F R E E Vol 35 June/July No 3 2013 The Eagle Ale House, SW11 – see page 36 23-25 NEW END • HAMPSTEAD VILLAGE • NW3 1JD Best Tel: 020 7794 0258 London Pub of the Year 2011 twitter: @dukeofhamilton Fancy a Pint Reviewers www.thedukeofhamilton.com Awards All ales £2.70 a pint Mondays and Tuesdays. See website for ales on tap. Editorial alcohol consumption and seeking measures London Drinker is published on behalf of the to reduce it. London Branches of CAMRA, the • We oppose the mass media advertising of Campaign for Real Ale Limited, alcoholic drinks that inevitably appeals to and edited by Tony Hedger. younger people who are more susceptible Material for publication should preferably be sent by e-mail to [email protected]. to ‘branding’ rather than to discerning Correspondents unable to send letters to the drinkers who are more likely to dismiss it editors electronically may post them to AMRA held its AGM and Members’ as a marketing ploy that simply increases Brian Sheridan at 4, Arundel House, Heathfield CConference in Norwich over the 20/21 the prices they have to pay. Road, Croydon CR0 1EZ. April weekend. London Drinker is intended So where do we now stand on minimum for all real ale drinkers and pub-goers and Press releases should be sent by email to pricing? An article in the Morning [email protected] we do not as a rule cover internal CAMRA Advertiser has misleadingly suggested that Changes to pubs or beers should be reported to matters. However, what comes out of the Capital Pubcheck, annual conference is very much what makes we have been forced into a U-turn but, in 2 Sandtoft Road, London SE7 7LR or by CAMRA the organisation it is – for better, for quoting the speech made by Peter Alexander e-mail to [email protected]. worse. You will find several references to the in proposing Motion 19, the journalist For publication in August 2013, please send event in this edition. I hope that non- shows that this was not the case. electronic documents to the editor no later than I would argue, and CAMRA’s pioneering Monday 15 July. members will appreciate what CAMRA is doing and support us or, even better, join us. London Regional Conference in 2011 SUBSCRIPTIONS: £7.00 for mailing of six There is still a lot to be done. agreed, that alcoholic drinks should be editions should be sent to Stan Tompkins, priced in proportion to their alcoholic 52 Rabbs Mill House, Chiltern View Road, Tony Hedger Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 2PD (cheques payable strength, so that the higher prices of stronger to CAMRA London). drinks may act as a partial deterrent to over- Real ale campaigning and consumption. I have argued in this column, ADVERTISING: John Galpin Tel: 020 3287 2966. responsible drinking from the health perspective, that it seems Printed by Cliffe Enterprise, Two important resolutions were passed in crazy that the price per alcohol unit of spirits Eastbourne, BN22 8TR Norwich: in supermarkets is so many times cheaper Views expressed in this publication are those of their (8) this Conference requires that the than the price per alcohol unit of beer in individual authors and are not necessarily endorsed by pubs. If supermarkets charged a lot more, the Editor or the Campaign for Real Ale Limited. Campaign should formulate a strategy to address the health lobby’s anti-alcohol they would pay a lot more tax (VAT) from Advertise in the next statements to give a more balanced view; which CAMRA could argue that LONDON DRINKER (19) this Conference agrees that CAMRA Government could then afford, if it wished, Our advertising rates are as follows: is on the wrong side of the argument over to charge less tax on beer supplied in cask, Whole page £325 (colour), £260 (mono) Half page £195 (colour), £145 (mono) minimum pricing. It instructs the so that pubs would be able to attract more Quarter page £105 (colour), £80 (mono) National Executive to withdraw its customers with lower prices. Phone John Galpin now on support for this measure with immediate As a campaign, we had not been pressing 020 3287 2966, Mobile 07508 036835 effect . [email protected] such an (admittedly tenuous) argument but, Following Resolution 8, it should not be without it, it made no sense to assert that a ᭧ Copyright the London Branches of the Campaign for Real Ale. All rights reserved difficult for CAMRA to determine how best minimum unit price of 45p or 50p to to present a more balanced view to counter increase the cost of alcohol from In this issue anti-alcohol statements from the health supermarkets would persuade anyone lobby. At the risk of repeating myself in this instead to pay still so much more for it in a column (I probably am), would people Branch diaries 4 pub. On the contrary, regular home drinkers please tell me if these views seem A fair deal for your local 8 would have less money left to spend on unbalanced. occasional pub visits. Resolution 19 does News round-up 10 • We believe, fundamentally, that real ale, not mean that we are happy to see Pub campaigning news 18 drunk in moderation, is and has always supermarkets selling booze so cheaply, let Campaigner of the Year 24 been a healthy food. London brewery news 25 • We encourage people to drink in pubs, alone that we condone ‘binge drinking’. We are admitting simply that minimum unit Beer festival news 30 supervised, within limited hours, rather pricing alone will not help pubs at all. London Tasting Panel 32 than at home or at large, unsupervised, at Pubs could attract more drinkers if they Cider and food pairing 36 any time. • We encourage people to drink lower could charge them less and, if the pub The Eagle Ale House 36 companies charged their tenants only market Capital Pubcheck 39 strength alcohol and slowly rather than higher strength alcohol and quickly. rents, many publicans would be able to buy Letters 46 • We agree with governmental and and sell more beer more cheaply. I may not LocAle update 46 professional bodies such as the Department count my alcohol unit consumption but I do Book review 47 of Health and the British Medical count my change. At close to £4.00 a pint Idle Moments 47 Association in alerting the extent of harm in many pubs, I’m more likely to buy a half. Crossword 50 and abuse that can result from excessive That’s the reality. Geoff Strawbridge 3 Branch diaries elc ome to ou r re gular details of L ondon CAMRA con tacts and LO NDON CIDER GROU P Wevents wher e bran ches say what is happening in their area s Ian W hite, london_cide r@ btintern et.com o r text 07 775 97376 0 that might b e of i nteres t to drinkers ac ross Londo n. Events fo r (10-4 Mo n-Fri) July – Tue 30 (8pm) Cider Pub of the Year presentation. Queens June and Jul y a re list ed below. Meet ings a nd s ocials are op en t o all Head, Acton St, Kings Cross WC1. – everyone is welcome t o co me along. LONDON REGIONAL EVENT YOUNG MEMBERS GROUP Secretary: [email protected] Matthew Black, 07786 262798, [email protected] August – Sat 3 (12.30) London Liaison Committee strategy meeting Email group: http://groups.google.com/group/london-camra-ym with CAMRA National Chairman, Colin Valentine. White Horse, Parsons Green (upstairs). Owing to space constraints, please pre- BEXLEY register with John Cryne on 020 8452 6965. Rob Archer, [email protected], Website: www.camralondon.org.uk [email protected] June – Wed 12 (8.30 ) Mtg . White Cross, S idcup DA14. - Sat 1 5 LO NDO N PUBS G ROUP Croyd on Tram crawl: start ( noon) Jo lly Woodm an , Beck enham BR3. – M on 17 (8pm) AGM . Cra yford A rms, Crayf ord DA1. - Wed Chair: Jane Jephcote, [email protected], 020 7720 26 Brom ley craw l: start (8p m) Part ridge, B roml ey BR1. 6327 or 07813 739856 July – W ed 10 (8 .30) Mt g. New Cro ss Tu rnp ike, Wel lin g DA16 . - June – Sat 15 Daytime crawl of Rotherhithe, Wapping and Sat 13 East London crawl: start (noon) Cock Tavern, Hackney E8. - Limeh ouse: (noo n) A ngel, 101 Be rmonds ey Wall Eas t, SE16; ( 1pm) Wed 24 Dartford cra wl: sta rt (8p m) Ivy Lea f, DA1. Mayflower, 117 Rotherhithe High St, SE16; (2.45) Town of Website: www.camrabexleybranch.org.uk Ramsgate, 6 2 Wap ping H igh St, E1; (3.15) Capta in Kidd, 10 8 Wapping High St, E1; (4pm) Prospect of Whitby, 57 Wapping Wall, BROMLEY E1; (5pm) Narro w (fo rmerly B arley Mow ), 44 Narrow St, E1 4; Step hen Os born, inquirie s@brom leycamra .org.uk . (5.30) Grapes, 76 Narrow St, E14. Public transport will be required June – Mon 3 Bromley North crawl: (8pm) Beech Tree; (9pm) at times. All welcome. Barrel & Horn; (10pm) Greyhound. - Sat 8 Orpington pub crawl: July – Wed 17 (7.15) Mtg. Royal Oak, Tabard St, SE1 (upstairs). All (1pm) Rose & Crown (Green Street Green); (2pm) Royal Oak; CA MRA branche s and member s intereste d i n pu b rese arch an d (3pm) Que en s Head; (5pm ) Harve st M oon. - Mon 1 0 (7.30) preser vation welc ome. Festival pl a nning mtg.