Cruising for a Boozing Sampling foreign parts is not all plain sailing. Love it or Hate it? Whether you are supping it or spreading it on your toast, the age old question finally gets an answer. Lost in the Fog Find out if a band if intrepid ale buffs found the pub of their dreams 1 Issue 4. Winter 2014 www.bridgnorthcamra.org.uk 2 Hi, Since our last edition I would like to wish all our Bridgnorth sub-Branch readers, contributors and has held a very advertisers a happy and successful beer festival. prosperous 2015. Held at the beginning of September at the Severn Over the past nine months I Valley Railway station, have been approached in pubs and on the we had 60 beers and street, by friends and strangers ciders on sale and by congratulating me on the quality and content 9pm on the Saturday we had sold out. of ‘Ale Sabrina!’ I may be the ‘face’ of the Please see the article in this edition for a magazine, but the above mentioned are the report of the event. Preparations are under brains, heart and soul of our publication. way for the 2015 festival and if you would like to help please contact me. We constantly hear in the media of pub We now look forward to the next four closures but at the end of 2014 two pubs issues; it would be nice if we could get more re-opened in the sub-branch area. The New input from a larger area as the bulk of Inn at Oreton was closed for nine years and information seem to be coming from the has been restored into a comfortable village Bridgnorth sub branch. So can I have more pub. Likewise the Pheasant at Neenton was brewery, pub news, comment, suggestions, also closed for nine years. This is a photographs or articles, from around the community driven enterprise and offers area. It only has to be a few word, change of food as well as fine ales. The sub-branch landlord, new brewery or pub closed! would like to wish both enterprises every success and hope that you will support This is ‘your’ magazine. We do not want to them. turn it into an information rag, so will not The beginning of the year sees the branch print everything, I hear news at our sub holding its annual meeting to vote for branch meetings, but not from anyone else. So if you have any news articles or entries into the Good Beer Guide 2016, as information please send it to me at well as its Pub and Club of the Year. All [email protected]. so the information branch members are entitled to nominate can be passed on to a wider public. and vote for the pubs and I hope you have all received your voting papers by email or I hope you had a good Christmas and enjoy post. To aid this process I hope you have all reading this edition of our magazine and I taken the opportunity to input your beer will sign off with my usual comment; use it scores into the Camra website “WhatPub” – or lose it! a process that needs to be done regularly. Cheers Bill Sturt CAMRA Sub Branch - Bridgnorth 3 As the Christmas period approaches I have We keep plugging away here in the North of been looking back over the last 12 months the branch working with local pubs and with some satisfaction. breweries. We have only recently formed Attendance at branch meetings and our social events during 2014 were definitely on the sub-branch and we have a lot of work to the up and I have met many new faces this do but we need the help of members and the year. Sometimes, I agonise about branch co-operation of the locals to establish meetings being a bit ‘stodgy’ but, as part of ourselves. a national campaign we are obliged to do some formal business, and there is always time to socialise afterwards! Can you help? We need members to survey We have had some excellent days out. We pubs and yes that means going for a drink toured around the Clee Hill and Cleobury and sampling the ales and scoring them Mortimer area doing pub surveys. I have to say that getting a 57 seat coach up the through the WhatPub.com website. What snakey lane to the Kremlin pub on the Clee could be easier or more enjoyable? And Hill was an absolute marvel. Top marks to you now have an excuse to do it. our driver! So can you help? Please contact Bryn for We had a great day out at Rowton brewery and managed to get an impromptu trip more information. I promise I do not bite . around the new Wrekin Brewery (formerly Ironbridge), in its new home at the Pheasant Bryn Pass in Wellington, on the way home. We visited Little Lambswick Farm in the Teme Valley CAMRA - Market Drayton Sub Branch during hop harvesting in September and witnessed a truly fascinating operation from cone stripping through to kilning and packing into hop-pockets. Additionally, it Come on folks! has been said by more than one member that I know it’s “The North” but it the day out to Oxford in October was, isn’t Siberia. without doubt, “one of the best yet”. I’m aware that you will be reading our Why not lend your support to magazine because you are either a CAMRA the Market Drayton member or a pub goer with an interest in Sub Branch? good beer and pubs. If you have not attended before and you would be interested If you like great ales, good in future events please get in touch. Non- members are welcome at our meetings and company and good times then on our trips if there are free spaces so why why not get in touch with not give us a try? Bryn? Dave Tyler CAMRA Telford & East Shropshire 4 5 With a milestone 35 years in brewing coming up in 2015, south Shropshire’s Wood Brewery, has been busy supporting local charities and community events. Wood’s produced draught and bottled versions of a specially created Poppy Ale, PUB NEWS pledging to donate 6p to the Shropshire Royal British Legion’s World War One Centenary Appeal for every The Sun in Clun has been pint and bottle sold. The 3.6% purchased by Three Tuns Brewery, draught was very well received in and on our visit to the Clun Valley free houses throughout Shropshire and further afield and the 4.5% Beer Festival was selling the full bottled beer was marketed range of their beers! enthusiastically by Tanners Wines, who gave over shop windows in Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury to promote the beer. As a result the brewery has presented the Legion with £1,000 for the Appeal. Over the years, Wood’s has donated thousands of pounds to the Legion and other local charities through its beer promotions. Wood’s also hit the headlines in helping Two new brews, Triple Hop IPA and Shrewsbury Town promote its League Cup match with Chelsea. In the latest of a Eclipse were both released to the series of tie-ups with the club, the brewery unsuspecting public in December produced a special beer and through social 2014. Both were very well received media, particularly the Blue and Amber and are now destined for bottles as website, asked fans to name it. The well as draught. The Triple Hop is a response was fantastic, with the beer 5% ABV traditional English IPA while being named ‘Blues and Amber, Our Special One’, a play on a phrase from Eclipse is a 6.3% ABV strong dark Chelsea manager José Mourhino. porter style ale. Wood’s is currently developing new At the moment Hop & Stagger ales artwork for some of its pump clips and are mainly available at The White updating some of its beers. Sales Manager Lion in Bridgnorth but we are hoping James Owens said: “We want to freshen to start selling to other pubs in the some of our long-established styles to meet drinkers’ expectations and we’re new year looking forward to unveiling them soon.” 6 PUB NEWS We would like to welcome Debbie and Garry as the new owners of the Hare & Hounds, Bridgnorth. Their daughter Laura will be running it on a day-to-day basis; we wish them well in their new venture. Salopian Brewery has had an extremely busy last few months, with the brewery now fully moved to Hadnall. A new 50 barrel brewhouse has been installed by Musk Engineering at the Station Yard Site, along with a new fermenting room and cold store. The relocation of the brewery has come at a time when the brewery has brought continued success back to Shropshire. In August Darwin’s Origin came third overall in the Champion Beer of Britain competition, repeated the feet of Shropshire Gold in 2011. Hoptwister also received a bronze award in the golden beer category. The moved has seen the decommissioning of the old Mytton Oak road site in Shrewsbury and the sale of its equipment. PUB NEWS After much hard work and community support we are very pleased to report that The Pheasant at Neenton has re opened its doors after nine years of being closed. The pub is being run as a community pub PUB NEWS and we wish them every success On October the 1st The Railwayman’s DO YOU HAVE ANY Arms in Bridgnorth sold its 100,000 pint NEWS? of Real Ale this year.