FESTIVALS GALORE!

Transcription

FESTIVALS GALORE!

theleicesterdrinker
www.leicestercamra.org.uk
FREE Issue 92
April / May 2014
The Newsletter of Leicester CAMRA Branch
Circulation 5,000 throughout Leicestershire & Rutland
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FESTIVALS GALORE!
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EDITOR
Rob Macardle
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In the pages of this edition of
The Leicester Drinker we feature
three very different types of Beer
Festival – a prestige National, our
local branch event and a pub-based
festival. But why do we have them?
It’s something that has exercised me for some
time and when, last year, I read that Sue Hart,
a founder member of the South West London
branch of CAMRA and one of the instigators of the
first South West London Beer Festival in 1979, was
beginning to doubt the wisdom of their continuing
value I began to realise my reservations were not
unique. Sue’s basic premise was that festivals have
outlived their usefulness. Having proven that there
is a demand for Real Ale, given small breweries
a leg up and aired lots of other issues along the
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FEST
April – May 2014
LD93
Jun/Jul
12/05/2014
19/05/2014
LD94
Aug/Sep
14/07/2014
21/07/2014
LD95
Oct/Nov
08/09/2014
15/09/2014
LD96
Dec/Jan
10/11/2014
17/11/2014
OR FAMINE?
way, it is the very continuance of the pub as an
institution that is now under threat. If festivals take
drinkers away from pubs is that necessarily a good
thing in the long-term for the local?
Let me start by saying that pub-based festivals are
pretty uncontroversial. For a publican not fettered by
a restrictive tie they present a business opportunity
that they have every right to exploit with very little
downside. Indeed, when organised in conjunction
with, or in aid of, a charity there can be a
considerable upside. It is the non-pub festivals that
present all sorts of dilemmas. Now, let me make it
clear that I’ve nothing but admiration for the effort
people put into CAMRA festivals around the country.
This year’s Leicester Festival was a great success. In
fact, one of the best, with visitor numbers up and
the slickest bar service I can remember from the
volunteers, even on “Frantic Friday”.
In their favour, festivals can be highly sociable fun.
They generally encourage responsible attitudes to
drinking in a mixed age/gender environment but
who are the winners and losers? The big winners
are usually the sponsoring organisation (if they
make a profit), the breweries (especially smaller,
newer ones who sell a few barrels and get their
product recognised), and coach, rail and hotel
operators. On a less pecuniary level established
drinkers discover new brews and old friends whilst
new converts have the opportunity to sample
many styles under the same roof. The losers are
the distant pubs in distant towns abandoned by
festival-goers, the nearby pubs just out of range to
benefit from “overspill” drinking and the pubs that
lose out when their regulars spend money at the
festival they would ordinarily have spent in the local.
Competing attractions are similarly affected. In
2013, it was said that visitor numbers to the Richard
111 exhibition were noticeably stronger in the week
of the Leicester Beer Festival despite poor weather,
but while they were undoubtedly visitors from out
of town, there’s no knowing how many visits to local
attractions weren’t made because a proportion of
the family budget was diverted to the festival.
Now you may think none of this is important;
if the money’s spent in Leicester (or any other
festival city come to that) does it matter what
it’s spent on? In the case of a CAMRA beer festival
about three-quarters of the surplus will find its
The Leicester Drinker
way to H.Q. in St Albans and the cost of beer stock
will naturally gravitate to the towns where the
breweries are located. Spend the same money in
an Everards pub or on beer from Belvoir or Langton
breweries and most of that money will stay in
the local economy. CAMRA as an organization
has made great play in recent years in promoting
LocAle, but sometimes it’s hard to see how that
sits comfortably when festivals all over the country
showcase beers from Cornwall or the Scottish
Highlands. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve nothing
against the beer. In fact Orkney Brewery’s products
are amongst my favourites but it does seem a
little perverse to drink it at a festival knowing
that the money is largely going to Kirkwall and St
Albans. So here’s a thought. Drink beer from the
far-flung reaches in pubs (locally-owned ones if
possible) and buy from the LocAle stand when you
visit festivals. If you wanted to really reverse the
revenue flow you could go to the St. Albans Beer
Festival and drink Leicestershire beers, but whether
that would be much fun is debatable!
And what of the pubs? Well, if festivals do help
close down pubs, which would you rather save? In
the near future a three-day Beer Festival is planned
for a village that, not so long ago, boasted two
pubs, both of which have closed. There is clearly a
demand for somewhere to drink but isn’t it a pity
that there is nowhere to go the other 362 days of
the year? In this case, and in some small way, this
small festival redresses the balance. Maybe those
pubs were beyond saving, but it makes one wonder
whether it’s now time to concentrate more on pubbased activities. With that in mind I hope you’ll
join us for the Mild in May Trail, Cask Ale Week and,
if you’re a CAMRA member, our branch meetings,
because ultimately it’s pubs that will keep all the
wonderful new breweries in business.
Rob Macardle
WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON BEER FESTIVALS IN
GENERAL AND HOW LEICESTER BEER FESTIVAL
SHOULD DEVELOP IN FUTURE? EMAIL:
DRINKER@LEICESTERCAMRA.ORG.UK
WITH YOUR COMMENTS
Sue Hart article appeared in the July 2013 edition (p.7) of
What’s Brewing, Newspaper of The Campaign for Real Ale.
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4
April – May 2014
5
BREWERY NEWS
Belvoir: has been extremely busy with brewing and
with the recent addition and modification of plant,
extra staff have been recruited. Its beer for Leicester
BF was V C (Veterans Choice), a 4.2% golden amber
fruity brew. www.belvoirbrewery.co.uk
Dem Bones: continue to experiment with new
brews. 4.8% Oporto Porter, a derivative of
Dark Deeds incorporating Ruby Port, appeared
in December and Royal Mint, a 3.9% dry
Peppermint Stout was available at the turn of the
year. Other brews have included Regal, a 4.5%
sweet rich Ruby Mild, Wonderwheat, a zingy 5.6
% German style blond altbier and three specials
for Leicester Beer Festival.
Dow Bridge is still brewing to capacity and is
now in talks with other parties to move to larger
premises. A new pub, The Head of Steam in
nearby Lilbourne, is due to open soon and Dow
Bridge beers will be on the bar regularly.
www.dowbridgebrewery.co.uk
Elliswood is now supplying more outlets
and a Drinks Licence has been applied for in
preparation for outside events planned in the
near future. Four brews, including a special, were
available at Leicester Beer Festival together with
Black Galleon, brewed on behalf of The King’s
Head. www.theelliswoodbrewery.co.uk
Everards Back on the bar for Spring is the 4%
Limited Edition brew, Yakima. Following huge
success with customers in 2013 the ruby ale with
tangerine and grapefruit aromas and blackberry/
treacle toffee flavours is expected to sell well
again. www.everards.co.uk
Gas Dog has now moved into an outbuilding
at the rear of the Noel’s Arms in Burton Street,
Melton Mowbray and brewing began at the end of
February with its regular ales, Gasdog Bitter and
Gasdog Dark Ale. Owner Steve Plews will be adding
further specials to the ‘Leicester Legends’ range,
the next of which should be Bionic Bitter, and a
bottling plant should be up and running by the
end of March. Mustard Gas, an amber citra, was a
special produced for Leicester BF and McAndrew’s
Battle of Killala was a special celebratory bitter
made for Tony McAndrew, father of Leicester
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April – May 2014
City kit man Paul. The Noel’s Arms will be selling
Gasdog ales. www.gasdogbrewery.co.uk
Golden Duck have just produced their first new
beer of the year, the triple-hopped 4.1% Tinner’s
Tipple, which was one of three Duck beers
available at Leicester BF.
www.goldenduckbrewery.com
Langton: is looking to increase capacity and, to this
end, have installed a bigger Hot Liquor Tank. The 350
gallon container will help support the new larger
fermenters which will be introduced in the next
couple of months. 3.6% Angler, 4.0% Woodsman
and 5.0% Welland Poacher featured at Leicester
BF together with Bugler, a 4.2% copper-coloured
festival special. www.langtonbrewery.co.uk
Parish: Brewery business is ticking over nicely.
In support of this year’s Leicester BF theme, the
festival special was Well Worn Boots, a ruby
coloured ale at 4.5%. accompanied by PSB and
Baz’s Bonce Blower. www.grantsfreehouse.net
Nothing to report on this occasion for Barrowden
(www.exeterarmsrutland.co.uk), Long Lane
(www.matchlesshomebrewing.co.uk), Pig Pub
(www.piginmuck.com/brewery) or Shardlow.
Phipps: Once a familiar name in Leicestershire,
numbering The Swan and Rushes and Fleckney’s
Golden Shield amongst its outlets, Phipps is making
a welcome return. Originally founded in Towcester
in 1801 before expanding into Northampton in
1817, Watney Mann took them over and closed the
brewery in 1974. Acquiring the company name and
recipes the first Phipps draught beer reappeared in
2008 after 40 years, brewed to the original recipe
at Grainstore in Oakham. The Albion Brewery site,
once owned by Phipps, now has a new 15 barrel
brewing plant enabling their beers to be once again
brewed in the town. Hoggleys, established in 2002,
merged with Phipps NBC at the end of last year and
all Hoggleys beers will now be brewed in the Phipps
plant with the former Hoggleys kit having been
sold to Merrimen. Roy Crutchley, former ownerbrewer of Hoggleys is now brewing at Phipps NBC
together with the brewer who previously produced
Phipps beer at Grainstore. Officially, Grainstore’s
contract ended in February but installation delays
at Northampton meant that brewing in Rutland
was continuing as we went to print. On May 26th
an open day will be held at the new brewery.
www.phipps-nbc.co.uk
PUB NEWS
Beer
We’ve recently discovered that Chef & Brewer
give a 10% CAMRA discount on cask ales, so
we’ve added The Castle Hotel (Kirby Muxloe)
and The Yews (Great Glen) to the discount list
on page 30. Some renewed confusion, too,
regarding Wetherspoon discounts on beers,
though apparently not food. The company
is phasing out some regional variations,
but individual managers are still exercising
price discretion on cask ales. As we receive
information we will adjust the discount list,
but, as ever, treat it as a guide rather than
gospel. The King’s Head has commissioned
Elliswood to brew on its behalf under the Black
Galleon label. Several pubs are improving their
cask beer options; Polar Bear recently stocked
Cottage Brewery’s Duchess and Pacific brews,
O’Neill’s had Everards Tiger, Purity UBU and
Sharps Doombar and The Orange Tree featured
Hobsons Best and Bays Up & Under alongside
the customary London Pride. On Good Friday
(April 18th) Aylestone’s Black Horse is holding
a “Meet the Brewer night” The £3.00 admission
includes some free beer and advance booking is
advised.
Bars – Pros
Everards’
Royal
Oak (Kirby
Muxloe)
fully reopened on
March 6th
following a major refurbishment. Mark Jackson
first took on the tenancy with his brother Russell
in 1998, when their parents stepped aside after
16 years at the helm. Russell has since decided
to explore other opportunities and Mark now
runs the pub with his wife of five years, Sara.
With years of great stability, and always popular
with locals, it’s established itself as a great venue
for quality food and drink. The refurbishment
has refreshed the function room, bar, restaurant
and toilets. New signage and an outside terrace
to the front of the premises have also given
the pub a more welcoming look for passers-by
and the uninitiated. Fresh on the heels of the
re-opening of The Wheel, Oadby will soon be
welcoming back a refurbished Black Dog and
The Old Library, which had been earmarked as
a Chinese restaurant. The latter has a dedicated
function room and will serve three real ales. The
Charlotte will have six handpumps and re-opens
on 11th April. There are renewed rumours of the
Shakespeare’s Head re-opening soon and signs
of building work at The Woolpack on Catherine
Street.
Bars – Cons
The Village Inn, St Marys Road, Market
Harborough (formerly the Freemasons Arms)
was recently closed when the licensee retired,
but new tenants have now re-opened the
premises. There are rumours that former Bass
house, The Hansom Cab, is about to become a
branch of the TSB.
Miscellany
The Western will again be presenting its
sponsored Charity Bike Ride in aid of “20-20
Voice” Cancer Appeal on 26th April. Starting
with bacon cobs at 10 a.m. followed by either a
20 or 13 mile bike ride through the countryside
finishing back at the pub at 3 p.m. for live music,
Flamin’ Mo’s Pizzas, a raffle and prizegiving.
There’s a £10 registration fee and you can sign up
at the bar or e-mail admin@2020cancerappeal.
org for a full information pack. On 29th May,
the Steamin’ Billy Annual Golf Day “In the Ruff”
will be held at The Leicestershire Golf Club, LE5
6DJ in support of the British Heart Foundation.
The action begins at 08.15 with tea, coffee and
bacon rolls followed by a shotgun start 18 holes
and concluding with a two course lunch at the
Cow & Plough with beer, wine and prizegiving.
E-mail billyallingham@googlemail.com or
www.steamin-billy.co.uk
Pub News relies greatly on input from the public
and the trade. CAMRA members will generally visit
premises with an existing real ale commitment
so information on new stockists and outlets is
particularly welcome. Thanks on this occasion to
Keith Busby, Bill Woolley, Jim Reay and Gary Akiens.
7
Some battle re-enactment stalwarts
embraced the Festival theme
8
April – May 2014
Leicester Beer Festival
The 2014 Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival
took place from Wednesday 12th through
to Saturday 15th March and was a great
success.
Over the four days the attendance was up by 573 from
4722 to 5295, with Saturday’s numbers up by 374 alone,
a day when Beer sales were a massive 67% higher
compared to 2013, which was admittedly
disrupted by inclement weather. With over
20,000 pints downed, the four-day event at
Charotar Patidar Samaj, in Bay Street, Leicester,
offered visitors a choice of more than 220 beers
and 35 ciders and perries. This year’s theme was
The Leicestershire Regiment and all but about
three dozen of the 4,000 commemorative glasses
bearing the a logo derived from the regimental
badge remained unsold.
It’ll all be over by....e
r, Saturday, chaps
Colonel!
Ready for inspection,
The event, manned by 120 hard-working
volunteers, received some good media exposure
this year. Coverage by the Leicester Mercury was
supplemented by additional exposure from BBC Radio
Leicester who ran an extensive outside broadcast
from the Festival on the Friday afternoon. We were
Ten minutes before opening on
Thursday,
the queue was already 150 stron
also pleased to welcome eminent beer writer,
g
Owen Ogletree, from Georgia, U.S.A. who spent
a considerable part of Wednesday and Thursday
visiting the festival. A video of his visit can be
found at www.youtube.com using the search term
“Leicester Owen Ogletree”.
Proceeds from a sale of brewery memorabilia will go
towards a Royal Leicestershire Regiment monument at
the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire.
Also, an interesting free of charge WW1 historical game
book can be found at www.bmycharity.com/greatwar
Owen Ogletree is editor of http://www.brewtopia.info/, a columnist with Southern
Brew News, Associate Editor, Beer Connoisseur Magazine and Founder of Classic City
Brew Fest & Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting. He is also a BJCP National Beer Judge.
9
CAMRA National Winter Ales Festival
GAS DOG have been busy of late. Despite
moving premises they still found time
produce a special brew for Tony McAndrew,
father of Paul, the Leicester City kit man. Paul
is seen here at The Sir Robert Peel pulling
the first pint with Steve Plews in attendance.
They also came up with a festival special for
Leicester Beer Festival in March.
Each October CAMRA celebrates
Cask Ale Week.
This year Leicester CAMRA is proposing to organise
a pub-based festival to tie in with Cask Ale Week,
Leicestershire Food Fortnight and the Freshers
celebrations at the city’s universities. We are planning
on keeping the format simple so that licensees can put
their own stamp on proceedings, but we’d like to know who is interested in getting involved.
We’re thinking of building it around a county or regional theme, so that individual landlords
can choose to stock beers from say, Wiltshire or Cheshire knowing that others won’t be
stocking a similar thing that week. The focus will be beer and food but if possible we’d like
to include music, poetry, theatre and other cultural elements. If this is something you think
would be of interest, please contact us at drinker@leicestercamra.org.uk.
10
April – May 2014
NATIONAL WINTER ALES FESTIVAL
On Wednesday 19th February I attended the National Winter Ales
Festival at its new home in Derby’s Roundhouse.
Unsurprisingly located just 100 yards from
the Railway Station, this converted railway
repair turntable and associated former
workshops provides an airy and interesting
space for a festival. A little short on seating and
eating for some, the overall experience was
generally positive. Although I’ve had unfulfilled
opportunities to visit NWAF at Manchester’s
G-Mex in the past, the new location was close
enough not to miss, so when I was invited to
join Julian Watson of The Sir Robert Peel for
the opening day his kind offer was gratefully
accepted. Not only did his company make for
an enjoyable day, it also gave me a little bit
more insight into some of the groundwork put in
behind the scenes to maintain a successful pub.
As I read somewhere recently, serving behind the
bar is the enjoyable part of the job and in many
ways the easiest!
Being the trade day various representatives of
the media including Jo Healy and Co from BBC
East Midlands Today were in attendance together
with the great and the good of CAMRA and the
beery firmament. Although the majority of the
festival was in one hall there were overspill areas,
including a substantial marquee dominated
by Smisby brewer Leatherbritches who sold a
remarkable 42 barrels over the four days. In fact
the Leatherbritches Lemon Grass & Ginger brew
was my “find” of the day. For those of you who
like to match beer and food, its subtle notes
would make it the ideal accompaniment for Thai,
Malaysian or Indonesian dishes.
Approximately 20 breweries had donated various
barrels available on free sample (which, of course,
didn’t last long!) and others like Derby Brewing
Company and Dancing Duck went the whole
hog and had their own stands. Both seemed to
be fully occupied with drinkers and publicans/
buyers alike. Being a winter ale festival I expected
a melange of Porters, Stouts, Rubies and Barley
Wines but was surprised by the number of Golden
Ales in evidence. Whether this is part of a trend or
“mission creep” it’s hard to discern, but something
I hadn’t expected. There’s no award on offer for
the Goldens but maybe it’s only a matter of time...
For the record, of the many 1/3 pints I tried, some
of the ones that hit the mark for me were Barlow
Full Monty (6.5%), Derby Double Mash (4.6%),
Nottingham Supreme (5.2%), Windsor & Eton
Windsor Knott (4.0%) and Exe Valley Winter Glow
(6.0%); when the last of these was named best
Old Ale and 3rd Overall it was no surprise.
In addition to the ales, there was a good array
of Ciders and Perries available. Although not the
purpose of my visit, I thought the Foreign Beers
list a little limited and unimaginative with the
possible exception of some unfamiliar German
beers that were on offer. A mead stand made
for something a little different, though it seemed
a little under-prepared and they must have lost
some potential trade sales as a result. Pub snacks
were also in evidence and the overall impression
was of a well-organised Festival, as one would
expect of a flagship national event.
It was nice to see a few familiar faces at the
venue and to make some new acquaintances,
but when the Festival proper opened to the
public, Julian and yours truly decided it was time
to retreat to the civilised calm of The Brunswick
and its slightly overshadowed, but nonetheless
equally excellent neighbour, The Alexandra Hotel.
Over the years I’ve seen a number of in-pub
resident animals including parrots, mynahs, fish,
frogs, ferrets and domestic rats, but The Alex
provided a new first for me in the form of a rabbit.
After a few relaxing hours we headed back to
Leicester happy with the day’s work.
Rob Macardle
›› Festival Results on pg 12
11
›› continued from pg 11
Full Results from the
NATIONAL WINTER ALES FESTIVAL
Champion Winter Beer of Britain – Final
Gold – Dunham Massey, Dunham Porter
Silver – Cairngorm, Black Gold
Bronze – Exe Valley, Winter Glow
Old Ale/Strong Mild
1st – Exe Valley, Winter Glow
2nd – Beowulf, Dark Raven
3rd – Grainstore, Rutland Beast
Porter
1st – Dunham Massey, Dunham Porter
2nd – Ayr, Rabbie’s Porter
3rd – Batemans, Salem Porter
Stout
1st – Cairngorm, Black Gold
2nd – Ascot Ales, Anastasia’s Exile Stout
3rd – Marble, Stouter Stout
Barley Wine/Strong Old Ale
1st – Kinver, Over The Edge
2nd – Moor, Old Freddy Walker
3rd= – Green Jack, Ripper Triple
3rd= – Highland, Orkney Porter
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April – May 2014
CAMRA members and regular
readers of The Leicester Drinker
will be aware that one of
Leicester branch’s big aims for
the current year is to stimulate
interest and recruit members
amongst the younger generation.
Thursday 6th
- Sunday
9th March
Over the course of three days ahead of the
Festival, Cathal and Tonii had racked up 900
miles collecting barrels from some of the
smallest and/or newest breweries in an area
between South Yorkshire and Leicester. With
a total of 40 beers from 38 breweries, over
half of which were new names to me, they
succeeded admirably in introducing a whole
raft of novel drinking options. For the “ticker”
fraternity I’m not sure whether the choice
represented a vision of heaven or hell, but I
bet it made for some interesting decision –
making.
The mechanics for the festival itself were
straightforward. In addition to the normal
array of pumps on the bar, which was manned
by the regular staff, a separate stillage area
was ably looked after by the students; Simon
Walmsley, Joe Cherryman, Alex Hay, Jack
Riley and Hannah Brooking during the time
I spent there. A standard £3.00 a pint flat
rate for a variety of brews ranging from 3.5%
to a mighty 8% (Medieval’s Dragon Slayer)
maintained the simple but effective theme
and it all seemed to go quite smoothly on
Although there are more and more
young drinkers seeking out Real Ale,
turning that interest into card-carrying
members continues to perplex, so
when The Pub got together with The
University of Leicester Real Ale Society
for The Big Beer Weekend it seemed a
good opportunity to encourage one or
two to sign on the dotted line. With The
Pub’s Co-Director Tonii Leach also being
the local Young Members Secretary
for CAMRA, setting aside a space for a
membership stand was a “no-brainer”.
the three of the four days of which I put in an
appearance.
Although beer at festivals can sometimes
suffer from not having enough time for the
beer to settle properly, the overall standard
was exceptionally good and of the nineteen
I eventually tried only Derwent Brewery’s
Carlisle State Bitter fell short of the mark;
rather thin compared with the many fine ales
available. Winster Valley Old School was a
little disappointing too, but these two apart
I rated nothing less than good. Brass Castle
Cliffhanger (3.8%) was my vote for Beer of
the Festival and I thoroughly enjoyed Harthill
Village’s Hart of Steel (a dangerously drinkable
5.5%) and Medieval’s Priest’s Hole Stout, a
5.2% mint and chocolate gem that can best
be described as liquid After Eight, and not as
sickly as you might imagine.
On the downside, we didn’t sign up many new
members, but lots of leaflets and magazines
were taken away and at least two people I’d
spoken to signed up at Leicester Beer Festival
the following week. I enjoyed it though! R.M.
13
Here we go, here we go...
As a sports fan one of the great pleasures of an away trip is the
opportunity for a pre-match pint in a different town. Here are
a few suggestions for forthcoming Leicester City and Leicester
Tigers fixtures.
City
14 April, Reading - The Majedski Stadium is off M4
junction 11. If travelling early to this night match, there are
numerous options in Caversham and Reading but avoid the
narrow city streets once rush hour begins. A more stress-free
option is in Theale where The Red Lion, 5 Church Street,
RG7 5BU is within easy distance of the stadium and just off
junction 12.
22 April, Bolton - The Reebok, M61 (junction 6) is actually
nearer Horwich than Bolton, but being a night match you’re
unlikely to have time to explore Horwich’s excellent selection
of pubs. Instead head for Westhoughton (junction 5) and
visit The Robert Shaw, 34-40 Market Street, BL5 3AN, a
Wetherspoon house named after the actor of Jaws fame.
26 April, Huddersfield – A fine selection of possibilities are
available in Huddersfield. The Slubbers Arms, 1 Halifax Old
Road, Hillhouse, HD1 6HW is the pre-match pub of choice,
but if it’s a tad busy, The Rat & Ratchet, 40 Chapel Hill, HD1
3EB is a multi-award winning CAMRA GBG regular with
Ossett, Excelsior and its own Rat products on tap.
Tigers
18 April, Harlequins – for this Friday night fixture in an
area well-served with real ale outlets, The Sussex Arms, 15
Staines Road, TW2 5BG always has an interesting range of
beers and Wetherspoon’s William Webb Ellis, 24 London
Road, TW1 3RR is large enough to cope with Rugby fans on
match days. Both pubs are child-friendly.
3 May, Sale - The Sharks now play at Salford City Stadium,
which is just off M60 junction 11 near Barton Bridge and the
Trafford Centre. Patricroft’s Bird in Hand, 304 Liverpool Road,
M30 0RY is one of Sir Joseph Holt’s Victorian redbricks within
easy reach of the stadium. For those wishing to mix with the
Cheshire Set, Altrincham’s Costello’s, 18 Goose Green, WA14
1DW, is the only pub owned by Dunham Massey Brewery,
recent winners at the National Winter Ales Festival.
U.K. recommendations are taken from the 2013 Good
Beer Guide.
Leicester
CAMRA
Pub
of
Year
2009
Leicester
CAMRA
Pub
of
the
Year
2009
Leicester
CAMRA
Pub
of
the
Year
2009
Leicester
CAMRA
Pub
of
thethe
Year
2009
The
@@The
Criterion
@
Criterion
TheTheCriterion
Criterion
@
44 Millstone Lane, Leicester LE1 5JN 0116-2625418
44
Lane,
Leicester
LE1
44 Millstone
Leicester
LE10116-2625418
5JN
0116-2625418
44Millstone
Millstone
Lane,Lane,
Leicester
LE15JN
5JN
0116-2625418
www.criterionvenue.co.uk
Key to
our website!
BEER FESTIVAL
BEER
FESTIVAL
BEER
FESTIVAL
BEER
FESTIVAL
1 week long ale fest!
22nd-28th February
11week
long
ale
fest!
1 week
long
fest!
week
long
aleale
fest!
22nd-28th
February
22nd-28th
February
22nd-28th
February
14
April – May 2014
“ TAKE A WALK
ON THE
MILD SIDE”
MILD
MONTH
MAY 01 - JUNE 02 2014
4
PA
GE
PULL-OUT
Following on from our 2013 promotion of Mild in May
we introduce our first Mild Trail. It is open to all; you
don’t have to be a CAMRA member. If successful we
anticipate this becoming an annual event.
The trail is aimed at promoting the Cask Mild style of beer, which is
sometimes overlooked. It also gives people taking part in the trail a
chance to go and discover pubs where they may not generally venture
to. The way the trail will run has been constructed by researching
established trails in other branches and a little bit of guesswork!
Any feedback, from drinkers or pubs taking part, will be most
welcome and could help shape how future trails run.
Please be mindful that from time to time things go wrong and, due
to unforeseen circumstances, pubs may not receive casks. Also,
being a living product, a beer may not be on sale due to its condition.
Therefore a Mild may not be available so please be understanding.
A number of local pubs have sponsored a T shirt for the
event. Send in your completed forms for a chance of
receiving one. Thanks are due to The Pub, King’s Head,
The Criterion, The Ale Wagon, The Friary, Sir Robert Peel ,
Old Horse, The Wheel, Bull’s Head (Blaby) and
The Slug and Lettuce. Additional prizes have been
donated by The Plough (Meal for 4 ), The Western
(gallon of mild), The Salmon (gallon of beer) and
The Black Horse, Aylestone (gallon of beer and meal
for 4) – t’s and c’s apply.
›› continued on pg 16
T-shirt design
15
“ TAKE A WALK ON THE MILD SIDE” MILD MONTH
May 01 - June 02 2014
16
ATTACH YOUR STICKERS HERE:
See p18 for pub locations
The Ale Wagon
Slug and Lettuce
King’s Head
The Criterion
Sir Robert Peel
The Friary
Old Horse
The Pub
The Western
The Parcel Yard
High Cross
The Salmon
Swan and Rushes
Bridle Lane Tavern
Regent Club
The Wheel
Cow and Plough
William Wygston
Malt Shovel
Dog and Gun,
Syston
Syston Social Club
Black Horse,
Aylestone
Bull’s Head,
Blaby
Plough,
Littlethorpe
Stamford Arms
Winstanley Arms
The Chandler’s Arms,
Shearsby
Mild Trail Rules and Information
1) The Mild Trail runs from 1st May to 2nd June 2014 inclusive. When you buy a pint
(or a half-pint) of cask conditioned mild in a pub on the Mild Trail ask the bar staff
for a sticker for the grid.
2) Only one sticker from each participating pub.
3) Be patient if the pub is busy, be understanding if mild is not available.
There will probably be a good reason.
4) Everyone who collects 12 or more pub stickers will have the chance
to receive a T-Shirt kindly sponsored by some of the trail participants.
These will be awarded in descending order of number of pubs visited
(19+, 15+, 12+). In the event of a tie consideration will be given to
number of out of town visits, a draw will be made if necessary.
5) All entries will be put in a draw for the other donated prizes.
Winners must have a sticker for the pub offering the prize.
6) Trail participants will be signed in as guests at the Regent Club.
7) Contact details are provided for enquiries prior to travel.
8) Final date for receipt of entries is Saturday 14th June 2014.
Forms may also be handed in at the June branch meeting.
9) Have a great time!
Please Complete for the Draw:
Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Address:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
........................................................................................................................
.................................................................
Post Code:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Email (opt):. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phone (opt):. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CAMRA Membership No.:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Signature:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
T shirt size (subject to availability) (L, XL, 2XL, 3XL): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Yes, I am interested in joining the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
SEND TO: LEICESTER MILD TRAIL, 16 SOUTH DRIVE , LEICESTER , LE5 1AN
@LeicsCAMRA_SC
@LeicesterCAMRA
#mild
17
“ TAKE A WALK ON THE MILD SIDE” MILD MONTH
PUB
POSTCODE/PHONE
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The Ale Wagon
LE1 1RE (0116) 262 3330
City Centre
Bridle Lane Tavern
LE1 2HS (0116) 251 0585
The Criterion
LE1 5JN (0116) 262 5418
5/5A 126/127 (A)
22A/B/C (CB)
City Centre
The Friary
LE1 5AW (0116) 261 9196
City Centre
High Cross
LE1 4JB (0116) 251 9218
City Centre
King’s Head
LE1 6RL (0116) 254 8240
City Centre
Old Horse
LE2 1NE (0116) 254 8384
31/31A (A)
The Parcel Yard
LE2 0BQ (0116) 261 9301
The Pub
LE1 6TF
Railway Station and City Centre buses
31/31A/48/80 (A) 22/54 (F)
City Centre
Regent S&S Club
LE1 7DA (0116) 223 8006
48/80 (A)
The Salmon
LE1 4QA (0116) 253 2301
City Centre
Swan and Rushes
LE1 5WR (0116) 233 9167
88/88A (F)
Sir Robert Peel
LE2 7DD (0116) 254 0715
As Swan and Rushes $
Slug and Lettuce
LE1 6DP (0116) 255 5370
City Centre
The Western (off Bede Island)
LE3 0GA (0116) 254 5287
50/50A/51/52 (A)
18/19 (F) $
Black Horse (Aylestone)
LE2 8NA (0116) 283 7225
84/84A/85/87(A)
40(CB) $
Bull’s Head (Blaby)
LE8 4DN (0116) 278 9799
84/84A/85 (A)
Cow and Plough (Oadby)
LE2 2FB (0116) 272 0852
47/49/84/84A/85/87 (A)
Dog and Gun (Syston)
LE7 1GN (0116) 260 9366
80 (A) (15min walk)
22(F) 22B (CB) (Both 15 min walk)
5/5A (A) 100/128 (CB) $
Syston
Syston Social Club
LE7 1GP (0116) 260 9086
5/5A (A)100/128(CB) $
Malt Shovel (Barkby*)
LE7 3QG (0116) 269 2558
The Plough (Littlethorpe*)
Syston
100 (CB, direct) 5/5A(20 min walk)
Syston (25min walk)
LE19 2HS (0116) 286 2383 X44 (HB) 50 (5min walk)
Narborough
Winstanley Arms (Braunstone) LE3 2WB (0116) 289 0046 104 (A)
May 01 - June 02 2014
Stamford Arms (Groby)
LE6 0DJ (0116) 287 5616
26/28/29/29a (A)
The Wheel (Oadby)
LE2 5DP (0116) 271 2231
31 (A)
William Wygston (Wigston)
LE18 1DR (0116) 288 8397 47/47A/48/48A/49/49A (A)
Chandlers Arms (Shearsby)
LE17 6PL (0116) 2478384
31a/X3 (A) $
40 (CB) $
40 (CB)
Public transport unavailable
Key to symbols:
$ Not in view from
bus stop, venue a
short walk away.
* All venues can be reached with a Leicester Flexi bus ticket except these where an add on ticket
should be purchased. www.leics.gov.uk/transport_downloads
www.whatpubcom
(A)Arriva
(CB) Centrebus
(F) First bus
(HB) Hinckley Bus
Rail station
Other East Midland Mild Trails Nearby...
Nottingham CAMRA A well established trail throughout Nottingham and the
surrounding area. See Nottingham Drinker No.121 or
www.nottinghamcamra.org, https://twitter.com/NottinghamCAMRA
www.valeofbelvoircamra.com 14th trail this year (also see ND121)
www.mansfieldcamra.org.uk (also see ND121)
18
22/25/26/54 (F)
CAMRA’s “National Pub of the Year” Award
BUDGET SUCCESS:
Beer Duty Cut for
Second Year Running!
The Chancellor has announced
an unprecedented second
consecutive cut in beer duty as
well as freezing cider duty. This
incredible success is testament
to another year of fantastic
campaigning on this issue and in
no small part due to the many
thousands of CAMRA members
who lobbied their MP this year.
119 MPs supported the campaign.
This new beer duty cut will give
the beer and pub industry a solid
platform from which to continue
on the long road to recovery and
will help keep the lid on the price
of a pint in your local.
In an idyllic setting across from a small stream and
surrounded by green fields, The Swan with Two Necks in
Pendleton, Lancashire, has beaten off competition from
over 57,000 pubs across the UK to take the crown ahead
of the three other finalists; The Hope (Carshalton), The
Horse and Jockey (Stapleford) and Dursley’s Old Spot
Inn. Pubs are judged by CAMRA on a variety of criteria
such as atmosphere, level of service, value for money
and community focus, with extra weighting given to the
quality of their real ale, cider and perry.
Landlord Steve Dilworth said; “We are delighted and
proud to have been judged CAMRA’s National Pub Of The
Year. We’ve been at The Swan with Two Necks for twenty
seven years and think of it as our hidden gem. This is
a fantastic achievement not only for ourselves but our
dedicated staff, and a great boost for our community.”
Any landlords looking to make their pub the best in Britain
might want to take note of Steve’s somewhat unorthodox
advice on getting the best out of his real ale, as he claims
“Talking to the barrels has finally paid off!”
presents
@Swan_and_Rushes
/Swan_and_Rushes
Free WIFI zone
Live long and prosper, with friends, over a ‘Spock-on’ pint and cheap eats, here at
. The weekend will feature Chef Sham’s homemade curries and pizzas
Festival begins
live rock’n’roll
!
Enjoy space related beers, meals and quips (all weekend)
–
Rock, bluegrass, cosmic American classics
celebratory beers available
19
FESTIVAL DIARY
FRI 28 MAR – SUN 13 APR INTERNATIONAL REAL-ALE
FESTIVAL 50 different beers available at Wetherspoon
venues (National Pub Chain Event) www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk
THU 17 APR – MON 21 APR EASTER FESTIVAL The Prince of Wales, 52 Coventry Road, Hinckley LE10 OJT.
20+ interesting and unusual beers plus ciders. (Pub Event)
FRI 18 APR – MON 21 APR EASTER FESTIVAL - Glen Hills
Sports & Social Club, 2 Court Road, Glen Parva, Leicester
LE2 9JB. 50p admission with CAMRA card. At least 13 real
ales available. (Club Event)
WED 23 APR – SUN 27 APR ST GEORGES FESTIVAL Black Horse, Narrow Lane, Aylestone, LE2 8NA, 14 Ales,
6 Ciders, Live Music, Quiz – See Advertisement (page 27) for
full details CAMRA VIP preview Tue 22 Apr (Pub Event)
THU 24 APR – SUN 27 APR THE EXCHANGE, 50 Rutland
Street, LE1 1RD. 20+ beers and Ciders, Live Music, Quiz,
(Pub Event) www.exchangeleicester.com
FRI 25 APR – SUN 27 APR BARROW UPON SOAR BEER
FESTIVAL AND ANNUAL CHARITY DUCK RACE, The Boat
House 15 Bridge Street, Barrow upon Soar, LE12 8PN. With
5 real Ales on the Bar plus at least 18 more in the Beer Tent
and 10 plus real ciders. See Advertisement (page 29) for full
details. (Pub Charity Event)
THU 1 MAY – MON 5 MAY WELSH BEER & CIDER
FESTIVAL, The Western, Western Road LE3 0GA, 16 Beers
and 12 Ciders from Wales, Live Music all weekend. See
advertisement (page 25) for full details (Pub Event)
FRI 2 MAY – SUN 4 MAY SCI – FI BEER FEST, Swan &
Rushes, 19 Infirmary Square, Leicester LE1 5WR, Space
related beers and entertainment. See Advertisement (page
19) for full details. (Pub Event)
FRI 2 MAY – SUN 4 MAY WALCOTE BEER FESTIVAL, Village
Hall, Franks Road, Walcote, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17
4JX. 12+ real ales from Dowbridge & Yorkshire plus ciders.
Entertainment Saturday night. (Community Event).
FRI 9 MAY – SUN 11 MAY THE HOLLYBUSH INN, Main
Street, Ashby Parva LE17 5HS. 10 reals ales and 4 ciders.
Special CAMRA card offer of £2.50 a pint on Saturday
lunchtime. (Pub Event)
Advance notice:
BLACK HORSE, AYLESTONE, PUB-BASED FESTIVALS FOR 2014:
World Cup (June), Beach Party (August),
Halloween (October/November)
Extensive details of Beer Festivals at home and
abroad can be found at www.camra.org.uk
Pub of the Year 2014
As Leicester Beer Festival Drew to a close, so too
did the voting for Pub of the Year.
Members are permitted to vote on a 3-2-1 basis for their three
favourite pubs based on Beer Quality, Service, Ambiance, etc and of the
approximately 1650 eligible to vote, 156 members made 430 selections in
total. At little more than 9%, the number of people voting continues to be
a little disappointing but this year’s result produced a few talking points.
The Salmon again won the Overall title and City Pub of the Year
for the third year in a row in both categories and The Chandlers
Arms at Shearsby took the County Pub of the Year title for the sixth
consecutive year, but it was the voting pattern for other contenders
that took the eye. The Sir Robert Peel only re-opened in late June of
last year but followed its January 2014 Pub of the Month Award with
second overall in The Pub of the Year poll. Although the Salmon again
won by a comfortable distance, the margin was reduced and the
next 5 places were covered by a spread of just 14 votes. The King’s
Head, Criterion and Chandlers again had solid support but the Peel,
The Pub and Blaby’s Bull’s Head all made significant gains. Votes were
generally more evenly spread and county pubs scored a lot better
this time. Awards night dates appear in the diary (p21, opposite).
20
April – May 2014
TOP TEN
(2013 position in parentheses)
votes
1 (1) The Salmon
162
2 (-) The Sir Robert Peel
79
3 (2) The King’s Head
74
4 (7) The Pub
72
5 (4) The Chandler’s Arms 70
6 (3) The Criterion
65
7 (-) Bull’s Head, Blaby
43
8 (8) The Ale Wagon
32
9=(5) Slug & Lettuce
26
9=(6) Swan & Rushes
26
COMPETITION
In LD91 we posed the following question “There
are two musical headlines in this edition that
should give you a superstar duo. Combine
their names to get a third famous musician.
The three names are all you need for the
correct answer, but in the event of a tie do
you know the connection between the third
musician and a Dusty Springfield hit?” The
headlines were Young Turks (Rod Stewart), Scary
Monsters (David Bowie) and the third musician
was therefore Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame.
Earlier in his career with The Tourists he had a hit
with Dusty’s song “I only want to be with you”. In
alphabetical order, Lynda Bowden, Shawn Collier,
Peter Graham, Pete Loveday, Mark Nichols,
Jeremy Searle, Andy Stenson, Peter Tomlinson,
Steve Warrington and Gary Winkless all got the
right answer and eight of those also accurately
answered the tiebreaker. In a random draw at
the Sir Robert Peel on March 18th, barmaid Sarah
Coleman selected Shawn Collier as winner of
the prize, a Sausage and Mash Dinner for Two at
The Sir Robert Peel, Jarrom Street, and a copy
of The Leicester Drinker autographed by former
Leicester City skipper, Steve Walsh, during the
launch of Gas Dog’s “Silence of the Rams”.
This edition’s prize is a Sausage and Mash
Dinner for Two at The Sir Robert Peel.
The current competition combines music
and our Beer Festival theme (The Royal
Leicestershire Regiment).
What are the three place names?
1. Found in a Great War song and a Grand
National winner.
2. The Leicesters fought there and a famous South
African a cappella group hail from the town.
3. I’ve more than a feeling that the 17th sailed
there for The American War of Independence
Tie break – what is the musical link between The
Royal Leicestershire’s nickname and Kylie Minogue?
Leicester CAMRA
Branch Diary 2014
APRIL 2014
Wed 16th Pub of The Month – The Pub 12 New Walk
Leicester LE1 6TF. Presentation approximately 21.00h.
Sat 26th Day Trip to Kingston Upon Hull (Contact Gary Akiens)
Tue 29th Bill Squires Award – Presentation to Everards
Brewery for their Project William 20.00h The Sir John Borlase
Warren 1 Illkeston Road Canning Circus Nottingham NG7 3GD
MAY 2014
Sat 3rd Launch of Mild In May – Pub Crawl. Start: 11.30h The
Old Horse London Road or 12.30h Ale Wagon.
Wed 7th Branch Meeting – 19.30h King Richard III 70
Highcross Street Leicester LE1 4NN
Sat 17th Pub Of The Month - The Plough Station Road
Littlethorpe LE19 2HS. Start of Mild Crawl – Presentation
Approximately 12.00h – 12.30.
Fri 23rd Mild Pub Crawl Commencing High Cross Leicester at
11.45h or The Salmon at 12.30h
Wed 28th Committee Meeting – 20.00h. The Tom Hoskins.
133 Beaumanor Road Leicester
Sat 31st Pub Of The Year - The Salmon. 19 Butt Close Lane
Leicester LE1 4QA. Presentation Approximately 21.00h.
JUNE 2014
Wed 4th Branch Meeting – 19.30h Syston Social Club 36 High
Street Syston LE7 1GP
Sat 7th East Midlands Regional Meeting 12.00h. The Malt
Shovel 219 Ashby High Street Ashby Scunthorpe DN16 2JP
Sat 14th Trip to Wolverhampton and Black Country by
Vintage Bus. (Contact Gary Akiens)
Wed 18th Country Pub Of The Year – The Chandlers Arms Fenny
Lane Shearsby LE17 6PL, Presentation Approximately 21.00h.
NOTES
Branch Contact:
K Williams: 07989 272717
keithedmundwilliams@yahoo.co.uk
or: chairman@leicestercamra.org.uk
86 Bonchurch Street, Leicester LE3 5EE
For Saturday and Sunday trips:
Gary Akiens: 07815 825039
or e-mail: socials@leicestercamra.org.uk
Entries to be e-mailed by 16th May to
drinker@leicestercamra.org.uk. marked
LD92 Competition
For a fully up to date
Branch Diary, please visit
and click on Diary on the left
of the page.
21
MATTERS ARISING...
LD91 Pub News (p7 ‘Bar Cons’) Keith Busby
writes; “‘H North’, Hinckley Road is in fact
‘Entropy’ and has been for sale since at least
June last year. Converted from a butchers
shop, the original fascia was uncovered and
the owners, to their credit, decided to keep
it. I don’t think it ever displayed the name
‘Entropy’ but I may be wrong on that! The bar
opened in 2000 and was extended into an
adjacent shop (Worthington, Ed) in June 2001.
A sister restaurant, also named ‘Entropy’,
was briefly open on Dover Street (or was it
Chatham Street? Ed) 2004-06. A few bars on
Narborough Road and Braunstone Gate do sell
real ale: Nine, Pi and Natterjacks are three.
appeal to those pubs which will be providing
for customers wishing to enjoy a quiet drink/
hold a conversation/ read the paper/ play a
game etc during June to advertise the fact,
either in this journal or by ‘Avoid the World Cup
Here’ posters in their windows. Otherwise I
suspect I will not be alone in either taking root
in the Ale Wagon or sitting at home with beer
bought from a supermarket.”
LD89 Pub News (p7 ‘Miscellany’) Bill Woolley
(#007648) writes; “May I, through your pages,
LD89 Pub News - The Globe – update: 21-yearold Joshua Bonehill-Paine, who styled himself
“a rising star of the right-wing community”, has
admitted being behind August’s internet hoax
about The Globe banning military personnel to
avoid offending the immigrant population. The
Yeovil man admitted one charge of malicious
communication via his online Daily Bale, a
publication branded “moronic” by one security
expert, who also said that before the internet
and social networks existed he’d just be “one
idiot down the pub”. The Globe had over 1,000
calls on the Saturday and closed temporarily
after the hoax spread through social media and
led to threats to firebomb the premises and kill
or assault staff. Bonehill-Paine will be sentenced
on 4 April at Yeovil Magistrates’ Court.
THE
CHANDLERS
ARMS
SHEARSBY
0116 247 8384
Country Pub of the Year
2 0 0 9 - 2 014
A Freehouse serving up to 7 Real Ales
including local micros
Home cooked food served
six days a week
3 Course Sunday Lunch £11.95
20p per pint discount on ales for card carrying CAMRA members
www.chandlersatshearsby.co.uk
22
April – May 2014
I have had a number of other comments regarding the
World Cup in pubs. Compared with other cities Leicester
is not particularly well served by pubs that combine TV
Sport and Real Ales, so I aim to put together a list of
how individual pubs will be treating the World Cup and
include it in the June edition of The Leicester Drinker.
All information gratefully received! Ed.
LD91 Here we go The entry for Tigers’ away
fixture identified Gosforth as the Newcastle
Falcons’ home and one or two rugby fans tell
me this is no longer the case. On a more positive
note, I’m told that Le Plan B is the beer to drink in
Clermont, but that one or two would be “doing
further research” on April 5th just to make sure….
Adventures
BRADFORD
in a Yorkshire W AND
AKEFIELD
Landscape*
by Chris Greenwood
It was a lovely sunny morning and,
though a different coach company, our
regular driver, Mick, got us to Bradford
just in time for the opening of Jacobs
on Kent Street, a decent old fashioned
boozer with a wood fire snug where the
friendly co-owner revealed that the
pub was the sister to the Shakespeare
in Sheffield and had been saved from
a conversion into offices. With a good
mixture of different style beers, seven
in all, I tried a pint of Star Comet,
a straw coloured beer with some
yeastiness on the nose and a good
bitter finish, specially priced at £2.30 a
pint!
A short walk through the underpass and
past the impressive Alhambra Theatre
is Wetherspoon’s Sir Titus Salt. This
sympathetically converted swimming pool
retains many original features and is named
after the philanthropic Victorian factory
owner and teetotaller who forbade alcohol
consumption amongst his workers! The pub
had a friendly girl at the bar and had a nice
relaxed atmosphere. At £2.30 a pint there was
a good choice and I drank a half of Caledonian
Oatmeal Stout, far too light in colour but with
a pleasant fruity and bitter finish. The Acorn
Triskel I.P.A was much better and contained
French hops and had a lovely hoppy flavour.
We were all given a decent map and I decided
to visit a few pubs not in the Beer Guide. Not
far from the Titus Salt, on Claremont in the
University area, is the oddly named Delius
Lived Next Door. Geared to students, it was
early and nearly empty. Despite the lovely
plastered ceilings and old fireplaces, I wasn’t
impressed by the beer choice and plumped
for a half of Shepherd Neame Spitfire, which
was in good nick, full of English hops. This was
the only pub I got a sarcastic comment about
being a Southerner because I asked for the
sparkler off.
Cutting through the university grounds, onto
Thornton Road and left on Preston Street
brought me to the basic and very busy
Fighting Cock. Full of Bradford City fans and
plenty of our group, the good choice of guests
included Adnams Oyster Stout. I thought they
had stopped brewing it. The beer had a fruity
nose and initial flavour followed by a nice
bitter, stout finish. The Pictish Newport was a
good bitter-sweet pale ale.
It wasn’t too far to the listed gem that is the
New Beehive. Gas-lit with some tiling, dark
wallpaper and an impressive bar with lots of
pillars and mirrors. Again busy, with lots of
handpumps but only four beers on, though the
two I had were really good. A smooth, roasty
Victorian Porter by Spitting Feathers and a
lovely Saltaire South Island Pale, full of kiwi
hops and a long lasting tropical fruit finish.
A short walk, with a good view of central
Bradford, took me to Haigy’s, packed with
football fans one minute, virtually empty the
›› continued on pg 24
23
next as kick off approached. The friendly staff
served me a pleasant half of Phoenix Hopsack
(£1.30 a half). The beer did what it said on the
pumpclip; pleasantly hoppy with a good bitter
finish.
choice. The Star Portobello was a pleasant
hoppy bitter. I don’t usually like Salamander
beers, but the Putin Porter was lovely, a really
good, roasty, bitter beer, more a stout than a
porter, a good final beer in Bradford.
It was time to move on from the outskirts,
locals’ or the middle of nowhere, industrial
estate pubs, towards central Bradford. A rival
to Leeds as the main wool and weaving city
in Yorkshire during the Industrial Revolution,
Leeds came to dominate partly due to better
rail links. Perhaps this still shows today.
Bradford has some lovely Victorian buildings
but feels more down to earth and less trendy
and “posh” than Leeds. This is reflected in
the beer prices. I found many pubs in Leeds
ridiculously overpriced, whereas loads of good
pubs in Bradford had beers at £2.80 and lower.
The choice was perhaps less interesting, but
many of the beers I had were really well kept
and full of flavour.
It didn’t take long to get to Wakefield and we
stopped near the Clark’s tap, Henry Boon’s. A
large rambling place that was, unsurprisingly,
busy given their own beers were around £2 a
pint. The friendly lady at the bar served up a nice,
straightforward, refreshing half of Clark’s Classic
Blond and a slightly hoppier Westgate Gold.
Talking of impressive buildings, The City Gent,
on North Parade was beautiful. This former
bank had a magnificent marble ceiling,
fireplace and pillars. On arrival, there were only
two beers on (that soon became four). I had a
Slightly Foxed City Fox; this new beer to me was
slightly hazy but had a nice hoppy taste. Most
of the customers were from our trip.
On the same street was the contrasting,
simpler but trendier, Sparrow Bier Café with a
pleasingly different choice of breweries. The
Magic Rock Ring Master was typically hoppy,
with a long bitter finish. The Ilkley Pata Negra
was a good Black I.P.A with a really astringent
taste to it and packed a punch at 6.2%. As in
most of the pubs on this trip, the staff were
very friendly.
Time pressing, I moved on to Hustlergate
where the large and busy City Vaults had an
attractive, modern stained glass ceiling. Not a
great choice of beers, but as most of the guide
pubs seemed to have Saltaire Blonde, I tried a
half of this good hoppy session ale.
There was just time to leg it to my final pub,
the Ginger Goose on Market Street. This was
another large busy pub, but, with a better
24
April – May 2014
A few minutes walk took me to the Ossett
trademark pub, Hop. Like their pubs around
Yorkshire, this Hop had live bands, plenty of
brickwork and a good choice of beers, usually
from the many breweries they now own (but
haven’t closed). I had the Kirkstall Black Band
Porter, a complex beer with a nice mix of fruit,
bitterness and a dry chocolate biscuit finish.
Just around the corner, or two, was The Bull
And Fairhouse, a Great Heck house. Only two
of their own beers with guests, although they
had Great Heck Citra, a lovely in your face beer
full of citra hops with a lovely, long finish . The
Great Heck Golden Bull was also very good;
ripe tropical fruit flavours and a nice dry finish.
My final destination was the legendary
Wakefield Labour Club, better known as the
Red Shed. It is red and looks a little like a
shed; it has successfully resisted demolition
but is dwarfed by the giant shopping centre
that towers over it. I was soon engaged in
conversation with the really friendly regulars
and barman about beer, football and politics.
There were four beers all at £2.20 a pint! A
half of Cumberland Corby Ale had a sweet
start and some hops to give a balanced finish.
I really liked the Kite Brewery Thunderbird
which was a good hoppy beer with a bitter
and fruity finish. When I asked for the quickest
way to get back to the coach, one of the
regulars walked me some of the way and
Mick got us back to Leicester pretty quickly to
conclude another of Gary’s really good trips.
* A Be Bop Deluxe song on the albums Axe Victim
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JIM’S
JAUNT
The Bowdens
Today, Great Bowden & Little Bowden are thought
of as suburbs of Market Harborough, but originally
the boot was on the other foot. Great Bowden
is a very old settlement dating back to AngloSaxon times, appearing in The Domesday Book
as Bugedone and existing many centuries before
Harborough which was a separate township within
Great Bowden parish as early as 1254, but always
independent for civil purposes. Until relatively
recently Harborough remained part of the parish of
Great Bowden, which is bounded, to the south and
east, by the River Welland, the traditional boundary
between Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
Little Bowden, being the other side of the
Welland, was originally in Northants but had been
transferred to Leicestershire by 1891. Four years
later the three settlements were amalgamated to
create Market Harborough Urban District.
The Bowdens are easily accessible by train or 44
Centrebus. Arriving by train at Market Harborough
shortly before 11.30, my first call was to be The
Red Lion at Great Bowden and with half an hour
to spare before opening time I decided to walk.
Turning right out of the station and along Great
Bowden Road the ruins of St. Mary in Arden Church
were very soon to my right hand side. The nearby
blue roadside notice makes very interesting
reading. Shortly after passing over the railway
bridge and to my left was Countryman Mews, a
modern housing development built on the site
of The Countryman, a pub of which I have fond
memories, but sadly demolished some years
ago. On reaching Great Bowden village green I
carried on past the Shoulder of Mutton and the red
telephone box bearing left into Main Street where
The Red Lion was immediately in front of me.
The 17th century Red Lion is splendidly conspicuous
with its white painted brickwork exterior. Some
years ago now, a former landlord with an
adventurous taste in masonry paints, painted
26
April – May 2014
by Jim Reay
the exterior brickwork bright blue, giving rise to
the locals christening the establishment The Blue
Red Lion. As of June 2013 this hostelry became
completely free of tie and was refurbished. The
previous restaurant and bar rooms were knocked
into one large L-shaped room which has exposed
ceiling beams and joists. Behind the pub there is
a large garden. Two real ales were on sale, Fullers
London Pride and Sharp’s Doom Bar.
The Shoulder of Mutton was my next port of call
so I retraced my steps the short distance to where
this 16th century building overlooks the village
green. Another Great Bowden pub with the exterior
brickwork painted white, it nestles between a shop
and a row of very olde-worlde terraced cottages.
The interior consists of two bars, one each side
of the front entrance door. The bar to the right
extends back to a games room with a pool table,
skittle table and a dart board. Beyond that there
is a conservatory dining room leading to a wellmaintained rear garden. The three available real
ales were Black Sheep Best Bitter, Fuller’s London
Pride and Wadworth 6X.
It was now time to turn my attention to the
two pubs in Little Bowden. There’s an hourly 44
Centrebus service between the Bowdens but I
decided to walk. I could have walked back to the
railway station turned right and then first left to
Little Bowden but wanted to take the more scenic
route. Turning left out of the Shoulder of Mutton
and keeping the terraced cottages close to my
left hand side I walked straight on down a jitty,
past some old peoples’ bungalows and school
fields to my right, a tennis court to my left, over
the brook, through the park and over the railway
footbridge. I followed the well-trodden field path
keeping the hedgerow close to my right hand side
until reaching a yellow way marker post where
I bore left up the steep hill; turning round at the
top to admire the view whilst catching my breath.
I continued through a hand-gate and along the
easy to follow path leading to a jitty between
houses. Reaching the road I turned right then first
left down Lincoln Court, at the end of which I took
the jitty to the right then turned left down Rutland
Walk. This walkway crosses over three roads and
changes its name to Meadow Close; at the end
I turned left then straight on over The Crescent
to The Broadway. It was now straight on to Little
Bowden along The Broadway, Connaught Road
and Clarence Road. At the end of Clarence Road I
crossed straight over the busy road into Kettering
Road crossing the River Welland past Lidl and,
bearing left at the roundabout, The Cherry Tree
came into view.
The Cherry Tree dates back to the 17th century
and has a cottagey aspect with its whitish painted
exterior brick walls sheltering beneath a thatched
roof. The interior embraces five individual rooms
three of which have a serving area. The external
appearance is replicated inside with traditional
slate and wooden floors and low beamed ceilings.
There are two gardens; the one to the rear is
restricted to adults, so an ideal place for smokers;
the one to the front is a family garden ideal for
children to play in. Five real ales were on offer;
Holden’s Golden Glow, Wadworth 6X, Everards
Beacon, Tiger and Original,
Oat Hill is across the road from The Cherry Tree
and was my last objective. Formerly known as
The Greyhound, its present moniker is derived
from “Haefera-Beorg”, the Saxon name for the
tiny village which eventually became Market
Harborough, and which translates to Oat Hill
in modern language. Built during the 1930’s
and by far the newest of the Bowden pubs, the
aesthetically pleasing exterior is decorated in
compatible shades of pastel greenish magnolia,
beige and green. The inside consists of two
tastefully furnished rooms; a lounge bar amenable
for dining or imbibing and a restaurant including a
conservatory type area to the rear overlooking a
well-established landscaped garden. Sharp’s Doom
Bar and Timothy Taylor Landlord were the real ales
on offer.
Between them the four pubs had nine real ales
available, with a pleasant short ramble between
Great and Little Bowden. What’s not to like?
›› photographs on pg 28
27
The Bowdens
The Oat Hill
The Cherry Tree
Houses where
The Countryman once stood
The Red Lion
Sir
Robert
Peel
6 Real Ales & 2 Real Ciders
BT Sport
Free Wi-Fi
up-to-date beer list on
twitter and our website
Lunchtime Menu served
Monday – Friday 12 – 2pm
Sausage & Mash Night Every Thursday (£4 with loyalty card)
Loyalty Scheme
CAMR A Discount
CAMR A pub of the month Jan ‘14
Students Welcome
50 Jarrom Street, Leicester LE2 7DD Tel: 0116 2540715
@sirrobpeel01 Opening times: mon-sat 12-11pm Sun 12-6pm www.sirrobertpeelleicester.co.uk
28
April – May 2014
29
CAMRA discounts available locally (New additions in bold)
All locations are in Leicester unless indicated in brackets. Information given in good faith and liable to change.
Some discounts may be modified or restricted where special promotions are on offer.
Black Horse, Aylestone
CAMRA discounts/privileges for specific events
Bull’s Head (Blaby)
20p/pint
The Castle Hotel (Kirby Muxloe)
10% discount on Cask Ales
Chandlers Arms (Shearsby)
20p/pint
The Friary, Hotel Street
10% off real ales
Glenhills Sports & Social (Glen Parva)
Temporary Visitor Membership for 50p with CAMRA card
Globe, 43 Silver Street
30p/pint
Malt Shovel (Barkby)
20p/pint on Real Ales & Trad Cider
Marquis Wellington, London Road
10%
Old Horse, 198 London Road
10%
Plough (Littlethorpe)
10%
Red Lion (Gilmorton)
30p/pint
Red Lion Inn (Rothley)
20p/pint & 10p/half
Rose & Crown (Houghton on the Hill)
20p/pint
Rutland & Derby, Millstone Lane
Real Ales charged at £3
Sir Robert Peel, Jarrom Street
10p/pint off Guest Ales
Slug & Lettuce, Market Street
10%
Stamford Arms, Groby
10% off Cask Ales
Syston Social Club (Syston)
Temporary Visitor Membership with CAMRA card
Winstanley (Braunstone Town)
20p/pint off guest ales
W - Corn Exchange, Market Square
20% off food and 20p/pint off guest ales under 5.5%
W - Highcross. High Street
W - Lord Keeper of the Great Seal (Oadby)
20p/pint for Real Ales
W - Last Plantagenet, Granby Street
20% off food and 20p/pint off guest ales under 6%
W - Sugar Loaf (Market Harborough)
W - White House (Scraptoft)
Standard 50p vouchers only
W - William Wygston (Wigston)
20p/pint for Real Ales
The Yews (Great Glen)
10% discount on Cask Ales
W prefix denotes Wetherspoon outlets accepting CAMRA vouchers. One voucher per visit rule generally enforced.
Discounts at Wetherspoons cannot be combined (e.g. 50p voucher and 20p/pint on the same drink).
20% food discount not applicable on some Food & Drink combos such as Curry Club, Sunday Roast Special and Burger Special.
Non-CAMRA loyalty card schemes available to all customers:
Black Horse, Aylestone
“Cheaper by the dozen” - £5 voucher on collecting 12 stamps.
The Friary, Hotel Street
“Love Cask Ale” - every 7th pint free
The Pub, New Walk
1 for 10 loyalty card
Sir Robert Peel, Jarrom Street
The Steamin’ Billy Card
30
50p card gives a range of discounts.
Visit www.sirrobertpeelleicester.co.uk for details
Various food and drink discounts for a one-off card fee of £2.
Details at http://www.steamin-billy.co.uk
April – May 2014
04 / 14
31
Simply
the
Best
The perfect balance of
sweetness and bitterness
www.drinkaware.co.uk
www.everards.co.uk
@EverardsTiger
facebook.com/everards

FESTIVALS GALORE!

Transcription

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