Beer Festival
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F R E E DDRDRIDRINDRINKDRINKEDRINKERRINKER Volume 39 No. 5 October/November 2017 Ye Olde Mitre Inne – see page 34 (photo supplied by Gary Murphy) HE PERFECT PINT AT TH VE T E PER SER FEC ICH T T H EM W P S E B R U A P T U R R O E F C A S E S S K U M O A H RQ EE UE- FR ACCR OON EDITED J D WETHERSP 3 0 ES AW RI AR WE D-WINNING BRE WED 1 1 – S UN 2 2 o ct Editorial London Drinker is published on behalf of the consideration at present. Also, if Greater London branches of CAMRA, the anyone were to stage a ‘World Beer Campaign for Real Ale, and is edited by Tony Hedger. It is printed by Cliffe Enterprise, Festival’ then to be accurate, 30% of Eastbourne, BN22 8TR. the beers on offer would have to be CAMRA is a not-for-profit company limited by AN InBev brands! guarantee and registered in England; company No. 1270286. Registered office: DDRDRIDRINDRINKDRINKEDRINKERRINKER The same can be said for CAMRA’s 230 Hatfield Road, St. Albans, Good Beer Guide. What is Hertfordshire AL1 4LW. essentially a list of pubs and Material for publication, including press releases, should preferably be sent by breweries is just that; you can shuffle e-mail to [email protected]. the contents about a bit and change The deadline for the next edition, Same old, same old. December/January is Monday the supporting articles but not much 13 November s I cobbled this edition together, more or else you lose its raison All contributions to this magazine are made on a AI saw a vague theme emerging d’etre . That said, it will be in- voluntary basis. so I thought that I would try to teresting to see what a change of To advertise in London Drinker, contact expand on it. editor brings. See page 24. John Galpin on 020 3287 2966 The prompt came from an article or mobile 07508 036835; Likewise pubs with historic written by the well known beer writer E-Mail: [email protected]. interiors as featured in both the book Prices: whole page £325 colour or Pete Brown about the Great British review and pub news columns. If you £260 mono; half-page £195 colour or £145 Beer Festival. A lot of people mono; quarter-page £105 colour or £80 mono. have a glorious old pub why change thought that this was an attack on The views expressed in this magazine are those of it? You cannot improve it (except their individual authors and are not necessarily this venerable institution but my endorsed by the editor or CAMRA. interpretation – and if I am wrong I perhaps sometimes the toilets). That © copyright the London Branches of the hope that Mr Brown will correct me is why we have the historic buildings Campaign for Real Ale; all rights reserved. – was that there is some comfort in listing system. Subscriptions: please send either £9 for the One dictionary definition of mailing of six editions or £17 for 12 editions to something that does not change. I’d Stan Tompkins, 52 Rabbs Mill House, Chiltern liken it to that old jumper that every progress that I found is ‘movement View Road, Uxbridge, Middx UB8 2PD. Please year goes into to the bag for the to an improved or more developed make cheques payable to CAMRA London Area. These prices apply to UK mail addresses only. To charity shop but always gets pulled state’ so please do not think that I arrange for copies to be sent overseas, please out at the last minute because it is am against that. I’ve taken quite a contact us. warm and comfortable. Given that, shine to micropubs and new beers like so many CAMRA beer festivals, are always welcome from reliable CONTENTS the event starts off with two empty, sources. What I object to is change Branch diaries 4 bare halls with no infrastructure apart for change’s sake. Also, just because Awards and events 10 from the toilets, variations on a a brewery has been operating for CAMRA Regional Pub and theme are difficult. The main, and I Club of the Year 12 many years it does not automatically News round-up 14 would argue the most important, mean that its beers are rubbish. I Keep our pubs afloat! 18 area where change is required is the know that ‘traditional’ is a label often Ale on the rails 18 variety of beer on offer and readers used by marketing people to Men United Arms reopens 20 may be surprised to know just how promote things that are most Trade news 22 much ‘churn’ there is. It is really a certainly nothing of the sort but let’s The Good Beer Guide 24 question of whether you like it or not not forget that with our pubs and Commentary – closing time 24 and some 43,000 people, by no Want to influence a brewery’s future 26 beer, we have a lot of the genuine means all CAMRA members, like it. Focus on pubs 28 article. We should cherish and enjoy Pigs Ear beer festival 28 All being well (with me, not the it all, old and new. They are not in The elephant in the room – a case study 34 event), I look forward to seeing you Pub news and campaigns 40 at Olympia next August. competition. Matters of taste 42 Incidentally, some of you may Just to complete a matter from my Brewery new 44 have seen Alec Latham’s last editorial, I should have said that WhatPub? update 22 48 mostlyaboutbeer Greg Tingey did, quite rightly, take Book review 53 ‘ ’ blog site which Letters 56 previews a CAMRA 2018 World Beer up his complaint with the operator of Idle Moments 58 Festival. It is a very interesting article the pub concerned. Alas, nothing LocAle scheme 61 but it is Mr Latham’s own musings. has improved. Crossword 62 No such developments are under Tony Hedger 3 Branch Diaries elcome to our regular details of London CAMRA Ivy House, 40 Stuart Rd, Nunhead SE15 3BE; (4.15) Crown contacts and events, where branches say what is & Greyhound, 73 Dulwich Village, SE21 7BJ; (5.30) Half hWappening in their areas that might be of interest to drinkers Moon, 10 Half Moon Hill, Herne Hill SE24 9HU. Public across London. Events for October and November 2017 are transport will be required at times. listed below. Meetings, visits and socials are open to all – November – Wed 15 (7.15 for 7.30) Mtg. Royal Oak, everyone is welcome to come along. A complete calendar Tabard St, SE1 (upstairs). All CAMRA branches and listing of CAMRA events within Greater London is available members interested in pub research and preservation at www.london.camra.org.uk . welcome. Website: www.londonpubsgroup.camra.org.uk REGIONAL EVENTS October – Thu 12 (7.30 for 8pm) Regional Pub of the Year LONDON CIDER GROUP presn. Hope, 48 West St, Carshalton SM5 2PR. Regional Cider Co-ordinator: Denis Bowen, November – Wed 6 (8 for 8.30pm) Regional Club of the [email protected] Year presn. Orpington Liberal Club, 8 Station Rd BR6 0RZ. October – Sun 8 (1pm) Apple pressing/cider making. One - Wed 29 (7.30) London Liaison Committee (regional co- Tree Hill Allotments, Honor Oak Park, SE23 3LH. ordination mtg for London branch reps). Royal Oak, 44 Tabard St, Borough SE1 4JU. YOUNG MEMBERS GROUP Website: www.london.camra.org.uk October – Thu 19 (7pm) Twickenham Fine Ales, 18 Mereway Road, TW2 6RG, then Twickenham Beer Festival LONDON PUBS GROUP (see page 17) Places need to be booked via regional Jane Jephcote, [email protected], 07813 website: https://tinyurl.com/YmTwick 739856 https://www.facebook.com/groups/15625726410/ October – Sat 14 Peckham, Nunhead, Dulwich and Herne Hill: (11am) Asylum, 40-42 Asylum Rd, Peckham SE15 2RL; BEXLEY (12pm) Greyhound, 109 Peckham High St, SE15 5SE; Rob Archer, [email protected], (12.45) Old Nun’s Head, 15 Nunhead Green, SE15 3QQ; [email protected] (2.15) Man of Kent, 2-4 Nunhead Green, SE15 3QF; (3pm) October – Wed 11 (8.30) Mtg. Green Man, 168 Wickham Ye Olde Mitre No. 1 Ely Court, between Ely Place and Hatton Garden, London EC1N 6SJ Tel: 020 7405 4751 Historic and Traditional Ale-House London Pride, Gales Seafarers, Oliver’s Island and 4 guest ales every day plus a traditional craft cider Check out what’s on at: yeoldmitreholborn.co.uk BRITAIN’S BEST REAL HERITAGE PUB GUIDE 2017 MASTER CELLARMAN 2016 East London & City Pub of the Year 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2014 SPBW London Pub of the Year 2013 CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE 2016 4 Branch diaries St, Welling DA16 3NL. - Wed 25 (8pm) Soc. Woolwich (12.30) Woolpack, 186 High St, Banstead SM7 2NZ; (1.45) Equitable, General Gordon Pl, SE18 6AB then other Woodman, Woodmansterne St, Woodmansterne SM7 3NL; Woolwich pubs. (2.45) Smugglers Inn, 320 Chipstead Valley Rd, CR5 3BE; November – Wed 8 (8.30) Mtg. Volunteer, 46 Church Rd, (4.15) Pembroke, 12-16 CV Rd, CR5 2RA. - Wed 22 (8.30) Bexleyheath DA7 4DQ. - Wed 22 (8pm) Soc. Long Pond, S Norwood soc. Shelverdine Goathouse, 7-9 High St, S. 110 Westmount Rd, Eltham SE9 1UT, then Park Tavern. Norwood SE25 6EP - Thu 30 (8.30) London Drinker pick Website: www.bexley.camra.org.uk; Fb: up. Hope, 48 West St, Carshalton groups/19281737097; Tw: @BexleyCAMRA Website: www.croydon.camra.org.uk BROMLEY EAST LONDON & CITY Barry Phillips , [email protected] Branch sec: John Pardoe, 07757 772564, October – Tue 3 Soc: (7.30) White Swan, 21 Kent Rd, St [email protected] Mary Cray BR5 4AD; (8.30) Beech Tree, 75 Wellington Rd, October – Tue 10 (7.30) Pig’s Ear Beer Fest planning mtg.