opening times Branch of CAMRA Issue 137 the Campaign for Real Ale Winter 2008 Chequers, Little Gransden, East Anglia Pub of the Year

Booze on the Ouse, St Neots Beer Festival, Thu 19—Sat 21 March 2009 Theat Hemingford Cock Grey

Four Real Ales from breweries such as Buntingford, Digfield, Earl Soham, Elgoods, Fenland, Milton, Nethergate, Oldershaw, Pot Belly, Tydd Steam and Wolf. Also Cromwell Oliver’s Choice Cider. See website www.cambscuisine.com for Christmas menus. Our heavy weight Christmas beer this year is Old Growler Porter from Nethergate.

In a continued effort to source all of our produce locally we have adopted a policy of only using breweries for our real ale within a one hour drive. Hunts CAMRA Pub of the Year 2003 Dining Pub of the Year 2006 & 2007 2 Support your local pub - don't give them an excuse to close it! CHEQUERS, LITTLE GRANSDEN East Anglia Pub of the Year year in a row that the pub had achieved In early September the this accolade. judges announced their CAMRA felt that it would be appropriate to decision regarding have a special celebration day at the Che- CAMRA’s East Anglia Pub quers, and in October, CAMRA represen- of the Year - the best pub tatives from Huntingdonshire, , in Bedfordshire, Cam- Bedford and Luton joined many locals bridgeshire, Essex, Hert- from the village of Little Gransden in calls fordshire, Norfolk and Suf- of “three cheers” to Bob and Wendy. folk … and the judge’s decision was … CAMRA’s Regional Director Andrea Briers the Chequers at Little Gransden! presented Bob and Wendy with a plaque A presentation for the East Anglia award. Bob laid on one was made on of his legendary hog roasts, and five of his the opening Son of Sid beers were available to sam- night of the St ple. Ives beer festi- val to a sur- prised and very happy Bob and Wendy Mitchell, owners and licensees of the Chequers. The Chequers is now being judged in the competition for the South East Pub of the Year. After that, the next round will be for the national Pub of the Year. Earlier, it was announced in the Summer edition of Opening Times that the Che- This happy occasion was chosen to quers had been judged Cambridgeshire launch a new CAMRA campaign, LocAle, Pub of the Year, having been chosen ear- in Huntingdonshire. LocAle promotes lo- lier in the year as the 2008 - cally-brewed beers, and we judged that shire branch Pub of the Year - the fourth the Son of Sid beers at the Chequers could not be more locally-brewed, so the Chequers was selected as the first pub to be accredited in this new scheme. For more details on the LocAle campaign, please turn to the next page.

OPENING TIMES 137 WINTER 2008 3 LOCALE SCHEME FOR LOCAL ALES Pubs in the Huntingdonshire area will soon receive details of the scheme and can apply to Huntingdonshire CAMRA for free LocAle accreditation. Accredited pubs will receive publicity material including window stickers, pump clip crowners, leaf- lets and posters. Huntingdonshire CAMRA is launching a Accreditation will be at the discretion of ‘LocAle’ accreditation scheme for local Huntingdonshire CAMRA and is likely to pubs stocking local real ale. require the pubs to usually serve at least The free scheme will accredit pubs serv- one locally brewed real ale. The quality of ing high quality real ale sourced form local presentation of the beers will be moni- brewers and build on growing consumer tored by Huntingdonshire CAMRA’s well demand for locally brewed food and drink. established beer scoring scheme and This was reflected in the successes of accreditation may be withdrawn if stan- Huntingdonshire District Council’s Food dards or availability fall to levels judged and Drink Festival and CAMRA’s St Ives unacceptable for the scheme. ‘Booze on the Ouse’ real ale festival in Food and drink transport accounts for September, both of which championed 25% of all HGV movement. The positive local producers by showcasing their prod- environmental impact of reducing beer ucts. miles is increasingly recognised and sup- LocAle schemes have been introduced by ported by consumers and a reduced car- 21 CAMRA branches around the country bon footprint; less use of resources and following Nottingham branch’s lead. They less air pollution are all benefits. created the first LocAle scheme last year And shortening distribution distances is in a bid to support remaining brewers in likely to result in improved quality for real their area after the closure of Hardys and ale, which is best served fresh, with mini- Hansons brewery by Greene King. Since mal handling and without the impact of then, Solihull, Abercolwyn, Derby, North long distribution systems and unfavour- Oxfordshire and Gwent are among able conditions. branches that have added their own schemes. The scheme was launched at the Che- quers, Little Gransden, the first local pub Details of the Huntingdonshire scheme to be accredited. A number of other pubs are yet to be finalised but local brewers are being assessed, and these are ex- generally available in the area’s pubs in- pected to be accredited in the next few clude Elgoods of Wisbech, Oakham in weeks. Go to www.huntscamra.org.uk/ Peterborough, Buntingford from near locale to find details about the scheme, a Royston, Potbelly at Kettering, Wells & full list of all the pubs accredited and the Youngs in Bedford, and the new Son of qualifying breweries. Updates to the list of Sid brewery at Little Gransden and it is accredited pubs will appear in future edi- likely that pubs serving these beers will be tions of Opening Times. eligible for the scheme.

4 Check out local music events at www.huntscamra.org.uk/gigguide The White Horse Inn 1 Market Street, Swavesey Warrren and Pat welcome you to their 17th century traditional village Inn in Swavesey Open all day at weekends ALL SKY SPORTS

• CAMRA Good Beer Guide listed • Vast selection of malt whisky • Non smoking lounge bar and dining area • Beer garden & children’s play area • Darts, bar billiards, separate pool room • Family Sunday roast lunch • Function/Party room Tel: 01954 232 470 for enquiries and bookings Fax: 01954 206 188 OPENING TIMES 137 WINTER 2008 5 A LOOK BACK IN TIME 25 YEARS AGO twins David and Freder- John Smiths brewery ick Barclay in a bargain re-introduced cask- buy of the Ellerman conditioned ale in Lines shipping and December 1983, brewing empire for £47 seven years after it million. The brothers had been phased out. promised not to sell on This was seen as one either of the breweries. of CAMRA’s greatest One of the earliest cask beer accreditation success stories; John schemes for pubs was Ind Coupe’s Guild Smiths, part of the of Master Cellarman scheme, launched national Courage group, was the last ma- for its cask Burton Ale in October 1983. jor national brewery in the UK that had Burton Ale stockists needed to demon- refused to supply real ale. strate that they were serving a sound pint Theakstons, the of the ale to the technical and area man- famous North York- agers of Ind Coope, part of the national shire real ale brew- Allied Breweries group. ery, was taken over St Neots by Matthew Brown CAMRA held brewery of Blackburn at the invitation of meetings in chairman Paul Theakston to thwart an Manns pub the unwelcome bid by textile millionaire Mi- Exhibition in chael Abrahams. Matthew Brown thereby Godmanchester, became the operator of four sizeable the Hard- Exhibition breweries in Masham, Carlisle, Blackburn wick Arms, and Workington. In 2008, Theakston’s and the Coneygeare at Eynes- Masham brewery is the only survivor, bury. There were socials at Manns pub owned by four Theakston brewers who the White Lion at Bury and Tolly Cobbold bought the brewery back in 2003 after 20 pub the King William at Fenstanton, a years under the ownership of Scottish and Christmas social at the Axe and Com- Newcastle. pass, Hemingford Abbots and a pub crawl In Norfolk the Reepham brewery was set starting at the Kings Head in St Neots. up by Ted Willems, a research engineer The national Watney group introduced then recently made redundant by the na- new plans for its managed pub sector, tional Watney brewing group. The new known as the Host Group. Its Chef and brewing plant was a purpose built plant Brewer estate was divided into a number installed in a new industrial unit in the of themes including ‘The English Ale small town made famous by Norfolk’s House’ and ‘The Local’, and the other half legendary toper, Parson Woodforde. of the chain, known as ‘Open House’, At the end of 1983, breweries Tolly Cob- included ‘Slots of Fun’, ‘Drive Inns’ and bold of Ipswich and Cameron of Hartle- ‘Mid Atlantic – the ultimate family leisure pool were bought by hotel entrepreneur experience’.

6 Support local breweries - look for LocAle pubs that stock local beers. A LOOK BACK IN TIME 10 YEARS AGO hound of hell. Meanwhile Elgoods Black Burton brewer Dog was crowned CAMRA’s East Anglia Marstons faced Beer of the Year. CAMRA’s Paul Ains- a takeover bid worth said’ Anyone who thinks mild is a from Wolver- wishy-washy drink should try this. It simply hampton and explodes with flavour’. Dudley Breweries after opposition from Rural pubs in East Anglia began to benefit Marstons shareholders to an earlier com- from new rules allowing councils to cut the pany proposal to securitise its tenanted business rates of small rural pubs in sin- pub estate by selling it to Japanese bank gle-pub villages in an effort to slow the Nomura. This followed the replacement in rate of closures. South Norfolk District 1998 of Marstons managing Director Council was one of the first to announce David Gordon by Nick Letchett from Bass. rate cuts for pubs. CAMRA called for the W & D merger to be rejected because of the potential knock-on The former chief executive of Oxford effect of other regionals rushing to merge brewers Morrells, Charles Eld, went to an and close breweries. industrial tribunal with a case for unfair dismissal after he was sacked for oppos- ‘Ale’, the newsletter of Cambridge ing plans to sell the family brewery. Mr Eld CAMRA, was anticipating the arrival of had wanted to retain the brewery and in- Wetherspoons in the city fairly favourably vest in it, but other directors and share- but appeared dubious on the subject of holders had called for the company to be other drinking circuit pub chains and sold according to the recommendation of themed bars that had arrived there, in- a strategic review conducted by Price cluding Bass’s ‘All Bar One’, Greene Waterhouse. The brewery had closed in King’s ‘Rattle and Hum’, Scottish Cour- late 1998, soon after the sale of Morrells age’s ‘Rat and Parrot’ with plans for a and its pubs to pub tycoon Michael can- second, and Whitbread’s Hogshead. non, formerly of Devenish brewery. St Neots CAMRA held its late Christmas Greene King launched a seasonal real social at the Green Man, Leighton Broms- cask version of its bottled Strong Suffolk wold and earlier there was a December ale, 6% alcohol by volume, famously pro- pub crawl in Huntingdon, starting at the duced by a blending process more usually George Hotel. Open committee meetings seen in the breweries of Belgium, and were at the Millers Arms, Eaton Socon, involving a 12% alcohol beer, ‘5X’, ma- and the White Hart in St Ives. tured for two years in large wooden vats Cambridgeshire brewer Elgoods launched at Greene King’s Bury St Edmunds brew- a new cask stout ery. In 2008 the bottled with yet another dog version is still produced -orientated name, in this way and, al- Old Black Shuck, though not a real ale, is 4.5% alcohol by nevertheless an impres- volume, named sive beer, unique in the after a mythical UK.

OPENING TIMES 137 WINTER 2008 7 HALF PINTS Real ale is bucking the trend of falling Meanwhile a government draft code of beer sales. Overall UK beer sales were practice proposes a ban on ‘happy hour down 4.5% this spring compared with last promotions’ in pubs amongst other pro- year, but real ale is edging closer to posed rules covering labelling, noise and growth. Real ale sales declined by only training for the on-trade. 1.3% in 2007 and the Society of Inde- Chiswick brewer pendent Brewers (SIBA) reports record Fullers has year-on-year growth of 11%. launched ‘Brewers’ Family brewers Reserve’, a limited Harveys of Lewes edition 7.7% alco- in Sussex have announced higher sales hol blend of 1845, and an 8% boost in pre-tax profits to ESB Export and Golden Pride that is ma- £3.31 million for the year 2007. tured in old whisky casks with the aim of introducing malt whisky flavours. Another family brewer, Batemans of Wainfleet in Hydes mild has shown in- Lincolnshire, has seen creases sales of 12% since rises in cask and bottled the rebranding of its cask light mild as beer sales and turnover Owd Oak in 2007. up by 14% to £11.41m in Another North West fam- the year to the end of January 2008. ily brewer, Thwaites of Wells and Youngs of Bedford are boosting Blackburn, saw sales of their Courage brands with a £2 million its dark mild soar by 90% investment, including a new logo and ad- after renaming it Nutty Black. vertising campaign. A new ‘smooth’ ni- CAMRA is calling trokeg version of Courage Best is included for an investor to in the package, as well as the re-launch of save Liverpool’s Courage Directors in cans. Courage Best Cains brewery, is the UK’s third biggest standard cask which is in admini- brand. stration. The brew- CAMRA is backing a campaign to enforce ery has remained minimum prices to end irresponsible cut- open for business price alcohol sales by retailers. The cam- and administrators have said that there paign, launched by ‘The Publican’ news- has been some interest in the company. paper, suggests minimum prices based on Wetherspoons is offering real ales from 50p per unit of alcohol (£1.14 for a pint of around the world at its 18 day interna- beer containing 4% alcohol by volume). tional real ale festival which runs at its This would end prices such as 29p a pint pubs until November Wetherspoons an- for Skol lager seen recently in one super- nounced that American, Australian, Dan- market. In Huntingdonshire, a CAMRA ish and Japanese brewers had brewed survey recently revealed average prices festival beers at UK breweries including between 79p and 99p a pint for lager in Banks’s and Shepherd Neame. supermarkets.

8 Contact the editor: [email protected], (01480) 355893 Entertainment for November Market Inn Fri 14th — DISCO, RACES, OGNIB Wii 8pm Sat 15th — MID LIFE CRISIS—Rock Covers band 9pm Rear entrance at Fri 21st — DISCO, RACES, OGNIB Wii 8pm All Saints Passage Sat 22nd — KARAOKE T.C.Ent 9pm Fri 27th — DISCO, RACES, OGNIB Wii 8pm REAL ALE Sat 28th — KERRY—Soul motown female singer 9pm SPECIALITY Entertainment for December Potbelly Beijing Black ABV Wed 3rd — CRAZY QUIZ 8.30pm Fri 5th — DISCO, RACES, OGNIB Wii 8pm 4.4% Sat 6th — TNA—Rock covers band 9pm back by popular demand Fri 12th — DISCO, RACES, OGNIB Wii 8pm Youngs Bitter ABV 3.7% Sat 13th — KARAOKE T.C.Ent 9pm Fri 19th — DISCO, RACES, OGNIB Wii 8pm A new guest ale every month Sat 20th — STOLEN HAT—Rock & Blues band 9pm through SIBA Wed 24th — KARAOKE T.C.Ent 9pm Wed 31st—KARAOKE PARTY T.C.Ent 9pm Smirnoff, Gordons, Bells & Morgan Spice Function Special double-up for £1 extra Room for Hire Tea/Coffee £1 a cup Holds up to 70 people Everyone Welcome For parties etc From Paul & Nicola Harvey

THE OLIVER CROMWELL Wellington Street, St. Ives, Cambs. Tel: 01480 465601 Serving six real ales: Beers from Adnams and Oakham plus regularly changing guest beers Enjoy a good pint of traditional ale in traditional surroundings. Reasonably priced lunchtime bar snacks available Mon to Sat Evening meals Mon-Wed 6-8.30pm Hunts DC Food & Drink Awards Pub of the Year 2008 Huntingdonshire CAMRA Pub of the Year 2006

OPENING TIMES 137 WINTER 2008 9 PUB PIECES Somersham Windmill has reopened At Brampton after it closed unexpectedly in September. Black Bull a New tenants are the Heath and Green popular beer Pub Company, based in Essex, and festival recently Jamie McCarthy is their manager at the sold out twelve Windmill. There is a new menu and locally real ales in two Black Bull sourced food is expected to remain as a days and the feature. two regular real ales, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Oakham JHB are selling so Meanwhile, George and Dragon well that the landlady, Sharon Lewis, has other news asked the freeholders, Enterprise Inns, to from Greene install more equipment to up the range of King pubs is the real ales to four. appearance of cask Greene Whitbread have rebranded the Brampton King mild at the George and Dragon in Hut as a Table Table in association with Eaton Socon and the arrival of new the Premier Inn next door, and it now management at the Eight Bells at sometimes sells Greene King IPA on . handpump. In Earith, the Crown and the Riverview, Also in which have been under common Brampton, the proprietorship for some time, also have Mill has new incumbents. transferred from Whitbread to The closure of the Globe in St Neots the M&B pub/ follows the decision of the tenant to leave. restaurant Mill Owners Charles Wells are reported to be chain. The planning to sell the property - it is to be popular riverside pub/restaurant will close hoped that the sale will encourage its for two months on 5th January 2009 for continuation as a pub. Charles Wells had rebranding. Whitbread have a policy to previously advertised the tenancy of the concentrate on hotels and have taken 21 Globe as a potential speciality cask beer hotels from M&B in exchange for 44 pub/ house. restaurants with no potential for bedrooms Elsewhere, Charles Wells have advertised or a Premier Inn next door - including the the tenancy of the Royal Oak at Hail Mill. Weston and the tenants from their The Harrier in Brampton has reopened Fenstanton pub the Crown and Pipes as part of the small local Montaz chain of have been rumoured to be taking over the Indian restaurants and take-aways. No Swan at Offord - interior renovation work Real Ale! is being carried out here. Another Indian restaurant appears close The King of the Belgians in Hartford is to opening at Kneesworth, near for sale, freehold, for £299,500. Also for Bassingbourn, in the former Red Lion. sale freehold is the Trinity Foot. This is another loss of a pub to the rule

10 Support your local pub - don't give them an excuse to close it!

PUB PIECES that such changes do not require planning permission – CAMRA is campaigning for an end to this planning loophole. To find out about live music The White Horse at Eaton events in Huntingdonshire and Socon is surrounding areas go to hosting an www.huntscamra.org.uk/gigs. Everards ‘meet White Horse the brewer’ To subscribe to our weekly evening on 3 newsletter send an email to: December 2008 from 7.30pm. Everards camragol- are bringing samples of Beacon, Tiger, [email protected] Sunchaser, Original and the Christmas Ale Sleighbell. The White Horse will be To submit an event to the providing food - chilli con carne with jacket potatoes.Advance booking is £2.50 guide, send the details to: including food and tastings. For tickets, [email protected] contact Stephen at the White Horse on or 01480 474453. (01480) 477118

The THE SWAN Rivermill Main Street, Old Weston Tel: 01832 293400 Tavern REAL ALES and REAL FOOD A warm welcome from

Jan and Trevor Partt. Five real ales including three regularly changing guest beers. Good food, 7 days a week, all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Adnams Southwold Bitter Live music Friday, Open ‘mic’ on Adnams Broadside Tuesday. Quiz every Sunday. Greene King Abbot + Guests Open Mon-Sat 12-11pm, (Fri until midnight), Sun 12-10.30pm. Hunts CAMRA Pub of the Year 2004 Fish & Chips Wednesday Evening School Lane, Eaton Socon Restaurant open Friday & Saturday evenings & Sunday lunchtimes (01480) 219612 OPENING TIMES 137 WINTER 2008 11 WHITE HORSE, EATON SOCON St Neots in the 18th century was some- of sea-coal blazed in the chimney.’ thing of a focal point for the coach trade. It Goldsmith takes us to the parlour: was an important crossing point of the River Ouse, where roads from Cambridge ‘The whitewashed wall, the nicely sanded floor, and Bedford fed into the Great North The varnished clock that clicked behind the door. The pictures placed for ornament and use, Road, and as the market town for a pros- The twelve good rules, the royal game of goose, perous and fertile agricultural region, it The hearth, except when winter ruled the day, also generated a large volume of local With aspen boughs and flowers of fennel gay, While broken teacups, wisely kept for show, traffic. Ranged o’er the chimney, glistened in a row.’

How sad, then, the fate of its great coach- In 1838 the inn – extended by now – ing inns. Of the three in the town centre, played host to Dickens, who was travelling the riverside Bridge Inn is a steakhouse; north on the Glasgow Mail to research the big, rambling Falcon is closed for re- some local colour for Nicholas Nickleby development; and the ancient Cross Keys and, in particular, Dotheboys Hall. He was is a shopping mall. Of those on the Great so struck with the White Horse that he North Road itself, the Brampton Hut has used it under the guise of the Cock, Eton vanished beneath an interchange of the Slocomb, for the scene in which Wackford A1. Only the White Horse at Eaton Socon Squeers and his caravan of doomed boys survives, by-passed and fronting what is break their northward journey to dine. now a suburban street rather than the national aorta this quiet stretch of road At the time of Dickens’s visit the inn was once was; but it lives. run by a former Royal Mail guard, Charles Fox, who according to the census of 1841 The attractive, brick-fronted creeper-clad had seven children and five servants, so Georgian inn you see today stands on the inn had expanded more than some- foundations that go back at least to the what since it so enchanted Smollett and 15th century if not further. Refronted as a Goldsmith. Its location in the middle of a posting house in the early 18th century, it growing village, and the residue of local did not become one of the great coaching horse-drawn traffic, enabled it to survive inns until the large, rather square exten- the collapse of coaching. sion was added two or three generations later. Sir Albert Richardson proposes the Ted Bruning picturesque pre-extension inn as the model for both the Black Lion in Tobias Smollett’s Sir Launcelot Greaves and the inn in Goldsmith’s The Deserted Village. Smollett describes its kitchen, which we may take to be typical, thus: ‘The kitchen, in which they assembled, was paved with red bricks, remarkably clean, furnished with three or four Windsor chairs, adorned with shining plates of pewter and copper saucepans nicely scoured; a cheerful fire

12 Join 95,000 members of CAMRA and fight for Britain’s beer heritage THE THREE HORSESHOES Graveley

George & Lesley welcome you Opening times: Tuesday-Saturday 11.30-2.30, 6.30-11 to our friendly village pub Sunday 12-2.30pm • Two real ales (closed Sunday evening and all day • Hot & cold home-cooked food Monday) • Daily specials Food served: • Traditional Sunday Roasts 12-2pm and 6.30-9pm (Friday and Saturday until 9.30pm) • Ample parking 23 High Street, Graveley, St Neots, Cambs PE19 6PL Tel: 01480 830992

OPENING TIMES 137 WINTER 2008 13 ‘BOOZE ON THE OUSE’ GOES LOCAL CAMRA’s FFF Altons ‘Booze on the Pride - crowned Ouse’ beer festi- Champion Beer val in St Ives in of Britain 2008 September was at CAMRA’s one of the best Great British ever with a re- Beer Festival at cord number of East Anglian brewers and Earls Court in August. A close second cider makers. and third were Phoenix Wobbly Bob More than half of the real ales ordered and Tipples Ginger. for the event were from East Anglia and Festival charity Magpas raised £600. To fourteen were from within 25 miles of quote one contributor "never has giving to the Huntingdonshire area. There were charity been more entertaining". also real draught ciders from new cider makers in Huntingdonshire, Cromwell Congratulations to the winner of the Hunts Cider and Ouse Valley Cider, and for Post competition, Mrs J L Harmes, who the first time at a ‘Booze on the Ouse’ won a copy of the 2009 Good Beer Guide festival since the 1980’s, real ale which was launched at the beer festival brewed in the branch area, from the and was so delighted that she joined new Son of Sid brewery at the Che- CAMRA at the festival along with her part- ner, Alan. quers in Little Gransden. Congratulations also to local CAMRA The local theme obviously appealed to member Robin Walters, who also won a local real ale lovers. 1,440 people, the 2009 Good Beer Guide in a draw for all best attendance for four years, enjoyed those who completed a feedback form. 3,830 pints of real ale, 470 pints of cider, Robin decided to give the guide as a pre- and 750 bottles of foreign beer over the sent for his son’s 18th birthday. course of the event, from Thursday to Saturday. Don’t forget to pub a note in your diary for the St Neots ‘Booze on the Ouse’ Beer The favourite real ale at the festival, as Festival - 19th-21st March, 2009, at the voted by those attending, was Triple Priory Centre, St Neots.

Winner of the Hunts Post competition Festival charity Magpas 14 Updates to beer festival details - www.huntscamra.org.uk/festivals The Mad Cat 2 real ales from local breweries, constantly changing Food available daily. Traditional home cooked pub food. Mon-Sat 12-2.30; 6-9, Sunday carvery 12-4. Christmas party menu, 5 courses for £13.95, including coffee and mince pies. Bookings now being taken with the option of a carvery for 20 people or more.

High Street, Pidley, PE28 3BX Telephone: 01487 842245, www.madcatinn.co.uk OPENING TIMES 137 WINTER 2008 15 DIFFERENT FOR GIRLS? Various brewers around the world have In Germany, Karla attempted to improve been considering how to make beer that beer’s healthy image by adding folic acid, appeals to women. SABMiller’s Redd’s is lecithin and soya extracts in a bid to ap- a sweetish beer targeted at women in its peal to women. Polish brewer Karmi marketing. It has been popular in South added coffee, fruit or mint to three ver- Africa and Russia but there are no plans sions of a low alcohol beer aimed at for a UK launch. women. Coors has set up a female market re- In the UK, Greene King have introduced a search team, ‘Project Eve’, which is con- lighter bottle containing less glass for their sidering small feminine shaped glasses, beers, although they have not yet an- sweeter beers and ways to sell beer to nounced any new shapes or beers being women as a premium product. put in them that are specifically designed with women in mind. ‘PUBS OF ST IVES’ BOOK AND EXHIBITION revised to add more historical information An exhibition on ‘The Pubs of St Ives’ runs about the pubs and update details of pre- from 1 December 2008 to 31 January sent day occupation. 2009 at the Norris Museum on The Broad- The highest number of pubs that ever way, St Ives. In October the Friends of the existed in St Ives at any particular time is Norris Museum published the third edition uncertain, but the author’s researches of a fascinating book ‘The Pubs of St Ives’ conclude that from the 1830’s to the by museum curator Bob Burn-Murdoch. 1870’s there were between 60 and 70, The exhibition and the book give details of around four times the present day 17. the former locations of over 120 pubs in The book is £3.95 and is available at the the town. The book provides interesting Norris Museum and Walkers bookshop in historical accounts of them and has been St Ives.

16 Find local pub music and other events www.huntscamra.org.uk/gigs A traditional old country pub and restaurant with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Traditional Sunday Lunch. Children’s menu available. Open all day Saturday and Sunday. 4 real cask ales served including Adnams Bitter, Fullers Pride plus 2 guest ales. Bar Meals are available every day. A la carte menu is served in our restaurant Monday to Saturday. The menu caters for all tastes including vegetarian and any special dietary needs. The Pig and Abbot High Street, Abington Pigotts, Nr. Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 0SD Telephone: 01763 853515

Manor House Hotel A traditional old country pub Serving Greene King IPA Plus two other ever changing Real Ales. 130 different Guest Ales over the last year. Full bar snack and restaurant menu. Plus now serving “A new Black Rock menu” Come and cook your own meat or fish on the Hot Rock 20 Chapel Street Alconbury, Cambs, PE28 4DY Telephone: 01480 890423

OPENING TIMES 137 WINTER 2008 17 FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL SUCCESSES The Oliver Cromwell in St Ives won the Oliver Cromwell CAMRA-sponsored ‘Best Pub’ prize in the licensee Gerry Huntingdonshire Food and Drink Awards Schoenfeld and in September, and Huntingdonshire chef Carole CAMRA chalked up its own success in its Wareing were exhibition stand at the main Huntingdon- delighted to shire Food and Drink Festival event at receive the Wood Green Animal Shelter. ‘Best Pub’ award from CAMRA’s Andy Shaw at an awards evening at the Old The festival is the second annual event Bridge in Huntingdon, attended by repre- run by Huntingdonshire District Council sentatives from the final three shortlisted and sponsored by Anglian Water, Tesco, pubs for the award, Pidley’s Mad Cat and Waitrose, the Huntingdon Marriott, The the Cock at Hemingford Grey, as well as Hunts Post and the Old Bridge Hotel. The the Oliver Cromwell. festival includes the awards, which are arranged by the Hunts Post in association The judges were impressed with the well with Huntingdonshire District Council. kept and well selected real ales at the Oliver Cromwell - typically six beers are The main fes- sourced mainly from breweries in East tival event at Anglia. Also noted were a wide variety of the Wood outstanding food and wine. Lunchtime Green Animal food options range from snacks to three- Shelter was course meals, including a broad and declared an imaginative range of vegetarian options, even bigger and there is a constantly changing dinner success than the first event in 2007; it menu. The judges felt that the food is pre- showcased local producers, suppliers and pared to an exceptional quality. retailers, demonstrating the quality of local food and drink on offer. Over 2000 visitors CAMRA members score pubs in the Hunt- were able to sample these products and ingdonshire area all the year round for the for the first time this included a CAMRA standards of their cask ales, and all the exhibit with local bottled real ales and pubs shortlisted were amongst the top three local cask real ales for free tasting, scorers. The final judging looked at the from Cambridge Moonshine brewery, choice of cask ales, the quality and choice Oakham Ales of Peterborough and the of food, the use of locally sourced ingredi- Son of Sid brewery ents, the choice of wines, and value for at the Chequers in money. Little Gransden. The The Mad Cat event also featured offers two real the judging of a ‘Best ales, always at Sandwich in Hunt- least one from ingdonshire’ compe- a Cambridge- tition and a ‘Ready - shire brewery. Steady-Cook’ event. The food menu

18 Booze on the Ouse - www.huntscamra.org.uk/festival for more details is varied and interesting, and most ingre- dients are sourced from a local farm shop. THE CHEQUERS Huntingdonshire CAMRA gave a ‘most 71 Main Road, Little Gransden improved pub’ award to the Mad Cat in 2008 to acknowledge the efforts of the Tel: 01767 677348 publicans who took over the pub 12 months earlier. East The Cock offers Anglia four real ales, CAMRA and has a pol- icy of only tak- Pub of ing real ales the Year from breweries within a one 2008 hour drive of the pub. An outstanding food menu offers quality, variety and originality Bob and Wendy Mitchell and the choice of wines is exceptional. invite you to try their unique All of these three pubs are expected to unspoilt village local with its be accredited under own special atmosphere the new LocAle scheme (see page 4 for details). Different Real Ale each week

The Hyde Park Ali & Steve invite you to join New street, St Neots, Cambs PE19 1AS them at their new Local pub Come and enjoy a friendly atmosphere. Enjoy good quality Real Ales, Great Entertainment and Home cooked food

01480 351629 5 REAL ALES ~ always available ~ ~ Courage Directors ~ Flowers I.P.A ~ ~ John Smith Cask ~ 2 Guest ales ~

A.B.V. 3. 6% Malty bitterness with A.B.V 3.8% Malty, bitter-sweet and a surprisingly long citrus hop finish slightly fruity, to boot. Traditional Sunday Live Music Every Lunch Saturday Night Roast Chicken, Beef, Lamb or Introducing lots of new acts Pork served with seasonal to St Neots. Solo and duo artists. A variety of easy listening, popular music, fresh vegetables A.B.V. 4.8% strong including theme nights, 70/80’s memo- English ale ruby tinged Served from12 til 5 ries, soul / motown, comedy acts and with a distinctive rich fruity discos. Children welcome flavour underpinned by Meat supplied by local family butchers dry hoppy undertones Entertainment for every taste!

OPENING TIMES 137 WINTER 2008 19 20 Read Opening Times online: www.huntscamra.org.uk/news The Eight Bells Abbotsley

Food Served Tuesday-Saturday: 12-2.30pm, 6-9m Now taking bookings for Sunday: 12-3pm Full menu served on Sundays the Christmas period plus traditional Sunday roast. Festive menu available 20% Senior Citizen’s Lunchtime Discount, 30th November – 30th December* Tuesday to Saturday 3 Courses, £19.95 Take Away Fish & Chips, Scampi *Bookings only or Homemade Burgers Available Weekly changing Guest Ale Under New Management ÌÌQuiz night plus ‘Play Your Cards Wrong’ ÌÌ Every Wednesday night from 8.30pm

The Eight Bells, High Street, Abbotsley, Nr. St Neots, PE19 6UJ 01767 677305

OPENING TIMES 137 WINTER 2008 21 EVENTS AND SOCIALS Nov 2008 – Music Quiz Tues 25th Music Quiz, Market Inn, Huntingdon. Whether you know a lot about music or just wish to come along for a good evening’s entertainment, the quiz will last about 1½ hrs with plenty of time for beer. (Quiz Start 8.00 pm) Dec 2008 – Local Pubs of St Ives Tue 2nd Open Committee Meeting, Green Man, Leighton Bromswold, (8.30 pm). Fri 12th Local pubs of St Ives. A trip around the pubs of St Ives starting in the Floods Tavern 8:30 / Nelsons Head 9:15 / Royal Oak 9:45 / Oliver Cromwell 10:15 Jan 2009 – Christmas Social Mon 12th Open Committee Meeting, Rivermill Tavern, Eaton Socon, (8.30 pm). Fri 23rd Christmas Social & Home-cooked Produce Competition, The Chequers, Little Gransden (8.00 pm). The pub will host the yearly competition (details on the web site) plus an evening of entertainment with a buffet. Feb 2009 – Community Pubs Tour Tues 10th Open Committee Meeting, King of the Belgians, Hartford, (8.30 pm). Fri 20th Social around St Neots pubs, starting the Woolpack at 8:30 pm, the Hyde Park at 9.00 pm, and from 9.30 pm at the Lord John Russell beer festival. Sat 28th Community Pubs Tour. Coach tour around the village community pubs West of St Neots. Pick-ups in St Ives, Huntingdon and St Neots and then return (1:30 pm – 7:30 pm). Free to CAMRA members and £5 for guests. March 2009 – St Neots Beer Festival Tues 10th Pre-festival meeting, at the Lord John Russell, St Neots (8.30 pm). Thurs 19th to Saturday 21st St Neots Beer Festival – Priory Centre, St Neots. Opening Times: Thurs: 5-10.45 pm; Fri 12-10.45 pm; Sat 12-10.45 pm. April 2009 – AGM Fri 3rd New members’ social, Lord John Russell, St Neots (8.30 pm). Tues 21st Annual General Meeting, The Anchor, Little Paxton (8.30 pm). For further information contact Pete Godfrey, Social Secretary, on 01480 212849 or e- mail: [email protected]. An up to date listing of Social Events can also be found at the web site: www.huntscamra.org.uk/diary. WHO TO CONTACT Chairman: Keith Lawson, 01480 352632 385333 (h) (h), 8 Peate Close, Godmanchester, Hun- Socials: Pete Godfrey, (01480) 212849 tingdon, Cambs, PE29 2DX. (h), [email protected] Secretary, Press & Publicity: Paul Pubs Info: Roy Endersby, (01480) Moorhouse, (01480) 496247 (h) 473364, [email protected] Treasurer: Graham Mulchinock, (01480) Campaigning: Kathy Hadfield- 474472 (h), [email protected] Moorhouse, (01480) 496247 (h). Membership: Margaret Eames, (01480) 22 Updates to Branch Diary - www.huntscamra.org.uk/diary TRADING STANDARDS OPENING TIMES

Your local Trading Standards organisation Opening Times is published by the is Cambridgeshire County Council Trading Huntingdonshire Branch of CAMRA, the Standards. If you have any complaints Campaign for Real Ale (Copyright 2008) about trading standards issues at local All rights reserved. pubs, such as short measure or mislead- Views or comments expressed in this ing product promotion, please contact publication may not necessarily be those them. of the Editor or of CAMRA. They have a role to protect consumers Editor: Andy Shaw, 01480 355893 (h), from errors or frauds concerned with 07802 485449 (m), quality, description or price of goods, [email protected], 13a services or facilities and to detect and Peppercorns Lane, Eaton Socon, St rectify unfair advertising practices. Neots, PE19 8HL. Contact Cambridgeshire Trading To Advertise Standards helpdesk on 08454 040 506, To place an advert or enquire about our or at Trading Standards Division, Sackville rates please contact: House, Sackville Way, Great Cambourne, Neil Richards: 01536 358670 or Cambridgeshire, CB2 6HL. The local [email protected] trading standards web site is Printed by Lodge Printers Ltd Tel 01487 832629 www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/business/ trading/. The national trading standards Deadline forSpring 2009 issue (138) is web site is www.tradingstandards.gov.uk. Friday 16th January 2009. The Three Horseshoes Inn Abbots Ripton Village pub with quality ensuite rooms Greene King IPA and three constantly changing guest beers, including Oakham Ales, plus Westons Old Scrumpy Cider Opening Times Modern British cuisine using sea- Monday - Saturday Food service sonal and locally sourced ingredients 11.30am - 3pm 12pm - 2.30pm 6pm - 11pm 6pm - 9.30pm Accommodation—6 rooms with 4 Sunday Food service star AA rating 12pm - 5pm 12pm - 3pm Moat Lane, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, PE28 2PA — (01487) 773440 Email: [email protected] www.thethreehorseshoes.com

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