bae 164 - apr 2012

Issue 164 | April - May 2012

Beer Around ’Ere

b a eFREEplease take one

Peterborough & District Branch of CAMRA | www.peterborough-camra.org.uk

LETTER B AWARD PRESENTATION

Also inside Spring Beer Festival Guide:Your guide to local pub beer festivals

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Hello again folks. This is the time of yearthat I dread, especially due to onemajor factor, which seems to be

beyond our control. By the time this edition ofBAE is in the pubs, us discerning drinkers willhave been told of the latest price hike on ourpints, due to yet another increase in tax onalcohol. With an increase of at least 10p a pintexpected, unless the chancellor reverses the longterm policy of increasing beer tax by two percent above the rate of inflation, more pubclosures and job losses are going to be the result.CAMRA have submitted a range of changes tohelp our declining pub stock and support forour small brewers.

Another report from the Institute of PublicPolicy Research (IPPR) highlights the value of apub as a social value to its community. This isoften ignored by MPs and local councillors whofail to oppose closures. The only statistics theyseem to take heed of are the financial benefits.Community pubs are places where people meetneighbours and support many vital services thatotherwise would not be there. This lets me bringto your attention the fact that April is designatedCommunity Pubs Month. You can support yourlocal community pub in many ways. CAMRAmembers can send for promotional packs to giveto their local community pub. The monthlynewspaper What’s Brewing has the details on howto get the packs. You can also go towww.communitypubsmonth.org.uk and find outif your pub is signed up. The main thing is to getyour pub to organise some events during themonth to encourage customers through thedoor.

April also heralds the local pubs beer festivalseason with at least one held every weekend. A lot of work goes into the organising of theseand they deserve as much support as we cangive them. Within our Peterborough branch of

CAMRA we also organise events and socialmeetings throughout the year. We have decidedthat non-members of CAMRA would be mostwelcome on these outings providing there areenough seats left. (CAMRA members would getfirst choice). See our diary dates or our websitefor details. We already have three pubs nomi-nated for a Gold Award.

In the last issue I made an appeal for volun-teers to commit their time in helping us at thisyears PBF. That appeal continues. Due to somemajor changes to the staffing of the beer festivalthis year, I should mention that we will onlyaccept volunteers who have pre-registered towork on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.Volunteers may sign up on Friday and Saturdayby turning up at the festival but, preferably willhave pre-registered. Full details will be in ourmail-out to members later this year. The websiteto sign on will be activated by the end of March.

Finally I would like to wish one of our longstanding licensees good wishes for their futureretirement. Ann and Jess Caprio have been thehosts of The Cherry Tree on Oundle Road,Woodston for 16 years and will be calling time onthe 31st of March. During their time there theyhave helped to raise thousands of pounds forvarious charities, held numerous events topromote live music and even pantomimes. Theyare going to be living locally out in Crowland, soJess will still be able to watch his beloved Poshfootball team. We wish them well in their retire-ment and hope they keep in good health formany years to come.

Cheers that’s all folks.

David Murray - Branch Chairman.

Peterborough Branch Website |www.real-ale.org.uk

Chairman’s Corner | 3

Chairman’s Corner

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On the 6th March up to 100 MP’s andPeers attended this years annualCAMRA Parliamentary Reception. The

event which is held in conjunction with CAMRAwas hosted by Greg Mulholland MP, chair of theinfluential All Party Parliamentary Save the PubGroup. This year’s event saw a rise in the numberof Parliamentarians attending - up from 85 on theprevious year.

CAMRA representatives from the NationalExecutive, Campaign Strategy teams andbranches from across the UK were also present.As Public Affairs Officer for Peterborough I wasalso invited to provide a lobbying voice on theproceedings.

Campaign ThemesEach years reception briefing covers a smallnumber of key objectives. This is to ensure thatevery CAMRA member attending can lobby indi-vidual MP’s on the main issues that are morelikely to be acted upon by Parliament. It alsohelps to keep the agenda relevant and focused sothat everyone in the room, in theory, is talkingabout the same things. Below is a summary ofthe campaigns brief for this year:

Beer Tax: A Fair Deal for PubsThe Budget will be announced on March 21st.

There is a significant risk that the Governmentwill continue to impose the beer duty escalatorwhich means that beer duty is automaticallyincreased by 2% above inflation. This would be anincrease of 7% which will result in a price hike ofabout 10p on a pub pint.

The Chancellor already takes over £1 in tax forevery pub pint. As a result, pubs are under enor-mous pressure and 16 are closing every singleweek. Pubs are battling through the economicdownturn and struggling to compete with rock-bottom supermarket alcohol prices and this newtax rise will widen the price gap further.

We want MPs to show their support for Britain’sbeer and pub sector by asking the Government tosuspend the beer duty escalator to help reducepub closures, create 5,000 additional jobs andensure pub going remains an affordable leisureactivity. (See CAMRA’s Briefing on Beer Tax 2012for more information)

What can MPs do? Sign Andrew Griffiths’ EDM(Early Day Motion), or write to the Chancellor ifthey do not sign EDMs

Pubco reformLast year the Business select committeepublished a hard-hitting report which identifiedserious failings in the business practices of bigpubcos, which have been accused of deliberatelymisleading pub lessees, charging unjustifiably highrents and preventing their lessees buying beer andother products on the open market at competi-tive prices.

CAMRA Parliamentary Reception

www.real-ale.org.uk

)The Chancellor alreadytakes over £1 in tax forevery pub pint. As a result,pubs are under enormouspressure and 16 are closingevery single week(

4 | Campaigning Update

Colin Valentine CAMRA Chairman, left, Emma ReynoldsMP, centre, Bob Jones, CAMRA, at the Campaign for RealAle (CAMRA) Parliamentary Reception at the Houses ofParliament, London

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)

The Government’s response to the report recog-nised there are “unfair practices” in the relationshipbetween big pubcos and their lessees, butneglected to address these problems. Insteadthey’ve introduced a voluntary deal with theBritish Beer & Pub Association which will not beenough to avert the disaster facing thousands oftied pubs.

On 12th January MPs held a debate in theHouse of Commons and unanimously passed amotion criticising the Government’s lack of actionon pub companies as falling short of their owncommitments, and requiring the Government tocommission an independent review of self regula-tion in the pub sector.

What can MPs do? Write to the new BusinessMinister Norman Lamb MP and ask him tocommit to follow the clear will of Parliament andreview self-regulation in Autumn this year.

Government Pub Support PackageThe Prime Minister has committed to deliver a“pub friendly Government”. The Governmentnow needs to translate this into action and followthe example set by the previous LabourGovernment by introducing a package of meas-ures to support and promote well-run communitypubs. This package should include:

* Business rate relief for well-run community pubs

* A genuine ban on below-cost supermarket alcoholsales that goes further than just Duty and VAT

* Improved planning protection for pubs

What can MPs do? Write to the Prime Ministerand Community Pubs Minister Bob Neill MPand ask them to deliver a package of measures tosupport pubs.

As I write the Budget is now only a few daysaway so the first real test of any positive news onthe Beer Duty Escalator remains to be seen.Recently Greg Mulholland called for a suspensionof the Escalator arguing that it is counter-produc-tive to generating tax revenue as it is actually

damaging the viability of pubs and brewers in theeconomy. Of course, in most cases, once thosepubs and jobs are lost they are usually gone fromthe industry forever.

Sadly, the official line from the government, inthe form of a recent statement from the DeputyPM, was that “… it was a matter for theChancellor to reveal his plans in the Budget …”despite agreeing earlier that “…we should supportcommunity pubs which are so much part of the fabric across our communities across thecountry.” So we will have to wait and see on that one.

On the other two key issues and on the basis ofprogress so far it is evident it is not going to be astraightforward task to achieve the campaignobjectives. However, with some effort channeledat lobbying the powers-that-be at both a nationaland grassroots level we can at least prove that westill have voice that can be heard. And, unless wewish to see ourselves priced out of our belovedlocal, or worse – our local priced out of ourcommunities, we should all try at least to makethe effort to exercise it.

Karl SimpsonPress & Public Affairs Officer

photographs © Hazel [email protected]

Campaigning Update| 5

Greg Mulholland MP

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Being an intrepid sort of chap I occasionallylike to venture onto the less well troddenpath. As money was a bit short this month

my perambulations took me not to some far flungoutpost of the Empire (is that still around?) but tothe Cambridgeshire Fens in general and the village ofBenwick in particular. As we drove into the village wecould have been forgiven for thinking we were in themiddle of nowhere and I’m convinced my Sat Navbriefly flashed up ‘Here be Dragons’ but I could’vebeen mistaken. According to the nice gentlemen atthe Ministry of Statistics, Graphs and Sums thepopulation of the village is 860 which is a slightincrease on the 857 it was in 1871. This would implythat over the last 140 years for every new sprogarriving in the village, someone else fell off the twig.But I digress. The Five Alls is the only pub in thevillage and has seen a variety of landlords come andgo over the years and to be honest it’s been more orless ignored by us local CAMRA types as well. Thepub is now run by Becky and Gareth who comefrom Essex and have been officially in charge sincelate last year. On our visit during a quiet evening inJanuary, Becky and Gareth welcomed us in andoffered us a choice of three ales one of which was anOakham, another a Titanic and the third beingBombardier. The pub is free of tie and can sell what-ever it likes which may make their Diamond JubileeWeekend Beer Festival more than a run of the millaffair. The pub caters for the locals superbly with arange of activities to rival any pub. If you want to tryyour hand at petanque then Tuesday is the day todo it. If you like bingo it’s on a Wednesday and poolplayers are looked after on a Thursday, which takescare of most of the week. Friday is reserved for dartsand you’ll find entertainment on the last Saturday ofthe month. Their kitchen is fully operational andprovides food Wednesday to Friday from 5pm and atlunchtime and evening on Saturday. If you want aSunday lunch it’s from 1pm until 4pm but you’llprobably have to book ahead. The ales tend to sellwell which is also very encouraging. One of their veryfirst priorities is to do a bit of decorating and to getthe pub up to scratch. Animated discussions are

taking place as I write as to what colour the toiletsshould be. Anything is preferably to the bright pinkthey have at the moment! So, if you’re in the Fensand you think you deserve a warm welcome, a gameof petanque or an evening of bingo I can certainlyrecommend the 5 Alls. I do however apologise inadvance for the brightness of the bogs!

Whittlesey and all thatIt was our great pleasure to present the Pub ofthe Year Award to Bruce & Denise of the LetterB in Whittlesey last month, and what a goodnight it was too (see the proper write up some-where else in this issue). The pub was filled withdrinkers and well wishers who had travelled fromfar and wide to congratulate mine hosts on a jobwell done. Apart from the regular beers behindthe bar there was a mini beer festival hosted bythe Gruftons, a sociable fraternity that have madetheir home at the ‘B’. Add to this the hog roastand a fine spread of nibbles and it turned out tobe one of the most enjoyable evenings in a while.After we’d filled up on food and drink and wishedBruce and Denise the very best it was a cycleback to Peterborough in the dead of nightthrough the spooky backwaters of King’s Dykebrickyards and the wind swept North Bank.Good food, excellent ales and the added adven-ture of cycling by Braille. Great fun.

Some of you may remember the Oatsheaf onthe Peterborough Road in Whittlesey which hasnow lain derelict for some years. There wererumours that a local businessman had bought itseveral years ago but it came to nothing in theend. Not wishing to get anybody’s hopes up butthere are now a couple of ‘Sold’ signs adorningthe building. Watch this space.

South of the riverStanground still has a few pubs and I’m sure we’reall familiar with the Woolpack on North St in theold village with its many fine ales and riverside

Pub News Around ‘Ere

www.real-ale.org.uk

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beer garden and bijou boat marina. The moremodern part of the village is catered for in varyingdegrees and I’d just like to give the Whittle Way amention. The pub has changed hands a few timesover the last few years but now seems to havesettled down nicely. Like any good pub real ale isobviously on offer and on my recent visit a pint ofGolden Hen slipped down effortlessly. Not beinga great fan of Greene King I was surprised at hownon 'Greene Kingy' it tasted. Will I have toreassess my views? Who knows but the WhittleWay has regularly changing ales so give it a visitwhen passing. You can find the pub on CentralSquare on the Whittlesey Rd behind TescoExpress (sort of).

There is a fairly new pub to the area called theApplecart located in Cardea which is the newdevelopment south of Stanground. This is one ofseveral Marston’s pubs being built around thecountry, the other nearby one being in Marchcalled the Cobblestones. The pub is primarily afood pub but it does offer the chance to try somedecent Marston’s ales. The brewery are currentlyproducing monthly beers using single varieties ofhops which gives us a chance to put a tick on ourscore sheet should we be inclined. The beer at themoment is called Wai-Iti using New Zealand hopsand next in line is Galaxy from Australia. A futurebrew using a French hop called Strisselspalt willsoon be on offer which has got to be worth a gojust so you can cover the bar man in spit !

South BrettonIt’s good to hear that Cooper’s pub in SouthBretton will be getting a huge refurbishment in the

next few months. The pub has declined in recentyears and the local residents deserve a pub worthyof their custom. The new ‘concept’ will be ‘Meetand Eat’ which apparently is a new idea by GreeneKing although it does sound remarkably like anold idea with a new poster. We wish them luck.

A local beer fest or twoPeterborough Town Sports Club shows up onthe horizon occasionally and not necessarily forsporty reasons. The club will be holding a beerfestival on 15th and 16th June and will have arespectable range of about 15 beers on offer.Entry to the fest is free of charge but there will bea charitable donation for the use of a glass, whichis only fair and reasonable. Our friends at DigfieldBrewery will be assisting the club with the coolingof the beers amongst other things. Entertainmentwill be provided by the Electric Warriors and aband called The Guards, and of course being asports club there’ll also be a Hockey tournamentlaid on with a bit Cricket thrown in for goodmeasure. What more could you ask for? If anyonewould like to sponsor one of the beers then MickDaykin at the club would love to hear from you.Call him on 01733 262202. The club is located offBretton Gate in Westwood.

St George’s Weekend beer Festivals

The Coalheaver’s Arms in Park St will be holdingtheir beer fest from Thursday 19th April toSunday 22nd. About 50 beers on with musicSaturday evening by High Rollers and SteelUnion on Sunday afternoon. Don’t forget theJamaican BBQ on Sunday either.

www.real-ale.org.uk

Pub News | 7

Continued Overleaf

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8 | Please support our advertisers

Closely followed by one at the Hand & Heartfrom Monday 23rd to Sunday 29th April.Entitled the ‘St Georges’s Beer & Music Fest’,money raised during the festival will go towardsthe Help for Heroes fund. 60 ales on offer duringthe week and a dozen live bands.

The Ruddy Duck in Peakirk will be holding afestival on Saturday 21st from 2pm. Music by theOne eyed cats and the Nuggetts. Don’t forgetour St George’s Sunday pub crawl. We’re off toStilton, Ramsey, March, Whittlesey and finishingoff in a pub in Werrington to compliment the‘George & Dragon’ theme. Cost will be £8 for theday and leaves from behind the Brewery Tap at12.00. Book your place now by calling me on 07756066 503 or emailing me at [email protected]. Remember Sunday April 22nd at 12o’clock. Book early to avoid disappointment. Allwelcome, not just CAMRA members!

Pubs changing hands and ‘doings up’After a recent article in the local paper about thelandlady not allowing one of the customers tospeak German whilst enjoying a tipple, thereappears to be a change of management at the

Packhorse in Northborough! Mr Sharp and hisdaughter Nichole Falconer, who is half Germanwere enjoying a drink in the pub and were chat-ting, occasionally in German. It is alleged thatthe landlady pointed out that this was unaccept-able and they should continue their conversationin English. Complaints ensued and we now havenew people in charge of the pub, but not beforethe story made it around the world!

The Star in Star Rd now has new peoplebehind the bar. Malcolm and Jenny Stevensonhave been at the pub since the beginning ofFebruary and there is a real ale on offer. Nip inand say hello.

Shepherd’s Walk, Belmesthorpe, Stamford, Lincs PE9 4JG Tel 01780 753081

Rutland

CAMRA

Pub of the Seas

on

Winner - Winter

2011

FIVE Real Ales including Summer Lightning, Draught Bass, Greene KingIPA + guests from Oakham Ales and Abbeydale and a Old Rosie Cider

Open Tues-Thurs 12-2.30pm and 6-11pm (Friday from 5pm)Sat/Sun OPEN ALL DAY from 12 noon

Extensive menu of good value home cooked food served at lunchtimes 12-1.30pm and evenings 6.45-8.45pm – advance booking advisable!

2 course Sunday lunch – just £7.95

Ample Car parking – popular with walkers – park up, pre-order lunchor dinner and enjoy the countryside!

Rutland

CAMRA

Pub of the Year

Runner up

2012

Beautiful traditional stone built oak-beamed pub just 2 miles from Stamford

• Covered smoking area • • Real Fires • Beer Garden •

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The Three Horseshoes in Werrington now hasnew faces behind the bar and there is a newmanager at the Boathouse down Thorpe Rd who isinterested in selling ‘non Greene King’ Guest ales.The Chequers in Orton Wistow now has newpeople Becca and Michael running it. TheGolden Fleece in Stamford should now havereopened after a much needed refurbishment.

Troubles troubles troublesThe Roundhead pub in Bretton has beentemporarily closed due to ongoing and consistentproblems. The police are reviewing the situationand the pub may be closed permanentlydepending upon reports.

A recent visit to March highlighted the fact thatthe Coachmakers Arms is closed. Hopefully thiswould have changed by the time you read this.

The Spade and Shovel in Eye is still all closedup and is up for sale for about £160,000. Anytakers? It's a fairly large pub with ample carparking and could do well in the right hands.

The Black Hart at Thorney Toll betweenThorney and Guyhirn is now closed and boardedup which is a bit of a shame really. This pub is onthe A47 and must have a million vehicles passing itdaily so why has it closed? Thorney Toll looks tobe a convenient stopping off point as there is nowa new look Indian restaurant on site to complimentthe Chinese one over the road. The pub shouldmake an excellent third wheel, possibly.

We knew it’d happen one day didn’t we? Theformer 6 Bells, former Rat and Carrot andformer boarded up building has now been bull-dozed in anticipation of the North Westgatedevelopment. In the meantime they have left apart of the outbuilding still standing which willhouse a much needed ‘hand car wash’. PeterBreach who is chairman of Hawksworth, theowners of the area said the demolition work waspart of the long-term North Westgate retail regen-eration scheme, which they were ‘keen to moveon with’. He said ‘It’s a shame having such derelic-tion in the centre of Peterborough and we aresorry to see the old Six Bells go but it was really

isolated in that part of town.’, (Thanks to theEvening Telegraph for this). Isolated? Really? TheBrewery Tap thrives despite being in the sameisolated area. Situated next to a bus station with allof the comings and goings must make it even moreisolated? Perhaps if they had leased it short term toa likely landlord it might have complimented theBrewery Tap nicely and added to the pub scene inthe city instead of being a derelict site.

And speaking of demolition….. It was nice to see the Simmonds brothers of thethreatened Ploughman take their protest to theopening ceremony of the Tesco in Paston. Tescohad gone to all the trouble of inviting the media toshow how good and caring they are to the finepeople of Paston by opening a new shop for themwhen up pops a banner with Save the Ploughmanall over it. The assembled hacks and their photog-raphers spent a great deal of time covering theprotest that the opening of the new store took abit of a back seat. A nice bit of campaigningmethinks.

And Finally…Thanks to John Rice for letting me know that theRed Lion in Eye is under New Management,Claire and Vickie have taken it over. Plans are fora re-launch night and a Charity Night. OakhamInferno on tap when visited, St Austell Tributecoming soon and will be a permanent Beer andthey are hoping to keep an Oakham on perma-nently as well.

Cheers for now and keep the pub news coming

Steve Williams - Pubs Officer0775 6066 503

[email protected]

Pub News continued| 9

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Five Horseshoes, BarholmNow under the control of Matt and Emma, theFive Horseshoes, Barholm (between Tallingtonand Greatford) is doing brisk business. Theyhave made a number of improvements withoutaffecting the ambience of this rural gem includingan earlier opening time on weekdays (4pm) andmajor expansion of the car parking area. Plansfor this year include expanding the beer gardeninto the next door paddock, a series of outdoormusic events and a beer festival /hog roast.Complementing the regular Oakham JHB andAdnams Bitter on our visit were Elland 1872Porter, Ossett Excelsior, Oakham Bishop’sFarewell and Marstons Pedigree plus Old RosieCider

Sundays Restaurant off Cowgate, Peterboroughcity centre are now stocking Oakham Ales -Bishops Farewell, JHB, Citra & Samuel SmithsOrganic Lager in bottles to enjoy with your meal.

The Red Lion at West Deeping is now underthe ownership of husband and wife team Ginoand Vikki Gioia (pronounced ‘Joya’!) , formerly atthe Beehive in Peterborough. They have pledgedto maintain the good range of real ales, supple-mented with a revised menu and a possible beerfestival later in the year.

‘Simmospoons’ celebrate CAMRACommunity Pubs Month - Andy, Stuart andChris Simmonds are celebrating the launch ofCAMRA Community Pubs Month with a greatoffer for real ale drinkers. The Ploughman,Werrington will be offering its whole range of realales at £2.00 a pint for the 2 - 6th April while itssister pub, The Dragon, will be offing its wholerange of ales for £2.20 a pint from Moday 26th -Friday 30th April. A great opportunity to try anew brew or two in a couple of friendly commu-nity pubs.

www.real-ale.org.uk

10 | Other News

More Pub News

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CAMRA News | 13

The Bluebell Inn10 Woodgate, Helpston Peterborough, PE6 7ED 01733252394

traditional country Inn set in the beautiful village of Helpston. Offering a warm welcome and a typical English pub

atmosphere.

We serve up to six real ales from national breweries and local microbreweries including Tydd Steam, Elgoods, Adnams, Fullers, Wells and The Grainstore Brewery. All changing weekly. Permanentlyavailable, exclusive to us John Clare Bitter 4.3% from the Grainstore.

Good home cooked food served Tuesday to Sunday. Traditional

Sunday roast served from noon and daily 2 course lunchtime specials.

Small parties can be catered for Funerals, christenings, birthdays etc...

Pictures by Michael Slaughter

A

Ample customer parking.Also conveniently close to the hourlyPeterborough - Stamford bus route(mon - sat)

Beer Festivalat a later date

We are in it!

- In 10 years, the price of a pub pint of beer hasincreased by 43%- During the same period, the price of a pint of

beer bought in the off trade has increased by alowly 1%

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has todaysupported the Government’s calls to introduce aminimum price per alcohol unit in England andWales. The consumer group has stated suchmeasures will help close the gap between on andoff trade alcohol pricing, and give pubs a chanceto compete in the current climate at a time when16 pubs close their doors forever across Britainevery week.

CAMRA has found that in 10 years the price ofa pint of beer in the off trade has increased byonly 1%, whereas in the on-trade, a pub pint hassoared by 43%.

Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive, said:‘CAMRA is pleased that the Prime Minister is

seeking to support community pubs with plans tointroduce a minimum unit price for alcohol to endpubs being undercut by below cost supermarketalcohol price promotions. In the last 10 years, thecost of a pint has increased by an incredible 43%in pubs but just 1% in the off trade – contributingto a culture where people are more likely to drinkat home or on the streets.

‘CAMRA would support a minimum price ofbetween 40 and 45 pence a unit as this wouldprevent alcohol being sold at below cost and sohelp redress the growing price gap betweenalcohol sold in pubs and alcohol sold by the offtrade. This move to end irresponsible alcohol lossleaders by the large supermarkets will encourage acultural shift towards drinking beer sociably andresponsibly in well-run community pubs.’

CAMRA welcomes minimumalcohol pricing

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29 North Street, Stanground PE2 8HR. 01733 753544

Up to 4 Real Ales available • Friendly village pub withriverside mooring • Large garden • Dogs welcome

Food served: Tues to Sun 12 - 2.30pm, Mon to Sat 6pm - 9pm

EVENTS and OFFERSAPRIL and MAY - 2 FOR A TENNER

on selected main mealsThurs 12 April 8.30pm - Crib Knockout

Sun 15 April - 4pm - Live Music With Alex ChapmanSun 6 May - Steve Bean plays Classical Guitar

Sat 12 May - Live Music With Ramshackle Serenade - 9pmSat 19 May - Live Music With Kat Moore & Ian Graham - 9pm

THE VINEMarket Deeping

Telephone: 07501 465 64619 Church Street, Market Deeping

Free House with 5 Real Ales2 Regular Ales

Vine Ale, Sharps Doom Bar

3 Guest AlesStockist of Hopshackle Beers

Beer Garden • Large Patio

A Traditional Ale House with an open fire

Six Real Ales with four on rotation

3 Ciders • 2 Lagers • Fine Wine & Spirits• large beer garden • Pool room

Opening Times open from 4pm week days

1pm saturday and 12pm sundays

Hogroast Easter Monday, April 9th

Tel: 01778 560238 Barholm, Stamford

Lincs PE9 4RA

Matt and Emma welcome you to the

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The award for the recently crownedPeterborough & District Branch ofCAMRA Pub of the Year took place at

the Letter B Pub in Whittlesey on Saturday 18thFebruary. The Letter B, also recently celebrating aHOP award for providing an excellent range of realciders, was one of four finalists to make it throughto the judging for the top spot. However, when allthe votes were cast, the pub came out the clearwinner and became the first branch Pub of theYear in five years requiring no recount.

The award ceremony was presented in front of afull house of regulars and CAMRA members whowere keen to congratulate landlord couple Bruceand Denise Roan and all the staff. The Letter Balso received a personal note of congratulationson winning the award from local MP SteveBarclay.

Speaking at the event branch chairman DaveMurray said it was pubs like the Letter B thathelped to carry the tradition of real ale in the UK:“If we don’t support our pubs …. then real ale willstart to decline yet again.” Describing real ale as:“…the only thriving product that is increasingsales within the drinks industry, even within themajor brewers in the country,” he said it was

impossible to support the brewers without havingthe pubs to retail their products.

Vice-chair John Hunt then gave some of thereasons for the nomination: “The thing thatmakes this pub more than just bricks and mortaris Bruce and Denise,” adding “…whenever youcome into this pub the atmosphere’s fantastic, thebeer’s fantastic and that’s what it’s all about...theyrun a traditional British pub supported by greatlocal brewers.”

Former Pub of the Year 2011 winners, Andy andStuart Simmonds from the Ploughman, were alsoin attendance to show their support, acknowl-edging the Letter B as worthy winners,

The celebrations were complimented by a fineselection of beers from both the house bar andthe Gruftons bar – staffed by the Letter B’s (in)famous real-ale appreciation society. And noLetter B event would be truly complete withoutthe fantastic buffet served up for the benefit of allthe appreciative drinkers. All in all a great nightand a hat-tip to all at the pub for continuing toensure a successful and thriving community local.

Letter B takes the Pub of the Year Title

www.real-ale.org.uk

Campaigning | 15

ARE YOU MISSING OUT?Only the beer-stained copy left?

Get Beer Around Ere deliveredto your door!

For a year (6 issues) send a £2.46 or £3.06 for1st Class cheque/PO payable to

“Peterborough CAMRA” and your address to:-

Daryl Ling, 19 Lidgate Close, OrtonLongueville Peterborough PE2 7ZA

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The Costa del Sol has been a favouriteholiday spot for many years with guaran-teed sun and cheap wine. But for real ale

lovers it has always meant two weeks with nosign of anything even remotely representing goodbeer (apart from the occasional bottle of Belgianbeer). However, at long last, that may bechanging, albeit rather slowly.

We called into the Lounge in Avenida Bonanza,Benalmádena recently. It has been run by Davidand Shirley since last September. This is a sportsbar with six large TV screens – not normally mysort of place – but it is definitely a communitypub with a PC with free internet access, freephone calls to UK landlines and is the home ofthe Malaga FC British Supporters club. There is

www.real-ale.org.uk

CAMRA on the Costa16 | Costa del Sol

David with his Cask Marque certificate

BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:48

also free use of Wii, Wii Fit and Wii Sports andthere is even a set of golf clubs behind the barshould you fancy a round while on your hols.“What is he on about?”, I hear you shout,

“Why do I want to know about a communitypub in Benalmádena?”.

Because on the bar, there is a handpumpserving genuine proper tasty real ale. The beer isSaxon Bitter at 4.6% abv and not only does ittaste good but it costs only two euros a pint –that’s about £1.80.

The beer is brewed by the Saxon Brewery, amicro based in Velez Rubio, Almeria. They usemalt and hops mainly sourced from the UK andNottingham ale yeast and can produce a littleover 4,000 pints a week. They also produceSaxon Temptress at 4.6% flavoured withAndalucian honey and Saxon Porter at 5.4%.

Normally bars inSpain do not havecellars, so Davidspent around £1,000for a temperaturecontrolled cool-roomin the back yard thatcan keep ten firkinsof real ale at cellar

temperature. The beer is then fed via a pythonsystem to a water-jacketed handpump. The beercomes out a little cool but soon warms up inthe ambient temperatures.

The Lounge is also the first and, so far, onlypub in Spain to be Cask Marque certified. Theinspections were carried out by Steve Denny, anex-Bass brewer who has moved to Spain.Ian and Iwona at the brewery tell me that they

have other bars on the Costa del Sol selling theirreal ale and that they intend to get more of themCask Marque certified.

If you are heading down this way then check outtheir website, www.saxonbreweryspain.com, oremail the brewers at [email protected].

Harry Morten

| 17

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St George’s Pub Tour | 19

To celebrate our patron saint we thoughtwe'd find some excellent local pubs, visitthem and drink some ale! A simple idea

but a good one we think!

Our first stop will be the ancient village of Stiltonand its four pubs (don't worry, you don't have tovisit them all !).

After a leisurely stay of about an hour we'll carry

on to the town of Ramsey where there is a choiceof pubs including the excellent Jolly Sailor and theRailway which is the recipient of one of our HOPawards.

Moving on to the Fenland town of March we willvisit George's (formally the George Inn). This isthe first part of our George and the Dragontheme! George's is becoming very popular withvisitors and locals alike and a choice of ales will beon offer. Just a few minutes walk away is the equallysuperb Ship on Nene Parade. Here you'll find awide choice of beers, many of them local to thearea. The Rose & Crown is not too far away eitherwhich also has a wide choice of beers. The town ofMarch also has the Hippodrome, the newestWetherspoons pub.

Our final stop will be the Dragon in Werringtonwhich finishes off our theme nicely. The bus will beavailable to return you to the Brewery Tap afterabout an hour. You can of course stay longer andget the usual bus back to town (Citi 1 route).

We meet behind the Brewery Tap in Westgate at11.45am for a 12 o'clock departure and aim to bein Stilton for 12.20. We aim to be in the Dragon forabout 5.30pm. The bus will leave at 6.30pm to takethose wishing to be dropped off back at theBrewery Tap.

Cost will be £8 for the day. Please book inadvance to avoid disappointment and to secureyour seat. You can reserve your seat by...

Calling 0775 6066 503 and speaking to SteveWilliams, Texting to the above number or [email protected]

Join the Peterborough CAMRA Facebook Groupat www.facebook.com/groups/293908467305854

St George’s Sunday Pub TourSunday 22nd April from 11.45am

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85-87 Gwydir St Cambridge CB1 2LG01223 471680

The Cambridge Blue (Real Ale Paradise)Different Real Ales sold from 17.10.07

2414We look forward to adding to this amount very soon!

CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNTY PUB OF THE YEAR 2011!Cambridge and District CAMRA Pub of the Year 2011!

Grand Re-opening Beer Festival Wed 28th Mar – 1st AprilCome and see our newly refurbished front bar. 14 Real Ales (7 served by gravity), 12 everchangingworld beers on draught including DeMoelen, Rogue, Liefmanns and many others. There is a huge

range of bottled Belgian/USA and other world beers and Real cider straight from the cask

Opening hours Monday - Saturday 12noon - 11pm Sunday 12noon - 10.30pmFood serviceMonday - Saturday 12 noon - 10pm Sunday 12noon - 9pm

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With such events as St George’s Day,the Queens Diamond Jubilee and theOlympics there has never been a

better excuse to get down your local and join inone of the hundreds of events planned over thecoming months.

With there never being so many micro-brew-eries in the UK, not only will you get the chanceto sample a variety of real ales you may neverhave tried before - including those brewedspecially for the coming occa-sions - you’ll be able to tryyour hand at traditionalpub games, take partin an ‘ale-trail’ andhistory walks andlearn how this greattasting drink isbrewed.

Of course there’smore to pubs thanbeer and skittles,with 84% of peoplebelieving that a pubis as essential to village life as a shopor post office; andthe closure of a pub– especially in

areas that lack other social amenities - can bedevastating for the local community.

A well-run pub can cater for all ages, offering aplace where friendships can be formed and providesa convenient stopping point for a family enjoying abike ride on a sunny day. To help you plan yourtravel to and from these events we have alsoincluded a brief guide to bus and train travel andwhere to find further information and timetables.

If you’re watching the pennies, but still want toenjoy the finer things in life then the pub

offers the ideal solution. From oldfavourites like steak and kidney pieto the exotic tastes of Thai cuisine,many pubs offer high qualitymeals – often cooked by awardwinning chefs .

From acts including Madness andVic Reeves, pubs have even beenresponsible for kick-starting thecareers of some of the biggest names inmusic and comedy. You never know;one of the acts playing in a pub near youcould be a star of the future. So whetheryou want a quick pint after work or a nightout with your friends; look in at the local,you won’t regret it.

In this section you will find listings of Pubbeer festivals across the Greater Peterborough

Area along with some transport informationso you can leave the car at home. Enjoy!

Beer Festivals

Spring / Summer 2012Greater PeterboroughPub Beer Festivals ListingsGreater PeterboroughPub Beer Festivals Listings

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Diary DatesAprilTuesday 3 April – Simmondspoons Night.This is to celebrate CAMRA Community PubsMonth. Meet at the Dragon, Werrington at7.30pm. We will also be visiting the under threatformer CAMRA Pub of the Year thePloughman. Andy and Stuart are kindlyproviding transport between the two pubs.Refreshments are also being provided at thePloughman. There is no cost for this event butcould you please book places through JohnHunt so that we know numbers etc.

Wednesday 11 April – Gold AwardPresentation at The Ship in March. A bus willleave the Brewery Tap at 7pm and return at11pm. The cost is £7. 00. Please contact JohnHunt to book a place.

Monday 16 April – Branch CommitteeMeeting. 8.30pm at The Burghley Club.

Sunday 22 April - St.Georges Day outing.Calling in at the Stilton Cheese, the AdmiralWells, the Jolly Sailor, Ramsey, the Ship andalso Georges in March. We’ll try to fit in the 5Alls at Benwick if there’s time. To end up at theDragon, Werrington. Cost will be about £8 fortransport.

MaySaturday 5 May – Kettering and Oundle. Meet at the Bus Station at 10.00am. The lastbus is back by 8.27pm. We will be using DayRider Gold one day cards which cost £7. 20Concession £5.50. Group fares are also avail-able. Please contact John Hunt to book a place.

Saturday 12 May – Train Trip to Chester. Cost approx £33. 00 return on the train. Pleasecontact Mick Slaughter for details.

Tuesday 15th May Committee meeting atCherry Tree - 8.30pm

JuneSaturday 2 June – Norwich City of AleFestival. There will be a rail trip to Norwich tocelebrate the festival. The cost usingGroupsave will be £10. 00. If you wish to book alunchtime meal can you please contact MickSlaughter [email protected] orphone 01733 390598 or text 07766 213240.Meet at Peterborough rail Station between09.00 and 09.10am to enable time to purchasegroupsave tickets. Return to Peterborough onthe 6.57pm arriving at Peterborough at 8.25pm.

Saturday 16 June – Oakham Brewery Trip. As promised there will be a visit to OakhamAles grand plant in Maxwell Road, Woodston,Peterborough. This is a 10.45 meet at theBrewery for an 11 o’ clock start. So it is achance to view how its brewed, sample somefine ales & have chinwag with the folks from thebrewery. This is free but please contact JohnHunt to book a place.

Beer FestivalsApril4 - 11 April – Pig n Falcon, St Neots - Easter Beer Festival

5 - 9 April – Charters, Peterborough - Easter Beer and Music Festival

6 - 9 April - Green Man, Stamford17th Beer Festival

6 - 9 April – Rose and Crown, March - 4th Easter Beer Festival

19 - 22 April – Coalheavers, Woodston - Beer Festival.

21 April – Ruddy Duck, Peakirk - St George’sBeer Festival

9 - 23 April – Crown Inn, Uppingham - StGeorge’s Beer Festival

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23 to 29 April – Hand & Heart St George’s Beer& Music Festival. May2 - 9 May – Pig n Falcon, St Neots - May BeerFestival

5 - 6 May – Angel, Yarwell - Knobworth Ale,Cider and Music Festival. (see advert page 12)

4 - 7 May – Dog in a Doublet, Whittlesey - MayBeer Fest and Carrotfest 2012

4 - 6 May – Rugby Club, Peterborough Beer Festival

4 May - 6 May – South Notts Real Ale Festivalat Nottingham Moderns Rugby Club.

4 - 7 May – Letter B, Whittlesey. Beer Festival.

10 May – Prince of Wales, Castor. Beer Festival.

21 - 26 May 39th Cambridge Beer Festival atJesus Green.

24 - 26 May Lincoln Beer Festival

June1 - 5 June – Millstone Inn, Barnack - DiamondJubilee Beer Festival

1 - 4 June – Dragon, WerringtonJubilee Beer Festival • 18 plus Real Ales

2 - 4 June – Blue Bell, Easton on the Hill -Diamond Jubilee beer festival

2 - 5 June – Cock Inn, Werrington - DiamondJubilee Beer Festival

2 - 3 June – Lord Burghley, StamfordJubilee Music Festival • Bands and DJ’s

15 - 17 June – Welland Valley Beer Festival, runjointly between 15 pubs (see advert page 25)

1 - 4 June – 10th Bourne Beer Festival

July29 June - 1 July– Goat, Frognall9th Annual Beer Festival

6 to 8 July - Blue Boar, EyeSummer Beer Festival

Diary Dates | 23

Pub Merit Awards & Gold AwardsThe committee feel that pubs outside of Peterborough are missing out on Gold Awards and so they

have introduced a new Merit Award for pubs that are continuously outstanding. If you know of a pubin our area that deserves a Merit Award or Gold Award then please complete the following form andsend it to our Secretary.

Pub name:

Pub address/town/village:

Reason for award:

Your name:

Your phone number or e-mail address:

Your membership number:

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Beer Festivals section

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Greater Peterborough is well served by train andbus services between all the major villages. Thereare also many cycle and walking routes availablefor the more adventerous beer hunter or thosewith families looking for a full day out with someexcercise thrown in.

By TrainCrosscountry and Greater Anglia Trains run services everyday from Peterborough to Oakham,Stamford, March and Whittlesey. The service runs regularly from Peterboroughstation but check thier web siteswww.crosscountrytrains.co.uk and www.greateranglia.co.uk for accurate timetables.

Heritage Train servicesThe Nene Valley Railway is a standard gaugerailway which runs for seven and a half milesbetween Yarwell Junction and Peterborough. It’sheadquarters are based at Wansford beside theA1, the old Great North Road. The NVR oper-ates steam and diesel services between FerryMeadows, Orton Mere, Peterborough City Centre(Nene), Wansford and Yarwell Junction. There aremany lovely walking oportunities from all thestations and you are not far from a Real Alevenue from any of them!

For further information and timetables please goto http://www.nvr.org.uk /

Bus ServicesPeterborough and surrounding area is well servedby a fast and efficient bus service. The Citi Busesby Stagecoach cover all of central Peterboroughand suburbs. The majority of these services areevery ten minutes and go until 11pm or later.Further afield the following villages are served bythese bus numbers:

Wansford and Oundle - service 23 and 24Whittlesey - service 31 and 33March - service 33Eye - service 36, 37 and 38Yaxley - service 46Bourne - service 101 / 102Market Deeping 101 / 102

A full timetable is available online at www.peterborough.gov.uk /traffic,_travel_and_parking /buses/timetables/

You can purchase a Dayrider ticket on theStagecoach services which allow you to getaround Peterborough as often as you like all day.You can buy them from drivers and you can sharethem with your family and friends when you'renot using it. A standard Dayrider costs £3.50 andlets you travel between Wansford, Elton,Whittlesey, Thorney and Werrington - a bargainday out! for further info go to www.stagecoachbus.com

CyclingThe Sustrans National Cycle Network passesthrough Peterborough and is designed to makecycling fun, safe and simple as you cover hugestretches of the UK.

One third of the Network is completely free frommotor traffic, using old railway paths, foresttracks, country parks and bridleways, and the restuses quiet minor roads and traffic-calmed streetsin towns and cities. so if your having a drink - getout of the car and on yer bike!

Route are available through Whittlesey, March,Crowland, Eye, Northborough, Peakirk, Ettonand Helpston. More information is availabe atwww.sustrans.org.uk

Travelling around the ‘boro

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The Rose & Crown in March

4th Easter Beerfest Friday 6th – Monday 9th April 2012

Childrens bouncy castle • Charity raffle

PUB OPENING HOURSFriday, Saturday & Sunday: 12noon-midnight

Monday: 12noon-11pm

Pub food served 12noon-8pm

41 St Peters Road, March, PE15 9NA Tel: 01354 652077

20+ Real Ales

and RealCiders

LIVEMUSIC(Sat & SunEvenings)

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Diamond Jubilee Beer Festival & GalaJune 2nd-4th, 2012

Royal Beer, Cider and Perry Festival, All Weekend! Plus…

THE BLUE BELLTHE BLUE BELLEaston on the Hill

The Blue Bell, 9 High Street, Easton on the Hill, PE9 3LR. Tel 01780 763003 www.eastononthehill.com Email: [email protected]

Saturday 2nd June:“A day at the races” + “Easton’s Got Talent- A Royal VarietyPerformance”+ Colin Adamson Hypnosis Experience

Sunday 3rd June:Village Fete “4th Annual Village Pet Show”,

THE BIG LUNCHRound the Village (and Pubs) Wheelbarrow Race!

Barn Dance with The Elusive Black Dog Ceilidh Band tickets£10.00 including Hot Supper

Monday 4th June:Royal Beer, Cider & Perry Festival, and BBQ all day.

“Red, White & Blues” FREE Music Event: music from local Bands (lineup to be announced)

Lighting of The Millenium Beacon and Fire work Display

For further information, please see: www.thebluebellpub.com

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6th Castor & Ailsworth Titanic Beer Festival9th-14th May 30 plus ales (many ‘new’ beers)Live music from Dead Rabbits (Fri) & The Nuggets (Sat)

Come and sink a few pints!

Award winning village local in historic Castor. Close to the Nene Valley Railway & Ferry Meadows.Serves 5 guest ales & real cider. Walker & dog friendly. Home cooked food lunchtime & midweek evenings

The Prince of Wales FeathersCastor, Peterborough Tel: 01733 380222

© Mick

Slau

ghter 2

009

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Spring at The

Open Daily: Mon – Thurs 12-3pm and 6-11pm Fri/Sat 12-11pm

Sun 12-11pm

1 Main Road, Etton, Peterborough PE6 7DA Tel 01733 252387Email [email protected] Web www.thegoldenpheasant.net

GOLDEN

Just off the A15

Only six miles

from Peterborough City centrePheasant

Annual Easter Beer Festival

6th and 7th April

Bank Holiday May 7th BBQ, live music,

bouncy castle

May Day Family Fun Day

16 Real Ales plus ciders and

fruit beers in the marquee

Starting Good Friday lunchtime

Music Fri night - Paul Lake, Country

Knights, Sat afternoon - PennylessSat night - One Eyed Cats

Food available throughout.

Jubilee WeekendHelp for Heroes Monday 4th June

Lots of live music,rides, bbq and bars

May Day Family Fun Day Jubilee Weekend

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t. 01780 755141w. jollybrewer.com

Foundry Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 2PP

Lincolnshire CAMRA Pub of the Year 2009

Peterborough & District CAMRAPub of the Year 2009

NOW SERVING SIX REAL ALESplus Ciders and Perries. Over 30 Malt Whiskies

• Food served daily •12-3pm Monday - Sunday6-9pm Friday & Saturday

• Sky HD and 3D showing Football and Rugby •


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7 April - Glass Heart - Blue Boar, Eye7 April - James Edmonds - Ruddy Duck, Peakirk7 April Pennyless - Angel Inn, Yarwell13 April Shane Poole - Blue Boar, Eye13 April Crayfish Rocket - Charters, Peterborough14 April From the Sticks - Charters, Peterborough14 April Mickey Flynn - Angel Inn, Yarwell14 April Jimmy & Pep (The High Rollers Duo) - RuddyDuck, Peakirk

14 April Porky Pig - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

15 April Alex Chapman - 4pm - Woolpack, Stanground

20 April Kickback - Blue Boar, Eye20 April The Kurmujun - Charters, Peterborough20 April Swamptruck - Charters, Peterborough21 April East Coast - Angel Inn, Yarwell21 April The One Eyed Cats, The Nuggets &Haylie-Mai - Ruddy Duck, Peakirk22 April Adrian Duffy - Charters, Peterborough27 April Amy Woods - Blue Boar, Eye28 April Adhock - Ruddy Duck, Peakirk28 April Glass Heart - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

28 April Amplified - Woolpack, Stanground

4 May Hooker - Blue Boar, Eye6 May Steve Bean - 3pm - Woolpack, Stanground

5 - 6 May Knobworth© - Angel Inn, Yarwell9 - 14 May The Dead Rabbits, The Nuggets &From The Sticks - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

12 MayRamshackle Serenade - 9pm - Woolpack, Stanground

12 May The Ghost Repeaters - Angel Inn, Yarwell12 May Disco/Karaoke - Blue Boar, Eye18 May RockIt - Blue Boar, Eye19th May James Edmonds - Ruddy Duck, Peakirk19 MayKat Moore & Ian Graham - Woolpack, Stanground

19 May Glass Heart - Angel Inn, Yarwell26 May On The Ceiling - Blue Boar, Eye26 May Les Woods - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

1 June Children of the Revolution - Ploughman,Werrington

2 June 101 Proof, - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

3 June Nuggets - Ploughman, Werrington

4 June Filthy Lucre - Ploughman, Werrington

9 June Overdubs - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

9 June The Helix - Angel Inn, Yarwell16 JuneConspiracy Club - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

23 June 101 PROOF - Angel Inn, Yarwell30 June Emerald - Prince of Wales Feathers, Castor

Please send any details for June / July gigs to [email protected] before 15th May.

Rhythm and Booze

GIG GUIDE

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Gig Guide | 33

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3 Cask Ale pumps with atleast 1 LocAle and others

from far and wide

Food served every day • Sunday CarveryFunction rooms available to hire for all occasions

Karaoke every Friday 8.00pmQuiz Night every Wednesday 8.30pm start

Freehouse

London Street, Whittlesey PE7 1BH Tel: 01733 351001

Comedy Evening Friday May

4th

3 Comedians

and Compare

8.30 Start

£10 per Ticket

The Directors and Staff at Elgoods Brewery would like to thank Nick and Mandy for over 12years of loyal and dedicated service at the Waggon and Horses at Milton where together they havebuilt an excellent reputation for good food and high quality real ales. Nick and Mandy have now

decided to call time and we all wish them a long and happy retirement.

Elgoods and Sons Ltd are looking for new tenants to take up the mantle at the Waggon and Horses and interested parties are invited to contact Robin Hotson at the brewery on 01945 583160 or email [email protected]

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~ Eye ~Blue Boar

46 High Street, Eye, Peterborough PE6 7UY Tel: 01733 222234

Selection of Real Ales includingOakham Ales

Sky Sports • Pool Table • Darts

Regular live music and KaraokeBar snacks available Tuesday to

Saturday lunchtimesHome cooked Sunday LunchesSmall conference room available

(Weddings,Christenings and business facilities)

FREE

National Pub of the Year 2012 | 35

The Bridge End Inn, Ruabon, Wrexham, has wonthe coveted title, less than three years after it wasre-opened by the McGivern Family.

The success is all the more remarkable since thefamily were told that there was little demand forreal ale in the area.

Now home to a microbrewery, McGivern Ales,seven real ales and a selection of local ciders areavailable at any one time. Real Ales from over 100Breweries have featured since opening, with theemphasis on local produce.

Licensee Peter McGivern said that the pub was afamily business and a labour of love. They hadstrived to create a pub that was not focused onfood and that they would enjoy visiting. They had

put the product first and offered a wide range ofbeer styles, he added.

The other finalists were: The Engineers Arms, Henlow, Bedfordshire;Front, Custom House Quay,Falmouth, Cornwalland The Swan with Two Necks, Pendleton,Lancashire.

First ever Welsh Pub to winCAMRA’s National Pub of the Year!

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Nene Valley BreweryThe brewery website http://www.nenevalley-brewery.com has been updated to show the siteand address of the new brewery: Nene ValleyBrewery, Oundle Wharf, Station Road, Oundle,Peterborough, PE8 4DB. The premises areempty at the moment but it is likely that theexisting plant will be relocated in early spring.The specification of the new vessels has had to bechanged to more realistically fit the accommoda-tion. Delivery is not likely before July. Demand iscurrently outstripping supply with BSA provingthe more popular of the offerings. Rupert is stilllooking for more pubs to supply in and aroundPeterborough and when I spoke to him headvised that he was delivering to the Hand andHeart shortly.

Melbourn BreweryThere has been no change to the brewery. At themoment tours of the brewery are restricted asthere is no permanent tenant in the pub, whousually conducts tours when there is no brewingin progress. A relief has been in since earlyDecember and although the post has been opensince then they have not been able to fill it. Tourswill only run if there are enough people to justifythe cost for someone to come down from York.

Blue BellDraught beer sales are now mainly confined toprivate parties with a few sales to pubs. Fiveaccounts have been lost recently due to closures.Bottled beer sales however are doing well, espe-cially to the Lincoln Co-Operative. Theexperimental bottling of Frightened Pheasant wasinconclusive.

Emma hopes to brew the beer in April / Mayand then plans to bottle it with a view to furthersales with Lincoln Co-Operative. The brewery isdoing OK but has experienced a slow down inrecent weeks. Emma is still very enthusiasticabout the brewery and is quite happy with theway things are going. There are no new beers onthe horizon at the moment.

ElgoodsThe main item of news is the launch of theElgoods Dog Decathlon. A range of 10 beers avail-able on a monthly basis and starting with KickBoxer in March. The names are all puns on dognames matched with various sporting events.Posters are up in the tied estate showing thebeers. There is an incentive scheme for Landlordswho sell the beers throughout the year with bigdiscounts on the December beer. Over 50 freetrade accounts have already signed up for theseries. Black Eagle Imperial Russian Stout makesa return being brewed at the end of March withthe slightly altered name of Double Eagle ImperialRussian Stout at 7% They are also hoping tobottle this beer.

The brewery is commemorating the DiamondJubilee by re-naming Pageant during May andJune as Royal Pageant with a special pumpclip.

Tydd SteamBeartown at 4.5% was brewed for the Straw Bearfestival. Swedish Blonde is making a return with anamended recipe and a new pump clip. The beerwill be 4.1% January’s sales were up on last yearbut the last couple of weeks have seen a slow-down, partly due to the weather. The only othernews of note is the website is being up-dated.

Hopshackle Brewery - Market DeepingA new beer available now is Hopshackle AmericanPale Ale 4.3% which uses Citra and Cascadehops. A well balanced amber ale with fruityflavours and aroma, a malty background with aclean bitter hoppy finish. Due to Amarillo Hopsnot being available Marillo 3.8% is not currentlybeing brewed. Nigel has made a new beer calledHopshackle Simmarillo 3.8% the same recipe asMarillo but using Simcoe hops instead, verysimilar citrus fruity flavours to Amarillo with hintof pine. Black Mule 7% will also be available inApril. It is a cross between a porter and an impe-rial IPA currently undergoing 6 weeksconditioning.

Local Brewery Update36 | Brewery News

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Food & Drink Awards, East Midlands Winners 2011Peterborough CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2010

Three ales served from the likes of Oakham,Digfield, Tydd Steam and Black Sheep

Continental Lagers • American bottled beerOpening Times

12 midday to 11.30pm, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday,

12 midday to 2am Friday and Saturday, closed Tuesday.

9A North St, Stamford Lincs PE9 1EL01780 765888

www.mamaliz.co.uk

Please see website for our wide range of music entertainments for all ages and tastes

Please support our advertisers | 37

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The Jolly Sailor, 43 Great Whyte,

Ramsey PE26 1HH

Tel 01487 813388

Traditional Town Centre Pub with real fireFive Real Ales and Stowford

Press CiderIncluding Abbot, Wherry, Bombardier

and two changing guest ales

Good Sized Car Park • Heated Smoking Shelter

Now Serving Freshly prepared foodMonday 12 to 2.30pm

Tuesday to Friday 12 to 2.30pm and 6 to 9pmSaturday 12am to 9pm

Sunday 12 to 4Booking is advisable

Broad Street, Stamford - 01780 763426 A FREE HOUSE

Open all day - every day

Six Real Ales available • Large Beer Garden

Food Served Monday - Friday 12 - 2pmSaturday 12 - 2.30pm

Burghley Festival of MusicJubilee weekend

Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd JuneBands and DJs • Hog Roast or BBQ available on the Saturday.

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Community Pubs Month | 39

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Real traditional ale house in the heart of the city

North Street, behind Westgate House, Peterborough Tel: 01733 746370www.facebook.com/ostrichinn

5 Regularly Rotating AlesOpening Times :- 11am -11pm Monday to Thursday, 11am -1am Friday to

Saturday, 12 - 11pm Sunday,

Live Music Fridays and Saturdays - ring or check facebook for details!

IN THE CAMRAGOOD BEERGUIDE 2012

CAMRA is to launch a new national pubscampaign, Community Pubs Month, to championlocal pubs which are at the heart of countlesscommunities across Britain.

The aims are to increase footfall in pubs, toencourage more publicans to promote new orexisting events to attract further trade, and tospread awareness of community pubs throughoutthe media.

The dedicated website – www.communitypubsmonth.org.uk – is geared up

to give pubs free publicity through listing anyevents licensees have planned throughout themonth. Pubs signing up will be given free promo-tional material to help promote their events,whether it be the regular weekly pub quiz or a bigone-off charity bash to get the communitytogether. Kicking off proceedings on Monday April2nd with Community Pubs Day, CAMRAbranches across Britain will be organising a widerange of events to promote their local pubs duringthe Month.

Tony Jerome, CAMRA Head of Marketing, said:‘We realise it’s a tough time out there for pubs at

the moment – as CAMRA’s new pub closurefigures highlighted last week – and this is whyCAMRA has put a large amount of campaigningfunds into this initiative to help pubs market them-selves during April.’

CAMRA launch national pubs campaign

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Competition

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Competition | 41

Bruce Roan, landlord of the Letter B inWhittlesey has set the readers of Beer Around ‘Erean hisotrical pub question with a prize of a gallonof real ale for the winner.

The prize will go to the person who can namethe most landlords and their respective pubs inthe below picture.

The original photograph below was supplied byLisa Whitwell whose father, Dick Franklin is in thepicture.

Bruce also has this message - ‘When this photo wasfirst shown in the Letter B their were two CAMRA booksfrom the seventies and eighties here.. Could the person whoborrowed them, please return them!’

Please send your answers on a postcard / letterto: Bruce Roan, Letter B, 53 - 57 Church Street,Whittlesey, Peterborough PE7 1DE by the 10thMay 2012.

The winner will be announced in the next issueof Beer Around ‘Ere. Good Luck!

BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:51

www.real-ale.org.uk


Exotic Thai Food & Handcrafted Beers

Europe’s Largest Brew Pub80 Westgate, Peterborough PE1 2AA

Tel: 01733 358500 Web: www.oakhamales.com

17/34 Pint Polypinsof ale available forall your personal or

business events

BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:51

The team have 41 fixtures for the 2012season, including ten midweek games inthe newly formed Vitas Premier League

T20 along with Bourne, Ketton, Castor &Ailsworth, Burghley Park and Barnack. Newweekend opposition for the season include Pytchleyin Northamptonshire and Leverington in Norfolk.

Thanks to Orton Park Cricket Club, we will beplaying more “home” fixtures with six mid-weekand four weekend games at their Orton ground.We are always looking for new players, so if you

want a game please contact me on 07809629241or email [email protected].

Upcoming fixtures:Date TeamAprilSun 15 Orton Park Sun 22 Old EastoniansThur 26 WansfordSun 29 Pytchley

MaySun 6 IslipSun 13 ClipstonThur 17 Ketton CC*Sun 20 Ashton WoldThur 24 Barnack*Sun 27 LeveringtonThur 31 Burghley Park

JuneSun 3 UpwoodTue 5 Castor & AlisworthThur 7 Bourne CC*Sun 10 Welney CroftThur 14 BarnackSun 17 Rushden WanderersThur 21 Burghley Park*Sun 24 Wakerley & BarrowdenThur 28 Castor & Alisworth* Denotes home fixture

Tour:Due to pitch and date availability the plannedtour to Prague has been cancelled and a new onearranged for Oxford in July. Many thanks go toour Skipper Nick Bradbury and Oxford “MatchFixer” Helen Dugdale who, in a couple of days,managed to arrange three games:University Press at Jesus College OxfordBodleian Library at Brookes UniversityHarwell International Cricket Club at Harwell

The fifteen tourists have been picked and arelooking forward to a long weekend of samplingbeer and playing cricket.

Matt MaceClub Secretary

www.real-ale.org.uk

CAMRA Cricket | 43

Peterborough CAMRA Cricket

Hand made in CastorMob: 07828 048 664 www.castorales.co.uk

now only available in Brighton

Melton Mowbray Beer of the festival 2011

SILVERAWARD

Falcon Stout

Falmouth Beer Fest Best Bitter Category 2011

BRONZEAWARDOld Scarlett

BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:51

J C o

A A

Y

T Surname

F

D

A

Postcode

E

T

P

T Surname

F

D

Direct Debit Non DD

S £22

(

£25 £27

(

Date

A

BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:51

Instruction to your Bank orBuilding Society to pay by Direct Debit

Please fill in the whole form using a ball point pen and send to:Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. 230 Hatfield Road, St.Albans, Herts AL1 4LW

Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building SocietyTo yteicoS gnidliuB ro knaBreganaM eht

Address

Postcode

Name(s) of Account Holder

Bank or Building Society Account Number

Reference

Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.

Branch Sort Code

Service User Number

FOR CAMRA OFFICIAL USE ONLYThis is not part of the instruction to your Bank or Building Society

Membership Number

Name

Postcode

Instructions to your Bank or Building SocietyPlease pay Campaign For Real Ale Limited Direct Debits from the accountdetailed on this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct DebitGuarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Campaign For RealAle Limited and, if so will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Signature(s)

Date

This Guarantee should be detachedand retained by the payer.

The Direct DebitGuarantee

This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay by Direct Debits.

If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed.If you request The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request

If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society

- If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when The Campaign For Real Ale Ltd asks you to

You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society.Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

9 2 6 1 2 9

Join CAMRA TodayComplete the Direct Debit form below and you will receive 15 months membership for the price of 12 and a fantastic discount on your membership subscription.

Alternatively you can send a cheque payable to CAMRA Ltd with your completed form, visit www.camra.org.uk/joinus or call 01727 867201. All forms should be addressed to Membership Department, CAMRA, 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, AL1 4LW.

Your Details

Title Surname

Forename(s)

Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy)

Address

Postcode

Email address

Tel No(s)

Partner’s Details (if Joint Membership)

Title Surname

Forename(s)

Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy)

Direct Debit Non DD

Single Membership £20 £22

(UK & EU)

Joint Membership £25 £27

(Partner at the same address)

For Young Member and concessionary rates please visitwww.camra.org.uk or call 01727 867201.

I wish to join the Campaign for Real Ale, and agree toabide by the Memorandum and Articles of Association

I enclose a cheque for

Signed Date

Applications will be processed within 21 days

12/10

Campaigning for Pub Goers& Beer Drinkers

Enjoying Real Ale& Pubs

Complete the Direct Debit form below and you will receive 15 months membership for the price

A Campaign of Two Halves

Join CAMRA today – www.camra.org.uk/joinus

BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:51

The next issue of BAE will beavailable on: 1st JuneWe must have your stories,news and advertisements by: 4th MayLate copy cannot be guaranteed entry.

Please contact Chris Shilling01778 421550Mobile: 07736 635 916 or Jane Michelson01778 420888Mobile: 07732 [email protected] all of your advertising needs.

Steve Williams [email protected] or 0775 6066 503 isalways looking for pub news.

Please send stories and othercopy to [email protected]

Beer Around ‘Ere is published by Peterborough &District Branch of CAMRA Copyright © 2012, TheCampaign for Real Ale Ltd.

Views or comments expressedin this publication may not necessarily be those of theEditor or of CAMRA.

46 | Contact Details

Beer Around ’Ere

Editor: Jane [email protected]

Distribution: David Murray(See Chairman on the left)

Advertising: Jane Michelson01778 420888Mobile: 07732 [email protected]

Magazine & AdvertisingProduction: Dan Speed0845 838 [email protected]

Postal Distr: Daryl Ling01733 235881

Brewery Liaison Officers

Blue Bell: John Hunt07923 489917Castor Ales: Mike Lane07850 334203Digfield: Dave Waller01733 348760Elgoods: John Hunt07923 489917Hopshackle: Noel Ryland07944 869656Melbourn: Lew Clayton01780 765063Nene Valley: Bob Melville07941 246693Oakham Ales: Dave Allett07966 344417Tydd Steam: John Hunt07923 489917Ufford Ales: Matt Mace07809 629241

Trading Standards08545 040506www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

Check out our websites at:www.real-ale.org.ukwww.beer-fest.org.uk

Branch Committee

Secretary: Dickie Bird4 Cissbury Ring,WerringtonPeterborough, PE4 6QH01733 574226 (tel & fax)07731 993896 [email protected]

Chairman: David Murray01733 [email protected]

Treasurer: Paul Beecham01733 31198107710 0086930870 7620848 (fax)[email protected]

Vice Chair: John Hunt07923 [email protected]

Social Sec: John Hunt07923 [email protected]

Pubs Officer: Steve Williams07756 [email protected]

Press Officer: Karl Simpson07737 [email protected]

Young Members: Katie Barrett07581 [email protected]

Membership: Steve Saldana07988 [email protected]

Festival Org: Mike Lane07850 [email protected]

LocAle Officer: John Rice07759 [email protected]

Webmaster: Harry [email protected]

Gre

pe

reg

BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:51

Sky Sports

Happy Hour Mon - Fri, 5-7pm

Live Entertainment

Karaoke every Sunday with Mighty Mouth Trev

Join our Facebook group The Ploughman

Staniland Way, Werrington centre PE4 6NA Tel: 01733 327696

Your Award Winning local withSEVEN Real Ales available

from £2.00 a pint!

www.savetheploughman.com

Your Award Winning local withSEVEN Real Ales available

from £2.00 a pint!

JUBILEE WEEKENDJUBILEE

WEEKEND1-4 June • BBQ & Live Music(See Rythm and Booze section)

THE DRAGONDiamond Jubilee Beer Fest1-4 June • 18+ Beers & Ciders

THE DRAGONDiamond Jubilee Beer Fest1-4 June • 18+ Beers & Ciders

BBQ AND LIVE MUSICFriday 1st June - KaraokeSaturday 2nd June - Hooker

Monday 4th June - Citizen Smith

Hodgson Centre, Hodgson Ave PE4 5EG Tel: 01733 578088

Great real ales from £2.20

per pint, quality wines,

regular events and always

a warm welcome!

BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:51

Agreat welcome awaits you at The Farmers, Yaxley.We are famous for our fresh vegetables and great carverymeats, succulent and served with all the trimmings, thenfinished off with a tantalising hot or cold dessert!

Check out our lunch time grill menu’s and our ever changing specials boards. Put it all together with three fine cask ales and you have the perfect place toenjoy dinner with friends or a family celebration. Wehave a self contained function suite which is ideal forparties, weddings and all of life’s celebrations.

So if you’ve not been before give us a try and you’ll bepleasantly surprised.

More than just a Carvery!

At Least Three

Real Ales!

200 Broadway, Yaxley Tel: 01733 244885Email: [email protected]

Open Every Day10am - 5.30pm All Day Menu & Coffee

Midday - 2:30pm Carvery & Specials Menu

5:30pm - LATE Carvery & Grill Menu

Sunday Open From 12 Noon - 9pm

All Day Carvery

Big

Breakfas

t

every Sat 8 to 11am

Help yourself from the carvery,

as much as you can eat for

only £5.9

5!

BAE 164 Prog_Layout 1 26/03/2012 09:51

bae 164 - apr 2012

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