Issue 67 – Winter 2016 FREE – Please take one Magazine of North Oxfordshire Branch of CAMRA Two New Brewery Start-Ups In Our Branch Area It’s great to be able to announce We hope to have more info on that our Branch has not one, but Church Hanbrewery next issue. two new breweries which have Little Ox Brewery is also based started up very recently. Both the in the same area (just north- Little Ox Brewery and Church west of Witney) Hanbrewery are now brewing. at Freeland’s October’s Oxford Beer Festival Wroslyn Road featured two brews from Church Industrial Estate, Hanbrewery – Red Beetter (an having been ale with added set up by Ian organic beet- Hemingway dur- root juice) and ing a very busy time since taking Bluenette (a on the unit in April. porter with The range of Little Ox beers is added organic currently Oddbod (premium bit- Head brewer Ian Hemingway at Little Ox honey) – both ter, 4%), Wipeout (American pale of which attracted ale, 4.2%) and Filthy Rich (por- The brewery uses a decent- much interest from drinkers. ter, 4.5%), which have all been sized 10-barrel plant which was The full range is on their web- brewed and are expected to be acquired from a Northumberland site at www.churchhanbrew- on sale at local pubs in the very brewer, so Ian is keen to devel- ery.com and comprises 10 dif- near future, and they are availa- op a regular local trade, and he ferent beers, with Ale X (IPA, ble in cask and bottle. Continued on page 3 4.5%), Witty Bea (witbier, 4.5%), Ze Braun (dunkel weizen, 5.5%), Successful Banbury Beer & Cider Rauk (rauchbier, 5%), Mat Black Festival Despite Moving Its Date (black IPA, 5.5%), 1 4 Keeps (biere de garde, 6%), Rasp Bea First ale to sell out was the great weekend celebrating winter (raspberry beer, 6%) and Wild ever-popular Turpin’s Golden beers. Thanks to the Committee Beeries (wild berry beer, 5%) Citrus with Hooky Hopside- for organising it and we look along with the two that appeared down next to go. St Petersburg forward to it moving back to its at the Oxford festival. by Thornbridge won beer of normal date for May 2017. Originally starting up in the festival, so all in all it was a village of Church Hanborough (where its office still is), the brewery appears to be just over our Branch’s outer limits on New Yatt Business Centre – which could mean that it is officially a new brewery for Oxford Branch, Above: MD of Hook Norton Brewery James Clarke although in name and in spirit it (centre) addresses the festival at its official should be one for our Branch. opening, alongside the Mayor of Banbury Visit the CAMRA North Oxfordshire Branch website – http://northoxon.camra.org.uk/ Lower Heyford 21 Market Square, Lower Heyford, Oxon OX25 5NY 01869 347176 • Varied guest ales from all over the UK • Five minutes walk from canal • Large beer garden OPEN: • Families and dogs welcome Mon–Thurs 12–3pm & 5pm–11pm; • Lunch and full menu available Friday & Sat 12–11pm; Sun 12–10.30pm • Food served Mon–Sun 12–3pm & 6–10pm 2 Beer on Tap – Winter 2016 tradition but like to break the New Brewery Start-Ups rules a bit to create exciting new brews”. Continued from front page art involves a big dose of creativ- If any publicans or retail out- ity, validated by taste and smell, intends to grow the business lets wish to take Ian’s ales, he the science ensures the product slowly and locally. There are can be contacted on 01993 is up to scratch. “We embrace plans to open a brewery shop 881941 or by email at beer@ and hopefully to take on a local littleoxbrewery.co.uk. employee in the near future. Full info and tasting notes on After 30 years as a keen home- the beers are all on its website at brewer, Ian (who has a back- http://littleoxbrewery.co.uk/. ground in science) bit the bullet With two new breweries fol- to join the growing number of lowing close on the heels of enthusiasts turning their passion Chadlington (which should be into a commercial operation. brewing on its own plant in the He believes that brewing is a New Year), these are very excit- blend of art and science – the ing times indeed for our Branch. Decision on CAMRA’s Future Direction Delayed CAMRA’S National Executive proposal about CAMRA’s future dent to use the 2017 Conference and Branches Committee met in positioning and purpose. There for a debate on the propos- Cardiff in September to receive is much work still to be done, als and their implications for a report from the Revitalisation and the Committee will shortly CAMRA and to then hold a vote Project Steering Committee be surveying all members for a at a general meeting at a later about their work on CAMRA’s third time, and will seek further date, either within an extraor- strategic review. After a pres- opinion from external stakehold- dinary general meeting or at entation on evidence from con- er groups. the 2018 Members Weekend in sultation meetings, surveys and In considering the opinions Coventry. research, the Committee raised of the Steering Committee, An announcement will be a number of ‘key issues’ which the National Executive (NE) made to external stakeholders were then debated. believe that it’s likely to be nec- concurrent with the release of The purpose of the meeting essary to delay the timescale for this information to members. was to give feedback and direc- a final decision by members, The NE believe that it is impor- tion to the Steering Committee, originally planned to take place tant that CAMRA gets it right, who will now prepare a detailed at the Members Weekend in rather than rushing to meet an Bournemouth in April next year. arbitrary deadline that was set Branch Diary As the implications of any deci- before the work on this funda- sion will be far-reaching, mental review of our common All meetings start 8pm, other events start as shown. Socials contact: Lynn the NE believe it would be pru- purpose ever began. Baldwin (07790) 118341. JANUARY CAMRA North Oxon Branch Contact List Tue 17: Branch Meeting. Elephant Email addresses are followed by & Castle, Bloxham for Good Beer northoxon.camra.org.uk/ Guide selection. CHAIRMAN Lynne Baldwin TREASURER Sat 28: Regional pub crawl. Info chairman@ lynne@ Simon Whitehead treasurer@ from Chairman Lynne Baldwin. VICE-CHAIRMAN simon@ FEBRUARY Geraint Jones vicec@ MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Sat 4: Pub of the Year minibus trip geraint@ Paul Forrest membership@ of top six pubs BRANCH SECRETARY paul@ Tue 7: Committee meeting. Dave Lee secretary@ PUBS PROTECTION OFFICER Plough, Bodicote dave@ Brian Wray pubs@ MARCH BEER ON TAP EDITOR BEER FESTIVAL CO-ORDINATOR Sat 4: Pub of the Year count Steve Lympany bot@ Tim Wilkins bbf@ followed by social trip Tel: 07811 667507 LOCALE COORDINATOR (destination tbc) BEER ON TAP ADVERTISING John Bellinger locale@ john@ APRIL EDITOR Oliver Sladen WEBMASTERS Martin Batts and Tue 4: Committee meeting. Black botads@ Geraint Jones webmaster@ Bull, Launton BRANCH CONTACT See Diary page online for latest info Trading Standards: Oxfordshire County Martin Batts contact@ Council, Electric Ave, Ferry Hinksey Road, at www.northoxon.camra.org.uk/ Tel: 07854 116408 Oxford OX2 0BY Magazine of CAMRA North Oxfordshire 3 4 Beer on Tap – Winter 2016 Branch News Pub’ – especially with such strong and superb competition from the other finalists.” Both runners-up are also pubs in our Branch: The Maytime Inn, Asthall and the Killingworth Castle in Wootton. The Greedy Goose, Salford Hill This delightful Cotswold inn and destination food venue, just west of Chipping Norton on the A44’s junction with the A436, is one of a number of outlets in the Branch for North Cotswold Ales. At least two (and sometimes three) of the nearby Stretton- Cassian Hazelwood, a new face behind the bar at the newly-reopened White Horse, Stonesfield on-Fosse brewery ales are on offer plus one guest, which has White Horse, Stonesfield Pickled Ploughman, recently included Windrush Ale, This prominently positioned Adderbury Shagweaver, Cotswold Best and pub on The Ridings recently The new house beer here is Ringwood’s Boondoggle. reopened after a brief spell of brewed by the Thwaites micro- Muddy Duck, Hethe closure. John Lloyd, the previous brewery still brewing in landlord, has moved next door Blackburn after the Marston’s Alongside permanent beers into the converted barn and still takeover. It is presumably a ver- Landlord, Phipps IPA & St retains ownership of the pub, sion of their Best Bitter being a Austell Tribute, the pub plans to but he has leased it to Cassian traditional amber bitter at 3.8% offer Hawkshead Bitter from the Hazelwood and his chef Jorges Also on handpump recently Lake District. Forthcoming ales Fernandes. were Purity Gold and Ringwood will include the seasonal Hook The re-opening night was in Best Bitter. They have also Norton 12 Days and Butty Bach September which saw a good extended their £3 offer all day from Wye Valley Brewery. crowd in the pub, dining and on Friday to 3–6pm on the other Also in the planning stage drinking. On offer was Jennings weekdays. is a ‘Meet the Brewer’ even- Cumberland Ale at 4% served The Swan, Ascott-under- ing in the early spring with the from a cask on the bar at £3.80 brewer from Phipps Brewery in per pint, which was in very Wychwood Northampton.