ALE the Quarterly Magazine of the Thanet Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale
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Spring 2019 Free ALE The Quarterly Magazine of the Thanet Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale Inside this issue: Prague revisited Festival Volunteering AoT closer to home Social secretary’s blog A long lunch in Chelmsford Monday ………….…… Closed Tuesday - Thursday …… 11.30am - 2.30pm 5.30pm - 9.00pm Friday & Saturday ….…. 11.30am - 2.30pm 5.30pm - 9.30pm Sunday ………….……. Midday - 3.00pm On the Thanet Loop bus route ALE of Thanet A view from the new chair As many of you will know Jo Wallbank has passed the Gavel on after two years in the Chair and my introduction to Thanet CAMRA was arriving at the Winter Gardens on a Tuesday morning to help set up last year’s Beer Festival. The following day I had beer spraying in my face as I spiked the barrels with Dennis and knew I was going to enjoy it. Here’s the view I had before I was Chair. With the jackets on and everything finished I was totally impressed, not least by the efforts of so many volunteers but also the amazing view with everything set up. Now almost a year later I’m the Chair of Thanet CAMRA Branch and finding out just how much we do. Because of this I have to express my thanks to Jo and everybody else for the work they’ve put in over the years to make this a great branch to be involved with. We have recently announced our Pub of the Year competition winners and I hope you agree with how good all the entries were this year, especially the winners and runners up. I want to say a big thank you to all those who judged the nominated pubs and micro pubs for giving up their time and digging in their pockets to judge, no doubt, several beers in 23 pubs around Thanet. I’m sure it was hard, thirsty work ;) . Hopefully you’ll soon being spotting our banners and posters for this year’s Thanet Easter Beer Festival and we look forward to welcoming you there. You will find full details of the festival later in this maga- zine and if you’re able to help by volunteering in any way please get in touch, I promise you it is great fun. Busy but fun, especially when the hard work is done and we can sit down with a beer or two. Thank you again to Jo and her Festival Committee for all their hard work over the last few months organising this brilliant event and I look forward to seeing you all there. Cheers Martin Knight [email protected] CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE We hope to stock Ale of Thanet regularly in these pubs � 3 > A view from the chair / AOT Birchington: Wheel Alehouse , Old Bay Alehouse Broadstairs: Thirty-Nine Stockist's / Contents Steps, Magnet, Mind the Gap, Pub Micropub Margate: Ales of the � 4 > Pub of the year Unexpected, Fez, Harbour Arms, London Tavern, Mechanical Elephant, Two Halves, Wig & Pen Minster: Hair of the Dog, Pegwell: Sir Stanley Gray � 5 > Branch diary Ramsgate: Artillery Arms, Churchill Tavern, Conqueror Alehouse, Hovelling � 6 > Aot goes closer to home Boat, Montefiore Arm, NauticAles St. Peters: Four Candles, Yard of Ale � 8 > Gadds’ No.11 / Pubs Westgate: Bake & Alehouse Stocking Local Ale Other pubs in Thanet, East Kent and beyond also stock Ale of Thanet � 10 > Membership information/ irregularly. Branch details/ Publishing notes It is published quarterly in March, June, September & December. It can be � 11/12 > Social secretary's blog viewed online at issuu.com/aleofthanet or downloaded from the branch � 13 > Easter beer festival website. volunteers wanted Richard Larkin emailed in response to last issues article ‘Kielce by � 14-21 > Volunteering at local Roger Walker’ to say: ‘May I recommend that Roger try the Zywiec (or national) festival Porter, next time he visits Poland? It is an excellent example of a � 22-24 > A long lunch in Baltic porter, and one of my favourite dark beers. Unfortunately, Chelmsford Heineken, which owns Zywiec, will not ship it to UK. The last time I � 22 > Brewery News saw it here, was in a Polish deli, in Ealing, West London. I bought � 26-30 > Prague revisited > pt 1 the whole stock: four bottles. I strongly suspect that it was a grey import. I keep checking polish delis, any time I remember.’ � 30 > Pub news 3 ALE of Thanet Two winners but who will be crowned overall Thanet pub of the year?? Thanet CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Since September 2014 has been run by Eddie Gadd members nominated their favourite pubs resulting of the nearby Ramsgate Brewery. in a list of twenty-three pubs which were all Runner up in this category was Banks Ale & Wine visited by the volunteer judges and measured House, Cliftonville. against the national criteria of atmosphere, décor, THANET MICRO PUB OF THE YEAR 2019 welcome, service, value for money, customer mix THE BAKE & ALEHOUSE – WESTGATE-ON- and most importantly – community links and SEA scoop the Micro quality of beer. The Pub of the Year is part of the Pub of the Year 2019 national contest with the ultimate aim to be named award. Situated in a the National Pub of the Year with the overall former retail and office winner, who will be revealed during the presenta- premises the pub can be tion of their category certificate, going on to found down an alleyway compete against the best of Kent in the Regional between the bookmakers round. In recognition of the large quantities of and the Carlton cinema. micropubs on the Isle of Thanet this year we split This welcoming Micro- the competition into two categories, with Tradi- pub is an oasis for the tional Pubs and Micro Pubs being judged resulting real ale drinker which in two category winners. serves a selection of five THANET TRADITIONAL PUB OF THE YEAR ever changing real ales 2019 sourced mainly from Kentish breweries. The beers THE MONTEFIORE ARMS, RAMSGATE has are served straight from the cask from a temperature been named as controlled room. With seating for around 18 people Thanet CAMRA’s the well-considered layout makes the most of the Traditional Pub of small interior. Colanders are used as lampshades and the Year 2019 and collages depicting baking and beer memorabilia dec- Eddie Gadd said orate the walls. “We serve really, For the non real ale drinker there is a small selection really good beer of premium spirits and mixers. Tea and coffee can in a warm, also be made on request. All made and served with friendly atmos- love by John Morphy, the Landlord, who said on phere, and we hearing the news “Keeping the beer on form is believe this is the important but the people, I can’t call them customers true essence of what a pub should be. I think this they’re really friends, are what it’s all about and award recognises that, so I’m really chuffed to get getting this is an honour”. it”. This snug pub, Thanet CAMRA's Pub of the Joint runners up in the Micro Pub of the Year cate- Year 2013, was at one time tied to Flint and Co of gory were The Hovelling Boat Inn, Ramsgate and for Canterbury. It appears to have started life as two the second year running The Old Bay Alehouse, cottages. J Fowler was the publican in 1885, Minnis Bay. which was the year Sir Moses Montefiore died Jo Walbank, competition co-ordinator said “it is aged 100. The pub's name and sign are unique. really exciting time for real ale on the Isle of Thanet They honour the great centenarian, whose connec- and these two pubs and in fact all the nominated tions with the town are legendary. Montefiore had pubs, demonstrate real commitment to serving their a varied life as a financier, Sheriff of London and community the best quality real ale and richly campaigner for Jewish rights in the Middle East. deserve their recognition”. Locally, however, he is remembered principally as a benefactor to the town's poor. For a good part of All winners and runners up will presented with their his life he lived at East Cliff Lodge, where he certificates between mid-March to early April check entertained such notables as Princess Victoria. the website for full details www.thanet-camra.org.uk 4 ALE of Thanet Branch Diary Tuesday 26 March 2019 Saturday 25 May Broadstairs crawl Festival Volunteers Day Out Mind the Gap, The Pub Micropub, Magnet Crabble Mill Beer Festival, Dover Micropub, 39 Steps and onwards. Details to follow 7.30pm start Wednesday 12 June Sat 6 April 2019 Margate crawl Bus tour Start at Harbour Arms, Two Halves and Start at the Wheel, Birchington onward Noon start - Look out for more details nearer 7.30pm start the date. Saturday. 22 June Friday/Saturday 19/20 April 2019 Loop bus tour Thanet Easter Beer and Cider Festival Starting Nautic Ales on towards the Winter Gardens, Margate Conqueror Various times 12.15pm start Thursday 2nd May Tuesday 16 July Social Ramsgate Broadstairs seafront crawl Hovelling Boat then Red Lion and onwards Start at The Chapel and onwards 7.30pm start 7.30pm start Dates and times are correct at time of printing but may possibly change and additional events many be added so follow the branch on Facebook & Twitter or on the website to keep up to date. ALE of Thanet AoT goes closer to home SO going to take you on a slightly different jaunt still had a Green Hop East Kent Green Hop Collabo- around Canterbury, some familiar but maybe ration a 4.8% which was a collaboration some not so familiar places – so let’s set off on a (Gadds/Canterbury beery Saturday.....