+01:00

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, kicks off celebrations today (1 May) for national Mild Month with research showing an increased profile for the Mild Ale beer style. In a survey of 500 real ale drinkers spread across Britain, CAMRA found that 84% have seen an increase in the number of Mild beers served in pubs and at beer festivals during the past five years. Similarly, 75% of those surveyed also noted the availability of Mild beers in pubs and brewery shops within a 30-mile radius of their home.
The aim of Mild Month is to encourage locals pubs to stock the style throughout May and to encourage trials of the traditional beer style through such initiatives as "try before you buy" with a third-of-a-pint sampling measures, Mild beer and food matching events, and Mild beer tasting sessions.
Once classified as an endangered style, there are now more than 200 Milds beer brewed in Britain, more than twice the number at the end of the 20th century. CAMRA's research shows that even a proportion of real ale drinkers are unaware of the variety available, with 41% unaware of the fact that there are more than 200 Milds brewed today.
Duncan Woodhead, CAMRA National Beer Styles Co-ordinator, says: "In the past six months alone, some of Britain's leading brewers have reverted back to calling their renowned brands a Mild. With the overall growth of the real ale sector coinciding with figures showing 50% of British drinkers have now tried real ale, there's a real opportunity for Mild to return to its former glory, when in the 1950s it was the nation's most popular beer style."
In the survey, CAMRA asked drinkers to name their best-loved Milds. The top three were Rudgate's Ruby Mild from York, which is CAMRA's current Champion Beer of Britain, Sarah Hughes of Sedgley's Dark Ruby, and West Berkshire Brewery's Magg's Magnificent Mild.
*Daniel Thwaites of Blackburn has launched Highwayman (4%) to coincide with Mild May. The beer is described as smoky and dark in colour, with a rich, plummy sweetness dervived from roasted chocolate malt.

LibDems close the gap in beer election

2010-04-27T09:44:00.002+01:00

With just over a week until polling day, the Society of Independent Brewers' "beer-ometer" -- indicating parliamentary candidates' support for local beer, is showing a similar pattern to the real opinion polls, with the Liberal Democrats closing on the Conservatives' early lead.
When the election was called, SIBA wrote to some 2,300 candidates encouraging them to replace the traditional victory tipple of imported Champagne with a glass or two of beer brewed in their constituency by one of SIBA's 450 brewers. To date, the Tories have been the most enthusiastic, accounting for 36% of positive responses, the LibDems second with 32% and Labour trailing with 18%. The Greens have 11% -- a high proportion given that they have fewer candidates, while independents take the remaining 3%.
SIBA chairman Keith Bott said: "We've been very pleased by the response from parliamentary candidates and from SIBA brewers who have followed up our initital offer to candidates with a personalised approach of their own. It would be good to think that this could be the start of a continuing dialogue between local brewer and local MP -- and even better if it also involves local pubs."
He added: "We haven't heard from any of the party leaders in response to our offer, though I'm delighted that Minister for Pubs John Healey was one of the first to reply. We're confident that around 50 new MPs will be celebrating their success with beer rather than Champagne on election night."

Batemans wins top award

2010-04-26T16:29:00.002+01:00

Batemans, the family-owned brewery in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, won the Best Regional Brewer award in the prestigious ceremony staged last week by Publican newspaper. Brother and sister Stuart Bateman and Jaclyn Bateman, great-grandson and grand-daughter of the founders, collected the award before more than 1,500 guests at the Grosvenor House Hotel.
The annual event recognises the best companies and individuals within Britain's licensed sector and is the biggest awards event for the pub and brewing sectors. The evening was hosted by comedian Michael McIntyre.
Stuart Bateman, managing director of Batemans Brewery, says: "It's great to have won such an award when we are up against companies 10 times our size. The Publican made it clear that the reason for our win was due to us having taken the relationship between tenants and the brewery to a level far beyond that of any other brewery. This means our tenants feel they have our support and assistance, their businesses are more likely to do well in this tough climate, and more local pubs will be able to stay open and continue to be an integral part of the local community.
"This builds on the Pub Company trophy we were awarded in 2009. What is particularly pleasing about winning the Best Regional Brewer title is that it encompasses not only our pubs but the way we do business generally -- our customer service, our training, our CSR programmes, our innovation and excellence in our beer production and the special relationship we have with our customers who appreciate our personal approach."
The Publican judges said: "Batemans demonstrated innovation in its tenancy agreements and has launched a new code of practice which shows it has taken the traditional values of a regional brewer and set new standards for the industry."
The Publican trophy will be on show at the Wainfleet brewery once it has toured Bateman pubs.

First Beer Twitter a great success

2010-03-31T15:20:00.002+01:00

A Twitter session conducted for Cask Ale Week on Monday 29 March proved a great success. The session was run by CAMRA at two pubs in St Albans where I tasted and gave my views on five beers: Fuller's Discovery and London Pride, Wells Bombardier, Young's Special and Badger Tanglefoot.
More than 400 people logged on to the session and there was a lively debate about the merits of the beers.

Drinks giant attempts to quash small brewery

2010-03-31T14:50:00.002+01:00

In a David and Goliath confrontation, the might of the French Champagne house Charles Heidsieck has cracked down on a tiny Kent brewery, Old Dairy, over the name of its Red Top beer.
Heidsieck, part of the global Remy Cointreau group, is claiming infringement of trademark on the grounds of confusion with a name they have registered. At Old Dairy, managing director Lionel Fretz is struggling to see the connection between beer and Champagne. "When we found out that Heidsieck had the name Red Top registered for Champagne, we never imagined there would be a problem. They are claiming the likelihood of confusion, which is absolutely ridiculous. They produce superb French Champagnes, we produce fine English ales. It's a totally different market and are in a different league when it comes to price. The only similarity I can see is they both appeal to discerning drinkers."
Old Dairy Brewery is based in an old dairy outside the small Kent village of Rolvenden and brews two beers: Red Top (3.8%) and Gold Top (4.5%).
The stand-off recalls the case brought by the American whiskey maker Jim Beam that attempted to block imports of the Irish stout Beamish on the grounds of product confusion.

CAMRA slams Budget duty increase

2010-03-24T13:31:00.002Z

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, attacked the government's lack of regard for communuity pubs and responsible beer drinkers following a punitive increase in beer duty in today's Budget, with plans to increase duty above inflation for the next three years.
With close to six pubs a day closing, CAMRA fears these latest rises will mark the end for many more community pubs, with beer prices in pubs set to rise by up to 20p a pint. Instead of freezing beer duty and helpinn to protect community pubs, the Chancellor's last act before the general election is to impose a further duty hike that will lead to more pub closures, the campaign added. Beer duty has soared by an unprecedented 25% in the last two year.
Mike Benner, CAMRA's Chief Executive, said: "Today's Budget is a charter for the large supermarkets who irresponsibly promote alcohol as a loss leader at the expense of the nation's community pubs. We are totally at a loss to understand how a government that recognises the community value of pubs can impose such consistently draconian duty increases."
CAMRA also exppressed concern at the 10% above inflation increase in duty on cider and will demand government action to support and protect small cider producers.

Innis & Gunn heads for pub sales

2010-03-23T11:31:00.002Z

Innis & Gunn, the Edinburgh-based company that sparked the interest in oak-aged beers, aims to double sales to one million cases a year by making a push in to on-trade pubs and bars.
At present, 95% of sales of Innis & Gunn Original, which is matured in American oak bourbon casks,is sold through supermarkets and off-licences. But managing director Dougal Sharp said a trial in Edinburgh and Glasgow pubs and bars had been successful and he wanted to roll the beer out to the on-trade.
He added that he would look at developing a draught version of the beer if pub sales are successful. Last autumn Sharp added Innis & Gunn Rum Cask to a portfolio that includes Blonde -- sold in Tesco -- alongside Original.
He is also planning to expand internationally and he has appointed a managing director in the United States to develop sales there.

Sheps springs in while Brains goes for tapas

2010-03-23T11:24:00.004Z

Kent brewer Shepherd Neame has heralded the arrival of spring with a seasonal beer for April and May. Early Bird Spring Hope Ale is a light gold, full-bodied beer at 4.3%. It will be available on draught in selected pubs or in 500ml bottles from Sheps' 369 pubs, its website, off-licences and supermarkets.
In Cardiff, Brains will launch "Beer Tapas" for Cask Ale week (29 March-5 April),with three third-of-a-pint glasses in a wooden tray, enabling drinkers to sample the Welsh brewer's cask ales and then decide which one to choose for a full pint.

CAMRA hails pub reforms

2010-03-19T20:34:00.003Z

The Campaign for Real Ale 2-- CAMRA -- hailed 19 March as a "fantastic day for cask beer drinkers and pubgoers as a result of a major package of reforms announced by John Healey MP, the new Minister for Pubs.
The government's new 12 point Action Plan plan promises sweeping reforms on a wide variety of subjects. To support community pubs, Mr Healey has announced:
*Greater protection for pubs under threat of demolition
*A ban on the anti-competitive practice of imposing restrictive covenants on the sale of pubs.
*Greater flexibility for pubs to diversify by adding shops and other facilities without planning permission
*£1 million government funding for Pub is the Hub, the group led by Prince Charles to protect the community role of pubs
*£3 million to support community pub ownership
*Greater freedom for pubs to host live music without a specific licence

To reform the operation of the Beer Tie to ensure a fair deal for tenants and consumers, the government has announced:
*A one-year deadline to fully implement the recommendations of the recent Business, Innovations and Skills Parliamentary Select Committee report on Pub Companies -- before the government intervenes with legislation if necessary -- and deliver a beer right and a free of the tie option for tied tenants.
CAMRA chief executive Mike Benner said: "The proposals have the potential to totally transform the UK pubs market, leading to a free, fair and competitive market where consumers will benefit through greater choice, improved amenities and lower prices.
"We are now busy lobbying hard to encourage the other political parties to unveil their policies to support pubs before the general election. We also need to ensure that the government sticks to the proposals they've announced."
Mike Benner added that it was vital for beer drinkers to keep the pressure up by continuing to encourage election candidates from all parties to support the proposals in CAMRA's Beer Drinkers and Pubgoers Charter.

SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers, was more cautious in its reponse to the Healey proposals. Chief executive Julian Grocock said he was delighted the minister was considering relaxing the beer tie to allow more local guest ales into pubs as "this will open up more routes to market for SIBA members.
"We are disappointed, however, that there is no mention of addressing the imbalance between beer prices in the on and off trades. In most pubs -- and certainly where local, craft ales are sold -- drinking is part of a social occasion rather than an end in itself. We'd therefore like to see more done to encourage drinkers in to the socially responsible environment of the pub, rather than the supermarket or off-licence, where alcohol is bought cheaply for consumption in parks and other uncontrolled places."
Julian Grocock added: "If the government is really serious about supporting pubs, it has an opportunity with next week's Budget to hold any increase on beer duty. This would be hugely beneficial to thousands of pubs who are currently struggling to attract drinkers and would certainly help to secure their future."

Economics of the mad house

2010-03-18T13:18:00.003Z

Molson Coors, the American-Canadian giant that owns the former Bass breweries in Burton-on-Trent, is to raise beer prices to pubs in an attempt to boost its wafer-thin profits. The group has been concerned for several years that while it makes vast amounts of beer -- mainly Carling lager -- its profits are negligible.
According to the weekly trade newspaper the Morning Advertiser (18 March), Molson Coors will raise pub prices of its beer by 7 pence a pint with immediate effect. With brilliant timing, this comes just two weeks before the government's Budget, when Chancellor Alistair Darling is expected to increase beer duty by 5%.
Molson Coors' decision has been driven by its need to tackle the problem of wafer-thin margins. The group brews a mighty 6.8 million barrels a year but its profits amount to just one penny a pint.
The reason for Molson Coors' parlous profits situation is that it sells beer to supermarkets at enormous discounts. The prices are sometimes so low that beer is sold as a loss leader, cheaper than bottled water. The supermarkets have the big brewers over a barrel: when Molson Coors raised the price of Carling to Tesco in March 2009, the supermarket group promptly de-listed the brand. It lasted just six weeks: Carling was soon back on Tesco shelves and we can guess who blinked first, brewer or retailer.
And as always it's the battered pub and pub customers who pay the price for this economic lunacy. Instead of facing down the supermarkets and forcing them to pay realistic prices for beer, Molson Coors makes pub drinkers pay a heavy price for draught beer.
It's worth comparing a global giant such as Molson Coors with a successful regional like Fuller's of west London. Fuller's brews 200,000 barrels a year -- as Molson Coors would say, "we spill more beer than Fuller's makes". Yet the family-owned brewery had to warn the Stock Exchange earlier this year that its profit figures for the previous year would be higher than expected as a result of its success.
Will the global giants learn the economic facts of life or will one of them eventually go out business, a victim of supermarket greed?

Too hot for Kew

2010-03-18T09:51:00.002Z

Young's of Wandsworth introduced a delicious new bottle-conditioned beer called Kew Gold a few years and the brand has been continued by Wells & Young's in Bedford. The beer's name comes from the fact that some of the hops used in the beer were developed at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London. The gardens received a royalty from the sales of the beer.
But now the gardens have decided "they no longer wish to be associated with an alcoholic beverage" and in May the beer's name will change to London Gold.
I trust they don't grow poppies in Kew Gardens. And they'd better be careful when using fertiliser.

Yorkshire brewery scores a hat trick

2010-03-06T11:57:00.002Z

Saltaire Brewery of Shipley, West Yorkshire, scooped three awards in the 2010 National Beer Competition run by SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers. The awards were announced this week at SIBA's annual conference in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Saltaire took the top title of Supreme Champion Beer 2010 for its Triple Chocoholic, a 4.8% chocolate stout. The same beer won the Gold Award in the Champion Speciality Beer category, while the brewery's Cascade Pale Ale took the Champion Premium Bitter accolade.
All 10 winning beers were chosen by 50 judges who gathered to pick the winners from the 56 cask and seven bottled finalist beers. A Gold, Silver and Bronze awards were given in each of the nine categories and the Supreme Champion title was then selected from the eight draught Gold winners.
The winners were:
Supreme Champion Beer 2010: Triple Chocoholic, Saltaire Brewery.
Champion Milds (up to 4% ABV): Dark Mild, Bank Top Brewery, Bolton
Champion Bitters & Pale Ales (up to 4%): Lord Marples, Thornbridge Brewery, Derbyshire
Champion Best Bitters (4.1-4.5%): Darwins Origin, Salopian Brewing, Shrewsbury
Champion Premium Bitters (4.6-4.9%) Cascade Pale Ale, Saltaire Brewery
Champion Strong Bitters (5.1-5.5%): Big Chief Bitter, Greenmill Brewery, Rochdale
Champion Strong Ales (over 5.5%): Dorothy Goodbody's Country Ale, Wye Valley Brewery
Champion Porters, Strong Milds, Old Ales & Stouts: Guerilla, Blue Monkey Brewery, Derbyshire
Champion Speciality Beers: Triple Chocoholic, Saltaire Brewery
Champion Bottled Beers: Proper Job, St Austell Brewery

Bott is new SIBA chairman

2010-03-05T08:58:00.003Z

Keith Bott, boss of the Titanic Brewery in Stoke-on-Trent, has been elected chairman of SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers, the body that represents most of Britain's craft breweries.
Boot took over the helm at SIBA's annual meeting in Stratford-upon-Avon this week from outgoing chairman Peter Amor of Wye Valley Brewery, who was in post for the past three years. Keith Bott has been SIBA chairman before, from 2002-2005, and helped mastermind the campaign to introduce Progressive Beer Duty for smaller breweries. He said: "SIBA today is a very different organisation to the one I chaired three years ago. Since then we have appointed our first chief executive, Julian Grocock, who has steered SIBA through a period of change and enhanced our standing with government, trade bodies, the media and other stakeholders.
"This is an exciting time to be taking on the chairman's role and I look forward to working with Julian and SIBA's trustees and directors, to ensure the continued success of the UK's thriving quality beer sector."
Bott will stand from his current role as SIBA President and will include that role's lobbying elements within the chairman's remit.

May Day opening for brewery centre

2010-03-04T15:58:00.002Z

The National Brewing Centre in Burton-on-Trent is due to open on Saturday 1 May, following a major campaign to maintain a museum dedicated to beer in the town that was once the capital of British brewing.
The centre was originally the Bass Museum. It became the Coors Visitor Centre when the American brewing group took over the Bass breweries in Burton in 2000. Last year Coors announced it would close the centre as it was making a £1 million-a-year loss. A spirited campaign, led by the local MP, Janet Dean, led last November to Coors reaching a deal with Planning Solutions to re-open the centre.
Planning Solutions chief executive John Lowther said he was confident his company would meet the planned opening on 1 May. He said the much-loved shire horses, a feature of the old museum, would return to their stables next week to prepare for the opening. The new centre will feature live actors and audio-visual displays.

Carlsberg switches Tetley cask ale to Wolverhampton

2010-03-02T20:05:00.003Z

The insensivity of global brewers knows no bounds. After months of speculation, Carlsberg announced today (2 March) that production of the cask version of the legendary Tetley Bitter from Leeds will be switched to Banks's Brewery in Wolverhampton when the Leeds brewery closes in 2011.
Tetley Bitter is an iconic Yorkshire beer. Wolverhampton, when last checked on a road map, is in the West Midlands. Conscious of the need to save on carbon footprints, Carlsberg will trunk the beer 100 miles to the beer's Yorkshire heartland every time a batch is brewed at Banks's.
The keg "smoothflow" version of Tetley Bitter will be switched to the John Smith's factory in Tadcaster. The fact that keg beer will stay in Yorkshire speaks volumes for the priorities of Carlsberg. John Smith's should perhaps be renamed the Brewery of Lost Souls: as well as fizzy Tetley, it will also soon become home to Newcastle [sic] Brown Ale when Heineken UK closes the Tyneside brewery.
Bob Stukins, vice-chairman of CAMRA and a Yorkshireman, said: "Carlsberg don't do geography lessons but if they did they'd clearly realise the impact this move will have on the beer-drinking copmmunity in Yorkshire. It's unbelievable to think that a long-standing global brewer would make this move at a time when the real ale industry is recording year-on-year growth and CAMRA's annual research is showing a steep increase in the number of consumers try real ale for the first time."
A spokesman for Carlsberg said Tetley Mild and Dark Mild will continue to be produced but at present no new home had been found for them.

Freeminer stars in Fairtrade Fortnight

2010-02-25T11:49:00.002Z

The Co-operative supermarket group is highlighting the wider availability of its certified Fairtrade bottled beer range brewed by Freeminer during Fairtrade Fortnight (22 Feb-7 March) with a generous price promotion across the range.
The Co-op now owns Somerfield, which means its range of Freeminer-brewed beers will be available in around 450 new outlets across the country, given them greater access to beer drinkers. Both the Co-op Fairtrade Bumble Bee Honey Ale (4.6%) and Organic Premium Ale (5%) are available at a discount during Fairtrade Fortnight.
Organic Premium Ale is the first-ever nationally-listed beer to be both Fairtrade and organic. The brewery, based in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, uses floor-malted barley and traditional organic hops from Germany. They are blended with Fairtrade Demerara sugar. Bumble Bee Ale is the biggest-selling Fairtrade beer in Britain and uses honey from Fairtrade producers in Chile.

Freedom enters the 4% lager sector

2010-02-23T17:23:00.002Z

Freedom Brewery in Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire, has entered the growing 4% lager sector with a new beer of that strength. The lager-only brewery, run by Ed and Susan Mayman, brews Organic Lager,Organic Dark Lager and Pilsener. The 4% sector was kick-started a few years ago by Beck's of Hamburg and has been followed by Stella Artois and other major lager brewers.
The Freedom 4% has a fine toasted malt aroma, with sweet malt, spicy hops and light citrus fruit in the mouth, and a dry and hoppy finish. By mainstream lager standards, it's a bitter beer.
The beer is currently only available on draught -- there are no immediate plans to bottle it. See www.freedomlager.com.

CAMRA appoints Scot as national chairman

2010-02-23T17:20:00.003Z

Colin Valentine from Edinburgh is to be the first Scottish national chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). He will take over the reins in April at the campaign's annual meeting in the Isle of Man as current chairman Paula Waters steps down after six years in the post. Valentine is currently CAMRA's vice-chairman and has also been Scottish organiser.

Local brewers chalk up success

2010-02-22T12:35:00.002Z

22 February:-More than one million hectolitres brewed for the first time, sales growth of close to 4% in a year of deep recession, increased on-trade listings despite record pub closures and investment in the equipment, staff and technology for brewery expansion are all highlighted in the annual Local Brewing Industry Report published today by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).
While the overall UK beer market declined by 4.2% last year, the local brewing sector achieved an impressive 3.75% increase in volume sales. Threequarters of all local brewers recorded volume growth in 2009 and on average they achieved a 17% increase in turnover. And the number of pubs sourcing local beers through SIBA'S Direct Delivery Scheme (DDS) grew by 12% -- a reflection of local cask ale's unique ability to help pubs weather the recessionary storm.
SIBA's chief executive Julian Grocock said: "More than 60% of our members were founded after 2000, so the current recession is the most severe they have traded through. That the vast majority managed a sales uplift last year and are anticipating the same in 2010 speaks volumes about the resilience and resorcefulness of the UK's quality independent brewers."
This year's report from SIBA contains the organisation's pre-election manifesto, which highlights the current government's "schizophrenic" approach to the local brewing industry. The list leads with a call for a commitment to retain Progressive Beer Duty (PBD), introduced in 2002, and is followed by a series of other fiscal strategies such as cancelling the beer duty escalator, freezing beer duty and considering lower duty rates for lower-strength beers.
Julian Grocock says: "The government's support for PBD is welcomed and has helped the formation and growth of many smaller brewers, whom it claims to support. Yet, with its punitive taxation policies, which have meant a 20% rise in beer duty over the past two years, it appears set on destroying them.
"We urge, whoever is elected in May, to take a fresh look at the local brewing industry. Cask ale -- which accounts for more than 80% of SIBA members' output -- is a relatively low alcohol drink, served in the controlled environment of a pub where drinking is part of a social occasion, rather than an end in itself. As such, we deserve to be treated as part of the solution to alcohol-related harm, rather than being part of the problem."
The Local Brewing Industry Report says brewers continue to use PBD to build their businesses by adding capacity, buying new equipment and marketing their beers, while a sizeable minority also state an ambition to buy a pub during 2010.
SIBA members demonstrate exceptional green credentials. Some 80% are committed to reducing their energy use, more than half are looking at ways to reduce their packaging and "food miles", and a similar number source ingredients locally. Sixteen per cent either alerady brew organic beer or plan to do so.
*SIBA celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

BBC boost for Guinness

2010-02-21T11:31:00.002Z

I learn from the BBC that David Cameron, leader of the Tory Party, likes a game of darts down the pub with a pint of Guinness. Clearly "Bullingdon Dave" needs to attract support from the drinking classes but I find it curious that the publicly-funded BBC, which doesn't carry advertising, has given a free plug for the Irish stout.
It's not usually so generous. A few weeks ago, the BBC1 Country File programme featured "a brewery in Oxfordshire". The presenter said it was his local brewery and showed the magnificent Victorian buildings, complete with steam engine and traditional brewing vessels, along with horse-drawn drays delivering the beer. But the brewery wasn't named (it was Hook Norton).
Last year, the James May/Oz Clarke series on drinking beer, wine, whisky and anything they could get their hands on included a lengthy piece on a CAMRA beer festival. Except there was no mention of CAMRA. The organisers told me the production company that produed the series for the BBC told them to take down all brewery logos from the tents and even the CAMRA logo because "BBC guidelines say you cannot promote commercial organisations". Yet CAMRA is a consumer organisation, not a commercial company.
But when it comes to Guinness, the BBC has no such inhibitions. It was good to know, as a licence payer, that Cameron likes to play arrers down the rub-a-dub with a glass of Barmaid's Pout.

Worth missing a train for...

2010-02-20T09:57:00.002Z

I'm a bit of a Johnny-cum-lately where the Sheffield Tap is concerned -- see Pete Brown's Blog on the subject -- but I had half an hour to wait at Sheffield railway station for a train to Wombwell (home of Acorn Brewery -- more anon) so I naturally gravitated to Platform One for the recently opened bar in the former First Class Refreshment Rooms.
The spacious bar is a wonderfully ornate blend of tiles, hanging globe lights and wooden settles. The servery is immense, running almost the length of the room, with a massive bank of keg founts that serve tempting beers from around the world, including Bernard lagers from the Czech Republic and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. But I knew the Tap is the result of co-operation between Thornbridge Brewery in Derbyshire and the specialist beer importer Pivovar (the word is Czech for beer), so I naturally headed for the Thornbridge pumps and had a delicious pint of White Swan, with hop resins dancing out of the foam and tingling the nostrils.
The Tap is great news for travellers. It means you no longer have to leave the station and cross dangerous roads to get to the nearest pub, a shabby montrosity with badly-kept cask beer.
My watch was running one minute late and I had barely finished my pint when I saw the doors of my train starting to close. Shock news -- British train leaves on time. I managed to scramble on board but I shall return to Platform One at Sheffield station at the first opportunity.

Beer is good for your bones

2010-02-08T09:59:00.002Z

Beer is a rich source of a nutrient that can help prevent weak bones -- but it depends what type you drink, researchers at the University of California, Davis, say. Beer is a rich source of dietary silicon, which can help cut the chance of developing diseases such as osteoporosis, the researchers conclude.
But not all beers are the same and those containing malted brley and hops have higher silicon content than beers made from wheat. The research, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, examined 100 commercial beers and their production methods.

5GBP million new brewery for Badger beers

2010-02-06T11:50:00.004Z

Dorset brewer Hall & Woodhouse is to invest 5GBP million in a new 21st century brewery at its existing site in Blandford St Mary. The new plant will be dedicated to brewing its range of cask and bottled Badger beers.
The beers will continue to use high-quality ingredients, including Dorset spring water that has been naturally filtered for up to a century through the Cretaceous chalk downs and drawn from the brewery's own wells. Work on the new brewery will start in October this year.
Brewery vice-chairman Mark Woodhouse said: "Hall & Woodhouse has been brewing Badger ales for more than 225 years and this excitingt development ensures we will be doing so for many more generations to come. I believe an investment of this magnitude also demonstrates our commitment to brewing and the growth of our premium bottled and cask ales."

OFT to reopen pubs inquiry

2010-02-06T11:37:00.002Z

CAMRA -- the Campaign for Real Ale -- has reached an agreement with the Office of Fair Trading to stay its appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal challenging the OFT's initial response to the campaign's super-complaint in October 2009. CAMRA's appeal is now put on hold until 1 August this year to enable the OFT to consider further evidence of anti-competitive behaviour by the large pub-owning companies. The OFT will now conduct an open public consultation before reaching a final decision.
CAMRA's super complaint argued that anti-competitive practices are inflating beer prices in pubs by around 50 pence a pint, restricting consumer choice and leading to chronic under-investment in the nation's pubs.
The campaign's chief executive, Mike Benner, said: "We are delighted that the OFT has responded to our appeal by agreeing to conduct an open consultation and I will encourage all parties to use this opportunity to submit further evidence of anti-competitive practice. The consultation will lead to a new and final decision from the OFT."
Mike Benner added that he hoped the re-examination of the pubs market will lead to the OFT acting against anti-competitive behaviour in order to deliver a fair deal for consumers.
CAMRA's fund-raising appeal for the reform of the beer tie, which raised more than £8,000 since January, will be suspended during the consultation period. The funds will go towards CAMRA's legal fees. The campaign says it reserves the right to re-activate its appeal should it be dissatisfied with the OFT's final decision following the conultation.