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Sussex Drinker Issue 15
Whitbread's Castle Eden brewery is likely to be saved. A consortium of local businessmen has put together a rescue package, including the transfer of various brands from Whitbread. The brewery is likely to revert to its old name of Nimmo's, with brands including Castle Eden, giving it a national presence, and the keg Trophy Special, which is favoured by local working men's clubs. Following recent problems, the Butterknowle range will also be brewed there. The Flowers brewery in Cheltenham is not so fortunate, though, as brewing has now ceased. Although a 6,000-signature petition will be presented to Whitbread, hopes are fading, and the local council is apparently already looking at building offices, shops, bars (fizz-only, no doubt) and a car park on the site. Vaux has also decided to quit brewing and concentrate on retailing, though there are hopes of a management buyout, led by managing director Frank Nicholson. The decision follows months of rumours, ever since new chief executive Martin Grant arrived from the Firkin chain (where he axed the concept of "a brewery in every pub"). The company is willing to sell both Vaux and Ward's breweries, along with the 350 tenanted pubs, and the plans are for the management team to buy all of these, though it is likely that all beers will be brewed in Sunderland, which puts the future of Ward's in doubt. Perhaps one day the bean-counters will realise that tastes aren't the same across the whole country, and that local brews aren't irrelevant - or am I just dreaming?
Arundel Arundel has apparently just changed hands; early reports are that the new owner sees the future as bright. We hope to have more detail next issue. Harveys Harveys have opened their new brewery tap, the John Harvey Tavern, in Bear Lane, Lewes. The building was used as a temporary brewery shop while the existing one was being rebuilt after the fire two years ago. The brewery's XX Mild Ale continues to win awards, taking bronze in the Mild category in this year's Champion Beer of Britain competition - full results on page 17. Dark Star Dark Star beers are continuing to escape the confines of Surrey Street; the Albert in Trafalgar Street is now selling Sunburst - and since it's only a couple of hundred yards away, there shouldn't be any need to worry about whether the beer travels well! Cuckmere Haven We hear that Alan Edgar is no longer brewing the beer himself, instead concentrating on finance (and possibly a second book?) Coming Soon... Australian is clearly the next theme to have caught the minds of the pub companies - Brighton is to get a second one, just a boomerang's throw (well, assuming there weren't any buildings in the way) from the first. The pub will be housed in a converted gymnasium in Duke's Court, at the back of Burger King, who objected that their customers might be subjected to drunken abuse. Plans to convert Brighton's old Astoria cinema into an It's A Scream have taken a step forward; the chain now has planning permission, and a provisional public entertainment licence, which is for a limited period. Pubs in the chain generally have one or two real ales, although generally national brands - Worthington and Bass in one that I visited, and London Pride in another. Fire The Wick Inn, Hove, caught fire in the early hours of August 26, with the fourth floor being badly damaged by smoke; the police are treating the case as arson. Nobody was hurt, and the pub continued trading as normal. The Schooner, Shoreham, also was slightly damaged by a fire upstairs; landlord Ron Hamilton was treated for smoke inhalation. Planning applications Brighton could have a new pub coming soon: a curry pub! Pele's Balti Pub, created by Pele Bains (and nothing to do with football!) would carry on as a curry restaurant after pub closing time; the Coventry pub has apparently been a great success. The former offices of the Brighton & Hove Herald, in Pavilion Buildings, are to be turned into a restaurant and bar, seating about 145 people, and should be called the Ha Ha Bar & Canteen. Volk's Tavern, on Brighton seafront, has been given permission to extend into two adjacent shops. The former Three Crowns Hotel in East Preston may be demolished and turned into flats. Refits The listed Arundel Arms, Ford, has been given permission for alterations to provide bed & breakfast rooms upstairs and an eating area downstairs; the Woolpack, Burgess Hill, which is also listed, has been given permission for a ground floor extension. The Free Butt, Brighton, has been completely refurbished, and now has an upstairs function room/restaurant. The live music continues, and real ale from Arundel Brewery has been added to the pub's previously all-keg range - a definite improvement! Renamings The Crabtree, Shoreham, may change name to the Crab - but Lee and Lorraine want to know what you think first, so drop them a line, ring them (or better still, call in and have a beer at the same time) and let them know your opinion. (The number's 01273 463508, and the pub's on Buckingham Road, Shoreham.) The Lion in Kemptown has also changed name: it appears to be called "???" and no, I'm not sure how you pronounce that either! It's been repainted and looks rather smart. The Greyhound, in Brighton's East Street, is now called the Fish Bowl, with a very aquatic theme, including fish shaped keg fonts! The pub is owned by Zelgrain, who also own the Mash Tun, formerly the Volunteer; managing director Peter Bennett dismissed complaints about the name change, saying that they were not the first people to rename the pub, as it had formerly been the Blue Anchor. CAMRA's Midhurst, Chichester and Bognor branch is now known as Western Sussex branch - which should save me a bit of typing! All Change... The Alexandra in Worthing is now a Punch Taverns leased house. Bill Argent, the lessee, has agreed plans for a refurbishment but promises that the works will not affect the traditional character in any way. A wider range of beers is available to Bill; the Harveys Sussex Best continues, but the King & Barnes seasonal beers are sadly no longer available to him. He hopes to be able to find an Old Ale for the winter. The Gatehouse (formerly the Beechwood), also in Worthing, has been bought by Greene King from the Chapman Group, and has undergone a £350,000 refurbishment. The pub is aimed at the family/food market, but real ale is available in the intimate cellar bar. The George, Rye, has been bought by the Old English Pub Company as part of a package of 40 pubs, restaurants and small hotels, while the Fountain Inn, Ashurst, has been bought by the White family, who previously owned the Gardeners Arms, Ardingly. Alan and Gillian Hicks are now running the Bent Arms, Lindfield, having come from the Cricketers in Epsom and, before that, the Amsterdam, Shoreham. They aim to make the pub a focus for the community. Simon has left the Red Lion at Shoreham, to spend more time on his boat (and presumably to spend less time bent double to avoid banging his head on the ceiling!) Beer quality is still excellent. Over in Brighton, the Lamb & Flag is up for sale. Given that it's next to Churchill Square, we can only hope it won't be turned into yet another rancid theme pub for alcopop-swilling trendies... Awards and Events The Bevendean Hotel, Moulsecoomb, has raised over £10,500 for local charities in the past year, and has now received its second Whitbread Award for Volunteer Effort. The Stanley Arms, Portslade, is keeping up the good work, with the most recent beneficiary being Hearing Dogs for the Deaf, who received £288. Meanwhile, regulars at the Dolphin, Haywards Heath, have raised £450 to buy equipment for Court Meadow School in Cuckfield, which teaches children with disabilities. The pub has recently held a Harvest Festival, with donations of food from customers being given to pensioners at Mayflower Court. A quiz team from the Grenadier, Hove, has won the southeast area final of the Courvosier quiz league, run in Bass pubs. The Basketmaker's Arms in Brighton has also been doing well - the pub was a runner-up in the Gales Quality Awards this year. The Royal Pavilion Tavern, Brighton, scored 100% in a quality award scheme run recently by Bass Leisure Retail. Beer Watch The Vine at Tarring will be taking Harveys Southdown Harvest Ale, followed by the Old Ale, as in previous years; Tony, the manager, has also been given a totally free choice of guest ale by Hall & Woodhouse. Over in Worthing, the Selden Arms has started to regain its early eighties reputation as a genuine freehouse to seek out; the usually have a selection of three ales from local micros such as Arundel, Skinners/Dark Star and Hop Back. Down the road at O'Connor's Bar (formerly the Castle, then the Tap & Tankard) the Scottish Courage beers have been replaced by Harveys Sussex Best and Hop Back Summer Lightning. The pub is not an Irish bar, despite the name! Jonathan, the new owner, is already gaining an enviable reputation for his beer quality. The Scottish Courage beers have been replaced by Harveys Sussex Best and Hop Back Summer Lightning. The pub is not an Irish bar, despite the name! Jonathan, the new owner, is already gaining an enviable reputation for his beer quality. The Fathom & Firkin, also in Worthing, has installed a crazy golf course on the patio! A round costs £2, with tournaments held on Tuesdays. The holes are apparently tricky enough without the aid of the beer... Oops! You may have noticed a bit of an Indian summer this year, not least because the Drinker had two summer issues! Yours truly changed the issue number then completely forgot to change "summer" to "autumn" - duh! (Unfortunately, the weather didn't completely take the hint!) Apologies to Rectory Ales and the Dropped Stitch for the non-inclusion of their adverts in the last issue - we had already gone to press when the copy reached me. And Finally... Pagemaker's spellchecker didn't understand "Whitbread" - and suggested "Heartbreak" as a replacement! Given the recent rash of closures, we think that's pretty appropriate... (Sadly, most of the suggestions for pubs and brewers mentioned here were too libellous to print - especially the pub whose name got changed to a sexually transmitted disease!)
Britain's small independent brewers are hoping that their campaign for a sliding scale of duty might regain impetus following the intervention of Hammersmith & Fulham Labour MP Ian Coleman. The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has been without a friend in Parliament since the death of Ian Mills last year. Now brewing consituents of Mr Coleman - notably Freedom Lager boss Philip Parker - have persuaded him to table an Early Day Motion backing the introduction of progressive duty. Launching the EDM, Mr Coleman's office noted the high fall-out of small brewers last year - one in six, according to SIBA - and expressed fears for the competitiveness of the small independents sector in the face of predatory pricing from big brewers. Mr Coleman said progressive duty would stimulate the growth of the small independent sector, producing a number of key benefits including:
Mr Coleman said: "Unlike US and European markets, where progressive duty exists, UK duty has failed to adapt to changes in the market. The US industry is a useful comparison. Like the UK, industry concentration has taken place and the beer market is dominated by a few big players. "However, through the existence of progressive duty, there are now six times as many US micro or craft brewers as in 1990." SIBA chair Carola Brown of Ballard's Brewery said the association was backing Mr COleman's work by lobbying ministers. But she said it was an uphill struggle to get them to grasp the issues. "We wrote to the small business minister at the Department of Trade and Industry, Barbara Roche, and had a very polite letter back saying it was purely a Treasury matter," said an exasperated Mrs Brown. "But it isn't purely a Treasury matter: it's a DTI matter in two ways, competition policy and small businesses. "It's also an Employment Department and Ministry of Agriculture matter. "Luckily, we also have a friend in Peter Luff, the Conservative chairman of the Agriculture Select Committee, so we hope we can get a bandwagon rolling and finally achieve the one legislative reform which has been our goal since the day SIBA was formed." The Treasury says it is "looking into" progressive duty. Ted Bruning
The Red Lion, at Hooe If I were to be marooned on a desert island, and permitted the luxury of one Sussex pub, the only thing which would stop me taking The Red Lion at Hooe (more correctly, Hooe Common) with me is the fact that my gain would be such an immense loss to the village. The fact that I could often buy local produce therein would doubtless be useful, but I have to respect this oasis of parochial tradition in a desert of urbanity. It would in any case look incongruous amongst palm trees. Built as two houses in 1495, this unpretentious pub plays an integral part in the very life of the village, much as it has done since 1609 when it was first granted a licence as an ale house. More recently in its history, it was run by three generations of the Barton family from 1912, until Keith retired in April 1997. At that point, the current licensees, Andrew and Helen Champion, took over and, being ex-regulars themselves, have managed to keep changes to a minimum. It is still the nerve centre for local activities such as the Hooe vintage car rally, the annual Michaelmas fair; it is the HQ for the Hooe Bonfire Boys, the village sports club and of course the darts team. It is also a regular venue for Hooe Silver Band. Oh yes, and the beer is always excellent. I had my first pint of Bass in there in 1971, and it is the only pub I have been in where the quality of it has been consistently good. In more recent years I have developed a preference for Harveys Sussex Bitter, which is also available, and not surprisingly, that is kept to an equally high standard. Les Clifton, the oldest regular, has been going in there for 71 years, so he would agree with me. A good selection of food is also on offer, "all opening hours", and a vegetarian option is included. The pub has a public bar, saloon bar and a snug. There is also a room upstairs which is usually open to the public, mainly for eating, but doubles as a function room. The snug has an undulating brick floor, which after your 5th pint may present a small personal challenge on the way to the Gents toilet. Also in the snug is a very impressive 3-foot long matchstick model of the Red Lion, built by Keith's Uncle "Sun", some years ago. The saloon bar boasts the original flagstone floor, mostly carpeted, and a real fire in winter, where if you are cold you may sit in one of the inglenook seats for a fast cure. The public bar is smaller and, as you might expect, more basic. The Red Lion is a pub of two gardens. The front one is where the car park/silver band/everything else happens, and has a south aspect, making it ideal for summer lunchtime/early evening festivities. The rear garden, which I must confess I only found out about some 4 or 5 years ago, is reached via the snug. Despite the aviary, it is the quieter (maybe no one else knows about it either) and more suited to solitude. Whether you want to remind yourself how a country village and its pub can still be intertwined, or simply want a very good pint in pleasant and friendly surroundings, make time in your busy life for a visit to the Red Lion. Opening hours; 11-3 and 6-11 Monday to Friday, 11-11 Saturday and 12-10:30 on Sundays. Map Reference TQ 105692; Hooe is on the B2095, northwest of Bexhill. Ken Paris If you find a gem on your travels, why not write about it for the Sussex Drinker? About 400-600 words would be ideal; if you have a photograph of the pub that you could lend us, that would be even better. All photos will be returned.
Next time you order a "home-cooked" Cornish pasty or steak and kidney pie with your pint, make sure you are being served the genuine article, for that little phrase could soon be put under the microscope during a court case in which the difference between "home-made" and "home-cooked" is to be put to the test. A survey in Cornwall revealed that some pubs were buying food from cash and carry stores or national distributors, then cashing in by claiming it was prepared on the premises. Cornwall County Council Trading Standards Department investigated 60 food outlets, including 15 pubs, and discovered that around a third of them were making false claims. Now the department is considering a test case to fix the legal definitions of "home-made" and "home-cooked". When questioned, most landlords freely confessed to the practice during the busy summer months. They did not consider what they were doing was against the law, or the interests of the consumer. However, Dave Philips of Cornwall Trading Standards believes there could be grounds for prosecution or a caution under the Trades Descriptions Act. Everything hinges on the wording used to describe the food. Mr Phillips believes the expression "home-made" could be illegal, while "home-cooked" could pass muster because it could be taken to mean no more than reheating the food on the premises. Cornwall has been in touch with other Trading Standards departments in Suffolk and Warwickshire, where there is also cause for concern. They are looking to see what might be done to combat the problem. Mr Phillips said the issue might have to be decided in court. "We have to make sure we are singing from the same hymn sheet in future," he said, adding his department was keeping a special eye on the Cornish pasty trade, always an important source of revenue to pubs in the tourist county. British Institute of Innkeeping Devon & Cornwall chairman Keith de Bruin said he insisted members followed very strict rules on passing off bought-in food as home-made. "Although some do buy food from outside sources, they do not claim otherwise," he said. "I am sure items like pies or pasties would never be described as home-made or home-cooked if they were not." Roy Lipscombe
A CAMRA petition, protesting at the axing of the historic Morrell's Brewery of Oxford, gathered more than 5,000 signatures. The petition was handed in to marketing manager Wilma James - but asset-stripping chief executive Ken Hodgson was unmoved and continues to deny that the brewery is profitable. Some 20 buyers are on the shortlist to buy the city-centre brewery and its 130 pubs, but all Morrells' management will reveal is that none of them is interested in keeping the brewery open. The company has rejected out of hand two perfectly good offers that would have saved the brewery. The sale, according to an inside source, was spurred by beneficiaries of family trusts wanting to cash in their shareholdings and, although the sale could raise as much as £45 million, the source warned that accountants, consultants and the taxman were owed so much of the money that the biggest windfall any beneficiary could expect would be "no more than a moderate lottery win". But the battle to save the brewery is far from over. A preservation order preventing any buyer from removing brewing equipment is ready to be served, and CAMRA branches are standing by to object to change of use applications seeking to turn Morrell's tenancies into country cottages. Reproduced from What's Brewing The Editor writes: Elsewhere in the same What's Brewing, we see that Smiles is considering a stock market flotation. All I can say is "don't do it - you'll end up being ordered around by a load of money-grubbing suits who don't give a fig about beer or, for that matter, anything other than what's on the bottom line of their spreadsheets."
Oct 7-10: 21st Bedford Beer Festival, Corn Exchange, St Paul's Square,
Bedford Oct 8-10: 5th Croydon & Sutton Beer Festival, Wallington Halls, Stafford Road,
Wallington (10 mins walk from Wallington station) Oct 16-17: 15th Eastleigh Beer Festival, Nightingale Centre, Nightingale Avenue (20
mins walk from Eastleigh or Southampton Parkway stations, or 48 bus to door) Oct 30-31: 2nd WORTHING BEER FESTIVAL, Richmond Rooms, Town Hall Complex, Stoke
Abbott Rd Nov 6-7: 5th WOKING BEER FESTIVAL, Woking Leisure Centre, Woking Park (10
mins walk from Woking station) Nov 12-14: BEER ON BROADWAY XI, Ealing Town Hall, New Broadway, Ealing, W5 Nov 26-28: 17th LUTON BEER FESTIVAL, Drill Hall, Old Bedford Road, Luton (2
mins from Luton station) Details for this page are taken from What's Brewing, and cover nearby festivals, both Sussex and non-Sussex. Please ring to check ticket availability and venue details before travelling, as late changes can occur. A full listing of CAMRA festivals is available in What's Brewing, or on CAMRA's web site.
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