Catherine Wheel Ale

FREE PLEASE TAKE ONE
The Newsletter of West Berkshire CAMRA
March/April 2014
Catherine Wheel Ale
West Berkshire CAMRA
The Catherine Wheel in Newbury was renamed Jack of Newbury in 2010
but closed on 21 January 2014. This Grade II listed pub is now going to be
refurbished by Enterprise Inns, change its focus to real ale and pies and
revert to its original name.
Best Community Pub 2014
Your nominated Community Pub’s name here?!
...........................................................................................
Warwick Heskins, the new landlord, took over
the Maiden Over, Earley, Reading in 2010. A manager
is being put in place there for the day to day
management allowing Warwick to concentrate on the
Newbury pub from the start. Plans for the Catherine
Wheel have been submitted to remove a dividing wall
between the two small rear rooms and replace the
carpet there with slate flooring, move the toilets and
create a small kitchen area. Photographs of local
breweries have been commissioned to decorate the
walls. More space will be created by shortening the
bar which will now feature six cask ale handpumps.
Warwick said ‘The Catherine Wheel should reopen
around the end of March and allow us to hold a beer
festival over Easter with extra casks on stillage in the
courtyard. Normally, we will stock two regular beers
from West Berkshire Brewery and four other changing
local ales as well as a keg beer from Meantime Brewing.
Pieminister pies will be available all day and people will
also like our pork pies and a variety of home made
Scotch eggs. I am really looking forward to the big
opening day and welcoming new customers to the
upgraded Catherine Wheel.’
Please submit your nomination for West Berkshire
CAMRA Best Community Pub 2014 by Friday 14
March. Full details of how to do this are given in the
shaded box on page 2, column 1.
Previous winners of this prestigious award
include: the Cottage Inn, Bucklebury (2013 & 2012);
the Lord Lyon, Stockcross (2011); the Castle Inn,
Cold Ash (2010) and the Fox and Hounds,
Donnington (2009).
Warwick Heskins shows plans for the Catherine Wheel
Berkshire Beer Festivals
Kings Meadow, between
Reading railway station
and the river Thames,
was flooded in February
but, providing the water
has drained away by
then, will become the site
of the 20th Reading Beer
and Cider Festival from
Thursday 1 to Sunday 4
May. This has been the
20th Reading Beer & Cider
home of the festival,
Festival - logo designed by
organised by the Reading
Pete Cook (Brewer at Sherfield
& Mid Berkshire branch
Village Brewery
of CAMRA, since 1996.
The first festival was held indoors at the Trade Union
Club, Reading in 1994.
There will be over 500 real ales and 200 real ciders
with live music on the Friday and Saturday. Advance
tickets with priority entry to the festival can be
purchased online. See the advertisement on the back
page for further details including opening times.
CAMRA members are eligible for volunteer work
during Setup/Takedown or while the festival is open and
volunteers qualify for benefits including free admission.
See the festival website for more details about volunteer
opportunities and benefits
www.readingbeerfestival.org.uk
The Campaign for Real Ale West Berkshire
The winning pub will be announced during
April, a month of action when CAMRA promotes
Community Pubs Month nationally giving pubs a
campaign to focus promotions around. The
campaign encourages people to support pubs
which also form vital community hubs.
CAMRA will send a promotional pack to
pubs that feature in the Good Beer Guide
2014. Other pubs can order one by visiting
communitypubsmonth.org.uk
The 2014 Bracknell Ale Festival will be held at
Bracknell Town FC on Sunday 25 May. CAMRA
members can gain free admission by printing a free
ticket from the link on the festival website and showing
their membership card at the gate. See the adjacent
advertisement for further details.
Closer to home, there are also beer festivals in
Hermitage and Newbury to look forward to. The Fox
Inn, Hermitage real ale festival ‘Foxfest’ is held from
Friday 25 April to Sunday 27 April with 16 different real
ales and live music. www.thefoxhermitage.com
The Woodpecker, Wash Water, Newbury beer festival
runs from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 May. This will feature
live music on Friday / Saturday evening and Sunday
afternoon, with free admission. Beers from Arkell’s and
other breweries will be served from a marquee on the
lawn. www.goodpubfoodnewbury.co.uk
The Racecourse Newbury offers half price tickets to
CAMRA members booking in advance for the third
Beer & Local Food festival and JLT Lockinge Stakes on
Saturday 17 May. Around 50 beers and ciders will be
offered using West Berkshire Brewery, Two Cocks
Brewery, Tutts Clump Cider and Ciderniks as key
suppliers along with many other local beers.
www.racecoursenewbury.co.uk
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West Berkshire CAMRA Best Community
Pub 2014 nominations
It’s easy to submit a nomination. Anyone, including
the publican, can nominate one or more pubs giving
as many relevant reasons as possible. Please do this,
by 14 March, using the online form (accessed via the
'Nominate your pub for Best Community Pub 2014’
link in the ‘Latest News’ area on the home page of our
website: www.westberkscamra.org.uk ). Alternatively,
please email secretary@westberkscamra.org.uk or
write to West Berkshire CAMRA, c/o 2 Sutton Road,
Speen, Newbury. RG14 1UN
Relevant reasons for Best Community Pub nominations
could be based on local groups or teams that meet at the
pub. Regular or special events and charity involvement
are among other factors to consider. This award is all
about links with the community rather than the quality
of beer or food served at the pub.
The winning pub will be announced during April,
Community Pubs Month. See page 1 for a list of
previous winners since the start of the award in 2009.
Swift Halves
■
Congratulations to the Two Cocks Brewery for their
Silver award in the Packaging (Branded drink) category
of the 2014 DBA Design Effectiveness Awards (above).
Good Luck to 1643 Viscount,
the beer representing the South
East, in the Champion Bottled
Gold Beers category of the SIBA
National Beer Competition in
Sheffield on 11 March.
■
Michael Palmer and Phil Butcher will be at the
Greyfriar, Reading on 6 March for a Tap Takeover
event. The pub at 53 Greyfriars Road, previously known
as the Malthouse, opened on 13 February 2014 and is
run by Ashleigh Harris, a beer enthusiast.
www.thegreyfriarreading.co.uk
BRE WE D WITH
PASSION
■
Ramsbury brewery should be
fully moved into the new brewery
building by March. Beers are
brewed using malting barley and
spring water from the estate. Over
the Sticks (4.2% ABV) a fruity and
hoppy golden ale, brewed to
celebrate the Cheltenham festival,
is available from early March.
■ Jack and Amanda are the new landlords at the
Lord Lyon, Stockcross. Still in their twenties, they
already have work experience at town pubs in Calne
and Swindon and are now pleased to have found a pub
at the centre of a village community.
■ The next West Berkshire Brewery monthly beers,
named after Old English insulting names, are Jargogle
(March - 4.3% ABV) an Espresso porter and
Gammerstang (April - 4.2% ABV) a ‘wonderful wheat
beer’ that refers to an awkward, tall and slender person.
In a collaboration with Reading Football Club, the
brewery will
operate a pop up
bar selling Good
Old Boy at £3.50
pint, from 12pm
until half time,
outside the East
Stand at three home
matches: Yeovil (1
Mar), Huddersfield
(29 Mar) & Burnley
(3 May). James
Tomlinson, the
brewery’s Sales
Manager said ‘Our fermentation tanks were purchased
from the old Courage site and we feel that we are
bringing our beer back home’.
The brewery tours at the Flour Barn, Frilsham Home
Farm, Yattendon, have been selling out with people often
staying on at the brewery for the day to enjoy food from
the barbecue, beer from the bar and also music on some
dates. With the tours on 15 March fully booked, the next
available tour dates are Thursday 10 April (evening) and
Saturday 17 May (book in advance). The brewery shop
is now open from 10am-4pm from Monday to Saturday.
Look out for two special bottled beers that will be
released in April: Maharaja’s IPA (5.9% ABV) and Gold
Star, a honey beer. See page 7 for details of the recent
share offer and the brewery’s future strategy.
■
Righteous Ale and Bengali Tiger are two beers from
Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, NY, USA that have been
brewed at Adnams Brewery in Southwold, Suffolk for
sale from casks at Wetherspoon pubs in recent months
as part of their American Craft Brewers’ Showcase. From
5 March, a choice of three Sixpoint Brewery beers will be
available from the Diamond Tap and the Hatchet Inn,
Newbury. Sweet Action, The Crisp and Bengali Tiger
will be served from 355ml cans in a stemmed goblet
described as a world beer glass.
DRUNK WITH
PLEASURE
They returned from two years in Australia with a
notebook full of ideas gleaned from visits to pubs and
restaurants they visited. In Australia, they were lucky
to have no problems with the vehicle they bought for
travelling despite adding another 15,000 km to the
330,000 km already on the odometer! Jack said ‘We
had a great time in Australia and it was really nice to
see their more relaxed attitude to life. That’s what we
want to encourage here, because a great pub is all
about its customers and what they want, not about the
landlords and what they want to offer.’ Amanda, who’s
running front of house added ‘We don’t just want
customers, we want families, their kids and even their
dogs. We’ve got plenty of space in the pub and bar
stools too, which can be quite a rarity in this area. This
is a local community pub serving fantastic pub food
cooked by Jack.’ To introduce themselves to the local
community they organised an open evening on
Saturday 22 February with a big cheese board and
nibbles for everyone to sample.
Jack is used to drinking Arkell’s 3B and his favourite
beer is now Bee’s Organic Ale. Amanda prefers
Moonlight or Wiltshire Gold from the Arkell’s beers
available at the pub. There is a 5% discount on ale for
CAMRA members showing a current membership
card. See advertisement (below) for opening times.
Tel 01488 657578
■ St George & the Dragon from
Wadworth brewery in Devizes is
the seasonal ale available during
March and April at their pubs
including the Craven Arms,
Enborne and the Lion, Newbury.
There are hints of orange and
blackcurrant in this refreshing
amber hued ale (ABV 4.5%).
■
It’s all change at the Sun in the Wood. Darren and
Maggie have moved to a larger Bournemouth pub from
the Wadworth pub in Ashmore Green. After a month
with a relief manager, Ryan and Hannah, a younger
couple from Beckhampton take over on 12 March.
Events will continue as before with a quiz night on
Sunday 23 March at 7.30pm.
www.thesuninthewood.co.uk
The Ramsbury Brewery
Priory Farm, Axford, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 2HA
Brewery: 01672 541407 Office: 01672 520647 Sales: 07843 289527
■ Gill and Chris held a farewell evening at the Crown
RAMSBURY GOLD
ABV 4.1%
RAMSBURY BITTER
ABV 3.8%
The Lord Lyon
Stockcross RG20 8LL
Jack & Amanda (New Landlords)
Welcome you to their gorgeous village pub
with five exceptional B&B rooms.
We offer traditional affordable pub grub
and a warm friendly atmosphere.
All ales only £3 · CAMRA 5% Ale discount
FLINTKNAPPER
ABV 4.2%
KENNET VALLEY
ABV 4.1%
www.ramsburybrewery.com
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Mon - Fri: 11.30am - 3pm & 5pm - 11pm
Sat: 11.30am - 11pm Sun: 12noon - 6pm
Tel. 01488 657 578
2
& Garter, Inkpen Common on Sunday 9 February.
Gill Hern said ‘We’ve had a wonderful time and thank
everyone for their support’. The keys have now been
handed to new owners and the pub will be closed for a
few months for redecoration and changes to the kitchen.
■ Quiz nights at the Swan Inn, Inkpen, are on Thursday
13 & 27 March, 10 & 24 April. Burgers and chips are
served at halftime and there is a raffle for organic beef.
www.theswaninn-organics.co.uk
■ On 5 February, the Bunk Inn, Curridge held a launch
night when representatives of local commerce, education
and media were treated to a six course tasting menu
created by chef Lewis Spreadbury. General Manager
The Campaign for Real Ale West Berkshire
Amanda J’Bair ensured that everyone enjoyed the event
and sampled the excellent Upham ales: Tipster (3.6%
ABV); Punter (4.0% ABV) and Stakes (4.5% ABV)
along with seasonal beer First Drop (4.2% ABV).
Master Brewer, James Stephenson, who came to
Upham with more than twenty years experience at
Charles Wells, now Wells and Youngs, was also present
at the event. www.thebunkinn.co.uk
■ At the John O’Gaunt Inn, Hungerford on Tuesday
15 April at 8pm, Jeff Evans, Newbury’s award winning
beer writer, will introduce an
evening hosted by Rupert
Thompson, Chairman of Hogs
Back, the fast growing brewery
based at Manor Farm, Tongham,
Surrey. There will be an
opportunity to sample various beers from the brewery
including the best selling TEA. There will also be a
chance to pose questions about the brewery to Rupert.
www.hogsback.co.uk
■
After Greene King sold the Queens Head in Goringon-Thames and local residents discovered that Tesco
had signed a lease for the premises with the developers,
a strong campaign has been mounted to stop the
opening of a Tesco Express on the site. CAMRA can
provide advice to local people wishing to register their
pub as an Asset of Community Value. This process
makes it harder for developers to convert pubs as, under
the Localism Act, there is a community right to bid for
registered pubs. This process gave the local community
time to raise funds to buy the Tally Ho, Hungerford
Newtown, back from the developer and to reopen it as
a community owned pub.
■ Paula Woof reports that ‘Life is now in full swing’ at
the Tally Ho, Hungerford Newtown. The first monthly
pub quiz ran in February with the next one on Tuesday 4
March. The Wicksteed Solution are playing on Sunday
23 March (7pm). Check the Events page on the pub’s
website for details of live music and special menus on St
David’s Day (1 March) and St Patrick’s Day (17 March).
Paula added ‘Coming very soon will be our community
shop, where we’ll be supporting local businesses by
selling their produce. Additionally, we always keep at
least two local ales on tap - at the time of writing,
Ramsbury Gold and West Berkshire Brewery’s Good
Old Boy. In the kitchen, our super chef, Melissa, is using
local produce wherever possible. Our bar is still staffed
mostly by local volunteers, which we feel has helped
create a very friendly atmosphere.’
The community owned pub now has over a hundred
shareholders with a small number of £100 shares
remaining to be issued. The ‘Buy Shares’ page on the
pub’s website has details:
www.thetallyhohungerford.co.uk
First Friday,
Newbury
There are now 42 LocAle pubs in our branch
serving beer from breweries within a 25
mile radius.
The Eastbury Plough is a recent addition to the
full LocAle pubs list. See the pub profile on page 6
for more details of this Lambourn valley pub.
Cheers, Glenn Parsons
pubsofficer@westberkscamra.org.uk
LocAle Pubs - East of A34
Aldworth
The Bell Inn
The Bladebone Inn
Chapel Row
Wash Common
The Bowler’s Arms
Stanford Dingley
The Bull
The Castle Inn
Cold Ash
The Coopers Arms
Newbury
Upper Bucklebury
The Cottage Inn
Wash Common
The Gun
The Hatchet Inn
Newbury
The Lock Stock & Barrel
Newbury
Newbury
The Monument
Wash Common
The Old Bell
The Old Boot Inn
Stanford Dingley
The Old Waggon & Horses
Newbury
Thatcham
The Plough
Frilsham
The Pot Kiln
The Red House
Newbury
The Royal Oak
Yattendon
The Six Bells
Beenham
The Woodpecker
Wash Water
The First Friday of the month (7 March,
4 April and 2 May) is the evening to go out in a
friendly group for everyone who likes real ale or
cider, good company and (later in the evening) live
music. We hope that people thinking about joining
CAMRA and members who have not previously
attended our events and meetings will meet up with
the core of branch members who regularly attend.
Choosing the first Friday of the month makes it
easy to remember the date. Until July, the start point
will be the Lion, West Street, Newbury. This is a
friendly pub which always has a good choice of
Wadworth beers as well as guest ales. Our group will
be there from 8pm until at least 8.30pm and if you’re
not sure where we are inside the pub just ask at the
bar for directions.
1st Friday - 2nd Pub - back room at the King Charles
Tavern. L to R: Jeff, Chris, Sarah, Mike, Craig, Richard
& Tommy
The first of these events, on Friday 7 February,
attracted 13 people despite the wet weather. Many
enjoyed a first pint of Legacy, brewed by Lacons of
Great Yarmouth, a pale, guest ale at the Lion. After
walking past floods in Northcroft Lane, one group
headed directly to the Canal Bar while the rest found
some space left to congregate in the back room at the
King Charles Tavern at 9pm. A popular choice here
from the range of four real ales was Trooper, created
by real ale enthusiast Bruce Dickinson with fellow
Iron Maiden members and brewed at Robinson’s
brewery in Stockport. The KC group walked back to
the Market Square and ordered pints of real ale from a
choice of three at the bar of the Old Waggon & Horses
before heading down the back stairs to the Canal Bar
where Riff Raff had already started playing by 10pm.
Paula Woof behind the bar at the Tally Ho
1st Friday - 3rd Pub - Riff Raff performing + Sarah
dancing at the Canal Bar
The three piece band played a mix of rock covers
from the 60s, 70s and 80s including some lesser known
songs like Family’s ‘Burlesque’. In front of the stage area,
Sarah and Craig were the only dancers. The CAMRA
group eventually dwindled as people headed home on a
rainy night.
Friday night is music night in Newbury with
several pubs and clubs booking musicians and bands
to entertain their customers. The Canal Bar, The
Dolphin, The Monument and the Royal British
Legion are among the venues from which we pick one
or two to visit later in the evening, on the first Friday
of the month.
We will plan the evening at the Lion based on the
latest information about what musicians will be
performing that night. We will then visit at least one
more pub on the way to the chosen pub for music.
Anyone who is not keen on visiting a pub with live
music can always stay on at the preceding pub or head
home earlier.
We want to build up the number of CAMRA
members who join in with branch activities and to
encourage this a complimentary pint is offered to
any member turning up for the first time on Friday
7 March, 4 April or 2 May.
The Castle Inn · Cold Ash
䡲 West Berkshire CAMRA
Community Pub of the Year 2010
䡲 Good Beer Guilde 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014
䡲 Cask Marque accredited since 2002
䡲 Five real ales including one from
West Berkshire Brewery
䡲 Open all day - every day
Hot soup and a roll 2.30-5.30pm
䡲 Family and dog friendly
䡲 Good value food
䡲 Quiz Mondays at 8.30pm
Cold Ash Hill ·Cold Ash ·Thatcham ·Berkshire RG18 9PS
Tel: 01635 863232 ·www.thecastleatcoldash.co.uk
Follow us on Facebook
The Campaign for Real Ale West Berkshire
3
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London
with the
BGC
Inverness and
Paddington
Rich Milligan, membership
secretary and webmaster
for West Berkshire
CAMRA, works in London
and is a Cask Marque
ambassador. There are
Rich Milligan
plenty of ideas for places
and pubs to visit in London mentioned in the posts on
Rich Milligan’s blogs. Feeling Fruity with the BGC (Beer
Glass Collector) is Rich’s current blog with posts about
visiting pubs near churches featured in the ‘Oranges and
Lemons’ nursery rhyme.
Brickbats and Tiles say the bells of St Giles - gave
Rich an opportunity to start a tour with work colleagues
from St Giles-in-the-Fields, the Poets’ Church, near
Centre Point and Tottenham Court Road tube station.
Heading towards Covent Garden, the tour’s first stop
was a Taylor Walker pub which offers a 10% discount for
CAMRA members, the Crown, 43 Monmouth Street,
WC2H 9EW. Occupying a triangular site, Rich describes
the Crown as ‘quite nice in a strange shapey, horsebrassey, Victorian picture sort of way’.
We are in the
CAMRA
Good Beer
Guide 2014
(6th year
running)
Sam Williams has added posts about Inverness and
Paddington (part 1) to his Beer Branches blog which
features photos and facts about railways and pubs.
Meals served every evening
and lunch-times (except Mondays)
Traditional Sunday Roast lunches
En Suite Guest Rooms &
Function Room available
Choice of 3 Cask Ales
‘Pie and Pudding Club’
every Wednesday!
West Berks CAMRA
Pub of the Year 2008
On his visit to the Capital of the Highlands,
he leaves the station, rebuilt in the 1960s, to visit
Blackfriars Highland Pub and the Castle Tavern, both
listed in CAMRA’s 2014 Good Beer Guide.
The London terminus of Brunel’s Great Western
Railway is Sam’s favourite station so the post starts with
plenty of train geekyness.
AA
Inn
The Six Bells, The Green, Beenham
Reading RG7 5NX Tel: 0118 9713368
Email: info@thesixbells.co.uk
www.thesixbells.co.uk
A few of Rich’s tour group at the Crown, Monmouth Street,
Seven Dials (L to R) Brenda, Lucie, Lisa & Isabelle
The other pubs visited on 7 February were The
Cambridge (Nicholsons), Montagu Pyke (Wetherspoon)
and the Royal George, all on Charing Cross Road. For
photos and descriptions of the pubs and proceedings in
Rich’s own inimitable style, read his blog:
www.feeling-fruity-with-the-bgc.blogspot.co.uk
Rich’s previous London beer tour blog is on
www.monopoly-with-the-bgc.blogspot.co.uk and his
latest blog with interesting London places to visit based
on his own lunchtime outings is on
ww.tysal.blogspot.co.uk
Sam suggests taking the escalators up from ‘The
Lawn’ to reach the Fuller’s pub, the Mad Bishop & Bear,
another 2014 Good Beer Guide pub.
View Sam’s posts to see his photos and find an
explanation for the naming of the pub and you will learn
that the land Paddington station is built on was once
owned by the Church of England.
www.beer-branches.blogspot.co.uk
A warm welcome
awaits you at
The White Hart Inn!
Featuring a fantastic
collection of Greene King’s
best beers and guest beers
from West Berkshire Brewery
Open from 11am
see website for details
The White Hart Inn
Hamstead Marshall
01488 657545
whitehartinnhamsteadmarshall.co.uk
Ullage March/April 2014
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THE SQUARE, YATTENDON, BERKSHIRE RG18 0UG
TELEPHONE: 01635 201 325
EMAIL: INFO@ROYALOAKYATTENDON.COM
WWW.ROYALOAKYATTENDON.COM
4
The Campaign for Real Ale West Berkshire
It takes a bit more than some
inclement weather to stop most
CAMRA members from finding
a good pint of ale, which was
just as well as a gaggle of
members, led by Andy Pinkard,
undertook a muddy ‘pint to
pint’ ramble across the West
Berkshire countryside on
Saturday 8 February.
Having arrived in Kintbury
by train just after a hail storm,
our intrepid explorers eased
themselves into the walk gently
by making the short trip from
the station across the Kennet
& Avon canal to the Dundas
Arms, surprisingly in
glorious sunshine!
Inside, we were pleased to
Crossing the river Kennet outside the Dundas Arms, Kintbury. (L to R) Paul Scullion,
find local beers from West
Mike Avery, Sam Williams, Andy Pinkard, Richard Scullion, Chris Marriage
Berkshire Brewery, Siren Craft
Brew and Ramsbury on the bar.
Swans Hotel. Here, the Town Bar was busy with rugby
On leaving the pub and heading out through the village,
fans out to enjoy the England vs Scotland Six Nations
a few members of the group visited the Blue Ball for a
match, but happily standing space was found next to a
Ramsbury Gold whilst the remaining hardy souls
radiator and soon pints of Ramsbury Brewery Grand
continued south across hill and dale to Lower Green,
Slam and Cob On, the house beer, were rejuvenating a
Inkpen and the Swan Inn.
weary and damp gang of walkers. After the rugby and
It didn’t take long for the rest of the group
now with dry clothes again, the group headed home by
to catch up (a bus service links Kintbury to Hungerford
train from Hungerford.
via the Swan Inn) and soon pints of Butts Brewery Jester
Sam Williams
and Traditional were flowing. The open fire provided a
good opportunity for some sock drying, whilst a round
of sandwiches meant everyone was well nourished for
the next leg.
Andy Pinkard and Sam Williams spent a Saturday in
With Chris heading home, the six remaining
January trialling the route for the February ramble
ramblers headed north west towards Hungerford, soon
from Kintbury to Hungerford via Inkpen that Sam
passing the Old Craven Arms, a house that was once a
describes above. Andy is now planning further
pub. On a footpath, after leaving the Inkpen road, the
rambles that will combine exercise and fresh air with
weather took a turn for the worse and we felt the rain on
conversation and beer appreciation. If you enjoy
our backs.
walking, talking and visiting country pubs then join
After a ‘slight detour’ in a field between Totterdown
us on future rambles.
House and Cold Harbour, Andy led the group
Keep in touch with events the branch is organising
triumphantly over Hungerford Common and into the
by checking our Facebook page (West Berkshire
Downgate where it was muddy boots at the door, and
Campaign for Real Ale), following Twitter accounts
pints of Arkell’s beers all round. Thankfully there was a
(@UllageBeer and @WBCAMRA) and our website
roaring log fire in the lower bar, which allowed more
www.westberkscamra.org.uk
time for drying out before the short walk to the Three
Photo: Tim Thomas
Kintbury, Inkpen and Hungerford RambAle
West Berkshire CAMRA
member Jeff Evans is the
beer writer behind the
Inside Beer website.
Updated monthly,
www.insidebeer.com
includes The Beer Buzz
(news), Events & Festival
listings and exclusive
features. There are archives for Pub / Beer of
the Month, including those below.
Feb: The Royal Standard of England,
Forty Green, Bucks
Harviestoun - Old Engine Oil
Jan:
Augustiner Bräustübl, Salzburg, Austria
Oakham - JHB
Dec: Cask Pub & Kitchen, Pimlico, London
Moorhouse’s – Black Cat
Nov: The Fleece, Bretforton, Worcestershire
Woodforde’s - Wherry
CAM RAmblers
Beer in Tuscany
Tuscany, one of Italy’s twenty regions, is home to an
increasing number of breweries. Lucca, one of ten
provinces in Tuscany, has five breweries alone. Tim
Thomas visited the historic cities of Lucca, Pisa and
Florence on a trip to Tuscany in January. He packed
copies of Ullage to hand out at the beer bars he
would visit.
At De Cervesia, Via
Michele Rosi 20, Lucca,
Matteo Sargenti helpfully
suggested beers to try. He
named the five breweries
(birrifici) in the province
as Brùton, La Petrognola,
Del Forte, Birroir and
Degli Archi. Matteo’s
compact bar / beer shop
serves three draught beers
and various bottled beers
from small Italian
breweries.
Tim met Alessio
Pontiggia from Il
Birrificio Artigiano
Martesana & Yeti fonts
Bientina when he visited
at Orzo Bruno, Pisa
Orzo Bruno, the
brewery’s pub at Via delle Case Dipinte 6, Pisa. With free
bruschetta on the bar and a chunky 500ml glass of beer
at a reduced price of 3.60 euro until 8.30pm, it was a
good idea to get there at 7pm, opening time. Shortly
afterwards, the large room filled with customers, many
from the nearby university. Six tall fonts serve the full
The Campaign for Real Ale West Berkshire
Good quality locally sourced food
All meals home made
Sunday roast from £9.95
Food available 6 nights per week
(Tue-Sun)
Pub Quiz - last Sunday of each month
Family & dogs very welcome
Two meals and a bottle of wine £24.95 on
Wednesday evenings
Local ales & cider always available
High Street· Kintbury· Berkshire· RG17 9TJ
Tel: 01488 608126
www.blueballkintbury.co.uk
THE
LAMB
NEWBURY
Traditional local community pub
New guest ale every month
Cask Marque accredited
Matteo Sargenti at
De Cervesia, Lucca
range of beers from the brewery including Picca (6%
ABV), subtly flavoured with ginger, black pepper,
cinnamon and vanilla).
See Tim’s blog for illustrated posts (January 2014) on
these recommended places for beer-lovers to visit when
in Tuscany. www.beereurope.blogspot.com
5
Live horse racing and other sports on TV
Dart board · Pool table · Poker nights
Cozy snug available for private parties,
wakes, Christenings, etc.
Trivia quiz available at the bar - monthly prizes
The Lamb · 5 Enborne Road · Newbury RG14 6AG
Tel: 01635 40912
Ullage March/April 2014
Pub Profile # 49
The Eastbury Plough Eastbury
Taking the road from Great Shefford to Lambourn
you travel through two small villages before reaching
one of the country’s two main equine racing centres,
the other being Newmarket in Suffolk.
East Garston is the first village en-route and the
second is Eastbury. This small village which lies in the
Lambourn valley was once home to a Post Office,
shop, bakery, two Methodist churches, a garage and
three pubs. Sadly, like so many villages, all these have
since disappeared, except that is for The Eastbury
Plough. Yes, I have got that the right way round, its
name changed from The Plough at Eastbury about a
year ago.
The pub is around 250 years old and was believed
to originally have been a coaching inn. The last twenty
years have seen it under the ownership of the White
family. Originally Dennis White & his son Graham ran
the pub. After some time out, deciding what his true
vocation was, son Graham now runs the pub with his
wife Louise. Dad Dennis still puts in a weekly shift,
along with several other members of the family.
Since the Whites took over the pub it has gained a
very good reputation for its food. I can personally
vouch for this, having
enjoyed several delicious
meals there with my family.
Whilst vegetarians may
have to look closely at the
menu to find something
suitable, the meat eaters
among us will be in heaven.
A large choice of steaks is
always available, along with
specials such as: Pigeon
Real fire shared by the
with a black pudding salad;
two bars
Gressingham duck and
Ullage March/April 2014
smoked pear served with a thyme and port jus, to
name just two. In addition to main dishes, lighter
snacks and sandwiches are also available. The meat is
of very high quality and is all supplied locally from
NJ Richards Butchers of Lambourn and Vicars Game
of Ashampstead.
Graham and Louise have been in sole charge for
the last four years, and in that time they have been
continually striving to make improvements to enhance
your experience. Last year saw decking and low level
fencing to the front garden. There was also a start to
the landscaping of the rear garden, for enjoying those
summer months. Other improvements planned
include a vegetable plot, to supply the kitchen and
refurbishment of the dining room. The dining room
itself is situated at the rear of the pub. It was added to
the original very small pub way before the Whites took
over. The remainder of the pub is split into two bars
that share a roaring real fire. Meals can be taken in the
less formal surrounds of the two bars as well as in the
dining room. Both of the bars are furnished to also
cater for those who will only be drinking a pint or a
glass of wine.
Talking of pints, Graham is keen to expand his
range of beers and as the pub is a freehouse he is able
to choose supplies from wherever he likes. On the bar
at my last visit was Sharp’s Doom Bar, not my favourite
but hugely popular at the pub, as well as two fine ales
from Two Cocks Brewery, Enborne and Siren Craft
Brew, Finchhampstead. There is always, at least, one
locally sourced ale and so CAMRA is delighted to
welcome the pub to its LocAle scheme. There are plans
to expand the beer range further with the addition of a
fourth hand pump as well as some speciality bottled
beers from the UK and Belgium.
It may seem like a bit of a trek to get to Eastbury
from Newbury but it will actually take you only
around 15-20 minutes and in my opinion is well worth
it, particularly if you are looking to eat out.
The pub attracts all sorts of clients, so you could
find yourself standing next to a top jockey or trainer,
or the guy who just pops in for a pint whilst walking
his dog. Either way, what you will find inside
The Eastbury Plough is a warm fire and a very
warm welcome.
The Eastbury Plough, Eastbury, Lambourn,
Berkshire RG17 7JN
Tel. 01488 71312
www.theplougheastbury.co.uk
Opening Times:
Mon – Sat: 12 noon – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Sunday:
12 noon – 4pm
Food:
Mon – Sat: 12 noon – 2.15pm, 6pm – 9.30pm
Sunday:
12 noon – 2.15pm
Glenn Parsons
6
The Campaign for Real Ale West Berkshire
West Berkshire
Brewery Share Offer
Pub of the Year
Investors across Berkshire, who successfully subscribed
to the recent offer for sale of Ordinary Shares in the
West Berkshire Brewery Company Limited by
investing a minimum of £1000 to purchase eight £125
shares, should receive their share certificates during
March, after the offer closed on 28 February, 2014.
If the offer is fully subscribed, £2 million will
be raised with some of the money going to the Founding
Shareholders (Dave Maggs, Helen Maggs, Andrew Baum
and Karen Baum) who are approaching retirement age
and the remainder used for developing the business.
David Bruce became Chairman of the Company’s
Board after purchasing £100,000 worth of the Founding
Shareholders’ shares in July 2013. In a letter to potential
new shareholders he wrote ‘We have some exciting plans
for further developing the business and
I am delighted to now be leading the Company.’
In order to help a wide audience identify West
Berkshire Brewery with the nearby river Thames, the
directors and their financial advisor had a bit of a laugh
dressing up as Wind in the Willows characters, for a
photo shoot under a willow tree outside the Swan
at Streatley.
Membership Open to all
Give the club a Free Trial
Top Value - Club Prices
Real Ales - Courage Best + Guest Ale
Pool, Snooker, Skittles & Darts
Cash Bingo (Tue, Fri) Quiz night (Sun)
Darts League (Mon, Wed) Live Music (Fri)
Home cooked Sunday roasts
Open daily from 7pm
+ Sat & Sun 11.30am - 2.30pm
Haig House, Pelican Lane, Newbury RG14 1NP
Tel. 0163547415
www.newburyroyalbritishlegion.co.uk
The Five Bells Wickham
Photo: Thomas Skovsende
The Swan with Two Necks, Pendleton, Lancs
L to R: Karen Baum, Andrew Baum, David Maggs,
Helen Maggs, (all founding directors), David Bruce
(Executive Chairman) & Colin Aaronson of Grant Thornton.
West Berkshire Brewery was originally founded by
Dave and Helen Maggs in the summer of 1995 with a
five-barrel plant in a converted building behind the Pot
Kiln pub in Frilsham. A second brewery, in Yattendon,
was completed in 2000 and extended in 2006. In
February 2012, the brewery moved to the Flour Barn
at Frilsham Home Farm, just outside Yattendon.
The future strategy described in an Information
Memorandum issued by the Company involves
improving sales to absorb the current spare capacity of
its brewery as soon as possible.
The Summary mentions ‘Once the current brewery
is operating at or near full capacity and subject to the
availability of finance, the Company will look to acquire
a freehold site suitable for a new brewery which would
feature a bigger production plant and could include its
own kegging and bottling facilities together with a
visitor centre and retail shop. As part of its future
expansion the Company may consider the possible
development of a ‘tied’ estate of managed pubs in city
centres and will also review the possibility of expanding
into specifically targeted export markets such as North
America, India and China.’
A Lancashire village pub has been named the best in
the UK by the Campaign for Real Ale. In an idyllic
setting across from a small stream and surrounded by
green fields, The Swan with Two Necks in Pendleton
beat off competition from over 57,000 UK pubs to win
the 2013 award.
Steve Dilworth, the landlord, 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
27 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.’
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 of course given
to the quality of their real ale, cider and perry. 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!’.
The three other finalists were The Hope in Carshalton,
The Horse and Jockey in Stapleford and The Old Spot Inn
in Dursley. The Nag’s Head in Reading was the Central
Southern region pub that reached the final 16 stage.
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A Beer Festival Every Day
9 Real Ales, 3 Real Ciders and 30 Belgian beers
Friendly staff, Roaring fires and good home cooked food
served every day.
Quality boutique en-suite accommodation available.
Making us many people’s idea of the perfect country pub
Tel: 01488 657 300
www.fivebellswickham.co.uk
Tutts Clump Cider
Award Winning Real Cider
made by hand with apples mainly from
within West Berkshire
Available in 275ml and 500ml bottles,
3, 5, 10 and 20 litre bag in box,
5 gallon poly-barrel and 9 gallon non
pressurized plastic barrel to go on
bar hand pump
Fittings to attach a bag in box to a
hand pump line also available
Tel: 0118 974 4649 Mobile: 07836 296996
Email: sales@tuttsclumpcider.co.uk
www.tuttsclumpcider.co.uk
t: 01635 43026
The Campaign for Real Ale West Berkshire
7
Ullage March/April 2014
Beer Festival Diary
Diary Dates 2014
10-12 April
38th Farnham Beerex
Farnham Maltings, Bridge Square,
Farnham GU9 7QR
Details: www.farnhammaltings.com
The following is a list of all forthcoming
meetings of the West Berkshire branch of
CAMRA. Some are ‘social’ meetings, lively
and friendly occasions where we enjoy a few
beers; others are ‘branch’ meetings, which
are slightly more formal and where we
discuss beer and pubs issues. Unless stated,
our meetings are open to all-comers – and
new members are particularly welcome!
CAMRA run or supported beer festivals
provide excellent opportunities for sampling
a wide range of real ales, from all over the
UK and overseas. Here are some of the major
1-4 May
and most accessible festivals for West
20th Reading Beer & Cider Festival
Berkshire drinkers.
Kings Meadow, Napier Road,
Reading RG1 8BN
Details: www.readingbeerfestival.org.uk
12-14 March
30th London Drinker Beer & Cider Festival 17 May
Camden Centre, Bidborough Street,
3rd Beer & Local Food Festival
London WC1H 9AU
The Racecourse Newbury RG14 7NZ
Details: www.camranorthlondon.org.uk
www.racecoursenewbury.co.uk
22-23 March
4th Winchester Real Ale & Cider Festival
Winchester Guildhall, High Street,
Winchester SO23 9GH
Details: www.winchesterbeerfestival.org.uk
Fri 7 March
First Friday, Newbury Ale Trail
The Lion, Newbury (starting pub)
See page 3 for details
25 May
4th Bracknell Ale & Wine Festival
Bracknell Town FC, Larges Lane,
Bracknell RG12 9AN
www.bracknellalefestival.co.uk
Tue 18 March
Branch Meeting
Tally Ho, Hungerford Newtown
Andy Pinkard
Wed 9 April
Branch Meeting
Blackbird, Bagnor RG20 8AQ
Tue 15 April
Hogs Back Brewery Event
John O’Gaunt Inn, Hungerford RG17 0EG
See page 3 for details
All meetings start at 8pm
unless otherwise stated.
Please check our website for further
details of events:
www.westberkscamra.org.uk
Ullage March/April 2014
8
Tel 07818 401795 (M)
(chairman@westberkscamra.org.uk)
Secretary: Mike Avery
Tel 01635 820481 (H)
Treasurer: Linda Parsons
(treasurer@westberkscamra.org.uk)
Membership: Rich Milligan
(membership@westberkscamra.org.uk)
Pubs Officer: Glenn Parsons
(pubsofficer@westberkscamra.org.uk)
Press & Publicity Officer/Beer Surveys:
(survey@westberkscamra.org.uk)
Social Secretary: Sam Williams
(social@westberkscamra.org.uk)
Ullage Editorial: Tim Thomas
(editor1@westberkscamra.org.uk)
Ullage Design: Richard Lock
Fri 4 April
First Friday, Newbury Ale Trail
The Lion, Newbury (starting pub)
Week commencing 21 April
Best Community Pub award
Venue & date TBC
Check website for details
The Campaign for Real Ale
West Berkshire
Chairman: Richard Scullion
www.westberkscamra.org.uk
Facebook: West Berkshire
Campaign for Real Ale
twitter.com/WBCAMRA
twitter.com/UllageBeer
Correspondence to:
e-mail: secretary@westberkscamra.org.uk
or write to:
Mike Avery, 2 Sutton Road, Speen, Newbury,
Berkshire RG14 1UN.
Printing: Clere (www.clere.uk.com)
Local Trading Standards office:
Tel 01635 519930
Ullage is published by the West Berkshire branch of the
Campaign for Real Ale and is copyright of CAMRA. The
opinions expressed in this publication are those of the
contributor and are not necessarily endorsed by the Production
Team or The Campaign for Real Ale. Every effort is made to
ensure that the information contained in Ullage is correct, but
the publishers accept no responsibility for any errors or
omissions.
The Campaign for Real Ale West Berkshire