FREE Beer Festivals, Pub and Brewery News and MORE from Across Worcestershire
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Pint Taken Worcestershire County CAMRA Magazine – Spring 2018 Beer Festivals, Pub FREE and Brewery news and MORE from across Worcestershire Contents Pint Taken Contributions, letters, pub reports and news items for Pint Taken are Spring 2018 always welcome. Contents [email protected] A Word from the Editor 5 Pint Taken is published by the Pub and Brewery News 7 -15 Redditch & Bromsgrove, Wyre Forest and Worcester branches of the Craft Beer Comes to Bromsgrove 15 Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and supported by our advertisers. Is Bromsgrove on the Up? 16 www.pinttaken.org.uk Bromsgrove Beer & Cider Festival 17 Pint Taken is designed and printed by Catshill Design Talbot, Droitwich Pub of the Season 19 www.design.catshill.com Kidderminster Beer & Cider Festival 21 To subscribe to Pint Taken for a year, Wyre Forest Pub of the Season 25-27 send four C5 stamped addressed envelopes to Subscriptions, 192 Bewdley Brewery Celebrates 10 Years 25 Exhall Close, Redditch, B98 9JA Branch Diaries 29 The views expressed in Pint Taken are not necessarily those of the Join CAMRA 31 Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. Beer Scoring 31 For issues relating to Licensing Cover photo: The Swan, Chaddesley Act 2003 e.g. alcohol sales contact Corbett, donated by Andy Checketts Worcestershire Regulatory Services, Consultancy. Wyre Forest House, Finepoint Way, 10,000 copies of Pint Taken are Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 distributed to real ale pubs and 7WF Tel: 01905 822799 clubs in and around the county of http://www.worcsregservices.gov.uk/ Worcestershire. licensing.aspx Advertising rates are available at pinttaken.org.uk or from CAMRA Ltd: 230 Hatfi eld Road, St [email protected] Albans, AL1 4LW Tel: 01727 867201 Items for publication in our Summer edition (out June 1st) should be sent by 26th April 2018. 3 Pint Taken Spring 2018 4 Editor’s Introduction A Word From The Editor: Andy Checketts As the new editor of the Pint Taken magazine, may I thank the team of volunteers that create and deliver 10,000 copies to 400 pubs and clubs across Worcestershire. Pint Taken aims to signpost readers to matters that may interest them in the world of beer, cider, perry, pubs, clubs, breweries and related matters. It is to promote an awareness across the three Worcestershire (As seen at Bromsgrove Beer Festival 2017.) branches. We aim to give you news of local developments, branch events makes a good pint, low alcohol drinks, and social activities including special pubs, more about cider and meetings and festivals as well as perry, to add finings or not, CAMRA providing a forum for advertising and membership, “short measures” and comment. lined glasses, awards etc. That’s where you come in … Please send articles, comments, The magazine is only as good as its points to consider and photos etc. to content … we are already looking for [email protected] items for the Summer 2018 edition. Deadline: 26th April 2018 What else would you like us to talk If you wish to place an advert or about? discuss one contact, Pub openings and closings, new [email protected] breweries, local CAMRA trips, what Deadline: 26th April 2018 craft ale is, tips on tasting and what Cheers! The national CAMRA Members Weekend is being held at Warwick University in Coventry on the 20th to 22nd April. All members are welcome and don’t need to attend the full conference, they can come along for a few hours, a day, or the whole event. 5 Local Pub & Brewery News Hop and Pure UBU was set up for Local Pub & two nights in early February when a Rolling Stones tribute band (The Brewery News Counterfeit Stones) played there. Assuming that this is successful, the theatre would be looking to provide The Cross, Finstall cask ale either on a one-off basis for Black Country Ales has purchased events or even permanently. The bar is The Cross at Finstall from Enterprise open to visitors who are not attending Inns and is promising to maintain the an event at the theatre. pub as a traditional English village Holly Bush, Gorcott Hill pub and concentrate on providing a There has been a change of large and changing range of British ownership at this spacious country real ales in old-fashioned and homely pub, with restaurant, that lies a surroundings. mile off the A435 Redditch bypass. The Cross has been closed for As well as food there are currently several months after an extensive sale two changing guest beers from the process. Early interest from property Marston’s portfolio. There are plans to developers in the site was thwarted increase the guest beer range. largely by the successful campaign from locals and Redditch and Bromsgrove CAMRA to get the building listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). This ACV status makes it significantly more difficult for the pub to be sold for anything other than as a functioning pub. Black Country Ales – owners of 33 real ale pubs including “The Wellington” in Birmingham and the newly opened “Real Ale Tavern” in Bewdley – plans a refurbishment of the Cross before re- Hare & Hounds, Shenstone opening in the Spring. The Company Hare and Hounds, Shenstone is seeking a management couple with The Hare and Hounds, Shenstone enthusiasm for real ale and hard work near Kidderminster has reopened to take the pub on in the next chapter after major refurbishment. of its story as part of Finstall life. Brothers Oliver and Alastair Artrix Theatre, Bromsgrove Brookes took over in November 2017 The Artrix Theatre in Bromsgrove and have already made their mark is looking to increase its beer offering. with a varied great value food menu Currently the cafe area offers no real and a range of local real ales. ale, although bottles of Purity beer For some time, the future of this are popular with visitors. A dedicated once popular pub had been in doubt, cask beer bar offering Purity Bunny with many fearing it would close continued on page 9 7 Vines Park, Droitwich Spa Friday 4th May 5pm - Monday 7th May 5pm 2018 • Real Ale & Cider Bar all weekend • 20 Different Beers • 15 Different Ciders • Live Entertainment from 12 midday Every Day Come and see ‘Meet On The Ledge’ Friday 9pm ‘The Executives’ Saturday 9pm ‘The Reflections’ Sunday 9pm • Historic cars in the town centre all day Saturday • Canal boat rides during the days on ‘Pamela May’ • The ‘Great Droitwich Duck Race’ 4.30pm Monday * FREE ADMISSION ALL WEEKEND * Open Friday 5pm, Saturday, Sunday & Monday 10am strichardsfestival.co.uk ¦ wbdcs.org.uk ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter Local Pub & Brewery News its doors permanently. However, six War, the pub and adjoining cottages weeks after reopening, that’s clearly were used as Oliver Cromwell’s field not the case. There have been some hospital during the ‘Battle of Powick’ massive changes making way for a in 1651. Nowadays, the Red Lion offers really impressive light and airy dining a range of cask ales, a traditional bar space and a cosy traditional bar. The and a log burner for the cold winter original part of this pub dates back nights. to the 17th century and many of the original features remain, including a huge vaulted ceiling, two inglenook fireplaces and a large traditional feature window. The food menu features many main meals at two for £10 and daily specials to accompany Enville, Holden’s, Sharp’s, and Wye Valley ales. Dog & Pheasant, Bromsgrove As reported in the last issue of Pint Taken, the Dog & Pheasant in Worcester Road has reopened Alex Pope at The Paul Pry, Worcester and is being managed by former Cross, Finstall licensee Dave Neale. Pope’s Brewing Company, Upton This spacious pub can be found on Snodsbury whatpub.com and currently serves Pope’s Brewing Company is no Wye Valley HPA, Butty Bach and four longer brewing at its Blackpole site guest beers. – the premises are closed and up Currently Closed for let, following a fire in late 2017. The Why Not, Astwood Bank and A proposed sharing of the premises the Bell and Cross, Clent have been with the new Loyal City Brewery has reported as closed. also been abandoned and that brewer The Coventry Arms, Upton Snodsbury has moved elsewhere. The Pope The Coventry Arms, Upton family is concentrating on running Snodsbury is now permanently closed its successful pub, the Paul Pry in and is for sale. the Butts, Worcester. Complete with Sociable Brewing Company, Worcester historic interior, the pub is selling a The Sociable Beer Company was wide range of local and national beers due to reopen on the 9th February and the serving of a full food menu 2018 as the tap room is being is being considered to augment the expanded and improved. tasty home-made snacks currently Red Lion, Powick available. The Red Lion at Powick Rose and Crown, Severn Stoke has recently re-opened after The Rose and Crown, Severn Stoke refurbishment. ‘The Lion’ is steeped in has been acquired by a new owner history, and during the English Civil Paul Curnock. The Rose and Crown 9 Local Pub & Brewery News is a traditional 15th Century village a can is a smaller version of a cask.” inn sitting in lovely Worcestershire Black Pear is its best selling beer and countryside, close to the River has been brewed for twenty years. It’s a Severn. golden premium bitter that has been The Fox & Hounds, Lulsley a past finalist in the Champion Beer A father and son team, Matthew of Britain competition. More details and Thomas Clarke have taken over from www. malvernhillsbrewery.co.uk The Fox and Hounds in Lulsley.