This edition of the newsletter has been delayed whilst we The West Suffolk CAMRA Newsletter awaited clarification on the end of restrictions Issue 4 Summer 2021

Chairman’s Introduction running smoothly and especially East Anglian those who are working hard to Festival Member Whilst some of us maybe grum- deliver a fantastic 2021 East Ang- bling about the delay to removing lian Beer & Cider Festival in the Benefits the final Covid related restrictions, beautiful Bury St Edmunds Cathe- for the most part we have been dral, the planning is complex and This year there is no admission able to enjoy a pint or two at our challenging, but we know it will price reduction for CAMRA local pub and actually exerienced have all been worthwhile when members for their first visit to the sitting outdoors to eat and drink we see our Branch members, festival. However there is an ex- during the beautiful weather most friends, families and visitors en- clusive benefit for CAMRA of us have enjoyed. joying what will be one of the members who, on production of best ever festivals to be held in a valid membership card, will re- The majority of pubs in our our area. ceive a printed programme and ½ branch area are open again for Chris Bailey souvenir limited edition etched food and drink and this has defi- pint glass festival tankard (while nitely been made easier with a re- WSC Chair stocks last). Non-members will turn to indoor dining, safely receive a “virtual” programme Branch News delivered within the remaining and non-souvenir glass as part of

Covid rules. their admission package and can Branch Meetings Resume purchase a paper programme

Despite the fears being aired re- and souvenir glass if they wish. After a couple of false starts we’re garding the Covid Delta variant, I delighted to announce, with the am at last personally feeling more Members will also get free entry anticipated further easing of lock- positive about planning our to any subsequent session (ex- down from 19th July, face to face Branch activities and returning to cept the Saturday night) after Branch Meetings can recom- some interesting and sociable their first visit. In summary, they mence. We’re kicking off with a gatherings, whilst enjoying the can obtain their £5 benefit on summer programme of members’ wonderful range of ales brewed in first visit then get free entry social events, culminating with our region. thereafter. our branch beer festival, being

held this year in St Edmundsbury Which brings me to an interesting We have increased admission Cathedral and the Cathedral pre- point, during Covid lockdowns prices this year as the festival is cinct, daily from Wednesday 25th and the operation of the Tier Sys- costing more to stage in a post until Monday 30th August. Make tem, we have actually seen an in- Covid environment. We also have sure the dates are in your diary crease in the number of breweries to cover the overheads of run- now. to fourteen in our region, surely ning a festival at scale - including the most for decades? Please toilet hire, glass washers, health & Our Autumn/Winter programme take a minute to visit the safety, Covid security and single will follow in the next issue of this “Breweries in our Branch Area” use glasses. Many of these costs newsletter. page on our CAMRA West Suffolk were previously included in the

Branch website, where you will venue hire charge. find a list of our local breweries Summer Programme and a link to take you directly to You can find out more about the their websites. Wednesday 21st July 7.30pm festival and volunteering at our Beer & BBQ Evening. website: www.burystedmunds- As you probably already know, beerfestival.com. despite restrictions, the Branch Nethergate Brewery, Rodbridge has remained remarkably busy, Corner, Long Melford. CO10 9HJ maintaining awards for “Pub of the Month” and “Pub of the Year” An informal social evening in the and a host of other initiatives that delightful Suffolk Countryside, you can read about in this news- combined with an optional Ne- letter and on our website. thergate Brewery tour. After will follow the opportunity for a beer Finally, I would like to end by of- or two and some BBQ food kindly fering my sincere thanks to all our sponsored by Nethergate volunteers who keep the Branch Brewery. This is primarily an out- News side event although some el- for us at no charge ‘Fes- ements, including the Brewery tivale’ will raise in excess of Tour will be indoors. £1,000 for our Festival charities Collectors Items? and good causes. Any Collectors out there? To assist with catering and en- Before I throw these out I have sure we can control numbers to Look out for the ‘Festivale’ pump the following available free to ensure our Covid safety clip and beer in a pub near you! anybody interested: members must pre-register to at- On sale, while stocks last, Friday Last Orders Vol.22 (1999) on- tend using the link here 6th – Friday 27th August 2021. wards (incomplete); various Beer Festival programmes from Wednesday 4th August 7.30pm Norwich, Derby, Chappel, Cam- Beer Festival Preview Evening bridge, White Horse, Edward- & ‘Festivale’ Launch stone and National Summer and Winter GBBF. Also GBG, 2017, The Five Bells, High Street, Rat- 2019. tlesden, IP30 0RA Please contact Andy via [email protected] Another primarily outside event. The evening will be looking for- ward to the 29th East Anglian The Festival Beer & Cider Festival. Our Festi- val Organiser, Martin Bate, will be The festival opens at 4pm on on hand to update members on Wednesday 25th August with a the final plans for the first Cathe- trade session (until 5.30pm) dral Beer Festival – including de- Please remember, and remind where we welcome guests from tails of the Bar layouts; Brewery your friends, that every pint of the pub and brewery trade, plus and Cider producers; Brewery ‘Festivale’ you drink helps raise CAMRA members, to have ex- Bars and the entertainment pro- money for our Festival Charities clusive access to the festival. The gramme. – St Nicholas’ Hospice, St Ed- festival will open to the general mundsbury Cathedral and The public at 5.30pm and will be for- We will also be launching ‘Festi- Round Table, plus numerous mally opened by the Dean of the vale’ our Beer Festival preview smaller local charities and good Cathedral at 6pm. ale which will be promoted and causes. sold in pubs and clubs through- From Wednesday until Saturday out the branch area in the three Did you know? Since the East at 6pm we will be operating a week run-up to the Festival. Anglia Beer & Cider Festivals in- ’traditional’ beer festival with a ception we have donated more wide range of and ciders Light refreshments will be pro- than £100,000 to local charities available from bars situated in vided. To assist with catering and and good causes, large and the Cathedral Nave and also out- ensure we can control numbers small. Please help us in our quest side in a large marquee. to ensure our Covid safety this year to raise a record The bars in the Nave will be used members must pre-register to at- amount as so many charities for regional beers, plus two tend using the link here have been adversely impacted brewery bars - Woodforde’s (cel- by the pandemic and, for many, ebrating their 40th year) and Introducing ‘Festivale 21’ their continued survival depends Mauldons (Suffolk’s oldest on our fundraising and your gen- brewery). In the marquee we will ‘Festivale’ is a specially commis- erosity. have a large East Anglian bar sioned, 3.9% ABV light golden plus Three Blind Mice from Cam- bridgeshire brewery bar, a craft summer beer with hints of fruit Beer Festival Preview and Citra, which is being brewed beer bar and London bar. There will also be a bottled beer bar exclusively for us by Brewshed Preparations for the beer festival Brewery to celebrate the 29th and, for the non-beer drinkers, a in August are proceeding well. gin bar with Pimms and pros- East Anglian Beer & Cider Festi- Members may be interested in val. Through the generosity of ecco, the planned format for the festi- one of our main festival spon- val, which is fast becoming sors, Pauls Malt, who are donat- On Saturday at 6pm we will close “three festivals in one!” the bars in the Nave and the fes- ing the brewing ingredients, and the support of Brewshed who are tival will continue outside. Satur- Continued News day evening we are planning a live Finally I’d like to thank the Beer music evening with a notable Festival Working Party who have tribute band (as yet unbooked). been meeting virtually for the past few months and working had On Sunday we will be open 12-8 to pull together all the elements and Monday 12-6 when we will be we need to make this festival our operating alongside the Bury St best ever! Edmunds Food & Drink Festival. There will be free admission to Martin Bate the beer festival on these days. Beer Festival Organiser We are planning Sunday as a ‘family day’ with some light Calling all Facebook children’s entertainment and a users. Songs of Praise style ‘big sing’ in Take down of the outside bars is the evening. Monday evening and Tuesday. We need you to be the eyes and We also need staff to man the ears of the branch and keep us You can find out more and buy bars and help across the site up-to-date with what's going on tickets through our website when we are open. in your local pub. Like and fol- www.burystedmundsbeerfesti- low @WestSuffolkCAMRA and val.com. You can find the volunteer form share with us any post the mem- on our website www.burysted- bership will enjoy, and keep Volunteers mundsbeerfestival.com. everyone in the loop by using

#WestSuffolkPubs We will need even more volun- Getting to the Festival teers this year, with a larger venue If you would like to get involved in and more activities required to We are fortunate in Bury St Ed- the admin side of our Facebook keep the festival safe and flowing munds to have good transport feed and help to promote the ex- freely. If you can spare just a few links by train and bus. The festival cellent work being done by pubs hours it will be very helpful, par- has arranged preferential deals and breweries on our patch just ticularly on the set up and take with a local bus provider for message us on FB. down days when we need a lot of groups of drinkers to be ferried able bodied people. from and to the villages around Bury St Edmunds. Ian Hornsey Obituary and Set up is on Monday 23rd and Memorial Award Tuesday 24th August. If you can arrange for a group of 8 or more people, maybe through This much We will be asking for beers to be your local pub, to travel together respected delivered on Monday and Tuesday for the festival you may be able to Suffolk so we can get them up and take advantage of this offer. For brewer and tapped in plenty of time. example the bus would enable beer writer you to arrive at the festival at 8pm died on 17 We are taking down the stillage and leave the festival at 23.15pm. April and will and bars in the Nave on Saturday be much Ian Hornsey. evening from 6pm. To find out more please contact missed. Photo EADT [email protected]. He was always a delight to talk to and was always highly enthusi- Branch Officers 2021 astic and knowledgeable about beer. Following a successful aca- Your Branch Officers are: demic career, culminating as a Chair – Chris Bailey [email protected] Senior Lecturer and the Head of Vice Chair – Martin Bate [email protected] Microbiology at Anglia Ruskin Secretary – Paul Cooper [email protected] University, Ian decided to start a Treasurer – Andy Parrett [email protected] new career in brewing. Sub- Pubs Officer – Dan Heath [email protected] sequently in 1985 he co-founded Membership Secretary – Laura Hall the Nethergate Brewery with Dick [email protected] Burge in Clare. Ian was to remain Webmeister & I.T – Mike Shave the head brewer until 1999 when [email protected] Newsletter Editor – Peter Phillips Continued News oral cancer forced him to retire Pub of the Month Meet the Brewer from brewing. Roughacre Brewery, Clare The Grumpy Goat, Bardwell Soon afterwards he took to writ- ing about the science behind the The Grumpy Goat bar is located Roughacre moved from Castle brewing industry. Early CAMRA on Spring Road, in the pictur- Camps in Cambridgeshire earlier visits to the original brewery, esque village of Bardwell near Ix- this year and have set up a small squeezed into an old commercial worth. modern brewery in Clare. The garage in the High street were al- It can be found at the Bardwell brewery is situated on the main ways splendid events as he Sports and Community Club, a road into Clare on the right when shared copious quantities of beer newly built community facility travelling westbound. and some ancient recipe books to which opened in February 2020. ever enthusiastic drinkers. He en- Sarah & Mark joyed full flavours and the IPA was were brewing on very , but if you didn’t drink a very small fast enough he rasped: “Ah so brewkit and have don’t you like my beer?” recently taken the

opportunity to in- When Nethergate launched Old vest in modern Growler (5%) it was based on a brewing kit, mid-18th century London recipe Sarah & Mark which they use to for a strong mild, but was re- brew a range of different beers, branded as a . Ian was including a Belgian , a understandably very pleased with Coffee Porter and a hoppy IPA. the new brew but also initially re- See Roughacre.com for the full sisted adding coriander, which The new building has been the range. was in the original recipe. A short ambition of village resident and while later two additional versions Cricket Club Chair, Stephen The Roughacre shop is also open of the beer were created, Umbel Larder, who is now the Grumpy for bottle sales and outside table Ale (3.8%) and Umbel Magna Goat licensee. He said “building service drinks on Friday from (5%), with some of the hot wort and opening such a fabulous 4.30pm to 7pm and Saturday being infused in about 4.5 kg of community facility has been a re- from 2pm to 7pm. coriander seeds before fermenta- markable achievement. It would They also offer brewery tours, tion. Both beers were absolutely have not been possible without meet the brewer and tasting fantastic, with an intensity of fla- the success of (local arts festval) session on a Saturday. vour that was almost overwhel- Bardfest and the support of our Get in touch for more details. ming. Old Growler porter sponsors. The unstinting efforts subsequently became CAMRA’s of villagers (many of whom now Roughacre.com Supreme Champion Winter Beer volunteer behind the bar), busi- 07801 930091 or email of Britain in both 1997 and 2003. nesses and the whole commu- [email protected] nity.” “That we have been able to In 2004 the brewery moved to a create a ‘pub within a club’ is a Clare Hall Barns, Clare, CO10 8PJ larger site in Pentlow, with Ian real bonus. The ‘Grumpy Goat’ is eventually leaving the company in open to all whether your interest 2010. The brewery has since lies in sport, or being part of our moved again to premises in Long community, or just enjoying an Melford. acclaimed pint of or other tipple”. In recognition of Ian’s lifelong commitment to Real Ale, your The ‘Goat’ is open every day of Branch is planning to honour him the week, with all day opening at with a memorial award recogni- the weekends. sing the best of our West Suffolk brewers. Details of the award will @TheGrumpyGoatBardwell be announced, fittingly, at our Ne- Bardwell,Spring Road, IP31 1AB thergate BBQ evening on 21st July.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of the West Suffolk and Borders Branch of CAMRA nor the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information is accurate, no responsibility for errors and omissions can be accepted. 29th East Anglian Beer & Cider Festival

For opening times and admission prices Please visit our website

www.burystedmundsbeerfestival.com