E FRE No.173 Summer 2015 The Beehive wins City and Branch Pub of the Year 2 01 5 Read more on page 5! The Railway Arms wins Cider Pub of the Year 2015 See Page 57 Magazine of the Norfolk Branches of the Campaign for Real Ale Norfolk Nips | Campaigning In this issue: Get behind the beer industry 3 Norwich & Norfolk POTY 5 Stig’s Words 6 Let’s get behind The Ed’lines 7 Pub and Brewery News 8-12 the beer industry Bar Man - How Much?? 15 CAMRA members vote for Beer Sommelier 16 a more inclusive campaign Cider POTY 17 Black Horse Rampant 19 Members of CAMRA, Europe’s is about the promotion and largest beer consumer group, championing of real ale, and The Albion - End of an Era 20 have reinforced the organisa - providing a choice for drinkers, tion’s positive approach to rather than outright opposition In Memory of Wolfe 22-23 campaigning for beer and pubs to other types of beer. Correspondence 23 by passing a series of progres - sive motions at its annual CAMRA chief executive Tim Green Dragon wins the Rural! 25 conference. Page said: “It was clear from the debate in the hall that the From the Archives 27 More than 1,200 CAMRA majority of members think that Key Keg debate 29 members attended the confer - criticising drinkers for not ence in Nottingham between choosing real ale is counter- The Rant 32 18-19 April and debated and productive. voted on 20 motions about Going to Gorleston 34-37 issues affecting the beer and CAMRA’s inclusive and Bar Man - Philosophy of 39 pub industry, as well as supportive attitude to the beer CAMRA’s future campaigning. and pub industry was also Norfolk’s champion beers 42-43 shown when members clearly Decisions were taken to voted to continue support for LocAle 45 support the practice of serving wider beer industry campaigns Great British Beer Festival 46 real ale from ‘key-kegs’ and to such as Cyclops and “There’s a recognise cider with whole fruit beer for that”. A truly Norfolk ale 48 and spices as ‘real’ were passed, CAMRA Discounts 51 whereas motions that advo - CAMRA will also help promote cated CAMRA distancing itself beer in non-traditional venues CAMRA Beer Festivals 53 from wider beer industry initia - and pubs and bars unable to tives were rejected. serve cask, with members Join CAMRA 58 agreeing two measures to Last Orders 59 Members clearly voted in refocus CAMRA’s Real Ale in a support of an inclusive Bottle scheme: the continued CAMRA Branch Calendar 60-61 approach to the beer industry, promotion of “high quality Contact Details 62 reaffirming that the Campaign Continued Overleaf Norfolk Nips | City Pub of the Year Norwich & Norfolk Branch Pub of the Year We are pleased to announce that the well deserved winner of the City Pub of the Year and the overall Branch Pub of the Year 2015 is The Beehive on Leopold Road in Norwich. Of course no pub is a great pub, as in this case, without its colourful customers, a great landlady in Alex Kerridge and of course very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Alex comes from a back - ground of brewing and real ale many more being on cask from where this all started off in her the outside bar / garden area. Let’s get behind early career at the Reindeer on the beer industry Dereham Road in Norwich. The other things that make continued this pub special are its regular Alex runs a great house now Saturday BBQs that help local bottle-conditioned beers” and at the Beehive which has been charities, Monday night Folk the mounting of a campaign to a pub since 1922. Prior to that night, the extremely popular encourage pubs to "identify the pub was a local shop on the Wednesday Quiz Nights, the and market bottle-conditioned corner of two Victorian Terraces. community sport and social groups that use the bars and ales and bottled real cider and perry clearly.” For the 7 years, Alex has been the upstairs function room and landlady she has worked to its great lunchtime food menu. On cider and perry, CAMRA transform this real community Oh and of course the recently members decided that the pub into the award winning introduced Pie Day Friday! On Campaign needed to recognise excellent venue it is today. Why occasions you can catch sport changes in the cider market has it won? Well, 7 hand on TV, but it’s not in your face and the growth in popularity of pumps with a strong focus on and you can still enjoy the great authentic flavoured ciders and smaller local breweries goes a experience this pub gives you. perries. long way to guarantee that 75% of the beers are local. So there is not much to stop The Conference voted to From there you can understand you checking out this great adopt a motion changing why there will always be a good Norwich pub then. Say hello to CAMRA’s definition of real cider choice of real ale, be it from the Alex and her staff, enjoy the and perry to remove the two regular house beers or the ambiance and retro style of the criteria that “no added flavour - 5 guest ales! pub and chat to the locals! A warm and friendly welcome ings to be used” and to allow “pure fruits, vegetables, honey, Of course when the Beehive assured, oh and of course - hops, herbs and spices, but no puts on its beer festivals the fantastic beer! concentrates, cordials or number goes up and with a Rob Whitmore essences” to be added. Beer Festival looming in July Branch Secretary (2nd to 5th) you can be sure of Summer 2015 | 5 Stig’s Words The leaves are on the trees the birds are singing, luck in the next (regional) stage! We have also but the wind is still bloomin’ freezing! This could presented our Pub of the year award to the Coach be a description of an English spring or a and Horses at Dersingham for the second year pessimistic out look on life in general. running! A great achievement against excellent opposition. Congratulations to Sheila and her Although the economy is picking up the situation team. The Coach and Horses will now compete in the pub world, especially for smaller pubs is not with the Norwich branch choice for the county that good. Some rely on tourist business to keep POTY 2015. them afloat, some on the number of people using a town centre and some on the sheer confidence Narborough Social club has been awarded our of the local community. We have examples of the Club of the year award for its beer range and effect of these factors all over Norfolk. In this issue I quality not to mention its downright friendliness, have found both ends of the stick in one town, so just show your CAMRA membership card and you’ll read inside… be welcome (Another good reason to join us). On a lighter note some of our west Norfolk estab - The season of beer festivals is starting to roll inex - lishments have been getting awards. orably down hill to land on summer greens all over Whin Hill Cider in Wells is just outside our area East Anglia, so hopefully I’ll see some of you sitting but are long term friends of the branch so congrat - in the sun enjoying the light reflecting through a ulations go to them for winning the East Anglian well crafted pint, assuming of course it stays in the Perry award. glass long enough! The Railway at Downham Market has won both Cheers our branch and Norfolk Cider pub of the year good Stig Norfolk Nips | From the Editors The Ed’lines Five years ago, I agreed to become the Editor of retirement – Dougie and Bernie from the Duke this wonderful magazine, on the understanding of Wellington and Chris and Glynis from the that I would do it for a fixed term of five years. Trafford Arms are also looking for pastures new. The time has now come and so this is my Good luck to them. last issue. I would like to place on record my sincere It has been a wonderful experience, and one of thanks to everyone who contributed, offered the best jobs that I have ever had. Norfolk NIPS tips and suggestions, and even criticised. You are and Cask Force is a well-loved and much holding the result in your hands, a magazine of respected magazine which is read the world which I am immensely proud. over, since the digital version has been available. Good luck to the new Editor, Graham I have visited many fine pubs and breweries Freeman, who incidentally gave me the job all and met some wonderful people. It would those years ago. appear that I am not alone in announcing my Please give him your wholehearted support and copy and photos and letters and suggestions...Time for a beer. Cheers! Mike Baldwin able to include them in our future editions. As Summer approaches please go out into our many Norfolk Pubs and have an enjoyable expe - rience. However don’t forget to tell us about it. The face and name are the same but my job is Graham Freeman not the same. Yes I'm back. For some reason I have decided to be re-activated and wanted to help out as the new joint Editor with Stig. I hope Subscriptions he will be gentle with me.