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No.147 December - February 2008

Merry Christmas to all our readers! GO OVER TO THE WHITE LION, NORWICH ‘DARK SIDE’ - AN - RE-OPENS INTRODUCTION TO WINTER ALES PUBCOS FEEL THE DRAUGHT

Newsletter of the Norwich and Norfolk Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale NORFOLK NIPS | Chairman’s Letter

Norwich & Norfolk Branch Chris and Glynis invite you to the Chairman: Des O’Brien Welcome Tel: 01603 270588 Email: [email protected] Secretary: Graham Freeman Tel: 07800 690048 From next issue, we'll be Email: [email protected] Tr af ford Arms 'Norfolk Nips with Cask Force' – Social Secretary: Tim MacDonald a single magazine bringing Tel. 01603 865505 together news and views from Email: [email protected] both the county’s CAMRA Branch website: branches, West Norfolk and www.norwichcamra.org.uk Norwich & Norfolk. We will be expanding Nips, and we hope Branch mailing list web page: groups.yahoo.com/group improving it too. /CAMRA_Norwich

A rough idea of where the Published every 3 months by the Norwich & Norfolk branches are, if you're not branch of the aware of it; Norwich & Norfolk Campaign for Real Ale orwich Beer Festival is covers Norwich, obviously, © N&N CAMRA 2008 over for another year; the together with South Norfolk, Norfolk Nips is produced and stillage, taps, and cellar distributed by members of the the east coast including branch in their own time Nequipment all put away in Yarmouth, and the north coast the store, huge amounts of round to Cromer, Sheringham Edited by: beer drunk, converts to real ale Andrea Kirkby and Weybourne to as far as Email: [email protected] made and new CAMRA Holkham. N&N includes members signed up. Most Fakenham and East Dereham, Views expressed in Norfolk importantly it provided many with the dividing line drawn Nips are not necessarily those of the editor or of CAMRA thousands of people with the just to the west of these market chance to drink beer and have towns. West Norfolk covers Advertising: fun – and without any trouble. King's Lynn, all of “Fenland” For advertising enquiries please contact Chris Shilling on: Norfolk including Downham Tel: 01778 421 550 The good humoured atmos - Market, Swaffham, Watton, and Mobile: 07736 635 916 phere that prevailed in St Thetford and the western part Email: [email protected] Andrew's and Blackfriars Halls of the coast from Brancaster to provides a real answer to Rates: 16th Valentine the Burnhams, Hunstanton, Colour Rates per insertion (exclusive government puritans who through to the Wash. of VAT) are: want to stop us all drinking, or Quarter page tax our pints to perdition, on 1 insertion £70 Half page It's exciting to be putting the 2 insertions £60 1 insertion £130 Beer Festival the grounds that 'alcohol leads two publications together – it's 4 insertions £55 2 insertions £115 Theme: Planet Earth to crime'. And we're obviously going to take a lot of work, a 4 insertions £100 doing something right as lot of coordination, and a lot of Full Page people are willing to queue all 1 insertion £230 9th-15th February contributions from CAMRA 2 insertions £210 the way up St George's Street, members and other real ale 4 insertions £190 Raising money for Benjamin Foundation way past the Playhouse, for the and cider/perry drinkers. So chance to come and enjoy our Cover Rates keep those pub post-its and Inside Front / Inside Back CAMRA Beer Festival. articles coming – and if you're 1 insertion £260, 2 insertions £235 a landlord with some inter - 4 insertions £215 61 Grove Road, Norwich 01603 628466 And now an announcement. esting events coming up, let us Outside Back Cover This will be the last Norfolk 1 insertion £300, 2 insertions £265 know so that we can feature 3 insertions £235 www.traffordarms.co.uk email: [email protected] Nips in its present format. them here.

WINTER 2008 | 3 Steady Pints | NORFOLK NIPS NORFOLK NIPS | Pubs Database

Batemans, which has a Beer Festival. They can be regulars certainly have a heart. number of pubs in our branch spent on the brewery’s beer at Landlord Terry Rayner, who Pub News area, recently announced that its Alburgh shop or at its stall took over the pub last year, has in future it will link its rent on farmers' markets. agreed with the Holt & As reported in last NIPS The Dept to convert the Shoe - Brewery And increases to inflation. Usually, Community First Response White Lion , Oak Street makers public house in rent increases are linked to the Overall beer sales in the UK Team - a local back-up for the Norwich was opened by Earlham (which has been Trade News volume of trade - but that were down 8. 1 percent for the Ambulance service - to house a Cambridge brewers Milton at closed for about two years) to a penalises landlords who three months to September difibrillator in the pub. the end of September. private dwelling. Interesting news from Ever - manage to increase their pub's 2008, according to the British If someone has a heart attack, turnover. Batemans, instead, Beer and Pub Association. The access to the defibrillator could The Galley Hill on Drayton An application has been ards, which is buying up pubs will let landlords keep the extra volume of beer sold in super - save a life. It's been designed Road , Norwich has now been lodged to South Norfolk and letting them to smaller profit. markets fell only 6 percent, so for anyone to be able to use it - converted to a hair salon. Council to convert the Fox & breweries – 'Project William' has Batemans also announced the supermarkets are gaining a recorded voice tells them Hounds in Great Moulton to a three with Titanic, two with results which buck the trend market share (not surprising what to do. Scottish & Newcastle has private dwelling. Steaming Billy, and one each for the sector - turnover up 14 given their silly prices), but still Terry has also sponsored the purchased nine Adnams pubs with Ashover and White Horse. percent, and operating profits losing sales. stylish blue and yellow kit for including two in our Branch The Buck in Thorpe St The brewers agree to have one well up to £582,000. However, the football team at Kelling area - The Plasterers in Andrews closed during pump of Everards, and are the brewer foresees a chal - Price of a pint Primary School. Norwich and The Two September. Enterprise Inns, otherwise free of tie. Pubs are lenging year to come. Reported from the White Horse Brewers in Diss. which owns this grade II listed bought and refurbished in Parson’s Green, London; Finding beer on the internet building, states that it is cheaply. Everards sees micros as Adnams has launched a new Hoegaarden and Blanche de A new website, PintPicker, may The St Andrews Tavern looking for new tenants and “first generation family beer – Gunhill, a 4% ruby ale Namur at four quid, and West - help real ale fans find a beer was closed for a while at the hopes the closure will only be brewers” - there should not be available in bottles. The malle dubbel at seven - even they'll like. end of September for refurbish - temporary. a difference between the brewery has also sold a worse, Traquair House Stuart It has been designed to ment, and reopened in mid regionals and the micros. package of five Adnams pub to Ale four quid a pint and £3.75 compare the flavour profiles of October under its old name of Oak Inn , Fakenham and Though it's out of our region, it S&N (as reported in pub news) for Crouch Vale Brewer's Gold. different beers using a quanti - Rumsey Wells under the Victoria in Deopham are might be an interesting model - the Plasterers in Norwich and tative system which rates them control of brother and suster reported to have recently been for some of our mid-size brew - Prince Consort in Yarmouth, 2008 AA Pub Guide according to their hoppiness, team, Danny and Katie Searle. closed. eries to adopt - we certainly Two Brewers in Diss, and The AA Pub Guide has an inter - sweetness and so on. The Reindeer , Norwich is have enough micros in Norfolk! County Arms and Grand Old esting selection of pubs in If, for instance, you like An application has been open again with new tenants. Duke in Ipswich. Norwich - the Adam and Eve, Batemans' Salem Porter, you made to Norwich Planning A number of landlords Mad Moose Arms, and Ribs of can search for similar beers, A number of branch members will be going on the attending Norwich Beer Beef. Neither the Fat Cat nor and the site will show you a list Beer Festival Diary 10th departing Thorpe Station around 930 - email Festival told CAMRA committee the King's Head make it into of other beers in descending the social secretary for further details. members that Adnams was the book. It seems this guide order of similarity. discouraging the sale of guest has rather different criteria for Stonehenge Old Smokey 2-6 December Pig's Ear Beer & Cider 21 - 25 January: Rose Winterfest at the Rose beers in its tenanted pubs. We selection from our own Good came first, then City of Festival, Ocean, Mare Street, Hackney, London E8. Tavern, 235 Queens Road, Norwich have not been able to confirm Beer Guide (in fact the mention Cambridge Parkers Porter, this report, but if it is true, we of 'Elgoods Mild' in the AA guide Pitfield's Organic Norman Mild, 4-6 December , 7th Harwich & Dovercourt 21-24 January 2009 - National Winter Ales would be very concerned. is a bit of a giveaway - most of Hambleton Nightmare and Bay Winter Ale Festival. Kingsway Hall, Dovercourt. Festival, New Century Hall, Manchester. Adnams has a large number of us know it as Black Dog). 'Greene King Ridley's pubs in our area and while “The perfect pub every time”, Witchfinder Porter'. (Still avail - 1st March 2009 St Peters Brewery - Beer festival Mid December - the Reindeer pub will be Norwich beer drinkers enjoy a the guide boasts. Not if you able, I wonder?) at the brewery. Free admission, St Peters and other holding a beer festival - exact dates still to be great deal of choice, such a like your real ale. confirmed. For more details ring 01603 762223. beers, food and folk music, and possible brewery trip for CAMRA members. move would mean many rural The basis for the site is a data - 9-11 January: Straw Bear festival at Whittlesey, consumers had no choice at all. A real community pub base of users' reviews, so if you featuring a good deal of morris dancing and an 9-13 April - Geldeston Locks Easter beer festival The Ship Inn at Weybourne may fancy adding your own expanded range of ale at many of the town's pubs. (Thursday to Monday) Grain Brewery handed out be ‘soulless’ according to one of reviews, go to pintpicker.com ‘Grain Pounds’ to visitors to the our Post-Its contributors, but its and join up!

4 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 5 NORFOLK NIPS | Chairman’s Letter The Kings Arms Chairman’s Bit 22 Hall Rd Norwich NR1 3HQ magine a Norwich with a pub on every street decision to hold the AGM in the Isle of Man Tel: 01603 766361 corner, twice the number of the present day, overturned, by a near unanimous amendment 13 Real Ales always served from but no ale to drink in any of them. Pub to hold it ‘three miles west of the Isle of Man’! Batemans, Adnams and Wolf Iowning breweries that terminated the A subsequent EGM was required to reverse that breweries plus many other local and tenancy of any landlord if they sold a cask beer, decision. Also opposed by CAMRA’s executive, a even those produced by the brewery itself, and Norfolk member went to CAMRA’s AGM and national beers. a mock ‘real ale’ produced by the city’s only proposed that real ale should be defined as ‘that Always serving a mild plus a stout, porter or old and real cider. brewer, and sold in kegs. Orwellian? Well it was which undergoes a substantive secondary Norwich in the eighties, with the era of a 70’s fermentation in cask or container’. Department ‘speakeasy’ culture for real ale drinkers an all too real of the bleedin’ obvious perhaps, but passed by a A range of Belgian Ales and Fruit beers now available! memory for most people in the city. huge majority, this principle continues to underpin the campaign technical committee’s Quiz Night! - The last Wednesday in every month! Around two decades ago CAMRA achieved its work, twenty years on. R E position as the largest consumer organisation in E B western Europe, a position it still holds today; Unfortunately many active Norwich branch D 9 Come and try our lunchtime bar menu or have a O 0 and though change was slow to reach Norwich members left CAMRA in the eighties, however it O 0 2 night out with friends and order in your G e a few more free houses were beginning to sell wasn’t ‘mission accomplished’ at all. The A E r D a cask ale. They made a welcome addition to the euphoria of Real Ale becoming generally available favourite take-away! R I e t! M U i G W three that somehow survived all of the previous was a great feeling but the Campaign now faces Now serving Roasts every Sunday ! A in C decade with their hand pumps intact. ‘Norwich even greater challenges, some would say, than Capital of Ale’? Not yet; but it was on its way, as twenty years ago. If you haven’t considered the article in this month’s magazine explains. membership, please do turn to our membership application at page 43. CAMRA was changing, becoming more profes - sional, but sadly perhaps taking ourselves a bit You can really annoy a Pubco Finance Director too seriously. The argumentative free-wheeling or a fake lager brewer today - Join CAMRA. atmosphere of the previous years was about to disappear as CAMRA policy disappeared into the hands of a ‘magic circle’ executive who distrusted its own membership and were to become instead Short Measure? obsessed with their own sense of exclusivity and a If you are unhappy about the service you get belief that they alone knew what was right for the in a pub, i.e. short measures, lack of a price campaign; some might suggest, a stance that list, or misleading listing of products, contact: lasts to the present day. Norfolk County Council Twenty years ago the real ale poseur had also Trading Standards Department started to emerge, typically to the ribald at County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2UD. laughter of most CAMRA members, -the hilar - Tel: 01603 222177 ious spoof ‘Real Ale guide to Greater Grotley’* Web: www.tradingstandards.gov.uk and the exploits of ‘Rupert Periwinkle’ took a sideswipe at an emerging breed. The aim of the Trading Standards Service is to put consumer problems right or, better still, to The membership could still bite back though, prevent the problems arising in the first place. and during the decade an unpopular executive

6 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 7 Pub Post its | NORFOLK NIPS NORFOLK NIPS | Pub Post its

and Glynis Higgins since the early 1990’s. It was Angel Gardens, Angel Road Norwich voted CAMRA Norfolk Pub of the Year in 2005. Four real ales plus Angel Gardens Best Bitter at Pub Post-its There is always a range of at least ten cask ales £2.10 a pint.Settled for Deuchars at £2.20 a pint We have more post-its this month from our correspondents. Keep them coming! which include beers from Adnams and Wood - (Superb!) followed by a pint of Oldershaw All opinions in the Post-its are of course the personal opinions of our correspondents - not of forde’s plus guests from other local brewers and Brewery Newtons Drop (4.1%) at £2.30 a pint CAMRA. This month we have a little more focus than usual on Norwich from breweries from other areas of the country. once again in excellent condition. Also worth a Real cider from Kingfisher and a range of foreign visit on a Sunday for Ian's Sunday roast at £5.75. bottled beers are also available. Hot and cold Golden Star, Norwich Railway Hotel, North Elmham. meals are available Monday to Saturday lunch Barrel, Banham Nice traditional pub, Greene King house with a Buffy's Norwich Terrier and Elgood's Pageant and early evenings and lunches on Sundays. A lot less cluttered than when it was the Cider guest beer – Rev James from Brain’s, in very nice both good on gravity. Food good and staff Shed but still a different experience from a condition - as well as decent IPA and Abbot. friendly. The Fat Cat, West End Street, Norwich normal pub. Very quiet in the bar when we Friendly service. Bar billiards table in the back room In my view this is certainly in the top three turned up as all the smokers were outside in the which was being well used when I was there. Goat Inn, Skeyton. Norwich pubs. The atmosphere is friendly and evening sunshine. The beers on offer were Woodforde's Wherry good if rather cold. Food the staff always willing to help. There is a wide Adnams Bitter, Wolf Coyote, and Heacham Gold Hog in Armour, Norwich fine and staff welcoming. range of real ales and a variety of the Fat Cat's from the Fox brewery. The ciders were Jonty’s Very noisy (heavy rock on the sound system) own brews which are very good. There are also standard sweet or dry, Jonty’s rum cask sweet or but deserted, only three other people in the bar. Cock Inn, Barford. foreign beers on tap, as well as in bottles. On dry and Crone’s Organic. Rather lacklustre beer. Easy Life and Dark Side both good. my last visit I tried a German beer, Franziskanzer Food excellent and staff friendly. Weisse (which was very good) and another of Albatros, Wells-next-the-Sea Wig & Pen, Norwich my favorites La Chouffe, a Belgian beer, was on A lovely sunny day so the deck was busy, but in Very busy and welcoming on a Friday night – Spread Eagle, Erpingham. tap. This is not a food orientated Pub but baps my opinion the attraction of this converted good food going by the blackboard but we Woodforde's Wherry a bit cold. Food good and are available. It is also music free. freighter is to manage to get down the steps were welcome to have just a couple of beers. staff pleasant. and enjoy the atmospheric cargo hold. The Good selection of real ales. The Fat Cat - again! beers, all on gravity, were Woodfordes Wherry, Swan Inn, Ringland. Visited a couple of times recently with relatives Nelsons Revenge and Sundew. I have never The Horse and Dray, Ber Street, Norwich Swan best bitter average only. Food good and over from Canada. They came too early for the eaten here but the Dutch pancake menu looks This pub has re-established itself as a friendly staff friendly but regrettable music. Norwich Beer Festival, but a return visit to The very intriguing. pub serving very well kept Adnams Beers. They Fat Cat was top of their agenda. I can't fault do a good range of food and the welcome from The Champion Norwich their comment that if you cannot get to the Beer Sunningdale Club, Newport the staff is always friendly. New tenants Bruce Hanson and his wife have Festival, The Fat Cat is the next best thing. Just On a holiday camp area but open all year round recently taken over this popular City Centre allow extra time on arrival to savour the compre - with up to six beers on handpump and all day King’s Head, Norwich Batemans pub. On my most recent visit there hensive beer list. Simple, basic food (well filled breakfast, food from 1000 to 2100 daily. Late Why on earth hasn't this excellent pub figured in were nine real ales available. The usual Batemans rolls and very tasty pork pies on offer). opening weekends till 0100/0130. the post-its yet? A huge choice of Norfolk beers, XB, XXB and Valiant, Woodforde’s Wherry and usually two or three dark beers,, and bottled Nelson’s Revenge plus three Bateman’s autumn The Nelson, Nelson Street, Norwich Whin Hill Cider, Wells-next-the-Sea foreign beers as well as the most interesting seasonal beers and Saltaire Blond from Yorkshire. A friendly local pub that serves a variety of Very busy with every table occupied in the range of spirits I've seen stocked in a Norwich In addition to these cask ales there were also two quality Real Ales. It is mainly a drinking pub but courtyard outside the cider shop so we sat inside pub. No music, but it's got bar billiards and the draught Belgian beers available. also serves food at value for money prices. and enjoyed studying the ever increasing collec - Guardian. There are music evenings, I've seen Skiffle Pete tion of cider memorabilia. The cider is cheaper Lord Nelson, Reedham there many a time and the pub has been packed when purchased by the bottle so we shared a Kings Arms, Reepham. Quayside pub which has undergone yet another with people of all ages. bottle of the still Perry followed by the bottle Elgood’s Cambridge bitter very good. Food change of ownership, but this time to good King’s Arms, Mautby conditioned extra dry sparkling cider. Both were good. Charming pub spoilt by very bad effect. Four to six interesting real ales and two A very good pub, recently taken over by young excellent. A must visit if you are in Wells. tempered bar maid. local ciders most of the time. Good pub food & folk, who were very interesting to talk to. They Bar Billiards. One to watch. had several real ales and all from local brewers... Feathers, Aylsham Ugly Bug Inn, Colton. also the food, the ingredients used are from Popped in prior to having a ride on the Bure House beer and Beeston Worth the Wait both on Trafford Arms- Norwich local sources. Valley Railway. Fascinating interior with lots of good form. Food excellent and reasonably This ever popular community local situated just breweriania and other collectibles. The beer priced. Staff very welcoming. south of the City Centre has been run by Chris Continued Overleaf 8 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 9 NORFOLK NIPS | Pub Post its continued

Ferry House, Surlingham THE ROSE Pub Post-its continued This pub is less than five miles from the centre of Norwich as the crow flies but it feels as if it is in the middle of nowhere as you approach it down though was another matter. An outside black - a long narrow track with suspiciously looking board announced that the guest was wet woodland either side. The pub has had a Theakston’s Black Bull but there was no sign of it Winterfest Sausage & Beer Festival new Landlady since November and she has revi - inside. The choice left was Wells Bombadier and talised it. It is open from 11 to 11 seven days a Deuchars IPA so I went for the Deuchars which Friday 21st - Sunday 25th January week and food is served from 12 – 9. The pub was not very good at all. All in all I was very was bustling with diners when we arrived and unimpressed with both beer choice and beer New & unusual ales hand picked the food looked good and was very reasonably quality for a Good Beer Guide listed pub. (and delivered!) by the Landlord priced. The pub may close during the afternoon in the winter, but at the moment in the Land - White Lion, Oak Street Norwich lady’s words “the jury is still out and if the trade Great to see it open again A range of seven real 16 varieties of sausage is there they will be open all day”. ales mainly from the Milton Brewery, The regular beers are Wherry and Broadside Cambridge. Had two pints of Milton Sparta Ale along with the current guest, Abbot. The orig - Entertainment including free wine and beer tasting (4.3%) at £2.70 a pint in excellent condition. inal pub has suffered some subsidence but the The manager Ralph informs me that a selection newer parts of the building are still upright. The Rose Independent Freehouse, of guest ales will be constantly rotating. New Inn, Rockland St Mary 235 Queens Rd, Norwich NR1 3AE King's Head, Filby Third stop on a tour of waterside pubs. Very 01603 767713 Now up and running ,serving three local beers much a food pub with a modern restaurant and doing a good food service, especially extension to the side of the pub, but that said Sunday lunch, 1200-1800, with two courses for the original part of the building is a proper pub ten pounds or three for 12.50. A pub reopened, with a good atmosphere. The regular beers are for a change! THE KETTS Black Sheep and Broadside, the guest alternates between Old Speckled Hen and GK IPA. The Edith Cavell, Tombland, Norwich pub is open all day every day, but may close Visited on my way home from the beer festival Monday and Tuesday afternoons if quiet. on Saturday afternoon. The single handpump caught my eye through the window so I UNDER OLD MANAGEMENT! Farmhouse, Norwich thought I had better give it a try. GK Abbot, Theakstons OP, Wherry. The Wherry Kevin and Dawn have returned to run The Ketts with new The beer was Wherry and it was in excellent was cold but drinkable and £2.60 a pint. manager Andrew Stallion. We hope you will join us to condition. I complimented the Landlord and he told me that they are hoping to increase the sample some really fine ales and a White Horse, Chedgrave range of real ales. One to keep an eye on. fantastic atmosphere! Beers as in the latest GBG; the guest beer was Bass. Thirty breweries in Norfolk and they Woods End, Bramerton choose Bass! The Tim Taylors Landlord was stale • Traditional Main Bar • Visited early on a Tuesday evening in September; and unpleasant. • Conservatory Coffee House & Bar• there was a steady coming and going of customers both from the boats tied up on the White Horse - South Lopham • Up to 8 Cask Ales from local and regional breweries • riverbank and by car. Not bad at all for such an Wells & Youngs Bitter, GK Abbot and Adnams. • Regular beer festivals • isolated pub. The pub is comfortable, the guest The Adnams was excellent and only £2.50 a pint. • Authentic curries served every evening • beer was Brakspears Bitter in top form, and sitting watching the antics of the ducks fighting • Sunday Roast using locally sourced meat & veg • Post-it contributors: Charles & Joy Boldero, over food made for a very pleasant experience. Andrea Kirkby, Carolyn Jones, Warren Wordsworth, • Large car park • As we left quite a few tables were being laid up Bob Didwell, Michael Croxford, Mike Baldwin, Paul for diners so it may get busy in the evening. The Ketts Tavern Independent Freehouse, 29 Ketts Hill, Holmes, Paul Harvey, John and Tessa de Ville Norwich NR1 4EX 01603 449654 WINTER 2008 | 11 Winter Ales | NORFOLK NIPS NORFOLK NIPS | Colchester to Norwich Cycle

Other seasonal ales tend But it's not all darkness. As towards a more barley wine our ancestors would have seen By Bike to Beer! Never underestimate type. Here, I suppose I have to the Midwinter Solstice as a “declare an interest” as this is turning point and looked Intrepid CAMRA members one of my favourites – Yule Fuel towards the light to come, so cycle from Colchester to THE POWER OF from Spectrum Brewery. This is am I. Sitting at home I have a Norwich Beer Festival a dark, rich & fruity barley bottle of Tipples Barley Twist wine, ruby in colour and very that, on the advice of the This year a bunch of intrepid deceptive in taste – just brewer, I'm leaving well alone cyclists from Colchester THE DARK SIDE because it doesn't taste 7% until Christmas Day, to give it CAMRA decided to deprive the doesn't mean it isn’t (as a few that little extra time to develop s the nights Some of these seasonal ales railways of their custom, and people can testify). Brewed and mature. It should round draw in and use a mix of spices to give the arrived at Norwich Beer Festival predominantly from pale malt, the afternoon off perfectly! Athe constant taste of the season. From the by bike. rain gets a little Tipples Brewery comes Crackle, this is one to search out and savour – but respectfully. Keith Gerrard colder, so we a beer that reminds you of Leaving Colchester at 630 in interrupted by a noisy come to what's freshly cooked Christmas the morning, they set out on Hallowe'en party... or could it Winklepicker is a new brew Other fine locally brewed perhaps my pudding and Mince Pies (if National Cycle Route 1. have been a pub ghost? from the Norfolk Square winter ales include: favourite time of mince pies came at 6.5%). It actually goes as far north as brewery in Great Yarmouth. the year. This is If you could distil the essence the Orkney Islands - but their Despite injuries sustained in Amber in colour, and of lighter Good King Henry, a rich dark when brewers put of Christmas, it'd not be far destination was not quite that an accident on black ice near strength (but at 5.5% still one beer from Old Chimneys away their recipes from this. Warming, smooth far away. Stratford St Mary, a puncture to be treated with respect), it's Brewery, Market Weston , at 9% for light, golden tasting and well rounded, the (just the one), and a broken brewed with chocolate and Adnams Tally Ho, 7%, beer and turn to “the dark underlying sweetness combines It took them two days to pedal, the five cyclists all crystal malts and hopped with a fine barley wine side”, brewing flavoursome, with the spices to give a taste reach Norwich, and as you'd arrived safely in Norwich - a an English Porter hop. It has an Blackfriars Audit Ale, 8%, warming ales to enjoy on a that's like warm mince pies expect from CAMRA members, total of 104 miles. overall sweet taste, not unusual deep red barley wine dark winter's evening in front eaten in front of a blazing fire they stopped at a number of in a winter warmer – and this is Greenjack Warthog, of a roaring fire. Ales with a full on a cold winter's evening. pubs en route. The Three Sad to relate, though, the certainly one to warm on a 13.5% (this is not a typo!) body, with a darkness in their Horseshoes at Charsfield served experience of the beer festival cold winter's evening. This is Front Street Tsar, 8.5% colour to match the nights, and Since it was first brewed in up a superb lunch of ham, egg seems to have exhausted these one I need to find more of. imperial stout, but with extra a warmth in the taste to match 2005, this has been a beer I and chips followed by a previously indefatigable chaps - Christmas spiciness. the glow of the fire. look forward to, and this year’s substantial fruit crumble and and they returned to Colch - Moving back to the dark side, Humpty Dumpty 10 9.2% brew (sampled at the Norwich custard, washed down by a ester by train. it would be difficult to get strong, hoppy ale Whilst many of the larger Beer Festival) made for a couple of pints of very good much darker than Black Moth, Woodfordes Headcracker, breweries produce beers that perfect end to the day. quality Earl Soham Victoria Robin Taverner of Colchester another seasonal offering from 7% barley wine with fruity fit this season perfectly, it's the Bitter. Even after this there was & NE Essex CAMRA says “We Tipples. Brewed once a year (at aroma and full body offerings from the smaller Uncle Stuart also brews a time to get to Framlingham for were given a great welcome by 8%), this is a wonderfully dark, Fox Brewery's Nelson's breweries that, personally, I Christmas/Winter ale (the a pint of Earl Soham Gannet the Beer Festival Organiser who rich, double chocolate stout Blood - 5.1% bitter with rum find more satisfying. There are name depends on if it’s before Mild before cycling on to the very kindly rewarded our that was (rightly) 1st in its and spices some good examples from our or after Christmas) that's full of overnight stop at Halesworth - efforts with a festival glass and category at the 2007 Norwich local breweries that are worth spice (helped by the variety of in another pub. some free beer.” seeking out and savouring – hops). The use of chocolate Beer Festival. Like many of the stronger winter ales, it's Bottled versions of many of they're not that difficult to find. and black malts and roasted Dinner at the Angel Inn, Colchester CAMRA would be supposed to benefit from being these beers are available from Many of these can be found barley give this one a rich and which serves Adnams besides a very pleased to return the left to mature (although I'd find Norfolk Square Brewery's beer bottle conditioned, so just the warming taste, helped by the pizza and pasta menu, was favour to any Norwich it difficult to leave a bottle or shop or from the Little Beer thing to warm the heart when 7% strength. St. Peter's used to followed by a few pints of members who do the reverse two alone for a year). Shop in Lingwood. Tipples the weather is at its worst. But brew a Spiced Ale, and Adnams Old in the White Hart. journey by bicycle to visit the beers are available from the beware, treat them with although it's still advertised on Unfortunately a few of the Colchester winter or summer That's just a small selection, brewery's shop in Elm Hill, respect - they tend to come in their website, it's not one I've members found their sleep was festivals in 2009. high strength. seen around for a while. albeit beers that suit my liking. Norwich.

12 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 13 NORFOLK NIPS | Logo Competition The Kings Head Beer Festival logo design competition keg free house e have some wonderful mail, maximum size A4) can be entries into the Norwich sent to 15a St. Augustine's WBeer Festival Logo Street, Norwich. NR3 3BY or to Open 12.00noon - 11.00pm Monday to Saturday competition, including Stained [email protected] (.tifs Glass designs and Fest-o-scopic under 1Mb preferred) by 12.00noon - 10.30pm Sunday 3D, but sometimes they are February 17th 2009. On the just too complicated. So here back of the paper, or within the Run by enthusiastic drinkers and CAMRA members. are a few hints . . . e-mail, please specify ‘Adult’ or ‘Under 18’ and include your A Dragon - must be included, name, contact details and age but abstract is okay; A black (if under 18). Keg Free Zone 14 Hand Pumps and white design is fine, or use up to four colours, but no All entries become the prop - Norfolk Ales & Cider shading. NO clip art - the work erty of Norwich & Norfolk usual range of products – a must be entirely your own; NO CAMRA and may be used for selection of which will also go barrels, kegs or similar display and publicity purposes. to the winner. A prize will also Mild & stout always available containers (at least not this The overall winning design will be awarded to the winner of year); become the logo for the each category (‘Adults’ and European Bottled Beers Entries (one per sheet or e- Festival and be used on our ‘Under 18s’). Belgian and world Bottled Beers Bar Billiards Television-free lk CAMRA Norfo 2008 Pub of the Year & 2006

Dating from the 14th century, the pub has been restored to a Victorian style.

The Kings Head, 42 Magdalen Street, Norwich NR3 1JE Telephone: 01603 620468 www.kingsheadnorwich.com AUTUMNN 2008 | 15 NORFOLK NIPS | Norwich Pub Re-opens! White Lion reopening Two views from local drinkers

on the way to giving the city mined. Good beer by the way, back a very fine, comfortable, if I could only remember what and potentially character-full it was. pub, serving a range of the Milton beers and guests. From this frosty entrance, we decided to sit in the back bar. Smokers may be disappointed The over-whelming smell of by the lack of external provision paint was too much, and I but without even a courtyard decided to finish my drink to its name and a narrow pave - outside. It seemed an appro - ment outside, it may be a good priate time to have a cigarette idea to get your fix before as well. We were both looking fter it spent four years entering. Something tells me into the pub reminiscing about boarded up, gradually that a smoker’s corner crowd what a great pub it was, and Afalling apart, I doubt if outside the entrance would not became increasingly aware that many people would have taken be too welcome. members of the bar staff, and a punt on the White Lion in customers were looking at us. Oak Street reopening as a That caveat aside, welcome Strange, we both thought. public house. The most back the White Lion! commonly expressed opinion Jon Knight We had both nearly finished was that the building would be our drinks and our cigarettes allowed to decay until the city Two days ago, my friend - a when some-one came out of the council planner would accept a frequent user of the White Lion pub and said, "You can’t take change of use to private in days of yore - noticed the your drinks out of the pub". dwelling, at which point the pub had reopened. Because it builders would finally move in. was his birthday the next day, That was it. No waiting till we Nice to be proved wrong, isn't he suggested we go along and had finished our drinks, or our it! see what it was like. cigarettes. No explanation or signs in the pub, no apology Many local CAMRA members We arrived about half past for not telling us sooner. Why will remember the Lion as it eight. There were only about a had they waited until then to Freehouse was in its glory days in the 80s, dozen people in the pub - tell us? Was he plucking up the before a few pub companies quite a large establishment. It courage to tell us? Who knows. New Opening Hours Pool Room, Darts And Quiz Machine later, it was a sorry mess, was a bit like the scene from Mon 5-11, Tuesday 12-11, closing in 2004. The question the film "An American Were - We left, leaving the rest of our Wednesday 12-11, Thursday 12-11, Function Room Available For Hire on many minds was, will the wolf in London", where our beer in our glasses and leaving Friday 12-12, Saturday 12-12, Sunday 12-11 new owners ruin it, who will it intrepid back-packers decide to the glasses outside. Beer Garden And New Sheltered attract, what atmosphere will it refresh themselves in a local New Lunchtime Menu Available Smoking Area have and more to the point will country pub, and as soon as This particular establishment, we like it? they enter, the pub goes "The Old White Lion", having 6 Real Ales On Handpump Free Wi Fi silent... Not good. Bit of an just re-opened, needs all the Well it is early days but in this atmosphere. support it can get, and I am The Beehive, Leopold Road, Norwich NR4 7PJ writer's anything but humble sorry to report that it will not Tel: 01603 451628 Email: [email protected] opinion, Milton Brewery is well Anyway, we were still deter - be getting mine. 16 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 17 First Friday Five | NORFOLK NIPS Paradise Regained orfolk's unofficial county On now for another short walk Altogether a very satisfying motto is 'Do different', and to The Dog House . This pub night, and a good turn out of Nthis October members had formerly known as The Red Lion, Branch Members considering the the chance to find out how we're situated just outside St Andrews cold blustery weather. It's great bucking the national trend of Hall, has been shut for over three to see two old real ale outlets pub closures with two newly years and has recently re-opened. re-opened after long periods of reopened houses. There has been a massive internal closure - bucking the national refurbishment, including a bar trend of pubs closing. Our October Friday Five was on the first floor. The main Warren Wordsworth very much a City Centre walk, ground floor bar now has taking in two pubs that have wooden floor boards and free - recently re-opened after a long standing bar style chairs and period of closure. high tables. In fact the only The Pub Quiz internal feature that I could recall 1. In the cult 1970s horror film First was the The Wig & Pen , from the original pub surviving is American Werewolf in London, a regular Branch entry in the old brick faced fire place at what was the name of the pub the CAMRA’s National GBG. Tonight one end. Three cask ales were tourists wandered into? the pub was exceptionally busy available; Adnams Bitter, Fullers with both drinkers and diners. As London Pride and Shepherd 2. What did Jason go in search of? usual a good range of real ales Neame Spitfire. were available that included 3. Who sits on a Woolpack? Oakham JHB, Adnams Bitter, Next, The Woolpack and Spectrum Wizzard. (Muspole Street) was closed due 4. Which part of mutton forms a to refurbishment so to maintain pub name? The next pub on our schedule our contingent of five pubs we was The Maids Head situated had to improvise again, this time 5. What do Black Welsh Mountain, only a short distance away. adding The Playhouse Bar to Ouessant and Hebridean (also Unfortunately once we had our list. Adnams Old and their known as St Kilda) breeds have in trouped into the hotel to the new “carbon-neutral” East Green common with a brewery? ‘Courtyard Bar’ where Adnams plus Grain Oak were the real ales Bitter is normally sold we found available in this bar. 6. Of the number of people who the handpump turned round and actually can, what is the no real ale available. This was a The last pub on the route, percentage of people who donate pity as during the early 1970s Norwich’s most recently re- blood? when Watneys “Red Revolution” opened pub, and the one most controlled over ninety per cent of eagerly awaited, was The Leo & Fiona Norwich’s pubs this was one of White Lion which has been only two outlets in the city selling purchased by Cambridge-based

real ale. Milton Brewery. Unlike The Dog

m a e r t s l o h o c l a r u o y n i d o o l b e h

House, the interior of this pub, t e c u d e r d n a k u . d o o l b . w w w t i s i v t n e c r e

To make up for this we made a apart from a new lick of paint, p r u o f - y t e n i n e h t f o e n o e r ' u o y f I . x i S .

quick walk across the road to 6

p e e h s k c a l b l l a e r a y e h T . was very much as I remember it 5

r e d l u o h S .

Take 5 . This pub was also very in the 1980s and 90s when it 4

) e s i w r e h t o r e n g i e r o f a n a h t r e t t e b o n e

busy, and we were treated to a was one of Norwich’s premier b

d ' u o y - p u s n o i t i d a r t e s e h t p e e k o t e v a

choice of Woodforde’s Wherry real ale pubs. On sale here were h

u o y ( s d r o L f o e s u o H e h t f o r e k a e p S .

and Sun Dew, Fullers London 3

e c e e l F n e d l o G e h T . seven real ales; five from Milton 2

Pride and Deuchars IPA. In addi - b m a l d e r e t h g u a l s e h T . brewery and two guests (one of 1

tion Crones real cider was which came from Castle Rock

S R E W S N available. Brewery of Nottingham). A 18 | WINTER 2008 Curry at The Ketts | NORFOLK NIPS NORFOLK NIPS | Curry at The Ketts

unable to move, I managed to menu of traditional bar meals, on this pub’s already good have a chat with manager including baguettes and reputation. Regular entertain - The Ketts Tavern, Norwich Andrew Stallion, and barmaid burgers, and has a specials ment in the evening includes Lucy Brooks. board which changes weekly. karaoke nights and quiz nights usually delivered to your table the night we visited: Nethergate (with cash prizes!). They are within twenty minutes of Jack’O’Lantern, Humpty Andrew told me: ‘I have been From 17th November they also due to hold their first ever ordering. On the night we Dumpty Golden Gorse, Norfolk managing the Ketts Tavern for will also have been opening ‘Wii’ tournament, which if visited, however, we did have Square Stiletto, Brandon around four months now, and their new coffee lounge daily successful will become a to wait slightly longer than that Lockjaw and Woodfordes would dearly love to see the from 8.30am, offering a full regular event. (not complaining though – more Wherry, with prices between pub in the Good Beer Guide’. English breakfast menu along - drinking time!) . £2.50 and £2.80 per pint. side lighter bites. All in all, we had an absolutely Purely in the name of research, At the time of writing this fantastic evening at the Ketts. Starters on offer included we gamely worked our way article, Andrew and his team Barmaid Lucy told me: ‘I truly Overall beer rating was ten out Tandoori chicken and samosas, through them all, with the were preparing for their believe this is a fantastic pub in of ten, with food scoring 8.5. with main courses encompassing exception of the Wherry (this is upcoming beer festival, held on which to begin your night. Special mention must also go hen Andrea asked for a the weekend of 21st A few weekends ago, nine lads to Lucy the barmaid, who was volunteer to write this such delights as lamb jalfrezi, purely because the pub closest Tandoori mixed grill, and a to our house, the Swan at November, which I hope many came in to begin a pub crawl extremely friendly and knowl - Wcolumn, I thought ‘How of you attended and enjoyed! here – they ended up spending edgeable, and played a large hard can it be?’ good selection of vegetarian Ingham, is a Woodfordes pub, options. A meal for four so it seemed a bit unnecessary the whole evening here, and part in making our evening so people, including rice, side to try it again!). Aside from the curry menu, have returned since.’ enjoyable. I’ve been wanting to do some which is available from 6pm – writing for a while, and with orders, poppadums and The Brandon’s Lockjaw was pickles, came to a grand total proclaimed as ‘the best pint 9pm every evening, the Ketts It’s clear that Andrew and his beer and food being my two also offers an ever-expanding team are determined to built We will return! favourite subjects, it seemed of £36.90, which is, in these I’ve had in ages!’, by our resi - like a perfect opportunity! credit-crunching times, not bad dent alcoholic, Brian, whilst at all! the Norfolk Square was the My husband and I had a long clear winner of the evening chat, and tried to come up with Moving on from the (excel - with the girls. lent) curries, we turned our BAR RELIEF Attention a Norwich pub that would be a suitable starting point. We all attention to the beer. There Despite being so full of mush - MANAGEMENT know that you can go to the were five real ales on offer on room biryani that I was almost Landlords! Fat Cat or the Kings Head and get a fantastic pint and pork DJ Mark pie combo, but it seemed that something a little bit different Theme Nights was called for. Mid-week trade boosters Your local Bar Relief to cover for Short Term residencies Enter the Ketts Tavern…… your Holidays or Sickness. Their curry menu has been on Personal Licence Holder Private functions offer for around eight years Food Hygiene Cert Special Events now, and is a refreshing Band Support or stand alone change for those curry-lovers Please Call Brian Mayhew on among us who like a Madras, Very smart set-up but aren’t necessarily keen on 01603 301356 or 07714657752 High quality light and sound the Cobra served alongside it! to discuss your requirements Genuine music and Real Ale Fan! The curries served at the Ketts email: [email protected] 07960 449379 are prepared by the Ripa www.brmpubservices.co.uk Tandoori, just across the street MusicologyDisco.com on Bishop Bridge Road, and are

20 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 21 NORFOLK NIPS | Norwich Champions Norwich Beer Festival Winners et again the Beer of the Festival Elm Tree also brews a Best Bitter, Best Bitter was a local beer – Elm Tree Dark Horse Stout, and Golden Pale Ale. 1 Grain Festival Special* YBrewery's Nightlight Mild. At The Trafford Arms in Norwich 2 Oakham Bishops Farewell 5.4% ABV, this strong mild has lots and the Kings Head Kenninghall 3 Felinfoel Double Dragon. of flavour; it uses First Gold hops take Elm Tree beers regularly, and Strong Bitter and a mix of roasted malts to they have also been spotted at 1 Winter’s From The Ashes* achieve a rich, dark, but recognis - Norwich Arts Centre and in the 2 Dorset Durdle Door ably mild taste. Rose Tavern. 3 Green Jack Mahseer IPA*. Second in the milds category was Elm Tree Brewery – Snetterton, Olds, Stouts and Porters long time favourite Sarah Hughes 01953 887065 1 Wagtail English Ale* Dark Ruby Mild – so Nightlight was www.elmtreebeers.co.uk 2 Brown Cow Coffee Porter up against strong competition. equal 3rd Grain Blackwood Stout* and Humpty Dumpty Brewer Allan Cooper was going to Full list of festival beers: Porter*. give up the day job some time next Beers of the festival Special Styles year to concentrate on brewing. 1 Elmtree Nightlight* 1 Nethergate Umbel Ale That plan might have to be acceler - 2 Winters From the Ashes* 2 Fat Cat Brewery Marmalade Cat* ated now he's won the award! 3 Grain Festival Special* 3 Tryst Zetland Wheatbeer. Nightlight is a relatively new beer Category winners: Golden Ales for Elm Tree; the first test was Mild 1 Winter's Golden* brewed around the time of last 1 Elmtree Nightlight Mild* Norwich Beer Festival and it's only 2 Humpty Dumpty Golden Gorse* 2 Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild 3 Humpty Dumpty Hop Harvest been available since August this year. 3 Hook Norton Hooky Dark. Gold*. Originally named Nightwatchman, Bitter Cider - 1st Pickled Pig Porter's Snout. it was hastily renamed when 1 Grain Oak* Foreign - 1st Andechs Weissbier. Marstons brought out their Night 2 Norfolk Square Pi* * locally brewed beer Watchman as a seasonal beer. 3 Palmer Copper Ale.

Beer Festival Sunday 1st March 12 midday St Peters Hall home of St Peters Brewery with guest ales , hot roast baguettes and folk music St Peter’s Hall St. Peter South Free Admission Elmham Nr Bungay Free Brewery Tours for CAMRA members NR35 1NQ just 5 mins from Bungay Sample different beers in the Great Hall of this historic 13th century building

More info can be found on our website www.stpetershallsuffolk.co.uk or ring 01986 782288

WINTER 2008 | 23 Interview | NORFOLK NIPS NORFOLK NIPS | Interview Firkin), and many small brew - Even so, with the acquisition Boddingtons Bitter. eries now do reciprocal beers of the Shed (formerly the Boddington's was one of the Fat Cat landlord - Colin Keatley to get their beer sold around Wherry in Sprowston Road) he favourites at the White Lion, the country. That's been a huge did achieve his ambition of and Colin points out that it's Colin Keatley, landlord of the Fat Cat, talks to Norfolk Nips about the history of real ale in Norwich. change since Colin started opening a brewery. now brewed by Hydes brewery running freehouses. There are in Manchester, only a mile e’re lucky to have a great years of managing pubs for more brewers, too, and Colin Colin doesn't stint on his from the original location. selection of real ale pubs Scottish & Newcastle in says “The British brewer today praise for other pioneers of Win Norwich. One of the London, and started by buying is creating a better range of Norfolk brewing, such as Ray The Fat Cat also makes some - best, naturally, being the Fat the White Lion in Oak Street - products than we've ever had.” Ashworth, who left a career in thing of a speciality of fruit Cat - the only pub to win just reopened under Milton banking to start Woodfordes in beers - both Belgian (including CAMRA's pub of the year Brewery's ownership. His task But increased choice has its 1980. Colin was one of his a lovely plum beer) but also award twice. was made easier by the fact problems. Some wholesalers early customers and has sold British brews such as Enville that a couple of wholesale run a beer for a while, then Woodfordes beer ever since - Ginger Beer, Coach House But Norwich hasn't always companies had now appeared drop it - leading to disap - and Ray now works two days a Gingerbut, and Greenjack Fruit been the real ale capital that it on the scene, but he still had to in homage to the Sheffield pub pointed customers. Colin says week with Fat Cat brewery. Bat. is today. Colin Keatley was one be flexible in his sourcing policies. of that name. Being a polite “I absolutely hate picking up a of the pioneers - and he Some wouldn't deliver to geezer, Colin rang landlord menu and finding the thing I He's also glad to see other However even the Fat Cat remembers that when he got Norwich, and some brewers David Wickett to check he want is out of stock, so I always great publicans in Norwich - isn't immune to recession. The started in Norwich with the had a policy of only supplying could use the name - the quid try to stock stuff I can get on a Chris Higgins at the Trafford, pub had seen continued White Lion back in 1980, very a limited area. He ended up pro quo was that the Fat Cat regular basis.” for instance, and Roger growth for 16 years, but took a few pubs were selling real ale. having to drive down to the had to order some Kelham Cawdron at the Ribs of Beef. 5 percent dip in sales when the wastelands of East London (E17 Island beer from time to time. At one time it seems Colin More recently, he's enjoyed no-smoking law came in, and “The real ale revolution was to be precise) to get Bodding - (And he still does - Pale Rider Keatley thought about world seeing Jon Smith and Roland trade is currently very erratic. just starting to happen,” he tons and Youngs beers. was on when I visited the pub.) domination through real ale. Coomber - previously neigh - says, “with the likes of Dougie He opened a Fat Cat in Ipswich bours, running the Nelson - Colin's recipe for survival is to Brown at the Plasterers, Hazel Consumers do want choice in Choice has dramatically in 1998, with his brother making a go of the King’s Head keep his beer prices affordable. at the Ten Bells, and Peter their beer, and that was shown increased for Norwich drinkers managing it (he's subsequently as a keg free zone. The great “I'm watching my prices,” he Turner at the Golden Star, with clearly when in 1983 the Ten since then - in the number of sold his share). And he says “I thing about all these pubs, says, “aiming to give good his Tap Brewery next door.” Bells was sold to Greene King. pubs serving real ale, and in did have an aim once to have 6 Colin believes, is that they are quality products at a reason - Colin comments “my trade at the number of ales those pubs Fat Cats and a brewery - but distinctive. able price.” For instance he Watneys was selling off many the White Lion went up 40 serve. The Fat Cat opened with after I'd won the CAMRA Pub sells Fat Cat Bitter (3.8%) at of its pubs in the city at percent overnight.” four beers on gravity and four of the Year, this place was so “The pub today - the proper two pounds a pint , and he's auction, and this gave land - handpumps; now, it has busy I had to give up the idea.” traditional English pub - is now a selling 5 kils a week of it. lords a chance to buy old pubs Colin has also been quite an twenty-five beers available on specialised business,” he asserts, cheap. “Then they could sell innovator, operating ventures draught, including some Euro - “it's not same-same-same. Norwich has come a long real ale from what decent with two local majors - pean beers, and more in Customers demand choice.” way since the days when it was breweries were left,” Colin Adnams, at the St Andrew's bottles. Colin observes that Individuality and independence a beer desert. It's now one of comments. The Golden Star Tavern, and Greene King, though there were many more are vital. That's why Colin has the top few cities in the UK for was selling beer from Paines in which allowed him to sell four pubs in Norwich in the early always said no when he's been real ale - rivalled only by York St Neots (acquired by Tolly and guest beers as well as their own 20th century, most of them asked whether he’d consider and Derby. Colin says “We're later closed), the Ten Bells sold ales at the Pottergate Tavern. only sold one beer - a bitter or franchising the Fat Cat brand. very lucky in Norwich - a city Felinfoel Double Dragon and a mild. Things have certainly known for good pubs, good beers from Home Brewery in In 1991, he bought the New improved in that respect. You can see that individuality publicans, and good beer..” Nottingham, and the Plas - Inn, West End Street, from in the beer list at the Fat Cat, terers was getting though four Courage - he admits, “This was It's easier for publicans to get which is currently stocking a or five 22's of Everards Old a very rough pub”, so he had hold of beer now, too. There number of 'great names' of The Fat Cat, West End Street - Original a week! his work cut out. The pub are numerous wholesalers - not British brewing that have been www.fatcatpub.co.uk contains reopened after four months of just the big three (Small Beer, through the wars - draught an up to date list of the beers Colin moved to Norwich after renovation, called the Fat Cat TBS Waverley, and Flying Bass, for instance, and being served. 24 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 25 NORFOLK NIPS | Bits & Pieces Bits & Pieces Is it a pub? Is it a boat? different beers, usually in the the offer. first week in August. We can recommend a visit! Mike Slaughter The Albatros , moored at Wells The small bar created out of next the Sea, has now been the ship's cargo hold now has a Land of Hope & Glory operating as one of Norfolk's tiny bar and seating all around more unusual pub / restaurants the edges. There are tables for three and a half years. created from old hatch covers The White Horse and heating from a bottle gas Chedgrave continued a It has a 24 hour license, heater. The bar holds up to 40 popular tradition this September which like most of them is not people and there can be many by hosting the Last Night of the fully utilised. (Philip Tolley and I more on deck, where, of Proms again at the pub. were told that more 24 hour course, you are able to smoke. The Fur & Feather, Woodbastwick, Norfolk NR13 6HQ licences were granted in North Two large screen TVs broad - Norfolk than any other council They sell a good range of cast the concert so that Tel: 01603 720003 www.thefurandfeatherinn.co.uk area!). It appears to be open all food including Dutch dishes – pubgoers could drink real ale day, normal hours. we were recommended to try while singing Jerusalem and Our loyal band of customers already know how good the beer & the ‘Dutch Hutspot’ being waving flags (provided by the It sells Woodforde’s Wherry pub) enthusiastically. food is at the Fur and Feather, now you can try it at The Ingham mixed veg with mash served and Nelsons Revenge from pins with meatballs and rich gravy. Swan too. We have all the Woodforde's beers on offer, either from at £2.80 and £2.90 a pint, and Unfortunately we had just They don't do real ale at the cask or bottle, and should you have a drop too much we have five holds a real ale festival with 14 eaten Fish & Chips, so declined Albert Hall! cosy en suite rooms in which to stay! e Mariner Th Ale and Cider House s 8 Real Ales Good Beer Guide 2007/2008 E.D.P Pub of the week Real Ale Pub Guide Cider Lounge Now Open 5 Draught Ciders 20+ bottled ciders Selection of continental Beers The Swan, Swan Corner, Ingham, Norfolk NR12 9AB Tel: (01493) 332299 E-Mail: [email protected] Tel: 01692 581099 www.theinghamswan.com 69 Howard Street South, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. NR30 1LN

WINTER 2008 | 27 Hosting a Beer Festival | NORFOLK NIPS NORFOLK NIPS | GBG Nominations 2010 CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2010 ominations are now being Norwich, NR1 2QD, or by Email: The voting meeting will take accepted for possible entries [email protected] place, as usual at the February Nfor the 2010 National If the pub is not in either the Branch Meeting on the third CAMRA “Good Beer Guide”. The 2008 or 2009 guide please Tuesday in February 2008 (venue deadline for nominations is include a brief description. Will yet to be confirmed). 31/12/08. all nominators submitting new Voting procedures will remain You may submit your nomina - entries ensure that they have unchanged from previous years. tion by post using the form visited the pub recently, so as to below to Warren Wordsworth, give an up to date review for (Pubs Officer), 16 Grove Avenue, their entry. Warren Wordsworth

CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2010 Pub Nomination Form

Name of pub(s) and locations: Attach a brief description if your nomination(s) is not in 2008 or 2009 GBG:

Your Name: Your Address:

Please note, THIS IS NOT A VOTING FORM! The selection of pubs is via the Voting Meeting at next February’s Branch Meeting, so please do not send more than one nomination form for the same pub as multiple nominations will not enhance its chance of getting in the guide! COAST ROAD, WALCOTT, The Gatehouse Pub NORFOLK NR12 OPE 391 Dereham Road, Norwich NR5 8QJ 01603 620340 Telephone FOUR REAL ALES (01692) 650371 Live Music, Friday & Saturday Large garden overlooking the FREE HOUSE Proprietor since 1989: STEVE BULLIMORE River Wensum The Burston Crown OPEN FOR FOOD & DRINKS OPEN Jonj, Frances, Bev and Steve welcome you Mon - Thurs 12-11 to our 16th Century country pub. ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, 11am - 11pm Fri & Sat 12-12 • Sunday 12-11 We offer a fine range of gravity fed real ales, excellent bar and restuarant food every day and a welcoming, warm atmosphere. Every Thursday Food available all day until 10.30 evening we have a busker's night and host live 10% off food and drink on production of CAMRA membership card music every alternate Sunday.

For further details please contact us on FOUR REAL ALES & CIDER Plenty of 01379 741257 www.lighthouseinn.co.uk parking space [email protected]

28 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 29 73 Oak Street, Norwich NR3 3AQ 01603 632333 Oak Street’s only remaining pub re-opened! Town Green, Wymondham Telephone: (01953) 605675 Rotating selection of 8 real ales from Milton Brewery Freehouse listed in The Good Beer Guide and other British micro breweries. Great choice of Pub food 7 days a week served lunchtimes fine wines and malt whiskies. and evenings.

A Selection of Belgian and German bottled beers. Function Room for parties or meetings. Large Car Park www.individualpubs.co.uk/whitelion/ A warm welcome awaits you!

Award Winning Beers Beer for Christmas From Grain Brewery Draught beers available in beer boxes for Christmas… Oak - moreish session bitter 3.8% Best Bitter - smooth and malty bitter 4.2% Tamarind IPA - strong and hoppy golden pale ale 5.5% Oak Best Bitter Tamarind IPA 18 Pints £32.50 £32.50 £33.50 36 Pints £57.50 £57.50 £59.50

Here’s how to order… email [email protected] phone 01986 788884 order online through the website Award winning Beers From Grain Brewery below (prices may differ slightly online) Oak 3.8% - Champion Bitter 2008 Norwich Beer Festival Best Bitter 4.2% – Champion Best Bitter, 2008 Norwich Beer Festival Tamarind IPA 5.5% - 3rd Strong Bitter, 2007 Norwich Beer Fest. Blackwood Stout 5% - 3rd Place Stout, 2008 Norwich Beer Festival www.grainbrewery.co.uk

AUTUMNN 2008 | 31 NORFOLK NIPS | Beer & Music

Simon and Karen welcome Music & Real Ale you all - young and old, two legs or four! TRADITIONAL JAZZ and the Young Bloods Marsham Arms, nr And also a date for your diary Hevingham (B1149 at this venue:- Norwich-Holt Road) For those early readers of this On Tuesday 10th March there Adnams Bitter, plus alternating edition of Nips, there is just will be a return visit from the guests including Adnams time to get along to the Ken Colyer Legacy New Broadside and Woodforde’s Christmas session at Acle Recre - Orleans Jazz Band. Wherry ation Centre, details of which Tickets/enquiries – Rod Play - Third Friday every month – Great selection of real ales and are as follows:- wines, along with fine dining ford 01263 587120 Lumiere Rouge Ragtime Band and excellent company. Acle Recreation Centre, Ingleside Hotel, Mundesley Tally Ho, Mettingham (nr New guest ale every Friday. Bridewell Lane, Acle (B1159 coast road between Bungay), Suffolk Real Ales include Adnams Mundesley and Trimingham) Adnams Bitter and Greene King Bitter, Theakstons and Tipples Real ales include Greene King Abbot Ale Burns Supper 2009 Redhead. Old Speckled Hen and IPA, plus Every Thursday - Tuesday 2nd December please call to book seasonal guest beers. Also Sole Bay Jazz Band – Gambit Jazzmen Weston’s Draught Scrumpy on www.whitehorsechedgrave.co.uk Tickets/enquiries handpump. Limes Hotel, High Street, – Brian Davis 01493 701880 Sunday lunchtime 14th Needham Market, Suffolk December – Just Jazz Good Real Ales available And a date for your diary:- Time Jazz Band First Sunday evening every The next session at Acle will be Free admission, but phone month, including the Gambit on Tuesday 24th March, when 01263 720530 to reserve table Jazzmen on Sunday 7th there will be another session The Lobster for special jazz carvery. December The White Hart with Rod Mason and his Also, third Sunday lunchtime & Stables Restaurant The Street, Rockland All Saints Chosen Six, a top class band Sadly, this will be the last monthly in Bugs Bar – Bands based in Germany, which Sally Ann & Binz bid you a warm welcome session there featuring this vary H FOOD includes former local favourite FRES where our aim is to make your visit as popular band, and it is not SERVED DAILY Sean Moyses on Banjo. an pleasurable as possible with good food, fine known at time of writing these Vegetarian and Veg MAINSTREAM able drink and a friendly atmosphere! notes whether the venue has options avail The ‘New Orleans to Norfolk any plans to continue with jazz /MODERN JAZZ Club’ recently moved their Open sessions in the New Year. OPENING HOURS Tuesday - Sunday base from the Oasis Club in Green Man, Wroxham Monday to Thursday 10am to 11pm 11am - 3pm & 6pm - 11pm Thorpe St Andrew, and now King’s Head Hotel, Beccles, Road, Rackheath Friday to Saturday 10am to 1.30am appear to be well established at Suffolk Woodforde’s Wherry, Adnams Sunday 12 noon to 12pm Food Served the Quality Hotel in Selection of Adnams beers plus Bitter and Broadside plus Tuesday - Sunday Norwich, and their next session Humpty Dumpty Bitter. guests. BEER FESTIVALS ON is as follows:- 12pm - 2pm & 6.30pm - 9pm Every Sunday evening - Red Beans Every Tuesday – Full BANK HOLIDAYS The Quality Hotel (Filby ‘n’ Rice New Orleans Jazz Band L programme consisting of Y LUNCH SPECIA Suite), Bowthorpe, Norwich 10 Real Ales • Fine Wines • Childrens Menu SUNDA various bands and musicians. course £7.95 (off Dereham Road) The good 1 5 Feathers Hotel, Market Baby Changing • Disabled Facilities & dessert) £10.9 For further details, phone 2 courses (main news is that the hotel is laying Special Menu £6 Place, Holt Barbara Capocci on 01603 Large Beer Gardens • Dogs are welcome Midweek Lunch on Fat Cat Bitter specially for Greene King Abbot Ale and IPA 413443, or e-mail the jazz sessions. 13 High Street, Sheringham, Norfolk, NR26 8JP First Friday every month – [email protected] Saturday 7th February – Barry Tel: 01263 822716 www.the-lobster.com 01953 483361 Lumiere Rouge Ragtime Band Martyn (from New Orleans) Continued Overleaf 32 | WINTER 2008 AUTUMNN 2008 | 33 NORFOLK NIPS | Beer & Music The Champion Music & Real Ale continued 101 Chapelfield Rd, Norwich NR2 1SE Dereham Jazz Society, Lake - www.myspace.com/nelson - Molly dancing and music on Tel: 01603 765611 side Country Club, Quarry pubnorwich. 20th December from 2030. Lane, Lyng (nr Dereham) The pub also provides a less More information from Adnams beers plus guest than spiritual home to Crude 222.geldestonlocks.co.uk. beers on handpump Apache, Norwich's finest pub ‘Champion’ quality Cask Ales and open air theatre company, I have an apology to make... I Every Wednesday – Full and their even cruder offspring needlessly slandered the from Batemans, Woodfordes & other programme consisting of Axis of Evil, who are well worth Waterfront in the last Nips, excellent breweries various bands and musicians, catching. saying it had no real ale, as a which usually includes one well hidden fridge turned out ‘traditional’ session each Meet in the Hedge, formed in to contain bottles of Wych - A selection of classic dishes from The month. 2001, has a home at the wood Hobgoblin, London Pride Philippine Islands alongside traditional Feathers Inn , Town Green, and St Peter's, and other English favourites For further details phone Wymondham for all sorts of assorted products which I 01328 863511 or 01362 acoustic music (and poetry) on checked out whilst watching 696741 or visit website Sunday evenings, monthly on Bellowhead in October. A Live Jazz and Blues or Vinyl Music www.lakeside-jazz-club.co.uk 30 November, 31st December, must-see is Show of Hands on Keith Chettleburgh 25th January and 22nd 25th November but that is, on Thursday Nights February. Updates at alas, too early for this edition of www.meetinthehedge.co.uk. Nips - I'll be there! Folk Music Norwich Folk Club holds Jon Knight court on Fridays at the White The folk music section is Horse Inn , Trowse, 2030- shorter than usual this time. 2330, with a monthly guest Appeal from Blame the Norwich Beer and weekly singaround. More Festival - entertainment does information at www.norwich - a Nips reader not book itself, you know! folkclub.net. I’m hoping that you can help. To start with a new venue, The Duke of Wellington , I’ve got a 1970s juke box and Micawbers in Pottergate, we Waterloo Road, gives shelter to pinball machine. Is there have a folk slot on Tuesday the Von Krapp Family on Tues - anyone you know who can evenings 2030-2230 with Shuf - days and is worth the visit. The help me service them/ get flewing, an acoustic collective. Duke has an extensive beer them working again? One to check out I think as I range including draught can't remember live music here Erdinger wheat beer and Rowlands - - 01508 558668. before. Belgian fruit beers as well as usually 6 real ales on hand - The Nelson , on Nelson pump and more on gravity. Street, now has folk on Thursday and Sunday Geldeston Locks continued evenings. On Wednesday there its regular sessions with guests is skiffle with Pete Keegan while the Rum Brothers in October Friday and Saturday there's (also seen at Norwich Beer other live music. Click for infor - Festival), and will be cele - mation at brating the Winter Solstice with

34 | WINTER 2008 AUTUMNN 2008 | 35 NORFOLK NIPS | Pubcos feel the crunch DUK Eof WELLINGTON Pubcos feel the draught TRADITIONAL REAL ALE HOUSE

viable level of £20k a year in average. To maintain their cash 14 REAL ALES profit. margins, these pubs have to Rents have been growing sell the beer for 30-50p more. faster than inflation - and faster A study from market research GRAVITY SERVED than beer sales - putting the house Nielsen shows that available all year round from squeeze on tenants, while the Wetherspoon and Mitchells & pubcos’ split of profits has been Butlers, for example, sell stan - our glass fronted tap room growing faster than their dard lager for 220-230p a pint, tenants’. whereas the average for a tied pub is at least 40p more. An average Enterprise pub, ubco shares have taken a for instance, makes £68k for Rollo comments that “In 6 MORE ALES real hammering on the the company and only £47k for many ways, the tie looks Stock Exchange recently. the tenant, and a Punch tenant increasingly archaic,” and that ON HAND PUMP PPoor results from Wether - gets only £38k profit against opposition to the tie is growing spoons, which saw its pretax the company's £61k share. among tenants. profits fall 11.4 percent, a profit warning from Rollo points out that But he believes the trade Pubs'n'Bars , and worries about managed pub chains like could go one of two directions. CAMRA Good Beer high levels of debt at Punch Wetherspoons are weathering Enterprise and Punch might and Enterprise, have hit the the downturn better since they just decide to shut down their Guide Listed sector hard. have a higher proportion of least profitable pubs - possibly food sales, and also have more losing as much as a quarter of And it will get even more control over costs. their estate. That's the worst difficult for pubcos from now case scenario as far as CAMRA CAMRA Norfolk Pub on. Wetherspoons, for instance, But he also says the beer tie is is concerned - reducing will have to increase its sales by damaging income for Punch consumers’ choice. of the Year 2003 three percent just in order to and Enterprise pubs. The cover cost increases. pubcos charge their tenants On the other hand, it's 40p more a pint than whole - possible that the pubcos will Come and enjoy our Tap Room Pub vacancies are also up, salers, on average, and reassess their business model with pubcos unable to find landlords then have to charge and offer a split of profits that is Open with a selection of Belgian enough new tenants. Two more for their beer. That's now more in favour of the bottled beers, Schneider Weiss, years ago, only 10 percent of beginning to deter consumers. consumer. And if this is the Monday to Saturday pubs were vacant - now, it's 17 case, it might attract new 12noon to 11pm Erddinger and Dunkel. percent. Rollo’s research shows a free - tenants - and help keep our house can get beer at £75-100 pubs open. Certainly the initia - lk James Rollo, at investment discount to the brewer's list tives from Batemans and wa price of £350 a barrel (120p a Everards that we reported in Sundays inutes bank Morgan Stanley, believes 15 m re that Punch and Enterprise in pint). Larger managed pubcos our Trade news suggest that Just ent particular are in dire straits. He can claim a discount of £150- the regional brewers see the 12noon to 10.30pm City C from says as many as a third of these 170. But, he says, Enterprise sense in this - but whether the firms’ pubs are uneconomic, and Punch lessees are only pubcos will follow that lead 91 - 93 WATERLOO ROAD | NORWICH | 01603 441182 making less than the minimum getting a £20-30 discount on remains to be seen. WINTER 2008 | 37 Norwich & Norfolk Pub Walks | NORFOLK NIPS NORFOLK NIPS | Note from our advertiser

R e N -o ow New online pub resource The pe ne Reindeer d! for ale drinkers Norfolk Square Brewery is pleased to announce that our real ale shop is now open in oon to be re-launched & regularly. With the launch list events & build a commu - Great Yarmouth. Currently Stocking over 50 ales with a new look, event comes new event features nity; helping increase footfall from as many as 15 East Anglian breweries. search, beer listing and allowing site members to invite and trade. Sphoto upload, the self their friends along to pubs or And currently they are offering Beer Festival Please visit us at: named ‘Official Beer Club’ venues of their choice with the next 100 pubs who sign Unit 7, Estcourt Road, Great Yarmouth, website is available find out details, attendance & up free access for a year. 12-14th December 2008 Norfolk, NR30 4JQ or visit our website: what’s going on & what’s email/SMS reminders; think To find out more click the “I serve Bitter, Ales and Stouts available www.norfolksquarebrewery.co.uk being served in the pubs of nights out, birthday parties or beer” link on the homepage. along with food and Live Music CAMRA MEMBERS GET 5% DISCOUNT Britain. real ale tasting sessions made easy! There are currently 281 Finally, there is a launch party ON ALL ORDERS While budding socialites can venues listed in Norwich and run in association with Grain Terry & Lisa look forward find out where there’s live 433 within 20miles of the city. Brewery on 31st Jan - to find to welcoming you! music or a quiz night, those out more visit organising events can register For pubs & venues the site acts www.officialbeerclub.com/grain for free and create their own as an online blackboard, a party” 01603 762223 Tel: 01493 854484 beer club to get their friends facebook for pubs & a loyalty 10 Dereham Rd, Norwich NR2 4AY email: [email protected] (fellow beer drinkers) out easily scheme in one – landlords can Coming soon! The Norwich and Norfolk Pub Walks book is The currently in production Spread Eagle and is scheduled to be Eagle Road, Erpingham published by next A warm welcome awaits you at The Spread Eagle. February 2009. This traditional family run pub is set in the middle of the Norfolk countryside.. The book which will be Fine selection of ales, and wines in A5 format will contain Excellent range of home made meat and 18 pub walks, of which 7 are in Norwich and vegetarian courses 11 in various County towns around Norfolk. Each pub walk will feature a colour map of Enclosed garden with the children’s climbing frame the route, a colour photograph and descrip - tion of each pub. The book will also contain a Live music once a month comprehensive brewery section covering Children and dogs are welcome breweries in Norfolk and around East Anglia. Warren Wordsworth Tel: 01263 761591 www.the spread-eagle.co.uk

38 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 39 Beer Festival feature | NORFOLK NIPS NORFOLK NIPS | Beer Festival feature

bottled product. Much of the producing over 20 beers tional cider, try an Oude foreign draught beer we serve between them there is not Gueuze. Buying the World with gas assist is, in fact, live room to stock them all. Some How we buy foreign beers for the Norwich Beer Festival beer, unpasteurised and re- of the beers are not generally Is this the lager tent? fermented in the keg. Many of available, being reserved for Definitely not. Most of what ne of the great successes of what is likely to be available. are actively unpleasant, though the cask versions of continental the monks or just for sale at a we sell are ales. Many of the this year's Norwich Beer Our eager beer gnomes sift there have been some where beers that are seen elsewhere local café. lagers that are here do not OFestival was the fact that through pages of small print. the smell alone is enough to are actually tankered into this conform to the pale, low the foreign beer bar actually With up to 3500 beers to put me off. Many are not actu - country, re-seeded with British The Westvleteren beers are strength, minimal flavour fizz that sold out of all its draught beers, choose from, this is no small ally to my taste, but some of yeast, primed and casked, available by the case, but only most people now associate with and ended the week with only task. The first consideration is these I can appreciate as fine often bearing little resemblance by booking in advance, and it the term. Even the confirmed a few bottled beers left. Keith to ensure a wide range of styles examples of their type. Then to the brew as served in its is a condition of sale that the lager drinker can be switched to Loney, Foreign & Bottled are covered, not just the more there are the gems that make home nation. Those foreign beer must not be sold on. If ales by trying Kölsch, wheat beer, Beers Manager for Norwich popular, but the obscure and all the effort worthwhile. Just cask ales that do become avail - you want to try these superb or a Belgian blonde ale. Beer Festival, tells us how he esoteric as well. Then discus - occasionally, you come across a able are usually sold from the ales, you will have to make the makes his selection - and sions start in earnest. Ales are beer that literally stuns you, stillage in St Andrews Hall. This pilgrimage to the monastery. Why on Earth do you do answers a few questions that tasted. The crew all have their perhaps at a Belgian beer is so that they can receive the this? Its fun. Really, it is fun. get asked every festival. own personal favourites, mostly festival, maybe in a mixed selec - same love and attention from I don’t like beer, what All the work that goes into Belgian, mostly including La tion beer box. (‘ I wonder if we the cellar team as all the other can I drink? Beer, of course. setting up & running the When Norwich Beer Festival Chouffe. Someone recom - can get that one next year?’) cask beers. For the alcopop and iced cider Foreign Beers Bar pays off expanded into a marquee in mends a smoked wheat beer generation, there are the sweet when we can get people who the cloister garth, a few from a small brewpub in I get asked a lot of questions Why not all the Trappist fruit beers, but from there it is don’t normally drink beer into intrepid volunteers decided to Bamburg. Another asks can we about how and why we choose Beers? Why no Trappist West - only a short step via honey sampling some superb brews use the space to try selling a get some draught lambic? I certain beers and not others. vleteren? We try to stock a beers to Trappist and abbey and maybe help them to find few Belgian bottled beers. insist on a couple of beers from Some of the more frequent and selection of Trappist ales triples. If wine is your preferred their own beer heaven. From this simple beginning the Dolle Brouwers and Abbaye des pertinent ones are dealt with covering all the styles. With tipple, try a Flemish red ale or a Perhaps they will even start Foreign & Bottled Beers Bar has Rocs and a few gorgeous, but here. the 7 brewing monasteries spicy saison. If you like tradi - drinking real ale. expanded to feature over 100 little-known, strong golden bottled beers, with a changing triples Why don’t I recognise range of up to 8 draught beers any of the brand names? also available at any one time. Even when a final shortlist has Wherever possible we prefer to been drawn up, there are sell beers from small and inde - But why have foreign beers at usually a lot of changes to be pendent breweries. They may all in a British beer festival? made. A particular beer may not be the best known Primarily it is to show what an not actually be available. Some example of a style, but they incredible variety of styles there brewery has closed. An may very well be the best. We are available, some of which outstanding new beer is try to stock great beers, not the may be totally unfamiliar to the offered to us. One of the international brand leaders to local drinker. There is also the brewers may send us some - be found in every circuit bar. chance, with so many different thing extra, just to try. Only flavours, colours and strengths when the beer is finally deliv - Why do you sell keg to choose from, to convert ered will I finally be sure of beer? Why no foreign cask even the most hardened non- what I have to sell. ales? The vast majority of beer drinker to the wonders of foreign breweries have no beer. In the meantime, I have to tradition of brewing British- write the tasting notes for each style cask ale. In many The selection and ordering beer – an arduous task, but countries, bottle conditioned process starts months before someone has to do it. Luckily, beer is the norm and the keg the Festival. Suppliers tell us very few of the beers that I try ales emulate the original.

40 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 41 THE RED LION East Church Street, Kenninghall, Norfolk, NR16 2EP 01953 887849 E mail: t [email protected] A traditional country pub with real ales and excellent home-cooked food. OPENING TIMES Mon-Thurs Restaurant open lunch and evening. 12n oon-3pm, 5.30pm-11pm Regular live music events. Open all day Friday, Saturday Open for Bed & Breakfast every night of the week. and Sunday from 12noon. MUS IC AND REAL ALE Featured in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide Friday December 12th Bazza Bizarre & the boys Greene King’s Free Trade National Community Sunday 14th December from 3.30pm Pub of the Year (2007) Chr istmas Themed Acoustic Jam Ses sion Greene King’s East Anglian Pub of the Year (2006) New Year’s Eve Live mus ic with Tony Weatherburn and Friends. www.redlionkenninghall.co.uk

Cambridge Bitter 3.8% Gold Award Norwich’s oldest alehouse Champion Bitter of Britain 2006 Four Real Ales Available all year round: Aspells Cider & over 50 Malt Whiskys. Food served from 12noon-7pm Monday to Saturday. 12noon-5pm Sunday

Real ales, sweet spirits and delicious wines Gaming lounge and garden • Function Room Live music on Thursdays The Shindig on Saturdays SEASONAL ALES The Sunday social....well on Sundays Thin Ice 4.7% Jan/Feb Old Wagg 4.0% March/April Double Swan 4.5% May/June Mad Dog 4.4% July/Aug (Formerley the St Andrews Tavern) Barleymead 4.8% Sept/Oct Old Black Shuck 4.5% Nov 4 St Andrews Street, Norwich NR2 4AF Snickalmas 5.0% Wenceslas Winter Warmer 7.5% Dec 01603 614858 North Brink Brewery, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire Tel: 01945 583160 Open Midday Till Midnight 17 Bishipgate, Norwich NR3 1RZ 01603 667423

42 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 43 NORFOLK NIPS | Cider Competition The Railway Freehouse East Anglia Cider Competition Station Rd, North Elmham 01362 668300 producers attracting publicity in their local papers. In the current Good Beer Guide, CAMRA members and Three years on, the competi - supporters of local microbrewers tion is still going from strength to strength with a record 20 entries this year, To judge this REAL ALES • REAL FOOD record number of ciders and REAL PUB perries, judges were split into five panels. Three panels Colin & Julie Smith decided the first round of the look forward to cider competition with the best from these going forward into seeing you! a final round of judging. To our delight we were able to hold a separate competition for perry. And after much deliberation and tasting a Norfolk cider was judged to be the best. The full results are:-

Cider 6 St Martins Palace Plain, 01603 625891 1st Whin Hill Medium Cider, (Norfolk) Norwich NR3 1RN www.thewigandpen.com 2nd Buffoon’s Cider Ribcracker (Essex) few years ago, some cider Anglia CAMRA region and 3rd Pickled Pig Cider Porkers enthusiasts based in East printed in various branch Snout (Cambridgeshire) AAnglia gathered in a pub in magazines in the area, and to Cambridge for a glass or two of our delight we attracted 17 Perry cider to discuss the problem entries in our first year. 1st Pickled Pig Cider Tim’s This warm and friendly 17th century Freehouse is to the that East Anglian Cider did not Of course, once we had our Perry (Cambridgeshire) north side of Norwich cathedral. Owned by Craig & Lynne always get the recognition it entries, we had to find judges McLaren since 1993. ‘The Wig’ as its affectionately known, deserved. How could we raise to join our panels, so cider Pickled Pig was also successful has built a reputation for fresh, fast, affordable British cuisine. the profile of cider produced in experts we knew from around in the public vote for Cider of the Eastern Counties? Much the region and further afield the Festival, with Porkers Snout • Good Ale • Good Food • Heated smoking area discussion (and a few ciders) were invited to join us at the winning their support. • Good Ale • Good Food • Heated smoking area later we had an idea; why not festival, along with some less Sky & Setanta Sports TV • Late Night Opening • Real Fire hold a competition for East experienced people who enjoy Thanks are of course due to Anglian ciders? All we needed a good cider, to give us a range the organisers of Norwich Beer Look out for our Cask For the 12th successive Festival for all their help in Marque Plaque. year, the Wig & Pen has was a venue, and Norwich Beer of different tastes. That first This guarantees beer quality been included in Festival fitted the bill nicely. competition was a great organising and running the in the Wig & Pen and the CAMRA’s Good Beer competition. opportunity to Guide . We are very proud success and also succeeded in TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. of this achievement. Entry forms were sent to cider doing what we had originally producers throughout the East planned, with the winning Andrea Briers

44 | WINTER 2008 WINTER 2008 | 45 Branch Diary | NORFOLK NIPS

Branch Diary Dates branch Christmas Quiz, with a 15 January chance to win prizes. presentation of Beer Festival awards The Royal Oak Please note we have made a at the King's Head, Magdalen. change to the regular coach service Friday 19 December for out-of-town meetings; the 715 branch Christmas pub crawl. 17.00 Tuesday 20 January at Poringland pickup will now be from Thorpe Kings Arms, Hall Road; 17.45 Traf - branch meeting at the White Lion, Station, not from the Wig & Pen, ford Arms, Grove Road; 18.30 Oak Street (to be confirmed) which we hope will be more useful Coachmakers Arms, St. Stephens We Don’t Have a Big Screen TV, to those who have to take a train Road; 19.00 Champion, Friday 30 January into the city. For those arriving Chapelfield Road; 19.30 Coach & campaigning trip in the direction early, the Coach & Horses and Horses, Union Street; 20.15 Micaw - of Holt. Usual coach pick-ups. Rosary Tavern are both nearby and bers Tavern, Pottergate; 20.45 Food Or a Juke Box serve real ale. Reindeer, Dereham Road; 21.30 6 February White Lion, Oak Street; 10.15 First Friday Five Friday 5th December Kings Head, Magdalen Street. We do have 17 handpumps, with Real Ale from far and wide, 2 Real First Friday Five Everyone welcome to join us for all, or Tuesday 17 February Ciders and 2 Real Ales from gravity, a large car park, large beer Branford Arms, 3 Branford Road part, of the crawl. We will keep fairly branch meeting, which will include (8pm), then Cider Shed, Whale - closely to this schedule. voting on GBG entries; upstairs at garden with heated smoking shelter, darts, pool, quizzes and crib. bone, Duke of Wellington and the York Tavern, Leicester Street (to finishing at the Angel Gardens, Saturday 20 December be confirmed). where the landlord will very kindly West Norfolk Branch pub crawl, We hold two beer festivals each year. be providing some food for us. starting around 11am. More info at Friday 27 February www.hockwold.info/wncamra/ Campaigning trip (destination to Tuesday 16 December be arranged) The Royal Oak lies at the heart of the community and new customers are branch meeting at the Railway, 9 January always welcome. North Elmham, 2000; usual pick- First Friday Five Tuesday 17 March ups. This meeting will include our branch meeting Come along and get a real welcome from a real pub selling real ale!!!!!! Nick, Delia And The Team would love to see you soon.

Norwich And Norfolk Westgate Street, Blakeney, Norfolk NR25 7NQ Pub Of The Year 2007 Tel: 01263 740341 Situated in beautiful Blakney Norfolk Pub Of The Year 2007 Recommended by most Good Pub and Food Guides Food Served all Day Good Beer Guide Listed Lovely en-suite accommodation. Children & Pets Welcome A dream of a pub situated in the village of Poringland Car Parking • Beer Garden • Dogs welcome on the B1332 road to Bungay. The main bus route OPEN ALL DAY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR from Norwich stops right outside.

Contact us on 01508 493734 [email protected] www.blakeneykingsarms.co.uk Up to 30 real ales available all year round 80 bottled beers from around the world 15 draught continental beers Don't forget to order your Christmas tappit or polypin!