Celebrating the Real Ale Scene in Sussex Sussex Drinker Winter 2017 Free Anchored in Worthing Surrey & Sussex Regional Pub of the Year PUBLISHED AND FINANCED BY THE SUSSEX BRANCHES OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE Regional Pub of the Year Anchored in Worthing - Regional Pub of the Year Anchored in Worthing were the proud recipients of the Surrey and Sussex Regional Pub of the Year 2017, awarded on Saturday 21st October 2017 by Chris Stringer in front of an enthusiastic crowd of regulars at the pub. Anchored in Worthing was the first micropub to open in Sussex and has been at the vanguard of the micropub revolution since opening in August 2013. Anchored Chris Stringer presenting Regional Pub of the Year supports all Sussex Certificate to Anchored in Worthing. breweries, cider Left to right in photo are: Chris Stringer, CAMRA Regional makers and Director for Surrey and Sussex, Nigel Watson and vineyards and has become a true Deborah Blakely landlords of Anchored in Worthing. community orientated local. Sussex Drinker: Winter 2017 3 News of new developments and updates on American and Polish hops from Swannay the Sussex pub scene will be gratefully brewery - swiftly followed by Juice Rocket, received by the Editor for consideration in a hoppy session IPA from the Three Blind Scratchings. The standard disclaimer on p. Mice brewery in Ely, Cambridgeshire. It took 50 applies to all items. the Festival Committee three months to carefully select the beers as they aim to ■ ARUNDEL include a broad range of strengths and The King’s Arms is the oldest pub in styles. Their next Festival will commence on Arundel (circa 1625), tucked away in the Beer Day Britain and continue into Sussex heart of the town, just a short walk away Day, so pencil it into your dairy: Friday 15th from the High Street along Tarrant Street. to Sunday 17th June 2018. Owner Charley Malcolmson continues to offer four well kept LocAles as well as ■ BILLINGSHURST numerous well supported community The Kings Head became a free house a events including a Meet the Brewer evening couple of years ago and offers a good with sausages! selection of ales. During a visit one wet September night, it was good to see ales ■ ASHURST WOOD from Crafty Brewing and Dorking Brewery The Three Crowns, just off the A22, has available. The selection changes regularly, been closed and boarded up for some time. so one worth visiting. It’s had mixed fortunes in recent years, but there’s hope that someone might take it on, ■ BOGNOR REGIS renovate it and the pub has now been At the Hatters (Wetherspoon), manager added to the Mid-Sussex DC ACV list. Alex Kirby has moved to the Dolphin and Anchor, Chichester. Tucked away within the village itself, the Maypole continues to prove popular with The Orlando (formerly Oxford) has now the locals and three, usually local, ales are been re-re-named as the Punch and Judy. It available. is now part of the Craft Union Pub co, which is part of EI (formerly Enterprise Inns). ■ BEXHILL ON SEA The Charley Purley is a new pub built on the site of the old LEC factory at the entrance to Sainsburys. The pub is named after the man who was chairman of LEC for many years. The pub is owned by Marston’s, and is expected to be a family pub with cask ales from the Marston’s range and an emphasis on dining. The Prince of Wales has now been sold, and there is a rumour that the new owner is the CAMRA’s National Club of the Year for 2016, nearby nursing home. the Albatross Club, held its Autumn Beer ■ BRIGHTON Festival in October. It was widely acclaimed The Bevy, Hillside has teamed up with as one of the Club’s best festivals yet due to Holler Boys brewery of Blackboys to an imaginative beer selection. First to sell provide a special beer for the pub. The out was Orkney Best, a light ale with 4 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2017 Sussex Pub Scratchings — continued Beast of Bevendean is 4.2% ABV, red- anticipated to be opening in March 2018. coloured Rye ale. Legend has it that a The Boat House Café at Chichester Marina sandy-coloured cat - larger than a dog - opens until 10.30.pm every evening as a bar roams the Bevendean Down, according to and has one real ale, a house beer (Boat superstitious locals. A number of sightings House Bitter) brewed by Itchen Valley. of ‘the beast’ have been reported by walkers in recent years, along with the ■ CHIDDINGLY savaged remains of animals such as rabbits. Harvey’s Best The beer is being sold across Sussex and a Bitter was percentage of the profits will be used to enjoyed by our support the pubs’ community projects such correspondent at as cookery classes for children and lunches the LocAle for local older people. accredited Six The long-standing landlady of the Constant Bells in Service, Islingword Road, Elisa Uludag is Chiddingly. due to leave the pub at the end of January Courage Best Bitter is their other regular having looked after the pub since 2009. beer with the guest, Project Babylon, from She is leaving the pub to spend time Gun. Gun’s brewery is just one mile away! looking after her two young children. ■ EAST HOATHLY The William IV, Church Street, has re- A campaign to opened and is selling 2 Sharps beers and a save the lot of keg craft ales. historic Foresters Fullers had apparently removed their Arms may branding (signage etc.) from the Sir have failed Charles Napier, Southover Street, although after Wealden it retains a Fullers tie with the landlord Council’s having to buy all his beer from them. Planning Committee narrowly voted to The Jolly Poacher is closed and boarded approve a scheme to convert the pub into up. residential accommodation. After the tenanted pub closed in May incensed and ■ CHICHESTER disappointed villagers formed the ‘Keep the The new manager at the Dolphin & Anchor Foresters Open’ campaign, making it onto (Wetherspoon) is Anthea, previously at the the front page of the Sussex Express and Brighton Marina, who is also joined by Alex local radio. More than six hundred signed an Kirby from the Hatters, Bognor Regis. There online petition and hundreds joined their is talk of reinstating the popular Meet the Facebook group. Owners Harvey’s Brewery Brewer evenings in the future, so look out claim that while they empathise with the for publicity when visiting. people of East Hoathly “in simple terms it has succumbed to the widespread plight of There has been a recent change of village pubs across the county as people management at the Park Tavern. Initial don’t use pubs as they did a generation reports are that the beer quality has now ago”. They say they can demonstrate that improved. the company has not profited from owning A change of use application has been the Foresters Arms for at least a quarter of submitted to Chichester DC for what will a century and one year the already modest hopefully be Chichester’s first micropub. It rent was set at zero in order to attract a will be called the Hornet Alehouse and it is competent operator. 6 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2017 Portable Bar selling Real Ale, Cider and Mead Ideal for Parties, Festivals, Village & Country Fayres Charity events are free of charge with 20% of all profits donated to the charity MARQUEE HIRE AVAILABLE 07393 624660 / [email protected] Sussex Pub Scratchings — continued ‘Keep the Foresters Open’ disagree: they’ve now named the seen financial statements from former Heathfield Tavern tenants showing that the pub was Pub and profitable. They urge Harvey’s to either Restaurant: appoint a new tenant or sell the pub as a previously it was going concern to a new operator. the Prince of Wales. The Hailsham Road venue is now operated From 2012 to 2016 Julian Plummer was by the same team that run the Wheel in landlord: Julian’s remarkable improvements Burwash. Five handpumps dispense local led to it featuring, two years running, in ales and there’s a good food offering. We’ll CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide, which lists the have a full report in the next edition. very best pubs in the country. Sussex Drinker wrote about the pub favourably in ■ IDEN this column too at the time. The new owners of the Bell Inn are selling Harvey’s Best and two changing beers from FELPHAM ■ either Whitstable, Romney Marsh, Three The Fox, has now been taken over byAndy Legs or Old Dairy. & Carol Fox-Hilderley, formerly of the Cabin, Elmer. The Cabin won a special most ■ LANCING improved pub award from Western Sussex At the New Sussex Hotel, owners Andy and CAMRA earlier this year, under their care, so Fiona Kempa offer three regular LocAles their career at the Fox is much anticipated. Dark Star APA, Harvey’s Sussex Best and Long Man Best Bitter, with a fourth LocAle HASTINGS ■ being changed weekly. The Clarence in the pedestrianised area has reopened after a refit and change of The flourishingGood Beer Guide listed management. Offering discounted drinks, micropub the Stanley Ale House, run by Fuller’s London Pride featured on one of Steve Bennett, recently celebrated its third the two handpumps at £ 1.98 a pint anniversary. recently! ■ LAUGHTON In the Old Town the Jenny Lind continues The Roebuck, a steampunk-themed pub to showcase local breweries alongside their run by Tony Leonard and Dominic McCartan regular offerings, with beers spotted from has been named as the best Free House in Kiln, Downlands, Cellar Head & Ewhurst, the UK in the John Smith’s Great British Pub amongst others.