beer lines - issue 6 - july/august/september 2014

WWW.CAMRAHANTSNORTH.ORG.UK

FREEpleasetake a copy

beerlinesthe magazine of the North Hampshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale

ISSUE 6 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2014

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In This Issue...• Pub Focus: Lardicake, Andover• Sherfield Village Brewery• Mild Goose Chase

... & LOADS MORE

Issue 6 | SUMMER 2014North Hampshire Branch of CAMRA beerlinesw

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.ukIssue 6 | SUMMER 2014North Hampshire Branch of CAMRA beerlines

3

EditorJim Turnere: [email protected]

Branch ChairmanCommittee post currently vacant

Branch Secretary Michael Hodsone: [email protected]

All officers can be contacted securely through our website (see below):Pubs and Clubs Officer - Andy WoottenMembership Secretary - Brenda CrossBranch Contact / Festival Organiser - Phil MyattSocial Secretary - Dave NewmanBranch Treasurer - Doug CrossWebmaster - Ian ButlerWest of Area (sub-branch) / Regional Director - John Buckley

Web: www.camrahantsnorth.org.ukTwitter: @CamRAHantsNorthFacebook: ‘North Hampshire CAMRA’

The Editor reserves the right to amend or shorten contributions for publication. All editorial copyright © North Hampshire CAMRA 2014

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this publication are those of their individual authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Editor, branch committee or the Campaign for Real Ale nationally. North Hampshire CAMRA accepts no liability in relation to the accuracy of advertisements; readers must rely on their own enquiries. It should also be noted that acceptance of an advertisement in this publication should not be deemed an endorsement of quality by North Hampshire CAMRA.

© 2014 Capital Media Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be transmitted, reproduced, recorded, photocopied or otherwise without the express written permission of the copyright holder.

PUBLISHED BY Capital Media Group2 Halifax Court, Fernwood Business Park Cross Lane, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, NG24 3JPt: 01636 302 302 e: [email protected]

Branch Contacts

Campaign for Real Ale Ltd.230 Hatfi eld Road, St. Albans, Herts, AL1 4LWt: 01727 867 201 e: [email protected]

Trading Standards (Hampshire)Montgomery House, Monarch Way, Winchester SO22 5PWt: 01962 833620 e: [email protected]

I t’s beer festival season again and this August is when the Great British Beer Festival takes place at Olympia, London

from 12-16 August. Arguably the greatest festival of beers in the world, the GBBF is a must for all serious beer lovers. www.gbbf.org.uk

Locally from 3-5 October Basingstoke will again host the Hampshire OctoberFest but at its new venue, the grounds of the Basingstoke Sports & Social Club.

Nationally the Government now plans to introduce a new Statutory Code and Pubs Adjudicator which will ensure that publicans are treated fairly and will crack down on sky-high rents and beer prices charged by the big pub companies. Publicans could see the price they pay for beer fall by up to 60p a pint if the new Adjudicator forces the big pubcos to match open market prices. As a result we could see cheaper pub prices for customers, more investment in pubs and ultimately fewer pub closures.

CAMRA now has over 162,000 members. If you are passionate about saving Britain’s pubs, our real ales and our breweries, please fi ll in the membership form on page 19. Alternatively you can join online by visiting www.camra.org.uk/joinus or by calling 01727 867201. Better still, turn up at one of our branch meetings or socials (see Branch Diary in this issue).

And lastly the branch now has a new secretary, Michael Hodson, who bravely volunteered to take on the post at our branch meeting in May at the Great Western Hotel Basingstoke. Welcome to the committee Michael, we’re sure you will achieve great things.

Cheers!Jim Turner (Magazine Editor, North Hampshire CAMRA)

Editor’s ShoutA warm welcome to you

Locally from 3-5 October Locally from 3-5 October


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Unit 19 Easter Park, Silchester RG7 2PQ. Tel: (0118) 9701837

Email: [email protected]

SAVING THE WORLD FROM

MEDIOCRE BEERSS t r i k i n g l y G o o d

LANDLORDS & LANDLADIES When you choose Wild Weather Ales...

• We promise you great beer every time you order

• We promise we will never let you downWhy not give us a try!

Visit our Brewery Shop • Shop Online • Join Our Beer Club

Find out more at www.wildweatherales.com

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Buses to PubsA great way of campaigning

Unit 19 Easter Park, Silchester RG7 2PQ. Tel: (0118) 9701837

Email: [email protected]

SAVING THE WORLD FROM

MEDIOCRE BEERSS t r i k i n g l y G o o d

LANDLORDS & LANDLADIES When you choose Wild Weather Ales...

• We promise you great beer every time you order

• We promise we will never let you downWhy not give us a try!

Visit our Brewery Shop • Shop Online • Join Our Beer Club

Find out more at www.wildweatherales.com

Recently North Hampshire CAMRA branch committee member Doug Cross took part in the second ‘Bus to the Pub’ sponsored by

North Manchester CAMRA. Promoting drinking in pubs, it was an hourly scheduled twenty-eight-mile circular service stopping at 12 specifi c points giving easy access to over 20 real ale hostelries.

The service was well supported and attracted many non-CAMRA punters. Comments were invariably positive. Your correspondent visited eight pubs and sampled a dozen different beers including several milds. All in all an excellent day out and a great way of campaigning.

Much nearer home a similar event is being held on Saturday 19th July when the Hants and Surrey Bristol RE Group will be holding a ‘Classic Bus and Country Pub Running Day’.

Based on routes from Alton the services go to many pubs not normally accessible by public transport. All services are free but donations are welcome and a booklet detailing the vehicles and timetables is available for £6.50. There are two feeder services from Basingstoke (bus stops

adjacent to railway station) at 10:00 and 10:45 returning from Alton at 19:40 and 20:20. More details can be found at www.bristol-re.moonfruit.com

This will be the fi fth year that this increasingly popular event has been held and I have attended them all. A highly recommended day out. See you there?

Doug Cross

My Pint of ViewWe want future issues of Beer Lines to include articles written by members of the licensed trade. So, if you are a pub owner, tenant, lessee, manager, bar person, brewer…* and you feel you have something to say, about the pub trade generally, or your pub situation particularly,

please send a Word file to [email protected].

Articles should be no longer than 500 words and can be accompanied by a high-resolution photograph if desired. Only one article will be published per issue. Copy date for the October 2014 issue is the end of August.* or even a representative of a pub company!


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Local Branch AwardsBranch Pub of the Year 2014: Swan Hotel, Kingsclere

Branch Club of the Year 2014: Odiham & Greywell Cricket Club

Alistair and Sarah Mclaren took over the Swan almost 25 years ago and have been a stalwart of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide

ever since, always keeping a good selection of local ales in top condition. It came therefore as a surprise to fi nd that after all those years that this was the fi rst time of being voted CAMRA North Hampshire’s Pub of the Year.

Although excellent food is available Monday to Saturday at the Swan, the kitchens are closed on a Sunday and therefore it was decided that Sunday 7 April would be a good time to present the award, the bar being full of regulars enjoying an afternoon pint. So we rallied a few members together to join the assembled audience to enjoy the hospitality and raise a glass to a great pub.

Another win for this great friendly club, which won the branch Club of the Year back in 2011. Unfortunately it was forced to close

its doors after fi re ripped out the heart of the old timber building during a botched burglary. After lots of hard work and fundraising a new brick clubhouse rose from the ashes. It was re-opened in July 2013 at a ceremony with Sir Tim Rice as the guest of honour. The bar is now smart and

modern and plays host to two ales from sponsor Andwell Brewing Company as well as guest beers from further afi eld. The club is also an entrant in the current CAMRA Good Beer Guide. The staff are amongst the friendliest and welcoming you will fi nd and CAMRA card-holders have automatic guest membership. We arranged to make the presentation to the bar manager Donna Munt at the start of our branch wander around Odiham and North Warnborough on Saturday 12 April 2014. The event was very well supported by CAMRA guests and by Club committee and members. You may even have seen the report in the local press.

It is anticipated that Andwell Brewery will be a sponsor of the Club’s 250th Anniversary Festival which will start on 31 July with a match against several former Test cricketers. It will also include a game against Sir Tim Rice’s ‘Heartbreaks’ eleven.

It is with much sadness that we have to tell you that Donna Munt passed away on Saturday 7th June. Donna will be very much missed by her family (Nigel, Kim & Kyran) as well as her many friends and colleagues.

Branch Pub of the Year 2014: Swan Hotel, Kingsclere

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Congratulations to both these award winners, your accolades are well deserved.

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A traditional pub in Andover, one of the few remaining that serve real ale. We pride

ourselves on ensuring our customers happiness and our top quality ales.

• Real Ales •• Sports TV • Pool Table •• Pub Garden • Real Fire •

• Live Music •

19 Adelaide Road, Andover, SP10 1HF

Opening HoursMon - Thurs: 11am - 11pm

Fri & Sat: 11am - 2am • Sun 12 noon - 11pm

0 1 2 6 4 3 9 4 8 1 0

• League Quiz Team • Darts Team •• Cribbage Team •(All teams meet weekly)

LARDI CAKETHE


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If you have any snippets of information about your locals (closures, openings, owner-changes etc) please get in touch to let others know.

The Three Barrels, formerly a Marston’s pub in Winklebury, Basingstoke, is to be demolished and turned into fl ats. (DD)

The Way Inn, Basingstoke, has reverted back to its original name of the Rising Sun and been given a complete makeover by Enterprise Inns prior to trying to persuade someone to take it on. Some might think it odd that during the last licensee’s tenure, Enterprise refused to maintain the exterior of the building... (JT)

The Swan, Kingsclere, a current Good Beer Guide entry, has been sold to a hotel group, believed to be Longshot Country Inns. The pub closed at the end of May for around fi ve weeks for refurbishment. The hotel chain is also believed to own the George in Odiham. (NB)

The Popinjay, Abbey Road, Popley, Basingstoke reopened for business on 15 May. (DD)

It’s now offi cial, the 2014 OctoberFest will be held in the grounds of the Basingstoke Sports & Social Club in the fi rst week of October. See Branch Diary on page 11 for more details.

The Weyhill Fair, a few miles west of Andover, has reopened as a Lazlong pub although it is still a Fuller’s tied house.

The former Hammer & Tongs pub in South Ham, Basingstoke is to be converted to a Morrison’s supermarket despite opposition from local people. (JB)

By the time this Beer Lines is published, it is highly likely that Sue Condron, licensee of the Bounty Inn, Basingstoke, will have left the pub. Sue leaves with all good wishes from her staff and regulars. The licensees from the Jolly Farmer, Cliddesden will be running the pub until at least September when the lease is due for renewal. (JT)

The Soldiers Return, Basingstoke goes from strength to strength. At the end of May the pub celebrated the fi rst anniversary of their re-opening in May 2013. The occasion was marked by a weekend beer festival which included a good showing of beers from local breweries including Longdog, Andwell, Upham, Triple fff, and Wild Weather. (JT)

The Red Lion, Water End, on the A30 (opposite Priddy’s Transport) is to re-open on 1 July after being closed for some time. Newly re-surfaced double car park, refurbished exterior, soft furnishings visible through windows. No further information at the time of writing but watch this space. (DD)

The Tavern, Andover closed on 15 June. Word on the street is that it is not likely to reopen. (ARYT)

Bar ChatNews & gossip around the North Hampshire branch area

Quick QuizEach clue has a double meaning but for the same word answer. Rearrange the first letter of each to find a famous strange old Yorkshire brew (8 letters).

1. Part of a top shoe2. Swirl round a man3. Kill a lolly4. Two fruits5. Hard type of music6. Deceitful rest7. Paint over your fur8. Take the right amount

Brenda Cross

For answers see page 14

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Authors: Roger Searing, Pat Minter and Tadley & District History Society

Yes, I know, you didn’t think I could read, so how can I do a book review? Well, my wife Julia bought it; she likes walking and drives

through Tadley on the way to work every day. I saw it and questioned the chances of a nice walk in Tadley. How wrong could I have been?

This is now one of our favourite books to pick a walk from. There are nine walks, including places of historical interest from the Roman amphitheatre at Silchester and the Little London brickworks to the site of the Bleriot plane crash at Charter Alley in 1916. More importantly there is at least one pub on seven of the walks and Walk 1 is only a short stride from the New Inn. Walk 9 covers a conservation area and the former site of the

Fighting Cocks. There is a tremendous amount of historical reference and supporting photographs as well as clear directions and maps. Our copy was bought from the Waterstones Basingstoke for £8.

Phil Myatt

Book ReviewTadley Tracks, Tadley Facts

Published by Tadley and District History Society in 2012. ISBN 978-0-9537043-4-7


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Roll up, Roll up to

12-16th Aug - Olympia, London

the

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www.gbbf.org.uk

900Tantalising beers, ciders and

perries to try

proudly presentsThe Campaign for Real Ale

50,000Thrill seekers

expected through the door

GreatBritishBeerFestival GBBF

British Breweries represented at this beer extravaganza

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Details correct at time of print. For up to date information visit www.gbbf.org.uk

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Saturday 5th July Lowde Beer festival, Hartley Wintney. 50 real ales (many local) plus music. www.lowdefest.com

Sunday 6th JulyFamily Fun Day at Andwell Brewing Company, Andwell, Hook, Hampshire RG27 9PA. Tel: +44 (0)1256 761044 for details. www.andwells.com.

Saturday 19th JulyClassic Bus and Country Pub Running Day. See article on page 5 in this issue.

Tuesday 29th July Branch meeting at Basingstoke Sports & Social Club. 7.30 pm for 8.00 pm start.

Saturday 9 AugustFleet Lions Pieces of Eight beer festival. www.fl eetlions.org.uk/beerfest

Thursday 14th August Branch trip to Great British Beer Festival, Olympia for the ‘Hat day’. Meet Basingstoke rail station 11.20 am.

Saturday 6th SeptemberReading Ramble. Some really great real ale pubs. Meet Basingstoke Rail Station 11.30 am.

Wednesday 24th SeptemberTax Equality Day. Many pubs will be dropping bar and food prices by at least 7.5% to highlight the disparity between VAT charged to pubs and supermarkets. The latter pay no VAT in respect of food sales whereas pubs pay 20%. Supermarkets take advantage of this to subsidise alcohol prices which is a main cause of 10,000 pubs closing in the last ten years. Wetherspoon pubs will be supporting this day of action as well as hopefully many other pubs. For more information visit www.vatclubjacquesborel.co.uk

Saturday 27th September Sherfi eld-on-Loddon Beer Festival. www.sherfi eldbeerfestival.org.uk.

Friday 3rd - Sunday 5th October Hampshire OctoberFest at Basingstoke Sports & Social Club. Tickets now on sale. See Facebook or visit www.hampshireoctoberfest.co.uk

Diary DatesMore info? [email protected]

For up-to-date news please see website at www.camrahantsnorth.org.uk or email our branch contact Phil Myatt at [email protected] If you would like to have your event/real ale related activities published here please contact the editor at [email protected] for magazine deadlines.

Current Pubs in our area• Mill House, North Warnborough• Overton Memorial Institute (The Stute)• Sun Inn, Dummer• Eagle Inn, Abbotts Ann• The Crown Inn, Upton• Leather Bottle, Mattingley, near Hook• Fur and Feathers, Herriard• Prince Regent, Whitchurch• White Hart, Hook• The Woolpack Inn, Totford• Red Lion, Overton• The Fox, North Waltham• Odiham & Greywell Cricket Club• Derby, North Warnborough• Bourne Valley Inn, St Mary Bourne• Northbrook Arms, East Stratton• Watership Down Inn, Freefolk• Barley Mow, Oakley• White Hart Charter Alley• Plough, Grateley

Visit www.camrahantsnorth.org.uk to see the latest list with a map link


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Some brewers are scientifi c, others are instinctive, but it’s the experimenters who seem to get the biggest kick, producing

their strange but wonderful beers. Peter Cook of Sherfi eld Village Brewery is one of them.

Concocting his own recipes from an anonymous fi ve-barrel plant in a small converted barn area of a farm since May 2011, Peter has, to date, brewed at least 50 different beers, mostly single hop varieties. He brews weekly and has an output of about 60 – 80 casks a month. All his beers are available in nine-gallon casks or bottles to delight local drinkers, many in Reading

where he mainly delivers. The Nags Head and Alehouse are good bets for tasting the Sherfi eld Village Brewery beer on draught and his bottles can be found at the Village Shop in Sherfi eld, the Wine Shop in Hartley Wintney and a new outlet, the Grumpy Goat in Reading.

You can also get Sherfi eld Village Brewery beers at local beer festivals – appearing recently at Reading, Southampton, the Lowde Festival, Bracknell Town and Hartley Wintney Town Football Club Festivals, Ascot and the Basingstoke OctoberFest.

Peter is a one-man band brewery – he brews, bottles, sells the beer and even designs the labels himself. As an accomplished artist he also designed all the Reading Beer Festival logos for the last few years. He occasionally gets help with sales and bottling from his partner but he manages his own production, quality control and choice of output. Having said that, he has recently done

a 4% beer for the Museum of Rural Life in Reading, and last year worked with the Reading University Real Ale Society to devise a beer (called, appropriately, Extra Curricular). He likes to share his love of the brewing and enjoys the fruits of his labours, too.

A major event for him is the annual

Cooking Up Real BrewsThe Alchemist of Sherfield Village

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Sherfi eld on Loddon Beer Festival. This year it’s on Saturday 27 September and is run at the local village hall where it will feature 36 local ales including his own. He is a key organiser and ‘Beer Meister’ for this. I had the pleasure of working with him last year, and found it a very happy and well-run festival. With live music, food and a good positive family atmosphere it is worth a visit. www.sherfi eldbeerfestival.org.uk

So how did it all begin? Whilst down in Dorset Peter got friendly with the Art Brew folk – described as ‘Beer Anarchists’, in some quarters. They encouraged Pete to start up his own brewery. However, things did not go well at the start and it took a year from conception to brewing his fi rst beer, called Hindsight, named, wryly, as a comment on the diffi culties encountered.

He had been promised a grant from the South East Development Agency to fund the fl edgling business but their money ran out so he had to search for private funding. When this was in place, he developed his brewing site – in a farm less than 200 metres from his house. This involved a lot of hard work to get the premises ready.

The brewery has just had its third anniversary but it has not been all plain sailing. He lost a month, the winter before last, through ill health, then in December last year disaster struck during the storms and the brewery roof fell in! Another brewing month was lost, plus later, one day was lost when there was a power cut on a brewing day. Things happen... but despite everything, Peter remains upbeat.

Ironically life is coming full circle as Art Brew have just asked Pete to help them out with some production, so watch out for an interesting collaboration beer in the near future.

His name – Peter Cook? No, no relation and yes, he does get questions such as ‘Where’s Dud?’ Read his website blog and you will get a fl avour of his humour and passion for life. Embodied in one of his beers Wisty (named after E.L.Wisty, Peter Cook’s fl at-capped beer-drinking T.V. sketch character), Pete is not worried about the jibes. But he is deadly serious about his beers – Pioneer, Pilgrim Stout and Mellivora (beer with a hint of honey, using the Latin name of the Honey Badger) are well worth trying, along with Amarillo, Green Bullet and his other single hop series beers. He may be an alchemist but his beers are magical, not chemical. Cooked to please, brewed with love, quaffed easily. www.sherfi eldvillagebrewery.co.uk

Brenda Cross


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The Skewers was built as the estate pub for Riverdene estate, Eastrop, Basingstoke in the early 1960s. Originally one of the

few Watney’s pubs in a town that was all but dominated by Courage, its distinctive modern pyramid-style brick roof and somewhat surprising Edwardian decor in the saloon bar gave the place a very ‘Grandma’s best room’ feel to it. The saloon was accompanied by a public bar and an off-licence at the side that made up for the lack of a local shop on the estate.

Watney’s ceased brewing in the late 1970s and the Skewers, for one year only, actually became an entrant in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide after stocking such rarities as Theakston’s Old Peculier on a regular basis. Time, however, was to be cruel to the Skewers and multiple changes of managers took their toll. This included one manager who invited the regulars to paint the inside of the pub as they supped a pint, with predictably terrible results!

The Skewers’ last licensee was both energetic and full of ideas for his pub, but was battling against the odds with a recalcitrant and unimaginative Pubco freeholder (Blue Star Pub Company Limited) that, although contracted to undertake all the interior maintenance, resolutely refused to do so. In fact the pub went through the last winter period without central heating! This was the last straw and, at the end of the lease in January 2014, the licensee, threw in the towel. This was just as well as the Pubco intended to triple the weekly rental to £1,000 - a totally unrealistic sum!

At the time of writing the Skewers is now empty, it closed the same week as two other pubs

in Basingstoke. It is becoming derelict, the pubco has failed to board up the empty pub, or secure the site, as is the usual practice. All very sad - a cherished local going to rack and ruin. It has been reported, though, that some attempt was made to tidy up the place in early June.

Local people tried to have the pub registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), but initially encountered stone-walling and a level of incompetence by the local council in the realisation of this registration. In fact, this was being so badly delayed, with a number of obstacles being put in the way of resolving the matter, CAMRA head offi ce felt obliged to intervene to remonstrate with the council and to point out their errors in enacting this particular piece of legislation. The latest news is that the council has now ‘decided that the Skewers complies with the listing criteria’ and an ‘entry will be made to the Land Registry’. (See Issue 4 of Beer Lines for more information on ACVs – Ed.)

David Dry

The SkewersShameful decisions, neglect and inaction

Answers to Quick Quiz [on page 8]1. Upper; 2. Eddy; 3. Ice; 4. Pair/pear; 5. Rock; 6. Lie; 7. Coat; 8. Exact. The strange old Yorkshire brew is Peculier (as in Theakston’s old Peculier).

STOP PRESS (5/6/ 14 )Builders are sprucing up the exterior and fi tting new central heating. Pub due to reopen in time for the Soccer World Cup.

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The Old Sawmill, Nyewood,Nr Petersfield, hants GU31 5HA

Telephone: 01730 821 362www.ballards-brewery.co.uk

A selection of draught and bottled real ales

Trade deliveries weekly within 30 miles

Ideal for parties, weddings and functions

Visit our brewery shop - week days 8-4

Free local home delivery!

Online orders and payment(See our website for details)

T h e

CRICKETERS ARMSAn old Drover’s pub with a cosy atmosphere, built in

the 16th century and set in beautiful countryside.

• Good Quality Home Made Traditional English Food• Cask Beers

• Inglenook Fireplace & Wood Burning Stoves• Seperate Dining Room & Bar

• Function Room• Scandinavian Timber Style En-Suite Chalets Available

Clarke's Ln, Tangley, Andover, SP11 0SH01264 730283 • www.thecricketers.eu

Closed Lunchtime, Monday to Thursday


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First, a little background... each May CAMRA celebrates the beer style known as Mild with a national campaign to raise awareness of this

endangered beer. Usually dark, but not always and low in ABV, but not necessarily, mild is, by defi nition, mildly hopped. Mild, though, has a reputation it does not deserve, for example, “all the slops get poured back into the mild cask”. Not true. This may have been a practice that some unscrupulous landlords adopted many years ago, but it was not the norm and certainly would not happen today.

So a quick rundown of the main variants of this style:

· Light Mild, typical of Lancashire and Yorkshire, around 3.5%, mid brown and lightly hopped purely for a little bitterness, for example Robinsons Mild and Timothy Taylor Golden Best.

· Dark Mild, typical of the Midlands, dark almost black in colour, again around 3.5% and lightly hopped, for example M&B Mild, Hobson’s Mild and Mighty Oak Oscar Wilde, a 2011 Champion Beer of Britain winner.

· Victorian Mild, 4.5-6.5%, usually dark/ black/ruby in colour, for example Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild, and Rudgate Ruby Mild, a 2009 Champion Beer of Britain winner.

We met at Longdog Brewery in Basingstoke at noon on Saturday 17 May to have a little tasting session with some bottled milds that I had picked up on my travels. We had Goldmark Ebony mild at 3.5% from Sussex, Castle Brewery Moat mild from Cornwall at 4.4%, Twickenham Honey

Dark at 4.8% and Teighnworthy Martha’s Mild the strongest of the bunch at 5.3%. All had their own character and received differing opinions from the assembled group. Also in the mix was Longdog’s own Hare of the Dog at 3.6%, a Midlands-style mild. This won favour from all and when offered the opportunity to empty the remaining bottles or purchase a pint, everyone went for the latter, so well done Phil from Longdog who brewed the Champion Mild of our tasting session. Leaving the brewery we headed into Basingstoke town on the bus where the Sports & Social Club and the Bounty Inn had both racked some mild for our delight in the form of LocAle Wild Weather Black Night. After a good couple of hours the main group disbanded as the FA cup was kicking off and the remainder managed a couple more visits before bedtime. An excellent day in good company, blessed with sunshine and mild.Phil Myatt

Branch SocialMild Goose Chase

6500+ READERSIf you own or manage a pub, bar or restaurant

and serve real ales, it’s never been easier to get your business in front of more than 6,000

people! Beer Lines distributes to all branch area pubs in North Hampshire and advertising costs

as little as £55 for 3 months.

> CALL 01256 832 832 TODAY

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Like most towns in this country, Andover has lost a number of its pubs in the last few years, even though some appeared to be

viable concerns. Fortunately there are still some pleasant town pubs to enjoy. One of these is the Lardicake in Adelaide Road situated alongside what was once Lardicake Lane. Run by licensees Richard and Christine, the Lardicake has a good regular trade and turns over four regular real ales – Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, Banks’s Mild, Fuller’s London Pride and Coor’s Sharp’s Doom Bar.

Built in 1872 the pub was once known as the Carpenters’ Arms, at a time when various trades would use particular pubs for their meetings. The address was then Rack Close which was before the present Adelaide Road was built. During the nineteenth century the pub was run by George Curtis who had his own brewhouse in the back yard. In 1880 George Curtis became mayor of Andover. It was said that he would call his council colleagues to meetings in the private bar where they would be appraised of his plans of action. Consequently it gained the name the ‘War Offi ce’.

The pub was renamed the Adelaide Tavern probably around the late-nineteenth century and was also acquired by Strong’s of Romsey before the Whitbread ‘Umbrella’ takeover and closure of so many of our breweries, that started in the

1960s. In the late 1970s the then sadly neglected Whitbread pub was bought outright, refurbished and renamed the Lardicake by James Lynch, then CAMRA National Chairman and owner of Bourne Valley Brewery, Andover’s fi rst micro-brewery. The fi rst licensees of the newly-named Lardicake were David and Janet Rayner who were later to become licensees of the Weyhill Fair, but that’s another story.Clive Jones (with additions from Jim Turner)

Pub FocusThe Lardicake, Andover

The history of the Lardicake was covered by H.W. Earney, a local journalist, in his book Inns of Andover fi rst printed in 1955. A later edition was published in 1971 by Holmes & Son, publishers of the Andover Advertiser.


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• 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.

Join CAMRA TodayComplete the Direct Debit form 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.

Instructions to your Bank or Building Society

Please pay Campaign For Real Ale Limited Direct Debits from the account detailed on this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Campaign For Real Ale Limited and, if so will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Signature

Date

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

Postcode

Name

Membership Number

FOR CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALES LTD. OFFICIAL USE ONLYThis is not part of the instruction to your Bank or Building Society.

This Guarantee should be detached and retained by the payer.

Name(s) of Account Holder

Branch Sort Code

Bank or Building Society Account Number

Reference

To the Manager Bank or Building Society

Address

Postcode

Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society

9 2 6 1 2 9

Service User NumberThe Direct Debit

Guarantee

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) _________________________________________________


Single Membership £23 £25(UK & EU)

Joint Membership £28 £30(Partner at the same address)

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

Direct Debit Non DD

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

I enclose a cheque for _________________

Signed ______________________________

Date ________________________________

Applications will be processed within 21 days

Campaigning for Pub Goers& Beer Drinkers

Enjoying Real Ale& Pubs

Instruction to your Bank or Building 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

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

In April, Graham Turner started brewing using his new ten-barrel kit. Their Gold has been temporarily rebadged as Monster Mash. Mash are currently looking for more outlets in the North Hampshire area so if you know of a pub that is looking around please let the brewery know.

Brewery NewsYour local brewery update

Sherfield Village Brewery07906 060429www.sherfieldvillagebrewery.co.uk

Andwell Brewing Company01256 761044 www.andwells.com

Trade at the brewery is good, with recent listings with Mitchells and Butler for the Red IPA. Currently Andwells have their Spring Magic out as a seasonal, this will be replaced with the ever popular Golden IPA in July.

Plans are coming together well for the ‘Andwell Brewery Family Funday’ on Sunday 6 July, with live music from Watch Out, the Hook Eagle Morris Men and much more.

The businesses unit development at the brewery is taking shape with the fi rst tenant moving in, in July. They just happen to be a beer bottling company and this will give the brewery the ability to offer smaller batches of specials in bottles.

Longdog Brewery01256 324286www.longdogbrewery.co.uk

The brewery has received an order to send Brindle Bitter (under the guise of the winning Co-ALE-ition for the Monster Raving Loony Party) to the Stranger’s Bar at the Houses of Parliament. Owner/brewer Phil Robins and wife Lisa are planning to go to London to have their photo taken with local MP Maria Miller while the beer is on the bar.

In May at the Queens Arms, Basingstoke, local CAMRA committee member Phil Myatt presented Phil with the certifi cate for coming 2nd in the Porter category of the London and South East Regional Champion Beer of Britain Competition. This is quite an achievement as the region has a lot of breweries and some superb porters.

A new beer, Kismet, has been brewed for the summer. It’s a refreshing 4.5% golden ale with plenty of bitterness, some fruitiness and a dash of pine.

Wild Weather Ales0118 970 1837 www.wildweatherales.com

Owner and brewer Mike Tempest is actively increasing the number of pubs and clubs where his beer is available, including some London outlets, in addition to the well-established pubs along the M4 corridor. A new beer in process with an imaginative working title of No. 7 (possibly ending up as Raindancer) will use the highly-regarded Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand. If all goes well this new beer will be available for the summer. With the beer festival season kicking off in earnest, now that the summer is here, there is a busy schedule waiting for Wild Weather.

See article on page 12 for current news.

Mash BreweryTwitter - @MashBrewery shop.mashbrewery.com

STOP PRESSNew brewery opened in Hurstbourne TarrantBetteridge’s Brewery

07771 966058 betteridgesbrewery.co.uk

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• 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.

Join CAMRA TodayComplete the Direct Debit form 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.

Instructions to your Bank or Building Society

Please pay Campaign For Real Ale Limited Direct Debits from the account detailed on this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Campaign For Real Ale Limited and, if so will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Signature

Date

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

Postcode

Name

Membership Number

FOR CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALES LTD. OFFICIAL USE ONLYThis is not part of the instruction to your Bank or Building Society.

This Guarantee should be detached and retained by the payer.

Name(s) of Account Holder

Branch Sort Code

Bank or Building Society Account Number

Reference

To the Manager Bank or Building Society

Address

Postcode

Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society

9 2 6 1 2 9

Service User NumberThe Direct Debit

Guarantee

Your Details

Title ____________ Surname ___________________________________

Forename(s) _________________________________________________


Address ____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_______________________ Postcode __________________________

Email address _______________________________________________

Tel No(s) ____________________________________________________

Partner’s Details (if Joint Membership)

Title ____________ Surname ___________________________________

Forename(s) _________________________________________________


Single Membership £23 £25(UK & EU)

Joint Membership £28 £30(Partner at the same address)

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

Direct Debit Non DD

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

I enclose a cheque for _________________

Signed ______________________________

Date ________________________________

Applications will be processed within 21 days

Campaigning for Pub Goers& Beer Drinkers

Enjoying Real Ale& Pubs

Instruction to your Bank or Building 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

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


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Local members Ann and Len Henty recently returned from a visit to Las Vegas where they undertook to sample examples of locally brewed craft ales.

There is more to Las Vegas than gambling, bright lights and fi zzy American lager – the US craft beer explosion is making its mark

even here amongst the neon and the mega casinos.

The aptly named Sin City brewery was one of the early adopters. Situated within the Planet Hollywood casino shopping mall, they have an outlet which opens onto the shopping mall where drinkers can sit as the shoppers walk by. With

room f o r a r o u n d ten bar stools backing onto the walkway, the bar sells fi ve Sin City brews - a lager, an amber Octoberfest beer, a wheat beer, an IPA (described as British style) and a Porter.

The pick of the bunch were the IPA and the Weisse which had quite a delicate orange fl avour, not too wheaty and pleasantly drinkable. The beers are sold in plastic ‘glasses’, which isn’t so good, but you can sit and watch the ceiling, designed to look like the sky, change from sunrise to sunset with the odd fake storm thrown in!

Head over to the Monte Carlo Hotel and you will fi nd a bar cleverly called ‘The Pub’. This is a huge outlet selling over 100 beers, 80 of which are on draught! (Should that be draft? – Ed.) There is plenty of food and numerous sports screens and the beer menu is helpfully divided into 20 different styles. The bar staff are friendly, knowledgeable and will recommend a beer to suit your taste. A stand-out beer was the Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA (7.5%) - a massively hopped beer but with a fresh, clean taste. If your taste sits closer to home, the bottle of Thornbridge Jaipur is available at $24 (approximately £16!).

Banger Brewing on Fremont Street (next to ‘The Heart Attack Grill’)

Viva Las Vegas!Discovering craft beer in the US

a r o u n d

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opened at the end of December 2013. It was started by fi ve friends who were homebrew enthusiasts. After wins in competitions against established breweries (including a win with their rather adventurous beer containing jalapeno peppers) they took the plunge, got the fi nancial backing and rose to the challenge of bringing craft beer to the Vegas crowds. The brewery is an integral part of the pub design, visible through the glass divides where patrons can watch the brewing take place.

Of the ten beers on tap, seven are from their own range of some 25 beers, with another three guest beers from other local brewers. The opportunity of a guided look round the brewery is too good to miss – Nick (one of the partners) was incredibly enthusiastic and proud to take us round, explain the process and answer any questions. The jalapeno beer, El Heffe, is a cloudy white rye pilsner using Mount Hood and Saaz hops and is refreshing with a subtle spice fl avour.

It’s great to see the progress of craft beer starting to encourage drinkers to explore new tastes, and not always accept the same mass-produced, cold, fi zzy offerings that are available in every bar in every state.

There will be challenges, not least in price. As Nick from Banger Brewing explained, craft beer is seen for what it is: a premium product. It’s made with care, attention and passion, and it’s priced accordingly. If you want cheap, there are plenty of massive domestic and global brands churning out their products at a cheaper price. The

contradiction with the UK is marked, in the UK mass-produced lagers are marketed as premium products and are generally priced higher that real ales!

US brewing is changing – the taste offerings are growing – yes, it’s generally served too

cold, and the ABV’s are high compared to the UK, but it’s going in the right direction. Good luck to the teams at Banger and Sin City Breweries, and if you’re in Vegas, pop in and say hello.

www.sincitybeer.comwww.bangerbrewing.com

Ann & Len Henty

brewers. The opportunity of a guided look round


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Start/Finish: George Inn, SP11 6BG (OS Ref SU 422504)Total distance: 2 miles.

Park on the roadside near the George Inn (closed at the time of writing, but if you have any more up-to-date information please let

Beer Lines know – Ed.). With your back to the pub turn right and go up Spring Hill Lane. Continue up the hill for 600 yards. At the T-junction turn left and continue down Baptist Hill to the main road. Opposite is the Coronation Arms (closed Mondays. This comfortable and friendly free house reopened in 2013 after a period of closure. It has a large bar area where up to four real ales are served. Beers available on the day of visiting were Fuller’s London Pride and Hook Norton First Light. Excellent food is served in two smaller rooms.

On leaving the pub turn left then left again up School Lane. At the end of the lane take the footpath left through the gate onto the Test Way. Cross the fi eld to the next gate, cross the next fi eld to another gate and continue on Test Way down the left-hand side of the next fi eld. Cross the road and continue along Test Way. At the next gate bear slightly right across the fi eld to a gate in the corner. Continue walking along the right-hand side of lake. At the junction of paths turn right onto Test Way, follow the path around to the left and after 50 yards take the footpath on the left through the gate. Continue on the path over a

footbridge and walk up to the road. You are now at the Bourne Valley Inn. This comfortable roadside coaching inn serves up to four real ales, has a large garden area, ideal for long summer evenings. With excellent locally-sourced food, this is a pub not to be missed. Real ales on the day were Upham Stakes, Fuller’s London Pride and Coor’s Sharp’s Doom Bar. On leaving the pub turn left and continue along the road past the church to the George Inn and your car.

Geoff King

Pub WalkAround St. Mary Bourne

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beer lines - issue 6 - july/august/september 2014

Documents