CAMRAswale SWALE ALE WINTER 2018 THE FREE MAGAZINE OF SWALE CAMRA
The Australian Dream Being Bombarded Desert Island Beers
SEASONS GREETINGS TO ALL OUR MEMBERS THE GOLDEN HOPE 1 Park Road, Sittingbourne, KENT, ME10 1DR, TEL: 01795 476791 GREAT RANGE OF QUALITY REAL ALES AVAILABLE Featuring ales such as 2018
from £2.25 £2.55 £2.29 3.7% ABV 4.0% ABV pint pint pint
Open from 8am for breakfast
Available on iOS and Android
WE HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE Subject to local licensing restrictions and availability at participating free houses. Photography is for guidance only. MAXIMUM FOOD HYGIENE J D Wetherspoon PLC reserves the right to withdraw/change offers (without notice), at any time. RATING OF 5 IN OUR PUB
See main menu for additional details of our terms and conditions. 7343ADVERT18A5
J100556_7343ADVERT18A5_P7343 CAMRA Advert_A5_2018_V1.indd 1 30/05/2018 09:26 CHAIRMAN’S CHOW Hello and welcome to the Winter 2018 edition product that provides a constant taste and THE GOLDEN HOPE of Swale Ale. satisfaction – namely a keg beer or lager 1 Park Road, Sittingbourne, KENT, ME10 1DR, TEL: 01795 476791 from one of the larger brew companies. It disheartening to say the least that sales That is another potential cask drinker lost. of cask ale are on the decline in the UK this Furthermore that person could sway the year, despite Swale having more cask outlets opinion of friends and others. These things GREAT RANGE OF QUALITY REAL ALES AVAILABLE than for many years previously. There are lead to a decline in sales of cask beer. many reasons for this but in my opinion, temperature is one of the main reasons for Enough of the in-depth analysis. In this, the the demise. Let me explain more. winter edition of Swale’s magazine there is plenty to keep you amused and entertained Featuring ales such as Real ale should be served at a cool, not 2018 during your visit to the pub. Why not take chilled, 11 to 13 degrees centigrade. That’s a copy of this edition and pass it around cooler than red wine, but not as cold as your friends and family. There is much to lager or keg ales. Recent research though take from such a fine publication. Our series by cask marque and other respected bodies about venues to visit in Swale continues with has shown just over two-thirds of pubs three more pubs from around our region. (69%) were selling pints at above 13º C in Why not take a trip out to one or more of the summer. The reports also found that them. You could even leave a “what pub” just under two-thirds (64%) of cask drinkers review on these or any of the other fine would prefer their beer served even colder venues throughout the borough. Don’t forget than the recommended 11º. also that “WhatPub” is where we take out Paul Nunny, of Cask Marque, says this finding reference from when looking to choose what is worth exploring, but that the first step is goes into the following years good beer for pubs to get their beer to recommended guide. Indeed from these reports we narrow specification. “If people could trust every down the top six for our pub of the year. It from pub serving cask to serve it at 11º to 13º C, is your votes that make up this list over the even on the hottest day of the year, it would course of a year so make sure that if you £2.25 £2.55 revolutionise perceptions. People would get visit a venue and deem the beer worthy of the full refreshment value, and realise that a vote then log into what pub using your £2.29 3.7% ABV 4.0% ABV membership number, password and get far from being ‘warm’, real ale is cool — and pint pint pint voting. Any CAMRA member can do this and delicious. He says that Cask Marque will be launching a ‘Making Cask Cool’ campaign to it takes only minutes. get licensees and bar staff to become beer Now it just leaves me to wish you all the best temperature aware. “It might take only one for the winter season and all that it brings. warm pint to put someone off cask ale for life. am Pubs need to support each other by having Cheers! Open from 8 all their staff working to the highest standards all the time, presenting cool cask and brilliant John Sissons for breakfast beer each and every time.” Fortunately, many of Swale’s better pubs have sufficiently trained staff to deliver cask in the manner it should be served however we have WHAT’S HAPPENING a duty to let pubs know if the beer does not seem as it should be – and landlords should AT YOUR LOCAL PUB be sufficiently savvy to know if a beer has either ‘turned’ or has reached the end of a OR BREWERY? tub when they hear the words “this doesn’t taste right”. How that phrase is handled from Any beer-related stories to tell? behind the bar is paramount to the future of the industry. Imagine if the person who had Send them to us at [email protected]. been served an inferior drink was tasting their Available on It’s your magazine! iOS and Android first ever pint of cask. The chances are that he or she would then turn to an alternative WE HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE Subject to local licensing restrictions and availability at participating free houses. Photography is for guidance only. MAXIMUM FOOD HYGIENE J D Wetherspoon PLC reserves the right to withdraw/change offers (without notice), at any time. RATING OF 5 IN OUR PUB
See main menu for additional details of our terms and conditions. 7343ADVERT18A5 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 3
J100556_7343ADVERT18A5_P7343 CAMRA Advert_A5_2018_V1.indd 1 30/05/2018 09:26 SWALE BREWERY NEWS
The brewery have also recently launched a new quarterly magazine titled Oast, which will replace Master Brewer. Oast will celebrate everything that’s great about beer, pubs and all things related. Issue 1, the Autumn edition, is already available with the Winter edition due around the end of November. The magazine, which is free, will be available in all Shepherd Neame pubs, in addition to selected SHEPHERD NEAME bars across London and the South East. An Shepherd Neame’s legendary Christmas online version is also available at: https:// Ale will be available throughout the festive issuu.com/shepherdneame/docs/shepherd- season. neame-oast-magazine-16pp-2 The cask version, at 5%, will be available And finally a number of new pubs have been throughout December. It is bittered with acquired over the past few months. These Target hops, has Hallertau Hersbruker added are the Wheatsheaf at Farnham in Surrey and to the copper for aroma and is then dry three new London pubs. The London pubs hopped with Styrian Goldings. The bottled are all rich in history. They are: The Savoy Tap version, which comes in at a heady 7%, (formerly the Savoy Tup) in Savoy Hill, just features Challenger and Target for bitterness off the Strand; The Cheshire Cheese in Little with East Kent Goldings added for aroma. Essex Street, close to Temple; The Samuel Pepys in Stew Lane, beside the Thames in the Senior Brewer Stewart Tricker said: “It’s a City of London. golden ale with warming alcohol notes and a subtle hop aroma derived from the dry Matt Deller hopping with Styrian Goldings.”
MADCAT Peter Meaney reports that Mad Cat’s Jet Black Stout is going very well and is currently available at the Minster Working Man’s Club on Sheppey. Other places serving Mad Cat beers at the moment include, in Sittingbourne, the Long Hop, Donna’s Ale House and the Yellow Stocks, and, in Faversham, the Elephant. Outside our area but within easy reach are the Dead Pigeon and the 12 Degrees in Rochester. He is currently brewing a strong dark bitter, Educated Guess, at 7% and is planning a Christmas Ale. In an interesting arrangement, Mad Cat are doing a brewery ‘swap’ with the Gloucestershire brewery Goffs, as a result of which Mad Cat beers will be available in Gloucestershire pubs and Goffs beers in Kent pubs.
4 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale ARE YOU MISSING OUR UPDATES? Every month we update our branch members with all the latest updates from across the branch, including brewery, pub and social news. There are still a number of you who will not be receiving these email updates so we would urge you to login via the CAMRA website and check your settings to allow us to contact you.
ADVERTISE WITH TRADING SWALE ALE AND REACH OVER 2000 STANDARDS REAL ALE DRINKERS If you believe that you have been treated unfairly in a local If you own or manage a pub, bar or pub or bar you can report it to restaurant and serve real ales, it’s never been easier to get your business in Kent County Council Trading front of more than 2,000 people. Standards by calling 03454 040506. FULL HALF 1/4 Sign up to receive alerts PAGE PAGE PAGE www.kent.gov.uk/tradingstandards Like ‘Public Protection’ on Facebook £80 £40 £25 Follow Public Protection on Twitter To book your place, email @kentprotect [email protected]
Wed 12 December, 8pm BRANCH The Vaults, Faversham Wed 9 January, 8pm Flying Dutchman, Sheppey Wed 13 February, 8pm DIARY Three Hats, Milton Regis
www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 5 UK Brewer of the Year 2017 & 2018 Supreme Champion Design and Packaging Trophy
A LOCAL WORK OF ART THE RETURN OF CLOUDWATER CASK Cloudwater Brewery has announced that it IPAs, Bitters, and Porters, and find ourselves was bringing back production of cask beer. drinking many a pint of cask beer and The brewery had chosen to dispense with wondering just how well our Brown Ales, or cask a couple of years ago and instead to Stouts, and seasonal Pale would do on cask.” concentrate on keg, in a move that was widely The brewery has therefore decided to bring debated in the beer industry. The brewery back cask for a small number of customers revealed however that dropping cask had experienced in looking after cask beer and “removed ourselves from conversations about have asked potential customers to contact what cask beer could be, and distanced Cloudwater directly. This emphasis on only ourselves from drinkers that are wedded to providing cask to outlets that only serve cask that genre of beer.” beer to the highest standard demonstrates a commitment to quality that is sure to be In a recent blog on its website, Cloudwater welcomed by the wider industry as well as to made its case for bringing back cask, beer drinkers. describing the merits of drinking a pint of cask in a pub: “We miss our cask Session John Sissons
CAMRA WINS FIGHT FOR TRANSPARENCY The Pubs Code, introduced by the CAMRA’s National Chairman Jackie Parker government in 2016, was designed to said: “We welcome the decision from the ICO, provide pub tenants with greater protection. and the release of this information by PCA However, after the Pubs Code Adjudicator is an important step in our fight to secure a (PCA) declined to release information on the fair arbitration process for pub tenants, and performance of the Code, CAMRA lobbied ultimately save viable pubs from closure. the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which ruled in CAMRA’s favour, calling for a full government review.
www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 7 SWALE PUB NEWS Quite a few things have been going on around If you happen to be reading at this point the branch since the last edition of the pub and your local pub is doing things worthy report. of note why not drop us a line here at Swale Ale and we can investigate what goes on and In Faversham, Andrew and Martin along report back in the next edition. You know with volunteers at Furlongs in Preston how everyone loves to read about their pub Street Faversham have been hard at work in print. transforming what was a wilderness, into a lovely cosy garden area with plenty of seating Lots of further detail on Swale pubs can be in a paved and walled courtyard. In addition, found on www.whatpub.com. If you notice there will be a bicycle park where for the price anything that is out of date or have any pub of a pint you can leave your machine in safety news please let us know. whilst you do what you need to do in town. Whilst in Faversham, The Corner Tap team have been pressing ahead with a number of activities including fund raising via the ‘Muddy Current Branch Membership: Duck’ event that raised so much money for 534 good causes. Keep an eye out on social media for forthcoming events at The Tap. Talking of social media, if any of our pubs have an event they wish publicising just let the committee know via one of the contacts and we shall publicise it via the Swale Branch facebook app. It costs nothing to do this and you could potentially reach a much larger audience for your event. Between Faversham and Sittingbourne in the quiet village of Doddington, The Chequers is the place to be these days with some excellent condition beers and very interesting choices. There are many events going on weekly and this really has returned to being the hub of village life. In Sittingbourne High Street there are good reports about the beer quality at the recently opened Yellow Stocks. Donna’s Ale House has now opened its kitchen to be able to provide food. Keep an eye open inside the pub to see what is on and when. To the Island where once upon a time finding a good pint of beer was as rare as finding a hen’s tooth. Nowadays, with more venues like Minster working men’s club and The Coppice in Eastchurch serving regular well-kept beers, and in addition to four micropubs around the area things are looking up. A Y’s Man in Sheerness has just been accredited with a five out of five on Cask Marques ‘scores on the cellar doors’ system meaning that you will find a good quality pint at the correct temperature.
8 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale THE SHIP ON SHORE SHEERNESS
There is a strange tale connected with the which, even today, looks remarkably similar ‘Ship on Shore’, which was once a coastguard when you enter. A Fremlins house in that time, station before a sea-wall was built in front of it had previously been one of Flint and Co’s the house. finest houses. The oldest surviving pub in town, it was the I have fond recollections of a great pint of scene of a shipwreck in 1848, when a small Tusker for which the place was noted. There’s vessel foundered and sank offshore. The a lovely old 1920’s open fireplace to one end landlord waded out to the wreck and claimed and in the 1980’s a conservatory extension the cargo which, it turned out, consisted of was added. barrels of cement. Nothing daunted, mine host built himself a rustic grotto next to the Present host Fred Mawhinney has been at the pub, which drew curious visitors (and still reins for more years than I care to remember does), and is a protected building. and still maintains the same method of cask dispense that his predecessors used with My first recollection of this pub is back in the pints drawn directly from a room just to the 1960’s when just a lad. My Grandfather used rear of the bar which keeps the ale at ‘just the to take me in for a vimto and bag of salt and right temperature’. shake crisps. The Ship on Shore is, in the nicest possible The grotto in those days had a one arm bandit way, a bit of a time warp with its “railway fruit machine as well as a very simple, rustic carriage” style ceiling, reeded hardboard hockey table where with the choice of blue covered walls and traditional bar, always or red batsmen. I forget the cost of a game welcoming, whether you are a local out for a ( I think it was one old penny) but the hours pint, or a visitor from afar. it seems we played on that amusement have always lived in my memory. Situated on the main coastal road between Sheerness and Minster with plenty of car Joe Park was the landlord in the 60’s and 70’s parking, a visit is a must. and along with his family kept a lovely pub John Sissons
www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 9 There was a menu of beers, a food menu and a further menu of beer and food pairing FURTHER recommendations. So feeling thirsty I had to have a beer (Ubu) whilst browsing the tomes of menus or is that menui?! Finally deciding EDUCATION to go ‘off piste’ and have a scotch egg In search of an academic institution to accompanied by a pint of Tiny Rebel Cwitch. accommodate my daughter’s intellectual Very nice they were too. thirst, our quest took us to some wonderful A few weeks later Glasgow was our corners of the Kingdom….. destination. This time we were fortunate to Having reported earlier on Exeter and Durham stay in the city centre within easy walking we now ventured off to Birmingham and distance of a GBG pub Pot Still in Hope Street. Glasgow. It is a family run pub, with four hand pumps I found myself near New Street railway station, dispensing mainly Scottish beers and an Birmingham city centre on a rather dark, chilly winters evening with no Good Beer Guide pub in the locality. Time to follow my nose and explore. Birmingham Town Hall and the Museum and Art Gallery were splendid buildings beautifully lit up but this was not what I was really looking for.
amazing selection of malt whiskies – for which it is famed. Shelves and shelves of bottles of malt whisky covering four walls, a truly amazing collection. It was very busy with locals and visitors. The atmosphere was friendly and the staff knowledgeable, a lovely historical pub full of character. At the time of my visit the beers In nearby Waterloo Street I found Purecraft available were - Cromarty Brewing Co ‘Ghost Bar and Kitchen – in a lovely old classic Town’ – Porter 5.8%, Merchant City Brewing building with the decor modern, bit quirky yet Co American Pale Ale 4.7% and Harviestoun interesting. Purity brewery was established in ‘Bitter & Twisted’ Golden Ale 3.8% from 2005 in the Warwickshire countryside by Paul Scotland, all of which were good. Together Halsey and James Minkin. They make Pure with a visiting ale from Sheffield on the Ubu (4.5%), Pure Gold (3.8%) and Mad Goose fourth pump - Brass Monkey Chilli Stout. The (4.2%) to name some. In 2014 Paul Halsey enjoyment of the beers and atmosphere was joined forces with chef Andreas Antona assisted by a Coal Isla Distillers Edition, single to establish the Purecraft Bar & Kitchen in Malt from Islay. Waterloo Street, central Birmingham and it seems to be doing very well. This exercise certainly has been an education – they say learning can be fun. They have 6 cask and 16 craft beers on draught available which covers 14 different Update: Exercise complete, University chosen, beer styles and if that’s not enough they have A-levels passed and Durham here she comes! about 60 bottled craft beers from around the Which I note has 11 pubs in the DH1 postcode world. The emphasis is on the Purity beers but area listed in the 2019 GBG so I definitely will they also had beers from Tiny Rebel, Kirkstall, be visiting. Vocation, Roosters and Fourpure. Mary Cross
10 www.camra-swale.org.uk ThanksAugust for yourOpened support 2018so far!
A local baa going to new heights
Real AleS ~ Wine Vodka ~ Brandy GIN ~ Whisky ~ Rum OPENING TIMEs: Mon/Tue: 4 - 9pm Please check our facebook page as Wed: 4 - 10pm we may occasionally be closed for Thur: 2 - 10pm private functions. Fri/Sat: 1 - 11pm facebook.com/flyingsheepmpub Sun: 1 - 9pm The Flying Sheep Micropub 193 High Street, Sheerness, ME12 1UJ Tel: 01795 669229 THE ALMA PAINTERS FORSTAL
They say first impressions remain in your A Shepherd Neame house, the cask beers mind. I have personally only been to the Alma were as good as you would expect to find once, on an autumn evening in September. from Britain’s oldest brewer. Food was good The village of Painters Forstal is one of quality and reasonably priced according to those quintessentially English villages that those who sampled the fayre on offer. There people speak about and The Alma seems to were none of the ‘glances’ that you sometimes be the hub of the community. Located on a feel when you walk into ‘someone else’s’ pub. triangular plot with country lanes to all sides I A comfortable place, we recommend a visit parked my car and headed for the beacon of whether you are going as a couple or as part light in the dark, stumbling upon a Mk 1 Ford of a larger group. Capri 3 litre parked just off the main road on my way. That summed it up for me, time warp One thing to remember is that traditional England. Perfect and unpretentious. opening hours are observed at The Alma. Always check the web page before going The pub itself is a bit like that in the best at www.almafaversham.co.uk Opening is possible way, quaint, a bit quirky but generally daytime 11 – 3pm and evenings wonderfully traditional with a weather between 6 and 11pm but best to check boarded exterior, selection of bars and smiling anyway. faces behind the counter. The place was almost full, but the space we had booked for John Sissons our branch meeting was left available. THANKS FOR HAVING US We offer our thanks to the following for hosting our recent Branch meetings: The Maypole The Alma Borden Painters Forstal The Black Lion The Three Tuns Lynsted Lower Halstow
12 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM
For almost a year both my wife and I had oxidised or had had something else affect been looking forward to our little Aussie them, probably heat, to the point that they getaway. Laura has always said how much were undrinkable. she’d like to live here and that I would too, well maybe, but I’d need to test the water From one shop in particular, where I picked first. up two six packs, I probably had two good beers out of the lot. All the beers were well Our holiday would be a time to catch up with within date too, still having six months plus friends and also a time for me to discover left to go. what the Aussies have been brewing. Much like Crete, I didn’t know what I’d be drinking, Cans seemed to be better, but they weren’t although I did know that breweries were a perfect. I bought a four pack of Balter IPA, a little better established here. cracking little beer with all the pine and citrus you could want from an IPA, with a decent On our arrival I was malt base and a solid bitterness too. greeted by a James Squires One Fifty Lashes. Our journey from Tokyo via Kuala Lumpur was arduous and this fruity pale quenched my desire. That night I got to know this beer pretty well and I hit the sack looking forward to discovering more of what Australia had to offer. But, two of the cans were just teetering on the But little did I know, this would end up being edge, with some unwanted toffee and caramel one of the most reliable beers of the holiday. flavours just beginning to creep in. They didn’t pour as well and from the colour it was Rather frustratingly, the quality of the beer obvious that something wasn’t quite right. I tried varied a lot. I bought beer from a few different shops and many of them were either Continued overleaf...
www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 13 But, when bought from the right shop, I was absolutely blown away. Beers from Batch Brewing Company were incredible, their West Coast IPA being lifted straight out of the red book. With a delicate touch of grain, this dry, hop lead tropical beast quenches the heat of the day with just a light grab of bitterness to
beer in Australia isn’t cheap by any stretch. The tax on alcohol is high which can make for some pricy drinking, couple that to the cost of single cans and bottles, and a session on a few different beers can leave a huge dent in follow. your wallet. Some shops do offer The Zonnebeke discounts on single cans India Saison, and bottles, but buying in brewed for multiples guarantees to keep the cost down. Sydney beer week, is a piece Without any single discount, three individual of art. It sits bottles or cans are roughly the price of a four below a duck- pack. High strength stuff is mainly in four down head packs and an individual can such as Modus and its crisp, Operandi Future Factory IIPA is roughly the spicy nature equivalent to £10. Which is quite a price, but will lure out the it is 500ml, it is also 8.5% and it is absolutely Saisonator within incredible. It took me straight back to a as you decipher time when balance and bitterness reigned this hugely supreme. hopped, IPA, saison hybrid. Would I live here? That’s a tricky question. I But then came Modus.. doubt I’d have an issue finding employment as the demand for skilled tradesmen is high. But Overwhelmed by juice at home I’d almost it’s bloody hot, too hot sometimes and I like a forgotten what it was like to taste a beer with nice crisp winter. a clawing bitterness. Future Factory IIPA and Sonic Prayer IPA had me, I didn’t have them, Parts for my 2CV would be virtually they had me, for breakfast. They chewed me impossible to get quickly, and no, I wouldn’t up and spat me out, and I went back for more, have any other car in case you were MORE! wondering, wouldn’t even entertain the thought. I couldn’t get enough, two nights running I prayed sonically. Prayed for more, and it kept It’s that satisfying feeling of vigour you on giving. If God was to brew a beer, this get from driving a 2CV with the roof off would be it. Perfect in every way, heavenly on a fresh, crisp winters day which is just almost, from the divine grain through to unparalleled. the gospel chorus of pine and grapefruit. Saisonism is gonna have to take a pew at the Actually, just the feeling you get from driving back for a while, this IPA is preaching. a 2CV anywhere is unparalleled. But all that preaching can come at a price, But that Modus though…… Chris Elston, Beer Blogger
14 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale BREWERY UPDATE: BOUTILLIERS
What up Swale! If we have not yet been potentially, interested enough to walk through introduced then: Hello, I’m Drew, nice to with me. Since you’ve made the effort to meet you. If we have been introduced and/ pick this publication up then I’m betting that or you follow us on social media then: It’s ya you’re likely both. boi Drewtillier! Dropping some old school print media like Johannes Gutenberg with First of all we brought small pack back an itchy trigger finger. I’ve been given the in house and we started putting our beer unique offer of getting you up to date with into KeyKeg. This means that batches everything happening over here at Boutilli- now yield a choice of format for different towers. Well, you probably know all the deets venues. Secondly, we ditched core brands from before the new year 2018 but January and decided to bring back seasonality and is when EVERYTHING changed. I switched experimentation, we will be turning our camps from Time and Tide with the intention Kolsch-style back into a core brand but of taking Boutilliers to the upper tiers of UK it’ll be our only one. We do this because craft brewing. I said in my initial interview the potential for beer is infinite, you never that Boutilliers will be national by the end of know what combinations of ingredients are 2018 and, as it is, we have beer being served going to yield the next big flavour sensation. in York, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, Standing in one place... It just wasn’t the Reading as well as outposts that sell our thing (quite literally) that was going to take bottles as far away as Scotland. This is quite us forward. We’ve had a lot of fun playing the change from being almost exclusively with unconventional ingredients like fruit tea, Kent based. sourdough bread and rose petals and we’ve had a lot of fun brewing different styles like This has been achieved through implementing patersbier, dubbel and helles. a few changes that I hope you’re patient and, Continued overleaf...
www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 15 Thirdly we started making excursions outside of Kent for events and collaborations, giving ourselves the excuse to deliver to new pubs and shops. This helps us beyond the fiscal aspect as we gain valuable experience, valuable knowledge and we cultivate new friendships. To date we have worked with Affinity, Blackjack, Seven Sisters and Black Iris, with collaborations set up with the likes of Ridgeside, Solvay Society and Ampersand. It is my belief that beer and brewing is a community and if we all work together then we all thrive together. Ultimately a thriving, young, brewing community that has a mind set on experimentation and quality can only conclude with you having an array of top quality brews to choose from when next you go to the pub. In the new year I intend to do more festivals, do more events, extend our reach to new places and continue to experiment, making fun beer that we love drinking and that we hope you’ll love drinking too. Drew
16 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale Sittingbourne’s newest micro pub, the first on the High Street
• Ser ing str ight from c s , choice of ent n guest re es • re t se ection of oc pro uce ci ers n coming soon – me • refu chosen wines, spirits n soft rin s
• ose to pub ic tr nsport f ci ities • eer g r en with se ting • og frien • ight ne t to gre t s n wich b r which wi e i er • onth ui night • i i
pen wee – on – hurs – pm ri n S tur – pm Sun pm
High St, Sittingbourne ceboo he e ow Stoc s witter @the e owstoc s www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 17 PROPER JOB CARNITAS TACO WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA
Ingredients A recipe by Jack Stein 1kg pork shoulder (with fat and skin on) Mexican dishes have just the right level of 1 litre vegetable stock spice to harmonise well with Proper Job’s 250ml of Proper Job IPA powerful blend of American hops. These carnitas tacos, with pineapple salsa, corn 2 bay leaves tortillas and pork that’s been slow cooked in Corn tortillas Proper Job are delicious and beyond simple Lime wedges to make at home.
For the pineapple salsa Method 1 pineapple – peeled and sliced into 1cm 1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees thick slices Olive oil 2. Heat up vegetable stock and Proper Job with bay leaves. 1 red chilli diced 2 tablespoons lime juice 3. Place pork shoulder in deep baking tray, skin side up and rub with sea salt. Once Small bunch of coriander vegetable stock is hot poor around the ½ red onion, finely diced pork shoulder, almost covering all the For the Mexican tomato sauce shoulder. Cover with baking paper and then seal baking dish with aluminium foil. 3 tablespoons of olive oil 400g can chopped tomatoes 4. Place in oven, remove pork shoulder after 4 hours and test softness. It should fall ½ tablespoon of white vinegar apart when using a fork to pull the meat. 2 teaspoon of onion powder If not at this stage return to oven for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder another 1-2hours. ½ teaspoon of cumin 5. Make Mexican tomato sauce, while the 1 teaspoon paprika pork finishes cooking. Heat up oil and combine all ingredients into a pot and 1 teaspoon of white sugar cook together over low heat for about 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper 20 minutes until slightly thickened. 1 teaspoon of oregano When pork is finished, add one cup of vegetable stock to the sauce. Remove Optional extras bay leaves. Jalapeños 6. Once pork is cooked and can be easily Sour cream pulled apart, remove from oven. Remove Sliced avocado pork skin and fat layer and discard.
18 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 7. Remove pork meat from stock and place Swale Ale © Winter 2018 - Published by the into another baking or large bowl. Shred Swale Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. the meat with a fork or tongs. Add tomato Circulation: 2,250 sauce to meat and stir through. If requires Editorial Committee and Contributors: more liquid add a little more of left over Gary Holness, Paul Irving, Matt Deller, stock. *(if preparing pork in advance, Steve Bennion, Tony Tippins, Mary Cross, refrigerate shredded pork in a container Andy Kitney, James Cousins and leftover stock in another, then whilst re- Advertising: Matt Deller heating, add some stock to re add juiciness All correspondence to: Les Bailey, 58 Wallers Road, to the meat). Faversham, Kent, ME13 7PL Email: [email protected] 8. Taste and season with salt if necessary. www.camra-swale.org.uk www.issuu.com/swaleale 9. Heat up a griddle pan on medium-high Twitter: @CAMRAswale heat. Rub the pineapple slices with a Facebook: CAMRAswale Telephone: 01795 538824 little olive oil and grill each side for a Any opinions expressed within these pages are few minutes. Remove from pan and cut those of the individual authors only and do not pineapple slices into cubes. Add to a bowl represent those of CAMRA or any of its along with onion, chilli, coriander and officials. The existence of this publication squeeze over lime juice. Stir together. in a particular outlet does not imply an endorsement of it by Swale CAMRA. 10. Heat up your corn tortillas in a dry frying Design & Layout: Ascent Creative pan – 1-2 minutes each side. Top with Printed by: Abbey Print, Faversham carnitas and pineapple salsa. Add optional Branch Details Chairman: John Sissons toppings of sour cream, avocado slices and Secretary: Linda Gates jalapeños. Serve with lime wedges Social Secretary: Rachel Collier Treasurer: Les Bailey Pubs Officer: Andrew Kitney Press and Publicity Officer: Matt Deller Membership Officer: Alex Earl DESERT ISLAND BEERS This article is a bit of fun. I am pretending to Thornbridge Jaipur be Kirsty Young of Radio 4 fame (update: it’s Lauren Laverne now) and asking you to Don’t be fooled, this one does not drink its imagine being cast away on a desert island weight and is likely to sneak up on you if you – all alone except for your eight favourite are not careful. Still one of the best beers beers and probably a cooling system (for the around. A citrus dominated India Pale Ale, its beer, not you!) – let’s not get too technical immediate impression is soft and smooth yet ‘though…just suspend disbelief and go with builds to a crescendo of massive hoppiness me on this one please. accentuated by honey. An enduring, bitter finish with an ABV of 5.9%. What beers would you take to your desert island and why? And finally, if the waves were Bradfield Farmers Blonde washing away your beer, which one – your Now here is something that is perfect for a favourite - would you save from the surf? summer’s day. A well-kept pint of Blonde is I cast away the Chair of Swale CAMRA John a thing of immense joy. Very pale, citrus and Sissons and this was his response: summer fruit notes this is in my opinion, the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon with King and Barnes Old friends. If you can find it ‘down south’ then make sure you don’t miss it. A 4.1% brown ale full of flavour and eminently drinkable. Great for those autumnal evenings. Fremlins Tusker Sadly King & Barnes was acquired by Hall & Woodhouse in 2000 with the production In the mid- late seventies when I was just being moved, from memory to Blandford, about old enough to drink my dad (god rest and the brewery demolished to make way for his soul) told me that if was to be a proper housing. man I needed to drink beer, not lager! He took me proudly to his local and promptly treated Theakston Old Peculier me to a pint of Courage Best. Politely, I then suggested we move on to The Ship on Shore Don’t let me confuse anyone here, this is the just outside Sheerness where a pint of Joe original version we are talking about and not Parks Tusker was one of the best things I had the one available post Scottish and Newcastle tasted. After a large mouthful my dad looked takeover. It has never tasted as good again, at me and quoted in his thick Yorkshire accent even though Theakstons have retaken ‘there’s nowt wrong wi’ yer taste buds’. How I ownership in Masham where this is brewed. miss a pint of Tusker. My first pint of this fine ale was in The Little Gem at Aylesford. A pleasant evening from Cains Formidable what I can remember. Three intrepid explorers in the 1990’s went Pictish Brewers Gold off to Liverpool seeking culture. Guess where there ended up! Yes finding it in the shape of Introduced to me by two stalwarts of English Cains brewery in Exciting news to me is that beer, Peter Moynihan and Chris Pearce one Cains is looking to be re-opened shortly as Saturday whilst we were travelling down part of a Brewery village area that includes Sheffield’s valley of beer. I can’t remember the a craft brewery. The Cains brewery tap in free house in which we drank it but I certainly Stanhope Street has already re opened and is can remember it not lasting long. A refreshing run by a couple of former Cains licensees. If thirst quenching pale golden session beer at they restart brewing Formidable, then I think just 3.8% with plenty of flavour. a trip to Liverpool is on the cards.
20 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale Gales HSB Finally, in my top eight down to the mid-South of England to Horndean in Hampshire for a brewery delight. Horndean Special Bitter or HSB was, from memory, a nutty brown beer with a distinct pleasant aftertaste. When Fullers closed the brewery in 2006 all production moved to Chiswick and another of England’s finest was lost to progress. HSB is still brewed and marketed by Fullers today but for those of you that know – it’s just not the same! If I had to choose one from the pack above, then it would have to be the Tusker. If nothing else, I could hop on the elephants back for a ride!! Thank you so much John for letting us know your desert island beers.
Two regional posts are up for re-election in March 2019, if you are interested in either of VACANT these please email us at [email protected] REGIONAL and we will send you further details KENT REGIONAL DIRECTOR POSITIONS KENT REGIONAL TREASURER
www.theshipwrightsathollowshore.co.uk THE FOUNTAIN OF ALE SITTINGBOURNE
Some forty two years ago The Fountain, football teams. Sittingbourne became the birthplace of Swale CAMRA. After the Nansons left David Foster took over the reins. With his wife Asara and their It was then called the Fountain Hotel and family they provided scrumptious Thai food. though the layout wasn’t greatly different It was then turned into a music bar and then from today it has seen many changes over the reclaimed by Shepherd Neame to be run by a years. Originally a hotel this former Shepherd succession of managers. Neame hostelry has had many guises over the years, including a Thai restaurant and a music In 2017 the pub went up for lease on a free bar, but always remaining a public house. of tie. Four friends got together and decided to take it on, renaming it The Fountain of Many memorable licensees have propped Ale. Featuring live music every Friday night up the bar at this fine establishment during and providing a varying range of real ales this time. Legendary Sittingbourne publican and local ciders, the pub has gone from Ron Hammond has his own style of excluding strength to strength. With the majority of the patrons whose custom he didn’t care for by Sittingbourne regeneration roadworks now uttering “I will serve you my friend, but I can’t completed, it is now possible to visit without serve your friend my friend!”. taking your life in your hands crossing the road. Publican Ian Parker moved to France after leaving his tenure at the Fountain and Opening hours removed the bar and took it to France with Monday – Thursday 12:00 – 23:00 him. Friday 12:00 – 01:00 Saturday 11:00 – 01:00 During the noughties Steve and Sue Nanson’s Sunday 12.00 – 23.00 name was above the door. It was frequented by a lot of the local Sittingbourne Rugby Club Malcolm Winskill who Steve was involved with. During that time the pub had numerous darts, pool and
22 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale SWALE CAMRA AT THE GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL Promoted by CAMRA as the World’s Largest “Pub” the Great British Beer Festival CHAMPION BEERS impressed many thousands of real ale, cider Mild Category: and continental lager followers from all four XX Mild - Greene King corners of the UK and from across the waters. The festival caters for all needs, tastes and Bitter Category: age groups. Obviously the 900+ ales is always Red McGregor - Orkney a plus point but to complement this there Best Bitter Category: is always a good attendance from some of Workie Ticket - Mordue the long standing UK breweries, food stalls, Golden Ale Category: CAMRA merchandise, live music and bands Oracle - Salopian throughout the five day extravaganza. Strong Bitter Category: It is always one of the favourites on Swale Revelation - Fullers Dark Star CAMRA member’s beer festival calendar Speciality Category: because of the gathering with friends and Brazilian Coffee and Vanilla - Colchester colleagues at the event. If you have yet to visit this annual festival you must do so, if nothing else it will certainly be an experience. Supreme Winner 2018: Broken Dream Breakfast - Siren BoutilliersBoutilliersBoutilliersBoutilliers modern,modern,modern,modern, seasonalseasonal seasonal brewerybrewery brewerybrewery brewedbrewedbrewed withwith with lovelove love inin faversham,infaversham, faversham, kentkent kent brewed with love in faversham, kent forforfor salessales sales callcall call drewdrew drew onon 0771507715on 07715 698441698441 698441 [email protected]@boutilliers.com [email protected] call drew on 07715 698441 [email protected] && twittertwitter & twitter @boutilliersbrew@boutilliersbrew @boutilliersbrew instagramfacebook.com/boutillersfacebook.com/boutillersfacebook.com/boutillers & twitter @boutilliersbrew facebook.com/boutillers www.boutilliers.comwww.boutilliers.comwww.boutilliers.comwww.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 23 www.boutilliers.com
inventions there is some conjecture as to who was responsible but it’s generally recognised THE HUMBLE to be William Painter in Baltimore in 1892. Until the invention of the crown cork soda and beer bottles were round ended and mostly BOTTLE sealed with corks. They were then stored on their sides to avoid the corks drying out. The invention of the crown cork not only changed OPENER the seal, it also changed storage methods and bottle shapes as bottles could now be stored At beer talks I normally tell people that the upright. start of drinking and enjoying a beer is their More importantly, the new crown cork choice of an appropriate glass. Before they required an opener. These were traditionally buy any beer they should first acquire a glass flat pieces of metal and some resembled they enjoy drinking from as it will enhance ornate church keys, hence they become their enjoyment of the beer. However, I now known as “Church Key” openers. There is no realise there is something that comes before record as to how and when they officially the glass and that is the humble bottle came by their name but there is certainly a opener. For ones pleasure in enjoying a beer similarity between the church key and the does not start with a favourite glass, it begins bottle opener of yesteryear. with a favourite bottle opener! From the 1900’s onwards bottle opener Just like a glass, a bottle opener is a personal designs literally exploded like an over item and we’ll all have our favourite. For me, conditioned bottle beer. Brewers and soda if I can’t use my favourite opener the beer producers in the USA were quick to see the drinking experience gets off to a bad start. marketing potential of such items. Some even Of course, the bottle opener has no impact included a pin on the reverse so they could be on the quality of the beer but it’s about the spun like a spin the bottle to see who bought subliminal relaxation of enjoying a beer, so the the next round. Other designs included the very start point of opening the bottle is very speed opener, which is now known as the bar important. It is the first impression that counts blade and of course the wall mounted opener and that begins with the use of your chosen allowed bottled beer to be opened with one opener, the kiss as it breaks the seal and hand. releases the CO2 pressure within, which leads to the expectant anticipation of the delicious British brewers were more conservative contents that are about to be enjoyed. with their bottle openers, but wonderful vintage designs for the likes of Guinness My favourite opener is a Homer Simpson Duff and Carlsberg are readily found via google. Beer opener, not that I’m a big fan of The What has changed very little for the past Simpsons, it was a Christmas present from my century is the design of the crown cork, so wife’s grandsons around eight years ago and all bottle openers have the same opening I have used it ever since. I know they chose mechanism. Everyone should have a favourite it for me so it’s something special and even opener, whether it’s a traditional design or a though it’s now somewhat rusted, I still enjoy promotional item and it should be cherished using it. A bottle opener is a very personal and loved as the start point of many an thing, much like a cherished tie or coffee mug. enjoyable beer drinking experience. The bottle opener has been around since the Marc Bishop invention of the crown cork. As ever with new Beer Sommelier
www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 25
TO BEER OR NOT TO BEER THAT’S A DAFT QUESTION!
Greetings Gentle Reader. Welcome to another diseases at the time so did not connect of Obadiah’s sideways looks at the world of water with premature death. It was thought our favourite tipple. This time I want to take that diseases were as a result of curses or you back in time five hundred years to Tudor evil spirits. The reason the population drank times. The inspiration for this piece came ale, and in vast quantities (more of which from a recent trip with Mrs Spillage to the later) was generally because it was a good delightful town of Stratford upon Avon. source of calories as well as fluid. Particularly of vitamins such as vitamin B. Given that Whilst we were there we experienced the the average Tudor labourer would burn in sensation of ‘being bombarded’. This, for excess of 3000 calories per day and sweat those who don’t know, describes an over a lot doing so, the replenishment of energy exposure to The Bard, William Shakespeare. and rehydration were important. Small beer Now, you may be unfamiliar with intricacies was cheap and a good way of getting the of The Bard’s works but he mentions beer, energy and fluids needed to keep going. or more correctly ale (beer brewed without Undoubtedly an upshot of drinking ale was hops), in many of his plays. For instance in a healthier populace simply because many Twelfth Night, Sir Toby Belch says ‘Dost thou of the bugs (cholera and the like) were killed think because thou art virtuous there shall be off by the brewing process so people came no more cakes and ale?’ Cakes in this instance quickly to the conclusion that beer was better are not the Mr Kipling variety but a type of for you than water. sweetened bread popular at the time. Ale was generally brewed by women at this Having consumed much cake and ale during time and was considered part of the everyday my stay I am not sure what that says about food production of a household. If the ‘ale- Obadiah’s virtue but there you go! Plundering wife’ was any good at brewing the beverage the depths of Mr S’s work I found further she would be able to supplement the family’s mention of the ‘tawny and glorious’ in Henry income by selling any excess. Ale was sold VI Part 2. We find Jack Cade, the leader of from the ale-wife’s premises which became a popular revolt against the government of known as ‘ale-houses’. A small bush was hung England in 1450, saying to the assembled outside the premises to indicate that ale was company ‘I shall make it a felony to drink available. In order to get the most out of small beer’. This got the old grey matter the brewing ingredients three brews were churning as to what small beer was. made from the same mash. The first brew In researching this piece I came across an was a strong ale followed by a second use interesting snippet of information, namely, of the mash producing an average strength that people did not drink the water in the ale and finally a third mash producing ‘Small’ 15th century England is a bit of a myth. Water ale which was somewhere between 0.5% and has always been drunk and the idea that it 2.8%. No one really knows the exact strength was avoided because it was disease ridden but this is a best guess based on the fact that is a modern one. This is simply because the children were drinking it. Ale was drunk at population did not know about water borne Continued on page 30
www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 27 Wantsum Brewery Christmas Open Day
Saturday 1ST December 2018 - 12:00 Noon-20:00 SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE There will be 10% Discount on all merchandise purchased on the day from the shop (Including pre- orders) T-Shirts, Jumpers, Coats, Hats, Polypins and bottles etc…..
An ale A cider We will have a wide selection of our beers available including our Christmas Specials: Figgy Pudding & 5 Gold Grains to enjoy in our cosy taproom
Our Tap Room opening Hours are as Follows: Friday: 4:00pm – 9:00pm Saturday: 2:00pm – 8:00pm A gin or two A wine Sunday: 2:00pm – 7:00pm
We will be opening on 21ST December at 2:00pm – 9:00pm – Wantsum Hoodners will be here from 8:00pm
The Taproom will be closed from Saturday 22ND December until Friday 4TH January Some Food A smile from you Follow us on social media
20 WEST STREET | SITTINGBOURNE | KENT | ME10 1AB @wantsumbrewery Wantsumbrewery Kent Barn, St Nicholas Farm, St Nicholas at Wade, CT& 0PT @DONNASALEHOUSES To pre-order or for further information call 01227 910135 Or E-mail [email protected] DONNAS ALEHOUSE DONNASALEHOUSE [email protected] 28 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale
Wantsum Brewery Christmas Open Day
Saturday 1ST December 2018 - 12:00 Noon-20:00
There will be 10% Discount on all merchandise purchased on the day from the shop (Including pre- orders) T-Shirts, Jumpers, Coats, Hats, Polypins and bottles etc…..
We will have a wide selection of our beers available including our Christmas Specials: Figgy Pudding & 5 Gold Grains to enjoy in our cosy taproom
Our Tap Room opening Hours are as Follows: Friday: 4:00pm – 9:00pm Saturday: 2:00pm – 8:00pm Sunday: 2:00pm – 7:00pm
We will be opening on 21ST December at 2:00pm – 9:00pm – Wantsum Hoodners will be here from 8:00pm
The Taproom will be closed from Saturday 22ND December until Friday 4TH January
Follow us on social media
@wantsumbrewery Wantsumbrewery Kent Barn, St Nicholas Farm, St Nicholas at Wade, CT& 0PT To pre-order or for further information call 01227 910135 Or E-mail [email protected] [email protected] breakfast, lunch and supper with an average would be behind such a job didn’t you! The weekly consumption of 17 pints a week. Ale Conner’s job was a serious one however. However, that was nothing compared to the He had to swear an oath to taste at least a royal court of Elizabeth I who in 1593 drank in mouthful of each brew and had the power to 600,000 gallons in the year. So much ale was report brewers for sub-standard brews or if consumed that, due to excessive drunkenness he found that the ale was not up to scratch in the court, Liz introduced a ban on the (or downright foul) or if they were engaging consumption of super strength ale known in deceitful or underhand practices like selling as ‘double beer’. Little wonder the time was a weak ale at a higher cost purporting to be known as ‘Merrie England’! a strong ale. The job is not as bizarre as it first sounds and was really a sort of quality Back to the control to ensure that the ale sold was not Spillages in unfit for consumption. Given that there were Stratford. no preservatives and the hygiene conditions One of the in the brew house were likely to be less than interesting acceptable it was not uncommon for the beer facts learned to spoil quickly and become undrinkable. was that the I imagine that you would have heard an house where unscrupulous landlord say to a complaining Will was born customer that it was supposed to taste was once a like that ‘for tis real ale!’ when a customer pub called complained that his pint tasted of old socks. The Swan and Maidenhead. So having been, as Formally I mentioned at the just called start, ‘bombarded’ The Maidenhead, I wondered about the Mrs Spillage name. Maidenhead could be a corruption and I decided to of Maidenhythe which is broken down as repair to one of ‘maiden’ meaning new and ‘hythe’ meaning a the many fine wharf. Given the pubs proximity to the River hostelries in the Avon you can see how this might be the town. We found case. The swan must have muscled in on the ourselves in act a bit later but if you have ever been to the Garrick Inn, Stratford you will know that the descendants purporting to of those white feathered water fowl can be be the oldest in rather persistent if they fancy a bite of your Stratford (there sandwich!! is a bit of a fight between The family Shakespeare were surprisingly well the Garrick and connected with ale. Anne, Will’s wife, traded the Old Thatch in malt and in 1556 John, Will’s father, was Inn as to which appointed as Official Ale Taster of Stratford is actually the upon Avon. This was an important job at the oldest). The time. The job of the ‘Ale Conner’ as he was half-timbered known was to test the strength and quality of building has been the locally brewed ale and more importantly used as a pub ensure that it was sold at a fair price. I feel since 1718 and is a campaign coming on to re-instate the on the site of an job given the price of beer in some of the earlier mediaeval establishments I have frequented lately. Form inn. The pub is an orderly queue for those interested in a delight of small bars, nooks and crannies. applying! Although some of the dividing walls have The price check was not as it first appears been opened out with the removal of the a philanthropic measure to ensure that the wattle and daub the beams are still there poor hard-working populace of the town (presumably keeping the upper floors up were not paying over the odds but to ensure where they belong) giving you a feel of what that appropriate amount of tax was paid on a Tudor inn would have been like. Incidentally the brew. You knew all along that the taxman a most splendid pint of Prescott’s Chequered Flag, a 4.1% golden ale was partaken thereof.
30 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale Interestingly it is believed that an outbreak discovered that there are some wonderful of plague started in the inn in 1564 when terms used in a 16thcentury pub. For example a weaver’s apprentice died of the disease a hardy drinker was known as an ‘Ale Knight’ on the premises. I have to say that I have (arise Sir Fit of Ale). To ‘Bizzle’ was to get frequented a number of pubs in my time that drunk, being ‘Cupshotten’ was to be drunk I have thought capable of starting a bout of as was being Fap or the wonderful phrase plague! Upsee-freeze and if you were ‘Lion Drunk’ you were extremely drunk, presumably where we So not to show bias towards one inn claiming get the modern phrase ‘roaring drunk’. to be the oldest we visited the other (the aforementioned Old Thatch Inn). I got that Anyhoo I hope you have found my wonderful feeling of a continuation of history wanderings through Elizabethan times as we entered. The pub is low ceilinged, illuminating and in true style I would like beamy and was full to the gills with a noisy to sign off with a short parody of The Bard crowd all eating and drinking and generally himself. So with many thousand apologies making merry (and indeed filling themselves here goes….. to the gills). The landlady was genial and had that contented if slightly harassed air about If my words they hath offended her of someone who knows that although Think of this and all is mended. it’s all totally mad in the pub tonight the That you have but slumbered here takings will be healthy! Also I found out that Because you drank far too much beer. dire deeds have occasioned on the premises. Gentles do not reprehend; Namely on Christmas Day 1795 one Joseph if you’ll pardon I will amend. Pinfield was murdered in the pub and his So put aside all of your woes ghost is said to haunt the place to this day. And please forgive my awful prose. Mind you he would have to be a very noisy ghost to make himself heard over the general I’ll get my coat! Toodle Pip, ‘til next time hubbub in the house that night! During my readings on the subject of Tudor ale (yes believe it or not research happens for these seemingly random scribblings) I have Obidiah Spillage Sources and further reading: The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval Tudor Times.co.uk England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Worldsbeerguide.com/beer in Tudor England Fourteenth Century - - Ian Mortimer William Shakespeare’s Father: Official The myth of Medieval small beer – Ian Visits Ale-Taster of Stratford-upon-Avon – Paul Ye Olde Inn Guide – James Moore & Paul Nero Anthony Jones
www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 31 Watergate Bay, Cornwall Offering a wide range of real ale in all styles Plus World Beers - Cider - Perry
GREAT BRITISH
19 - 23 FEBRUARY
Tuesday 19th Members Preview 17:30 - 22:30 Wednesday 20th - Saturday 23rd 12:00 - 22:30 Free Entry For CAMRA Members
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE winter.gbbf.org.uk/tickets The Halls, St Andrews Plain, Norwich NR3 1AU GBBFWinter GreatBritishBeerFestivalWinter 32 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale
GenericA5.indd 1 28/07/2015 09:10 GBBF Winter 2019 A5 Advert.indd 1 14/06/2018 09:14:17 Offering a wide range of real ale in all styles Plus World Beers - Cider - Perry
GREAT BRITISH
19 - 23 FEBRUARY
Tuesday 19th Members Preview 17:30 - 22:30 Wednesday 20th - Saturday 23rd 12:00 - 22:30 Free Entry For CAMRA Members
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE winter.gbbf.org.uk/tickets The Halls, St Andrews Plain, Norwich NR3 1AU GBBFWinter GreatBritishBeerFestivalWinter www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 33
GBBF Winter 2019 A5 Advert.indd 1 14/06/2018 09:14:17 THE GOOD BEER GUIDE SELECTION CRITERIA With the 2019 edition of the Good Beer for paper forms and we will enter your scores Guide recently launched, have you wondered for you. how CAMRA selects pubs for the Guide? Having collected thousands of beer scores Each CAMRA branch is responsible for the over the year, we generate a report in January entries in its area within the county and each giving the average, best and worst scores for listed pub must consistently serve real ale each pub and a confidence factor based on (and real cider if offered) of good quality. the number of scores received. The Branch To help us do this, we collect beer quality Committee uses these data to draw up a list information through CAMRA’s National Beer of eligible pubs with the highest average Scoring System (NBSS) in which members score, supplemented by other sources of are asked to contribute scores for pubs information, and then visits them to update throughout the year. the pub details ahead of a selection meeting in February. All branch members are invited to It is easy to score your beers in NBSS. Log that meeting at which we select our quota for in to CAMRA’s online pub guide, WhatPub the next Good Beer Guide. (www.whatpub.com) using your membership number and the same password that you use To make this work better, we need many to enter the CAMRA national website. Search more members to enter their scores. We for the pub and enter a score for each beer value the opinions of all members whether that you drank in the Submit Beer Scores active or not and we need as many opinions panel on the right of the screen. as possible for as many pints in as many pubs as possible. This is so we can have confidence There is plenty of help and information about in the statistics. We ask members to score NBSS on the Beer Scoring tab. WhatPub is the pubs continually not just once or twice. optimised for use on a smart phone and a NBSS works across the country not just in our downloadable app is planned, so you can branch. If you are not a member but would score your beer in the pub while you drink it! like your opinions of beer quality. If you don’t have online access at all, then ask CAMRA HQ your NBSS Coordinator at a branch meeting The UK’s best selling pub guide is back!
Get your hands on a copy of CAMRA’s 4 th edition of the Good Beer Guide and hunt out the best pubs in Britain, with the help and guidance of CAMRA’s 180,000 members. Complete the form below and discover the indispensable guide for beer and pub lovers young and old. By buying the book directly from CAMRA you’re helping support and protect real ale, real cider & real perry, and pubs & pub-goers. The new guide is published in September 2018 you can order a copy now (details below). How To Order* Post: Complete the form on this page and send to: CAMRA, 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans AL1 4LW Phone: To order by credit card please phone 01727 8 7201 during office hours. Online: Please visit www.camra.org.uk/shop
our details (please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS) ■ I wish to buy the 2019 Good Beer Guide ■ I wish to buy the 2019 Good Beer Guide Postal Charges : UK £2.50. for £11 (CAMRA Members only) plus p&p for £15.99 plus p&p EU £7.50. Rest of the World £10.00
Name Address
Postcode
Phone Number CAMRA Membership Number
■ I wish to pay by cheque (payable to CAMRA). Please remember to add postal charges to all orders. ■ Please charge my Credit/Debit card. Please note that we are unable to accept payment via American Express. Card Number Expiry Date
Name of cardholder Signature
*Further discounts available at www.camra.org.uk/gbg †Please note powww.camra-swale.org.ukstal charges stated apply to orders for one c o p y [email protected] the Good Beer Guide 2019 onl y . CAMRAswale Full34 details available at www.camra.org.uk/shop
GBG 2018 A5 Order form advert Landscape.indd 1 19/07/2017 13:04 Join up, join in, join the campaign From as little as Protect the traditions of great † £25 British pubs and everything that a year. That’s less than a pint a goes with them by joining today
month! at www.camra.org.uk/joinup ✂
Or enter your details and complete the Direct Debit form below and you will receive 15 months membership for the price of 12 and save £2 on your membership subscription
Alternatively you can send a cheque payable to CAMRA Ltd with your completed form, visit www.camra.org.uk/joinus, or call 01727 798440.* All forms should be addressed to Membership Department, CAMRA, 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, AL1 4LW. Your details: Direct Debit Non DD Single Membership £25 Title ...... Surname ...... £27 (UK) Forename(s) ...... Joint Membership £30 £32 Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy) ...... (Partner at the same address) Address ...... For concessionary rates please visit ...... www.camra.org.uk or call 01727 798440...... Postcode ...... I wish to join the Campaign for Real Ale, and Email address ...... agree to abide by the Memorandum and Articles of Association which can be found Daytime Tel ...... on our website. Partner’s Details (if Joint Membership) Title ...... Surname ...... Signed ......
Forename(s) ...... Date ......
Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy) ...... Applications will be processed within 21 days.
Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit This Guarantee should be detached Please fill in the whole form using a ball point pen and send to: and retained by the payer. Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. 230 Hatfield Road St. Albans, Herts AL1 4LW The Direct Debit Guarantee Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society Service User Number l This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept To the Manager Bank or Building Society 926129 instructions to pay by Direct Debits l If there are any changes to the amount, Address FOR CAMRA OFFICIAL USE ONLY date or frequency of your Direct Debit This is not part of the instruction to your Bank or Building Society The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd will notify you 10 working days in advance of your Membership Number account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request The Campaign Postcode Name for Real Ale Ltd to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date Name(s) of Account Holder Postcode will be given to you at the time of the request Instructions to your Bank or Building Society l If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by The Campaign Bank or Building Society Account Number Please pay Campaign For Real Ale Limited Direct Debits from the account detailed on this instruction subject to for Real Ale Ltd or your bank or the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I building society, you are entitled to understand that this instruction may remain with Campaign a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or Branch Sort Code For Real Ale Limited and, if so, will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society. building society l If you receive a refund you are not Signature(s) entitled to, you must pay it back Reference when The Campaign Real Ale Ltd asks you to Date l You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account. may be required. Please also notify us.
†Price of single membership when paying by Direct Debit. *Calls from landlines charged at local rates, cost may vary from mobile phones.
New Direct Debit members will receive a 12 month supply of vouchers in their first 15 months of membership. ✂
A5 Advert - Branch Mag.indd 1 21/09/2017 15:13 MUSINGS OF A GRUMPY LANDLORD
Well what a great summer that was, good matter of time before they do! news for the country pub trade. Nothing like an English country pub garden when the Another fact-finding trip to New York, this weather is right - and being England that isn’t time with some of our regulars. A very often. It was good to see so many people successful and enjoyable time, commonly taking a stroll to the pub along the creek, referred to as ‘The Shipwright’s on Tour - enjoying the weather and the views and NYC.’ Many beers were sampled and enjoyed stopping to chill out in the garden for a spell. and yet again I was impressed by the quality and range of beers available. Now before anyone asks, we will not be following the current trend and introducing I am struck by the American way of not slush cider, Peanut and Cinnamon IPA, or a legislating their bars out of existence, by Strawberry Stout with ‘hints of cherry and keeping bureaucracy and legislation to the a follow through of plum’ on our bar list. minimum required for a safe environment in Not that I have anything against those that the licensed trade. Adults are treated as just do, it’s a tough economic market out there that, with the faculties to make their own for pubs at the moment and I don’t blame decisions about where, what and when to anyone one for doing whatever they need drink and in what quantities. to do to capture their share of the market Six days and I didn’t see one drunk, or more in the current climate. If people didn’t want importantly no groups staggering around these things they wouldn’t sell. Each to there and generally being obnoxious a sight all too own, but I reckon that my lot would question common on many the High Streets of this my sanity if I introduced Popcorn flavoured country. OK, so the minimum age for drinking Stout. Nor can I see Big Ron ordering a pint of is 21, but I’ll stick my head above the parapet marshmallow bitter with a flake and garnish here and say is that such a bad thing? Talking of mint. I’m just waiting for the first brewer to my American friends, it would seem that to come up with ‘mince pie mild, with a hint although drunken behaviour obviously does of brandy butter, and believe me, it is only a occur, it is generally socially unacceptable.
36 www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale The main difference seems to be that one of the fires and woe betide anyone who American citizens are deemed to responsible tries to dislodge her from her favourite chair - for their own actions and are not subject unless of course they are prepared to offer a to the never ending bureaucratic rules and comfortable lap to curl up on! regulations that govern our licensed trade. In my opinion, we in the UK now live in a Poppy has become quite a well-known society where legislation is often introduced character and has a following of loyal fans on to cover the 5% of the population who don’t our Facebook page. Being a cat, she of course have the wit or intelligence to make their accepts all the attention as her given right own decisions or take responsibility for their and makes it quite clear by her attitude that it actions. Get drunk, fall over and bang your is actually her pub but she graciously allows head and then sue the bar, bar person, local others to share it with her. council, your parents, school or anyone else Woe betide the dog that gets a bit too fresh rather than accept that it was down to your with her though. Normally she treats dogs own actions that you were hurt. with a sort of feline contempt and totally If the ‘we know best’ brigade had their way ignores them, but if one gets a bit too pushy, we would spend our time sitting at home she is quite capable of taking care of herself crocheting - (actually they would probably with a well aimed swat on the nose. I hope consider that dangerous because it involves everyone has a good Christmas and hope that needles)! On a seasonal note, winter is upon you frequent your local hostelry as often as us - (albeit a bit later than normal) - and time possible. to light the fires. Derek AKA ‘The Grumpy Landlord’. There’s something about sitting in a centuries old pub in front of a log fire and holding a pint of ale that is quintessentially British. In our case, Poppy the cat will get pole position near THE BEAR Faversham
The Bear Inn, 3 Market Place, Faversham, Kent ME13 7AG, Tel 01795 532668
Chris & Marie Annand and staff welcome you to this historic 15th Century inn in the heart of Faversham.
Immaculately kept Shepherd Neame beers
Traditional home made lunches served every day
Join us for our popular Quiz Night held on the last Wednesday of every month
Find us on Facebook
23 Across PRIZE 1 Flow of Master Brew (6) 4 Tanks of first fine beers according to report (5) CROSSWORDPrize crossword compiled by R Gregory Ref1055 Solution to last issue's puzzle 8 The flower of German wine? (5) 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 WarrenW A slipsT EbackR toL haveO aO glass (7)T I C 7 10C FailureG to cleanN barrelsA maybeL (7)R A 11 It can make you run right into bar (4) 8 9 12H StepO intoA R pubsD whenR theyE openF R andA I N Ahave aI drink (3) E F A C N 10 11 14 Eels wriggling in the grounds (4) 15R AfterA NWatneysK L keg,E DnothingC betterR E (4)D O 12 13 18I Urge involvedS E in theO productionT of keggedN 14 15 16 NbeerI (3)T W I T H O O V E S 21 Empty barrels drinking like a fish (4) 17 18 19 20 23G Two men couldT be kindC of stoutR (7)I T 21 22 23 25C AgitateL A withI Mright typeL Aof cupY O(7) V E R 24 26 Open a French pub (5) 27R KnockS back beerO fitE for a king (5) A E 25 26 28O ShowsM I withoutT T aE lotR of boozeM upsE L(6) E E DownS A I I O D T 27 28 1 SCouldI N these beV clutchedI C T byO desperateR I A drinkers? (6) CompiledAcross by R Gregory Ref 1055 The £10 prize was won by T. Lavell of London E 7.Other correct 1 Flow of Master Brew (6) 2entries New were edition received about by: S.Susie Christie, brewing L. Edwards, (7) W. Fullick, Thanks4 Tanks to ofall first those fine beerswho accordingentered. toI hopereport (5)you 3P. HeHutcheson, turns up A. toMacGregor, stop depicable T. Mayhew, person D. Peacock, in the boozer (8) enjoyed8 The flower solving of German it as much wine? as(5) I did compiling S. Renwick, A. Sach, S. Tompkins, R. Wright it.9 AsWarren you will slips soon back findto have out a glassthis issue’s(7) 4 Female, poorly after drinking this (4) offering10 Failure is tofor clean drinkers. barrels Eithermaybe (7)the clue or the 5Send EXCLUSIVE...... ”Queen all entries by email to [email protected] goes to bar” (5) or by post to answer has something to do with drink (not 11 It can make you run right into bar (4) 6Saxwords Drink this 48b Newtonwater inRoad season Faversham (6) Kent ME13 8DZ all necessarily alcoholic). 12 Step into pubs when they open and have a drink (3) 7All Sees correct drinking entries received vessel byon ??/??/?? board (5)will be entered into a Have14 Eels fun wriggling solving! in the grounds (4) 13draw Influence for a prize (whenof £10. Theon winnertop) is will an be anathema announced to in the CAMRA members (8) Name:15 After Watneys keg, nothing better (4) next issue along with other entries. 18 Urge involved in the production of kegged beer (3) 16 What a footballer may do if he’s had a few too many (7) 21 Empty barrels drinking like a fish (4) If you have any questions please email the above address or Address: 23 Two men could be kind of stout (7) 17send Problem an s.a.e. drinker All queries is a will blockhead be answered after the closing date employer (6) 25 Agitate with right type of cup (7) 19 Wine ingredient, good variety of pear (5) 26 Open a French pub (5) Name...... 20 Drunk singer and painter (6) 27 Knock back beer fit for a king (5) 28 Shows without a lot of booze ups (6) 22Address...... Drink endlessly - that’s smart (5) Down 24 Included in inferior ale test (4) All1 correctCould these entries be clutched received by desparateby 31/01/19 drinkers? will (6) Solutions...... to last issue’s puzzle: be2 enteredNew edition into about a draw Susie for brewing a prize (7) of £10. The ACROSS - 1: WATERLOO, 6: TIC, 9: HOARD, 10: prize winner and the solution will be printed 3 He turns up to stop depicable person in the boozer (8) REFRAIN,Thanks to 11:all RANKLED, those who entered.13: CREDO, I hope 14: you NITWIT, enjoyed 15: solving it in the next issue, along with all other correct HOOVES, 18: CLAIM, 20: LAYOVER, 21: OMITTER, 4 Female, poorly after drinking this (4) as much as I did compiling it. As you will soon find out this entries. 22: MELEE, 23: SIN, 24: VICTORIA DOWN - 2: 5 EXCLUSIVE...... "Queen goes to bar" (5) issue's offering is for drinkers. Either the clue or the answer Entries by email to [email protected] AGAINST, 3: END, 4: LAREDO, 5: OLFACTORY, 6: 6 Drink this water in season (6) has something to do with drink (not all necessarily alcoholic). or by post to Saxwords, 48b Newton Road, TRACE, 7:CANNON STREET, 8: CHARING CROSS, Faversham,7 Sees drinking Kent, vessel ME13 on 8DZ. board Scanned (5) and 12:Have LEITMOTIV, fun solving! 16: VIVALDI, 17: CLERIC, 19: ASIAN, 22: MOO emailed13 Influence entries (when preferred on top) is anbut anathema all entries to Camra welcomemembers (8) including photocopies. The £10 prize was won by T. Lavell of London E7. 16 What a footballer may do if he's had a few too many (7) Other correct entries were received from: If you have any questions please email the S. Christie, L. Edwards, W. Fullick, P. Hutcheson, 17 Problem drinker is a blockhead employer (6) above address or send S.A.E. A. MacGregor, T. Mayhew, D. Peacock, S. Renwick, I19 willWine reply ingredient, to all queries good variety after of the pear closing (5) date. A. Sach, S. Tompkins, R. Wright 20 Drunk singer and painter (6) 22 Drink endlessly - that's smart (5) 24 Included in inferior ale test (4) www.camra-swale.org.uk [email protected] CAMRAswale 39 8
SWALE
ub of the Year 201 P Real Ale Craft Beer Bottle Shop Cider Wine Over 50 gins
Admiral's Arm Micropub Trafalgar Court West Street Queenborough , ME11 5AD Tel: 01795 668598 [email protected]
/admiralsarm www.admiralsarm.co.uk