D ON ON L Apr Vol 30 May No 2 2008 Beneath that third runway? (see page 25) Editorial London Drinker is published by Mike Hammersley on behalf of the NDO London Branches of CAMRA, the O N Campaign for Real Ale Limited, and L edited by Geoff Strawbridge. Material for publication should preferably be sent by e-mail to [email protected]. Press releases and letters by post should be sent to Tony Hedger, Apartment 11, 3 Bewley Street, London SW19 1XE Changes to pubs or beers should be reported to Capital Pubcheck, 2 Sandtoft Road, London SE7 7LR or by e-mail to [email protected]. For publication in June 2008, please send electronic documents to the Editor Pubs need drinkers no later than Monday 12th May. SUBSCRIPTIONS: £3.00 for mailing t may come as a surprise to some dynamic society, whether they be of 6 editions or £6.00 for 12 should be Iof CAMRA’s membership, but pubs, breweries, cinemas, curry sent to Stan Tompkins, 52 Rabbs Mill traditional pubs are being lost houses or concrete factories. But it House, Chiltern View Road, Uxbridge, because not enough people visit is very much our job – or rather aim Middlesex, UB8 2PD (cheques payable to CAMRA London). them. Trendy gastropubs are – to help to expand the market for ADVERTISING: Peter Tonge: increasing in number because, quite real ale, for this automatically Tel: 020-8300 7693. simply, there is now a whole new supports the breweries that brew it Printed by Cliffe Enterprise, generation of pubgoers and this is and the pubs that sell it. The Eastbourne, BN22 8TR what they appear to want. Indeed, bottom line with regard to pubs is Views expressed in this publication are thank goodness lots of young people ‘use it or lose it’. For real ale those of their individual authors and are do still go to a pub of whatever ilk breweries of course, the mantra not necessarily endorsed by the Editor or must be ‘booze it or lose it’. And the Campaign for Real Ale Limited. and, crucially, that many of these gastropubs serve real ale. We CAMRA has done a good job here, Advertise in the next should welcome this and encourage given that there were barely 70 LONDON DRINKER independent breweries when Our advertising rates are as follows: all pub chains to follow suit and also Whole page £300 (colour) encourage those that do feature real CAMRA was formed against well £240 (mono) ale to offer a wider choice. Of over 600 today. Half page £180 (colour), £135 (mono) course, there is no commercial Young & Co could have taken Quarter page £95 (colour), £70 (mono) Phone Peter Tonge now on sense in pub chains selling more real the millions from the sale of the 020 8300 7693 ale if not enough people are going to Wandsworth site and simply drink it. Here is the challenge handed the loot back to their In this issue facing CAMRA in promoting real shareholders. They could have ale through festivals and publicity, copied other pub chains with cheap News round-up 6 trying our best to level the playing bulk purchases of nitro-keg and Festivals and awards 18 field against the marketing budgets lager replacing real ale in their of the lager brewers. mainly freehold pub estate, until Campaigning 22 This has to be the focus of our that too were sold off to realise its Letters 25 efforts. We must work with the enormous value. Instead, they Branch diaries 30 market and not against it. It is not invested in a substantial share of Beers 35 our job to force Carling drinkers to another much more efficient real mend their ways at gunpoint any ale brewery and made Herculean Rose’s 39 more than it is our business to and to my mind successful attempts Capital Pubcheck 41 prevent the private owners of a to match the beers. Moreover, they runmypub.com 53 brewery or a pub from shutting it continue to invest in, improve and expand their estate and, best of all, The Nightingale Walk 53 down if they can’t make a profit. Things shutting down and things they continue to support and Afters 54 starting up is the very fabric of our promote real ale in all their outlets. Membership form 55 Tales from the trade 57 Explore Southern Poland with Pawel Dabrowski and the Campaign Idle Moments 59 for Authentic Lager. Crossword 62 Visit the Travel Pages at www.londondrinker.org.uk 3 Editorial Food now accounts for almost a time, but the massive boost in pub regrets, and individuals are of quarter of total revenue, but good attendance and real ale course free to protest in any food brings people into the pub consumption in the recently (legal) way that they wish. But in when they might otherwise have refurbished Young & Co pubs my opinion, that should be it. If patronised a restaurant, and some near me suggest that they are we devote all our energies to of them will try and hopefully like pleasing an awful lot more people contesting commercial decisions the real ale on offer. than they are annoying. made by breweries and pub If Young’s traditional pubs are Young & Co are opening and companies, then we deserve to be well patronised, and I can think of refurbishing far more pubs than ignored by these same companies. several that are, then their future they are closing down and bought To retain influence where it really will in all likelihood be assured. If five new ones in March alone. matters – the quality, availability not, then Young & Co are quite Even though we may regret the and variety of real ale – we should justified in closing them, indeed passing of a well loved pub, it is leave private firms to make their they would be deserting their not and can never be CAMRA’s commercial decisions within the economic duty if they failed to do business to tell Young & Co or any market-place. If they get it so. Not all the changes that other brewery or pub company wrong, they go under and Young & Co are making to their how to run their business. As an deservedly so. LD estate suit all the people all of the organisation we can express Peter J Sutcliffe Advertise in the next LONDON DRINKER Our advertising rates are as follows: Whole page £300 (colour), £240 (mono); Half page £180 (colour), £135 (mono) Quarter page £95 (colour), £70 (mono) Phone Peter Tonge now on 020 8300 7693 THE FINAL COPY DATE FOR ADVERTISING IN OUR NEXT ISSUE (JUNE/JULY) IS THE FIRST OF MAY THE SPEAKER Ye Olde Mitre A real pub in the heart of London - no music, screens or fruit machines, but we do Ely Court, between have atmosphere Ely Place and 4 real ales always available Hatton Garden, Youngs Bitter, Shepherd Neame Spitfire and London EC1N 6SJ two guest beers from a portfolio of over 200 020 7405 4751 FORTHCOMING BEER CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE 2008 FESTIVALS Historic and April - St George’s Week Patriotic Ales from Mon 21st April for one week traditional Ale-House Watch out for our Adnams Bitter and Broadside and May Mild Extravaganza Deuchars IPA always available 46 different milds throughout May - together with other guest beers. 2 new ones every day Hot and cold snacks plus sandwiches always available ST. GEORGE’S DAY CELEBRATION - ALL HOME MADE Special ales from 21st to 25th April More info: www.pleisure.com There will also be 21 milds available Opening hours: Monday - Friday: noon - 11.00pm during May - guaranteed! Closed Saturdays and Sundays except the last Sunday of each month - open 1-6pm, except Bank Holidays Open 11-11pm Monday to Friday (try our famous toasties) The Speaker, 46 Great Peter Street, Victoria London SW1P 2NA Tel: 020 7222 1749 Nearest tubes: Chancery Lane/Farringdon 4 News round-up E-mail: [email protected] Work – the curse of the drinking newspaper ‘What’s Brewing’, I choose to drink at home or on the classes (Oscar Wilde) should take it up there. Quite streets. Tax on beer has never right; apologies all round. before increased by so much - a The Prologue Those of you who remember rise of 13%! ought to explain that the the Frankie Howerd TV series Up Real ale prices across the UK Iproduction schedule for London Pompeii will recall that the have increased by 4.6% in the last Drinker requires me to submit Prologue was always interrupted year, according to the latest this column two weeks before by the soothsayer declaring: “Woe, CAMRA survey of pub prices publication so that inevitably Woe and Thrice Woe”. And that, I across Britain, and the average some stories are overtaken by regret, is mostly what I have for price of a pint now sits at £2.45. events, for example the Scottish you this time. Before Budget increases apply, the & Newcastle take-over and Grand most expensive region for a pint is Union – see below. Whenever this A kick in the teeth from the London at an average £2.64 for happens, I hope that readers will Chancellor real ale and £2.84 for lager. bear with me accordingly. four penny tax increase will Statistics compiled by Also, I should explain that this Ado nothing to curb binge CAMRA Branches for 2007 reveal magazine is intended for the drinking but will hit poorest the that 57 pubs are now lost general pub-going and real ale hardest. Readers will deplore the permanently every month as the drinking public of London, not Chancellor’s decision to increase price differential between pubs just CAMRA members.