1802-39 LD30-6:Layout 1 19/11/08 18:35 Page 1 D ON ON L Dec Vol 30 Jan No 6 2009 The Churchill Arms, Kensington (see page 14) 1802-39 LD30-6:Layout 1 19/11/08 18:35 Page 2 1802-39 LD30-6:Layout 1 19/11/08 18:35 Page 3 Editorial London Drinker is published by Mike Hammersley on behalf of the NDON London Branches of CAMRA, the O 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 should be sent by email to Tony Hedger, [email protected] 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 February 2009, please send electronic documents to the Editor Some reasons to be cheerful, but no later than Wednesday 14th January. SUBSCRIPTIONS: £3.00 for mailing beware the supermarket price trap of 6 editions or £6.00 for 12 should be sent to Stan Tompkins, 52 Rabbs Mill f, like me, you’re starting to turn Choice report launched in House, Chiltern View Road, Uxbridge, your thoughts towards all the September that the decline in real Middlesex, UB8 2PD (cheques payable I to CAMRA London). satisfyingly rich winter warmers ale sales is slowing. Compared to ADVERTISING: Peter Tonge: and fruit-packed Christmas ales the overall beer market which is Tel: 020-8300 7693. which will be hitting the mash tuns declining by about 8% year on year Printed by Cliffe Enterprise, this month and how good they’re (and getting worse), real ale is Eastbourne, BN22 8TR going to taste in front of the open doing well and growing its share of Views expressed in this publication are fire in your local, then good for the beer market. It declined by those of their individual authors and are you. There’s so much doom and only 1.3% in the year to May. Not not necessarily endorsed by the Editor or gloom around us at the moment , bad for a product which many the Campaign for Real Ale Limited. that such treats are to be cherished. industry pundits, only a couple of Advertise in the next It’s true that lots of pubs are years ago, were saying was in LONDON DRINKER closing; five a day being the latest terminal decline as premium lager Our advertising rates are as follows: Whole page £300 (colour) industry estimate. It’s probably brands looked set to swamp the £240 (mono) true that over the next year or so, entire beer market. Half page £180 (colour), £135 (mono) even more will close. It’s a dire It’s reassuring to see that not all Quarter page £95 (colour), £70 (mono) Phone Peter Tonge now on situation with brewers struggling to people are so easily fooled by 020 8300 7693 sell their wares in a declining global marketing campaigns. market and publicans struggling to Interest in real ale is picking up make ends meet as pub visits and because people are more interested In this issue average spend fall, while costs rise. in drinks with genuine provenance, Let’s not deny that times are real taste and which benefit the News round-up 6 tough. local economy and community. Campaigning 18 Most of us, if we haven’t done Recent world events will hardly Awards 25 so already, are thinking of cutting have reassured the masses about back on our household spending. the benefits of a global economy. Pub profiles 34 As shoppers switch from Waitrose Falling sales of global lagers and Branch diaries 38 to Aldi in their droves , be careful increasing sales of local real ales not to fall into the ‘supermarket perhaps demonstrate how Book reviews 40 price trap’ and switch your consumers are thinking a little Letters 41 drinking from your local pub to more about what they buy and Capital Pubcheck 44 your armchair to save money. It abandoning global marketing fluff may be a short-term financial gain, in favour of something thought-up Membership form 45 but the long-term loss will be yours and brewed a little closer to home. Licensing 51 if your local has to shut its doors So, is there light at the end of a owing to lack of customers. Pubs tunnel for pubs? Yes, of course Brewery features 55 need us now more than ever in our there is. Real ale is the unique Tales from the trade 59 lifetimes. Let’s support them as selling point of the British pub. Idle Moments 60 much as we can. You can’t really get it anywhere Some of you will have picked else, other than CAMRA’s 150 beer Crossword 62 up the news from the Intelligent festivals. The message for pubs is 3 1802-39 LD30-6:Layout 1 19/11/08 18:35 Page 4 Editorial clear; it makes sense to turn your to put a stop to the irresponsible at home or in the street. attention to real ale and get the promotion of alcohol in Encouraging news from last range and quality right. It’s a supermarkets and the outrageous month is that the All-Party great way to attract customers practice of selling alcohol as a loss Parliamentary Beer Group, which during these difficult times. leader. As we approach consists of over 300 MPs, agrees. Despite my relatively upbeat Christmas, the supermarkets will Following a long inquiry into rhetoric, there are of course some no doubt, once again, ignore our community pubs, its report calls things which need to be sorted calls for sense and responsibility on DCMS to champion out so that pubs can at least have and compete viciously to sell beer community pubs and makes a fair crack at competing on a as cheaply as possible. I hope it various recommendations to level playing field. To start with, will be a shot in the corporate Government for action, such as a Government needs convincing foot and will simply show review of our cripplingly high that the social value of well-run Government that action needs to excise duty regime and increases community pubs can no longer be taken. in rate relief for pubs. All good be ignored. Pubs are part of the One direct and effective way stuff and a useful way of putting glue that holds communities to stamp out loss-leading would pressure on Government. together and , without be the introduction, by law, of So don’t despair ; real ale and community cohesion, our society minimum pricing: the Publican is good pubs are here to stay and would quickly collapse. CAMRA petitioning for a price of at least CAMRA is working hard to is working on research to develop 50p per unit of alcohol, which promote and protect them. But these arguments and make would go some way to reduce the the key to their survival is you recommendations to gap between pub and and your pint. So, if you’re not Government for policy and supermarket prices. I believe that reading this in the pub, it’s time action. You’ll hear about this Government has a responsibility to head off to sample a early in 2009. to encourage socially responsible winter warmer, or, dare I say In the meantime, we’ll keep drinking and should act to it, two . LD up the pressure on Government promote drinking in pubs and not Mike Benner THE FIVE BELLS INN -- S MOCK ALLEY -- Family-owned for 25 years, CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide we are dedicated to excellent 2009 describes us as ‘West customer service, quality real Chiltington’s Best Kept ale and freshly produced Secret’ . We are passionate food. We offer a roaring fire about the real ale we serve and individually designed en- and the great choice of five suite rooms. No SKY, pool good quality beers. Local tables, frozen food or CAMRA Pub of the Year pickled eggs. Dogs welcome! 2007 and 2008. Five beers always available including a mild, two guests and a premium ale, plus local Appledram cider FIVE BELLS INN , S MOCK ALLEY , W EST CHILTINGTON , W EST SUSSEX RH20 2QX Just ring Bill & Joan Edwards for more details We look forward to hearing from you www.fivebellsinn.co.uk Tel: 01798 812143 4 1802-39 LD30-6:Layout 1 19/11/08 18:35 Page 5 1802-39 LD30-6:Layout 1 19/11/08 18:35 Page 6 News round-up E-mail: [email protected] Strange times Butler chain reported that cask ending in September and a report ale was their fastest growing by accountants Pricewaterhouse o another year comes to an drinks category as drinkers switch Coopers predicts that more than Send and alas, the confusing from fast-declining lager brands. 4,000 pubs will be forced to close messages about our beer and our This was confirmed by both over the next two years . The pubs continue to come through. InBev and Molson Coors report - PwC report identifies a lack of SIBA, the Society of ing falling sales of premium lager consumer confidence as an Independent Brewers, reports brands . M&B Chief Executive important factor over the last that sales of traditional beer Tim Clark commented that cask nine months. In other words, we through their Direct Delivery ale was benefiting from being a need to get people into pubs. Scheme were up by 8 per cent in unique pub drink which cannot There is, after all, not much point the first half of 2008 compared be brought in bulk at discount in campaigning for real ale if with the same period in 2007 , prices from supermarkets.