TO ALL FREE PUB USERS beethe magazine of the North Hampshirre linesbranch of the Campaign for Real Ale ISSUE 15 OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2016 North Hampshire CAMRA Pub of the Year Winner 2016. See page 8. Photo © Derek Salter In This Issue... • Pub Focus - Jolly Farmer, Cliddesden • Pub of the Year Award • American Cider • Great British Beer Fest - a volunteer’s tale WWW.CAMRAHANTSNORTH.ORG.UK ... & LOADS MORE beerlines North Hampshire Branch of CAMRA Issue 15 | OCT-DEC 2016 www.camrahantsnorth.org.uk 2 beerlines North Hampshire Branch of CAMRA Issue 15 | OCT-DEC 2016 Branch Contacts Editor: Editor’s Shout Jim Turner e: [email protected] A warm welcome to you Branch Chairman Michael Hodson ecently I heard CAMRA described as “the e: [email protected] biggest volunteer social club in the world”. Branch Secretary: Currently vacant RWhether or not this is true is perhaps a All officers can be contacted securely through subject for another discussion. What is true is that our website (see below): above all else we are a still a Campaign; moreover Pubs and Clubs Officer – John Buckley we are a Campaign For Real Ale. Not against Membership Secretary – Brenda Cross anything. Individual members are free to express Branch Contact – Currently Vacant personal opinions - that is to be expected in any LocAle Officer - Pat Hayward volunteer group - it does not mean that those Social Secretary – Currently vacant views are necessarily endorsed by the Campaign. Branch Treasurer – Doug Cross Similarly with branch newsletters and magazines. Webmaster – Currently vacant On page 14 there is a letter from a local licensee Web: www.camrahantsnorth.org.uk complaining about perceived condescension in Twitter: @CamRAHantsNorth this magazine with reference to his pub and the Facebook: ‘North Hampshire CAMRA’ owning Pub Company. I disagree but see what The Editor reserves the right to amend or shorten you think. contributions for publication. All editorial copyright © One of the positive results of our and other North Hampshire CAMRA 2016 bodies’ campaigning efforts was that on 21st July Disclaimer: Views expressed in this publication this year the Pubs Advisory Service became live. are those of their individual authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Editor, branch committee Headed by Pubs Code Adjudicator Paul Newby, or the Campaign for Real Ale nationally. Nor th the service is there to provide among other things, Hampshire CAMRA accepts no liability in relation to the accuracy of advertisements; readers must rely help for pub tenants who are in dispute with their on their own enquiries. It should also be noted that owners. The Adjudicator has powers to resolve acceptance of an advertisement in this publication individual disputes, award redress to tied tenants should not be deemed an endorsement of quality by North Hampshire CAMRA. if a code breach is proved, investigate widespread abuses of the code, make recommendations and Trading Standards (Hampshire) impose financial penalties. The Adjudicator can Montgomery House, Monarch Way, Winchester be contacted on [email protected]. SO22 5PW In August, beer lovers were shocked to hear t: 01962 833620 e: [email protected] that Oakleaf Brewery in Gosport was to be run www.hants.gov.uk by administrators. The good news is, the brewery Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. has now been bought. Check out Fallen Acorn 230 Hatfield Road, St. Albans, Herts, AL1 4LW Brewery http://www.fallenacornbrewing.co/the- t: 01727 867 201 e: [email protected] brewery. www.camra.org.uk Hampshire-based Broken Bridge Brewing, Upper Swanmore, opened their doors this PUBLISHED BY www.camrahantsnorth.org.uk summer. I recently tried their First Draught (4.6% Capital Media Group ABV) in the Albion, Winchester. It’s a hoppy and First Floor, Central Buildings, Middlegate, fruity American-style pale ale with rye and Vienna Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, NG24 1AG t: 01636 302 302 e: [email protected] malts. Beer Lines wishes both breweries well. www.choose.capital Cheers! Jim Turner © 2016 Capital Media Group. All Rights Reserved. (Magazine Editor, North Hampshire CAMRA) No part of this publication may be transmitted, reproduced, recorded, photocopied or otherwise without the express written permission of the copyright holder. Online Beer Lines: www.camrahantsnorth.org.uk 3 beerlines North Hampshire Branch of CAMRA Issue 15 | OCT-DEC 2016 www.camrahantsnorth.org.uk 4 beerlines North Hampshire Branch of CAMRA Issue 15 | OCT-DEC 2016 All Photos: © Jim Turner Pub Focus The Jolly Farmer, Cliddesden outh of the M3 on the B3046 Farleigh Road patio at the rear and within easy walking or cycling distance leads uphill to a Sof Basingstoke, sits a delightful country pleasant grassed hostelry. Dating from the seventeenth century the area for customers Jolly Farmer was originally three cottages, now a wishing to avail single building. Licensees Moray Cameron and themselves of the occasional good weather. mum Pauline have been looking after hungry and On the food side, everything is freshly thirsty customers at the ‘Jolly’ since November prepared on-site as one might expect given 2010. Before that was a four-year stint at the East Moray’s background. Fish is delivered daily from End Arms near Lymington, now run by former Dire either Brixham or Brighton and many customers Straits bass player, John lllsley. Whilst in name- are complimentary about the pub’s ‘proper’ Fish dropping mode, early on in his career, Moray ‘n’ Chips. worked with TV chef Keith Floyd at the Maltsters Although there is attention to detail on Arms at Tuckenhay near Totnes in Devon which food, Moray was keen to point out that the Jolly might explain his passion for food. Farmer is a pub that serves good food, not a But I digress. Back to the ‘Jolly’, it is a popular, restaurant that serves beer. On the subject of busy pub, well supported by locals and visitors, beer, Hogsback TEA, Wadworth 6X and Sharp’s including business people who often pop in for a Doombar make regular appearances. Seasonal relaxed lunch. Moray told me that their aim is to and other guest beers are sourced from Punch provide “… relaxed food and drink as it should Tavern’s ‘Finest Cask’ range and there are up to be”. There is a main bar area and a smaller room ten different guest beers each month. that caters for private parties. With congenial As if running a busy pub like the ‘Jolly’ was surroundings, good conversation, very good not enough, in June 2014 Pauline and Moray food, equally good beers and an impressive wine also took over the running of the Bounty in ‘cellar’, there is everything Basingstoke. The Bounty, a historic local to the here the pub user could south of the town, is a country-style pub with a possibly desire, even a relaxing garden. Fine food is available here too; darts board. A shady back however this is more of a ‘wet-led’ pub with four www.camrahantsnorth.org.uk ever-changing beers from across the UK. The Jolly Farmer, Farleigh Road, Cliddesden RG25 2JL. Tel: 01256 473073. www.jollyfarmercliddesden.co.uk The Bounty Inn, 81 Bounty Road, Basingstoke RG21 3BZ. Tel: 01256 320071 www.thebountyinnbasingstoke.co.uk Jim Turner 5 beerlines North Hampshire Branch of CAMRA Issue 15 | OCT-DEC 2016 Countdown to opening time. Photo © Campaign for Real Ale A Volunteer’s Ta l e From the Great British Beer Festival 2016 or many beer lovers, the CAMRA Great serving hot food for British Beer Festival (GBBF) is the highlight of lunch and dinner. Fthe drinking year. This celebration of brewing For staff working has been a calendar fixture since the early days on multiple days, of the CAMRA organization itself, and this year accommodation at it was held on the 9th – 14th August inside the local halls-of-residence can be arranged. Victorian splendour of Olympia London. This Behind the scenes the beer is very well venue provides a grand setting in which to enjoy managed. Our beer stillaging was set up inside the choice of over 900 beers and ciders from the refrigerated shipping containers, which really UK and all over the world. simplifies the cask cooling arrangements. All Every year a small army of around 1,000 the beer at GBBF is dispensed by hand-pump; unpaid CAMRA volunteers work very hard to set there are no gravity-fed casks. As you might up, manage, and take-down the GBBF event. This imagine, this results in an amazingly complex beer year I volunteered to join the crew, and I spent plumbing operation! a very enjoyable day serving beer on the “Rising Doors opened to the public at 12:00 Sun” Bar B4 on Friday 12th. noon, and there was a very steady stream of The volunteer army is very well organized, drinkers throughout the whole day. It never and I was properly trained in hygiene and safety got uncomfortably busy and never too quiet precautions. There is a private (free) bar for the – I suppose that is the perfect way to operate. staff, the ‘Volunteer Arms’, and a restaurant The most difficult task is the mental arithmetic, especially when someone is buying a complicated mixed round of drinks! We had no electronic cash tills; it all had to be done in your head... I don’t Quick Quiz For answers see page 12 think I made many mistakes… Each clue has a double meaning with the One of the functions at each year’s festival is same one-word answer. Rearrange the deciding on the final selection of the Champion first letter of each answer to find a Scottish Beers of Britain. Crafty Canine (7 letters).