1802-38 LD30-4:Layout 1 18/9/08 08:53 Page 1 D ON ON L Oct Vol 30 Nov No 5 2008 Greater London’s Pub of the Year (see page 25) 1802-38 LD30-4:Layout 1 18/9/08 08:53 Page 2 1802-38 LD30-4:Layout 1 18/9/08 08:53 Page 3 Editorial London Drinker is published by Mike Hammersley on behalf of the London Branches of CAMRA, the NDON Campaign for Real Ale Limited, and O edited by Geoff Strawbridge. L Material for publication should preferably be sent by e-mail to [email protected]. Press releases and letters by post should be sent to Tony Hedger, Apartment 11, 3 Bewley Street, London SW19 1XE 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 December 2008, please send electronic documents to the Editor no later than Wednesday 12th Safe, sensible, social -- a plea November. SUBSCRIPTIONS: £3.00 for mailing for responsible government of 6 editions or £6.00 for 12 should be sent to Stan Tompkins, 52 Rabbs Mill he Department of Health and the average price of a pint of House, Chiltern View Road, Uxbridge, (DoH) has recently issued a lager in a pub is now £2.82. In Middlesex, UB8 2PD (cheques payable T to CAMRA London). consultative document on further contrast, prices in the off trade ADVERTISING: Peter Tonge: action in pursuit of safe, sensible have fallen by a further 1% as a Tel: 020-8300 7693. and social drinking, highlighting result of huge price promotions. Printed by Cliffe Enterprise, the prevalence of the harmful Introducing options for more Eastbourne, BN22 8TR (drinking to excess) and binge responsible retailing practices, the Views expressed in this publication are (drinking to get drunk) varieties DoH observes that ‘a relatively those of their individual authors and are and their consequential cost to the recent development has been the abil- not necessarily endorsed by the Editor or the Campaign for Real Ale Limited. NHS. It is intended ‘to put in place ity of young adults and others to a policy which will enable more peo- increase their consumption, some- Advertise in the next ple to drink sensibly and prevent irre- times as part of binge drinking by LONDON DRINKER Our advertising rates are as follows: sponsible practices which encourage buying cheaper alcohol from super- Whole page £300 (colour) people to drink more, or in ways they markets and off-licences and consum- £240 (mono) would not choose if left to them- ing large quantities before an evening Half page £180 (colour), £135 (mono) selves’. Fair enough! in pubs or clubs’. Well there’s a sur- Quarter page £95 (colour), £70 (mono) Phone Peter Tonge now on The DoH notes that a ‘powerful prise! 020 8300 7693 rise’ in alcohol-related hospital Our government has in practice admissions over the last 5 years been pursuing not so much an alco- In this issue mirrors a long-term rise in underly- hol harm reduction strategy as an ing alcohol consumption: a 60% alcohol harm expansion strategy. News round-up 6 per head increase between 1970 First, steadily increasing tax on beer Cider 17 and 2006. It points out that this every year before this latest budget, Beer festivals 21 rise reflects two developments: whilst allowing tax on spirits to Pub awards 25 a shift to higher alcohol stand still, has made cask beer sev- The Horseshoe 29 strength beverages, including a shift eral times more expensive per alco- from beer to both wine and spirits; hol unit than much stronger drinks. Letters 30 alcohol becoming more afford- Second, simply making all alco- Branch diaries 38 able hol more expensive, as in this year’s Capital Pubcheck 41 but acknowledges that ‘it is in budget, has only made irresponsi- Membership form 43 the off-licence trade where the ble drinking relatively cheaper as Love Your Pub 53 increase in relative affordability has large supermarket chains and glob- been particularly strong’. al producers of canned and bottled Book reviews 54 Indeed! Since 2002 off-trade brands can calculatedly absorb tax LocAle 55 beer prices have fallen by 7% while increases, relying on thereby Twickenham 56 pub prices have increased by 24% increasing their market share. Taylor’s 59 and now, as a result of the 10% Third, as the DoH consultation Idle Moments 60 beer tax increase in this year’s explains, agreements between budget, prices in pubs have retailers to refrain from reckless Crossword 62 increased by 4.4% in the last year promotions of cheap alcohol would 3 1802-38 LD30-4:Layout 1 18/9/08 08:53 Page 4 Editorial at present be illegal under the October deadline, that September it was reported 1998 Competition Act. Can Government should start encour- nationally that 36 pubs were clos- Government honestly defend aging people to drink relatively ing every week. Roger Protz says competition between greedy low alcohol cask beer, slowly, in a it all, ‘People are abandoning their supermarkets cynically offering pub, under the responsible super- locals because they can buy cheap cases of lager at 50p a can as loss vision of a qualified licensee. supermarket beer at a fraction of leaders as a higher level policy Government action is needed to the price charged by pubs’. objective that should override help pubs as they are the best For responsible drinkers, public health and safety? At least place to enjoy alcohol responsibly is it too much to ask for DoH is now asking the question. in a regulated and socially con- responsible government? LD Let us tell DoH, by their 14 trolled environment. On 8 Geoff Strawbridge Safe, Sensible, Social – consultation on further action is available at www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_086412 Advertise in the next LONDON DRINKER. Our advertising rates are as follows: Whole page £300 (colour), £240 (mono); Half page £180 (colour), £135 (mono) Quarter page £95 (colour), £70 (mono). Phone Peter Tonge now on 020 8300 7693 THE FINAL COPY DATE FOR ADVERTISING IN OUR NEXT ISSUE (DECEMBER/JANUARY) IS THE FIRST OF NOVEMBER 4 1802-38 LD30-4:Layout 1 18/9/08 08:53 Page 5 1802-38 LD30-4:Layout 1 18/9/08 08:53 Page 6 News round-up E-mail: [email protected] It never stops… from closure. They are essential savings for relevant industries will local services and the Government be realised. hope that by the time that you has a moral duty to protect them”. Unfortunately, the closing Iread this, it will have stopped date for submissions is 30 raining. Sadly, pub closures are Government announces September and so it will be too proving as persistent as the rain. review of licensing law late now for readers to con- According to a report put togeth- don’t know whether or not this tribute, but there are some inter- er for the British Beer and Pub Iis going to help the situation esting points here so watch this Association, in the first half of but the Parliamentary Culture, space. this year pub closures were run- Media and Sport Committee is ning at 36 each week. This is an going to review the Licensing Great British Beer Festival increase from 2007 when Britain Act. The review will cover five his year’s event at Earl’s Court lost 1,400 pubs out of 57,000 – key areas: whether there has been Twent off successfully. almost 2.5%. The BB&PA chief any change in levels of public nui- Although numbers were down executive, Rob Hayward, warned sance, numbers of night-time 10% to 59,000, consumption that it could get worse. offences or perceptions of public held up to last year’s level. This Government policies such as the safety since the act came into may have been down to it being beer duty escalator “will only drive force; the impact of the Act on more comfortable following a up costs for pubs and prices for pun- the performance of live music; revision of the layout and there ters. Without a change of heart the impact of the Act on sporting simply being fewer people in the from the Government, many more and social clubs; whether the Act way. are facing closure”. CAMRA’s has led, or could lead, to a reduc- There was some unfortunate Chief Executive, Mike Benner, tion in bureaucracy for those confusion over admission prices reinforced this view, saying: “It is applying for licences and those with the on-line pre-booking clear that the Government must administering it and, finally, price being widely quoted and take urgent action to save pubs whether the anticipated financial not the ‘on-the-day’ price but this 6 1802-38 LD30-4:Layout 1 18/9/08 08:53 Page 7 1802-38 LD30-4:Layout 1 18/9/08 08:53 Page 8 News round-up was not deliberate and you may Beer Exposed Law and order be assured that the lesson has here have been a number of eaders with good memories been taken on board by the attempts to run commercial will recall that not that long organisers. There was also some T R beer festivals in London, none of ago film director Guy Ritchie and adverse comment about prices which have become established. his wife, Madonna (a popular but, contrary to what I heard one The latest is Beer Exposed, chanteuse, for those of you not in customer tell another, the beer is described as “a stylish new event to the know) denied having any not all donated by the breweries.