Celebrating the Real Ale Scene in Sussex Sussex Drinker Spring 2020 Free Published Eastbourne Borough Council in conjunction with and Financed CAMRA South East Sussex Branch presents by the Beer & Cider By The Sea Sussex Branches Western Lawns on Eastbourne’s seafront, of the King Edward’s Parade, Eastbourne BN21 4BY. Campaign For Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th May Real Ale Eastbourne Beer & Cider by the Sea Exciting Eastbourne! The seventh annual Beer and Cider by the Sea festival is once again being held on Eastbourne’s seafront, on the Western Lawns, opposite the Landsdowne and Grand Hotels on King Edward’s Parade. This is a family friendly event with a range of food options available. In addition to beer and cider you will find bottled beers of the world, cocktails, wines, gins and soft drinks. limited choice, but still excellent quality as the all day session continues to 7pm which with past experience is when the casks run out. Tickets from: www.eastbournebeerfestival.co.uk/beer- cider-tickets.aspx The Seafront Office, 6 Lower Parade, Grand Parade, Eastbourne BN21 3AD Eastbourne Tourist Information, Cornfield Road, Eastbourne BN21 4QA Seaford Tourist Information, 37 Church St, Two linked marquees house the bars and Seaford BN25 1HG. inside seating, with plenty of space and By phone: 01323 410611 seating outside. In one marquee you will On the door at the festival (subject to find the cask ale bar with 60 beers, 40 from availability) local Sussex breweries and 20 from further afield. These have been selected and will Session Times and Prices (CAMRA be prepared and served by CAMRA members & Students price in parenthesis). members who will be happy to advise those Friday 22nd: 5pm - 10pm: £9 (£8) looking for particular flavours or styles of Saturday 23rd: 11am - 4pm: £9 (£8) beer. The second marquee houses the real Saturday 23rd: 5pm - 10pm: £9 (£8) ciders and perries, which along with the Sunday 24th: 12.30pm - 6.30pm: £7.50 ales give a choice of over 100 drinks. Also (£6.50) to be found in this area is the stage, in each Thanks to Nigel French for the photos. session home to a variety of musical acts, ranging from rock & pop to jazz. Details of these will be pasted on the Beer & Cider website and Facebook pages nearer the time, www.eastbournebeerfestival.co.uk/ beer-cider.aspx and search for Facebook Eastbourne Beer & Cider. For the best selection of drinks choose the Friday or the Saturday 11 o’clock session, as gradually some casks run dry. By the Sunday session expect a rather more Sussex Drinker: Spring 2020 3 News of new developments and updates on ■ BRIGHTON the Sussex pub scene will be gratefully The Bevy, Hillside, re-opened as a received by the Editor for consideration in Community pub five years ago after Scratchings. The standard disclaimer on Bevendean residents raised enough money p30 applies to all items. to buy the pub. The original pub was shut because of antisocial behaviour. It is run as ■ ALDWICK a not-for-profit business with more than Local residents continue their efforts to 700 community shareholders, and the local raise £500,000 to buy and reopen the Ship. is now more popular than ever. For more details, see their website: theshipinnaldwick.co.uk The Dyke Alehouse & Kitchen, Dyke Road; the owners have been granted an amended ■ AMBERLEY planning permission that will see the The Black Horse is just one of the pubs in previously planned two flats on the first our area that is now taking beer from floor will become three flats. In addition, Bedlam Brewery another planning application has been ■ BATTLE approved to build a house in the remaining The Railway, on the corner of Station part of the garden which is fenced off. Approach, opened in the autumn and is The Office, Sydney Street has undergone a now owned by Revived Inns, operators of refurbishment and has reopened under its six country pubs in Kent and Sussex. previous name as the Green Dragon. This Previously it was owned by Ei Group was one of three pubs previously managed ‘Britain’s largest pub company’ and called by pub company Pleisure, which handed the Senlac Inn. Harvey’s Best and a guest back their keys to the owning company, the are served in good form. Food is served Ei Group’s Bermondsey Pubs, after losing a every lunchtime and evening with a carvery legal battle for Pleisure to continue on Wednesdays and Sundays. managing the pubs. ■ BEPTON Following a change of operator and As expected, the Country Inn closed on refurbishment, the Victory, Duke Street, no December 31, 2019. The Cowdray Estate longer offers a CAMRA discount. had not renewed the lease. ■ CLIMPING ■ BEXHILL After a year of inactivity, the Black Horse’s The Wheatsheaf Inn in Little Common has renovation is expected to start in the reopened serving Harvey’s Best Bitter, Spring. Fuller’s London Pride and Doom Bar. ■ COCKING ■ BOGNOR REGIS The Blue The Alex in London Road is currently closed Bell, but following a ‘variation of premises formerly licence’ work is proceeding apace towards the a reopening. Bluebell, reopened The QE2 in the Steyne is now the Star & in Garter. In December 2019 it was serving November one real ale, a Greene King seasonal. last year in community 4 Sussex Drinker: Spring 2020 Sussex Pub Scratchings — continued ownership. A house beer from Langham’s is ■ GORING sold, alongside Arundel Gold and Long Man The Elephant in the Room, 40 Goring Road, Long Blonde. It doubles up as a café as well, is the latest venture from the people at the so is open from 10.00 am Tuesday to Libertine in Worthing Saturday (midday Sunday). But beware: it is not open Mondays until 17.30. ■ HALNAKER The Grade II listed Anglesey Arms closed ■ DUNCTON on Jan 1st. The local press reports George The Cricketers now has Flowerpots Bitter Jackson, who has run the pub with his 3.8% ABV on permanently mother since the death of his father 17 years ago, citing changes in the tenancy ■ EASTBOURNE agreement as the decisive factor. ■ HASTINGS Bistrot Pierre, a chain of cafe-restaurants, have taken over the Wish Tower restaurant on the Western Lawns. Two handpumps serve Long Man beers; drinkers can enjoy their pints and the sea views in the cafe-bar area and outside terrace. The General Havelock has reopened after a The Counting House in Old Town has short closure and is now serving Long Man changed its name to the Rainbow and is Best Bitter and Timothy Taylor Landlord. now managed by Shoes Simes, who also This pub has a spendid Nationally runs the Eagle and Dew Drop. Important Historic Pub Interior. Also in the Old The Prince Albert has reopened with new Town, the owners after being sold by Shepherd Crown, a Neame. popular pub with real ales ■ HORSHAM served by The opening hours for gravity and the Anchor Tap have handpump, changed recently, the has pub being closed undergone internal restoration and is Sundays and Mondays. looking fresh and tidy with its new bar On Tuesdays to layout and decor. Thursdays it’s open 4pm to 10.30pm, but open from noon to ■ EAST PRESTON 11pm Fridays and Saturdays. But please A new micropub and alehouse the check their Facebook page for any changes Standard P has opened in a converted to this and also for details of the regular tap butcher’s shop in Sea Road. Open Tue-Thu takeovers. There is still a good selection of 5-10; Fri-Sat 12-10; Sun 12-6. 6 Sussex Drinker: Spring 2020 Sussex Pub Scratchings — continued beer styles available, from across the seem to be summer at the earliest. country. Note that there is a cask beer club here which offers 20% off all cask beers ■ POLEGATE between 4pm and 6pm Tuesday to Friday. The Thoroughbred Inn now serves Lister’s beers from Ford, following the closure of Elsewhere in town, the Stout House has Hammerpot Brewery. gained new licensees; the nearby Bear also gained a new manager in mid-January; ■ PULBOROUGH both these are Badger pubs. The Kings The Lantern now has one beer from Arms in the Bishopric gained new licensees Langham alongside that from Greyhound last November, some nice dark beers were ■ ROGATE available during the Christmas period. Despite new management in March 2019, Similarly the , and Black Jug Lynd Cross Harvey’s closed the White Horse towards Malt Shovel all offer a good selection of the end of 2019. beers and styles. ■ RUSTINGTON HOVE ■ The owners of the Georgi Fin micropub are The Sussex Cricketer, Eaton Road, has to open a new micropub in Rustington. The closed due to the planned redevelopment new micro will replace an electrical retailers of part of the Sussex Cricket Club site. The in The Street. pub which is owned by the cricket club and has been leased to Ember Inns is due to be ■ SOUTH HARTING replaced by a new bar, restaurant and 37 The White Hart belongs to the Upham’s flats in the southwest corner of the ground. pub chain. More than £20 million is being invested. The Now that old Tate Gates will be reinstalled at the Upham’s beer ground’s entrance alongside a new clock is no longer tower. The revamped pub will be open plan brewed, they and have a terrace for visitors. have opted for Otter Bitter as ■ LEWES the regular Greene King pubs in Lewes are now real ale. On a visit in December Crafty Blind stocking Harvey’s Best Bitter with the Black Side was proving popular enough to remain Horse also selling Harvey’s Old Ale.