Full Pints Volume 14 Issue 2

FULL PINTS Inside AYRSHIRE AND WIGTOWNSHIRE CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE

Full Pints 14 Issue 3 2 Winter 2011 Volume 13

The

g n i d d e W CLARE MY DREAM MAN!

TONY MY BEAUTIFUL BRIDE!

KAREN IT’S TRUE LOVE!

LINDSAY WHOSE ROUND IS IT?

CAMRA Ayrshire and Wigtownshire’s A-list couples tie the knot.

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Summer 2012 FREE

Issue Inside News P3 Branch Diary P8 Ray’s Round Up P11 Rural Pubs by Bus P16 and P24 Prestwick Pioneer Photo Special P18 CAMRA Raffle - win £3000 P26 Great BritishBeer Festival P27 Quiz and Puzzles P29 Membership P32 Ken More P34

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FULL PINTS Major expansion for Arran Brewery ARRAN Brewery has announced a £10million expansion programme that will increase production capacity tenfold.

The cash, to be raised from shares sold to the public, will also fund a new bottling plant and a chain of Arran pubs. Talks are underway with three councils: East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Renfrwewshire over the location of the bottling plant.

In an exclusive interview with the Herald, brewery owner Gerald Michaluk said: “It is something we have been planning for a while.

“We are looking at a investments starting at around £200 and there will be different classes of shares..”

The Arran pubs will open first in the central belt but there is a possibility of expansion - even abroad.

Gerald said: “Our pubs would mainly sell Arran products but also have guest

ales and beers from across Scotland.

“We would also look to open pubs overseas as many Irish-themed bars have been successful doing that.

Moreover, Gerald’s company, Marketing Management Services International, has bought Beers of the World magazine from a Norwich-based publisher.

Gerald added: “The editorial process will be independent but the brewery will have the opportunity to purchase advertising at a cheaper rate. It is a cost effective way of promoting ourselves.”

MINUTES OF MEETINGS are available from the branch secretary Ray Turpie: rturpie@hotmail.co.uk (members only)

Contact Editorial: Graeme Watt meatgriller@gmail.com 07535 990531

DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view and policies of the editor or of the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. © Campaign for Real Ale Ltd 2012 3

Advertising: Bob Wallace bobwallace.1869@yahoo.co.uk 07929 990972 TRADING STANDARDS OFFICES Ayr - 01292 616060 Irvine - 01294 324900 Kilmarnock - 01563 521502 Stranraer - 01776 703260

FULL PINTS New beers on the block

Houston, we have no problem

KELBURN and Ayr Brewing company have launched new beers in recent weeks.

Kelburn has released Jaguar, a 4.5% ABV golden, full-bodied ale with undertones of grapefruit and a longlasting citrus, hoppy aftertatse.

Ayr Brewing Company meanwhile has launched Dr Hornbrook, white stout. It is named after the Burns poem Death and Dr Hornbrook.

HOUSTON Brewery has relaunched its seasonal ales and all are named after spacecraft.

After the success of Challenger in May, June’s seasonal offering was Discovery, a 5% ABV strong golden ale.

This will be followed in July with Atlantis 135, a 3.6% ABV amber brew, in August with Endeavour, a 3.9% ABV golden ale and in September with Mars Odyssey, a 4.2% ABV ruby red bitter.

The Glen Park Hotel, home of the Ayr Brewing Company holds its first beer festival on Friday July 20 and Saturday, July 21

The Fox and Hounds, home of the Houston Brewery will hold its summer beer festival on Sunday, August 19 from 12.30pm until 10pm

The Kirkmichael Arms

Under new ownership & following a 12 month refurbishment programme the Kirkmichael Arms & restaurant reopened on 22nd March 2012. Real Ales, food served from 12.00 till 9.00pm.

3-5 Straiton Rd, Kirkmichael, South Ayrshire, KA19 7PH

Contact 01655 750200 for enquires & bookings.

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FULL PINTS Dumfries Folk n Ale Festival

Outlets news Gains: Kenmuir Arms Hotel, New Luce reopened under new management.

Prestwick Pioneer, Prestwick- now open.

Loss: Souter Johnnie’s, Kirkoswald - closed due to fire.

Name change: Peebie Broon’s in Beith is now the Caledonian Inn.

CAMRA’s Dumfries and Stewartry branch will hold its annual Folk n Ale Festival on the weekend of July 13 to 15.

This is a ‘walking festival’ held around Dumfries All real ale pubs in the town will be taking part by putting on extra and unusual beers and local musicians will be playing in many of them.

The best way to get there from Ayrshire is to take the 10.51, 12.48 or 13.50 trains from Kilmarnock. The journey takes just over an hour.

Return trains leave Dumfries at 18.31, 19.55 and 21.50.

Any changes to real ale outlets and be notified direct to the editor. Contact details on page 3.

FRASERS BAR - MILLPORT QUALITY CASK ALES SERVED ALL YEAR MEALS SERVED12-2.30 & 5.30 - 7.30 EVERY DAY

7 CARDIFF STREET - ISLE OF CUMBRAE - KA28 0DS 5

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Congratulations to branch committee members Clare Orange and Tony Scott who tied the knot in Darvel in May

On the A736 Irvine to Barrhead Road, at Lugton Manager, Frazer Dunn, invites you to visit for great food and local real ales from Arran, Houston and Kelburn breweries Tel:01505 850510 www.thecannyman.co.uk 6

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FULL PINTS Beer festival planning meeting.

Waterside, Largs 8pm

Monday, July 9 Thursday, July 12 to Saturday, July 14 Saturday, July 14

Dumfries Folk n Ale Festival Fyne Ales brewery visit Branch committee meeting. Glen Park Hotel, Ayr - 8pm Branch meeting. Harbour Bar, Troon - 8pm Beer festival planning meeting.

Geordie's Byre, Ayr - 8pm Branch social. Stranraer - details to be confirmed Beer festival set up. Troon Concert Hall Ayrshire Real Ale Festival. Troon concert Hall Beer festival take down. Troon Concert Hall Beer festival staff day out. Strathaven Ales brewery. (provisional)

Monday, August 13

Tuesday, August 21 Monday, August 27 Saturday, September 1 Tuesday, October 9 to Thursday, October 11 Thursday, October 11 to Saturday, October 13 Sunday, October 14 Saturday, October 20

Any member wishing more information about social events or to book a place on trips is encouraged to contact the branch social secretary Donald Clark at mound_spotter@yahoo.co.uk

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Congratulations to Lindsay and Karen. Branch chairman and Scotland and Northern Ireland director Lindsay Grant married Karen Barr in April. Ayrshire Real Ale Festival organiser Douglas Graham was best man

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By Ray Turpie

A

t the end of the last issue, I promised to give you an update on the National AGM and Members’ Weekend in Torquay. The main event for our branch members was the announcement of most improved newsletter winner Full Pints. It took a few seconds to sink in that this was our newsletter. I was delighted to go down to the podium to collect the

The Hole in the Wall, Torquay

certificate from Jackie Parker on behalf of our editor Graeme Watt .

Congratulations to all concerned in putting the newsletter together.

The rest of the conference was pretty mundane after that announcement but you will be pleased to know that our campaigning finances are in good shape. It was also decided to concentrate on three or four main campaigning issues over the next twelve to eighteen months one of which is the beer tax escalator. If you have not yet signed the epetition for this, I would urge you to visit the website and encourage your friends to do so also, whether members or not. To force a parliamentary debate, signatures have to reach 100,000 before next year and at the moment we are only half way there.

We were over half way to Torquay when we stopped in Bath.

This is a place I never tire of visiting. With its Roman baths and Royal Terrace architecture there is plenty attractions for visitors. The river Avon meanders through the town centre and offers a lovely walk along its banks. The only brewery in Bath is Abbey Ales (Bath Ales is from Bristol) and we sampled some Bellringer in the

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FULL PINTS evening at the brewery tap called the Star, a Good Beer Guide pub which dates from around 1760.

The next day saw us winding our way down to the south coast to Weymouth where we visited The Tom Cobley Tavern, Torquay Portland, famous for its stone, and walked along though was Bays Gold from nearby Chesil Beach. On the way to Paignton.

Torquay we stopped off at Lyme After the business side was Regis, a quaint fishing village and finished we had a run down the holiday resort. Of course, Torquay coast to Paignton and Dartmouth is a famous holiday resort and you and took the train up the coast to can see why it is called the English Exeter the next day stopping off at Rivera. The conference was in the Dawlish. While we were down that Rivera Centre and the members bar far, we also took the opportunity to had around seventy local beers to take a day return down to Penzance choose from. on the train. Getting off at Truro on On the eve of the conference we the way back, we visited the did a mini-crawl of the local GBG cathedral and had our first cream hostelries and enjoyed many beers tea. On our final day of the holiday from Devon and Cornwall. I we had a run up through Dartmoor particularly liked the Hole in the and arrived in Spreyton in time for Wall where Sharp’s Doom Bar was lunch at the Tom Cobley Tavern. on good form. Retiring to the This was National Pub of the Year members bar I enjoyed Skinner’s 2006 and it certainly did not Betty Stogs of Truro, the main disappoint. I managed a pint of sponsors, and Branscombe Vale excellent Cotleigh Tawny Owl to Mild from along the coast. My wash down the home made favourite beer of the weekend Cornish pasty.

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FULL PINTS The CAMRA National Conference might not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you ever get the chance, I would certainly give it a try. It is interesting to see democracy at work within CAMRA, put faces to names and meet people. If you fancy a trip to Norwich next year the Members’

Ray Turpie receives the Full Pints award from Jackie Parker

Weekend and AGM is from April 19-21. And of course, East Anglia has many excellent beers. Need I say more?

CROWN HOTEL 9 NORTH CRESCENT PORTPATRICK WIGTOWNSHIRE DG9 8SX TEL 01776 810261 wwwcrownportpatrick.com crownportpatrick@btconnect.com For the last nine months we have been serving real ale in our hotel bar. Two different ales are available daily with 5 or 6 different ales appearing weekly.

Please pop in the next time you find yourselves in Portpatrick.

The Crown offers bar meals all day from 12-9 and our restaurant menu is available from 6pm daily.

Seafood is our speciality (AA awarded seafood pub of Scotland past winner).

We also offer daily specials alongside our extensive menus.

We offer bed and breakfast and dinner packages with 5 of our 12 en-suite rooms offering sea views. Bed and breakfast is available from £40 per person.

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FULL PINTS Lugton is just a hamlet at a junction of

By Mick Lee ow that the summer is here, main roads, but the Canny Man, maybe your thoughts turn to formerly the Paraffin Lamp, serves three real ales from Houston, Kelburn and other visiting a country pub?

But unless you have a willing it’s soft local breweries as well as good value, high quality food, and has outdoor seating drinks only.

However, many of our more out of the and play area.

As well as the aforementioned 337 the way hostelries can be visited by bus, even similarly infrequent X44 Irvine-Glasgow if such visits take a bit more planning, and this article is intended to give you the bus also passes the door.

The part of East Ayrshire north of information needed to do that planning, Kilmarnock has pubs in Dunlop: the area by area.

Village Inn and the Auld Hoose and Most of North Ayrshire's mainland real Kilmaurs: the Weston Tavern selling one ale pubs are on the coast between real ale each, while the Millhouse Hotel Saltcoats and Largs, with the only in Stewarton, has three ever changing real exceptions being at Beith, Gateside and ales.

Lugton.

All are within walking distance of the Beith has two pubs: the Masonic Arms respective stations, as well as being and the Caledonian Inn, which recently served by the 337 bus while Stewarton changed back to its original name from and Kilmaurs are also connected to Peebie Broon's. Both sell Houston beers Kilmarnock and the Irvine Valley by the and are really town rather than country number 1 bus, and to Irvine by the pubs, but is reasonably easy to get to Shuttlebus 13. using the X34 and X36 buses which to However, south of Kilmarnock things Glasgow. Gateside is a separate village but can be reached on foot from Beith on a good day. It’s about a mile walk but it’s also served by the infrequent 337 bus from Beith which continues via Lugton, Dunlop, Stewarton and Kilmaurs to Kilmarnock.

The Gateside Inn serves food and has a garden, so it is ideal to visit on a good day.

The Gatesdie Inn

N

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FULL PINTS get a bit more complicated, with a number of pubs being so close to the border between East and South Ayrshire that it often surprises which area they are actually in.

Most are served by public transport to some extent. Mauchline and Sorn are both served by the X76 and X50 buses from Kilmarnock, while Mauchline can also be reached by the 43 bus from Ayr that also passes through Failford. Poosie Nansies in Mauchline is a recent convert to real ale, usually having a Houston beer, as does the Sorn Inn. The latter is renowned for its food, but does have a small bar for those wishing to only have a drink. An attractive part of the River Ayr Way connects Sorn to Catrine (about 2 miles) where the 43 bus can be an alternative to the X76 and X50.

The Failford Inn, under recent new ownership, has an attractive beer garden on the banks of the river Ayr and a couple of ever-changing real ales.

Those more difficult to get to, as they are not served by buses, are the Craigie Inn and the Stair Inn. The former is more of a restaurant these days so is less likely to attract the casual drinker. Although the Stair Inn has no bus service it can be reached on foot from the Ayr-Mauchline road It’s about one and a half miles, where the 43 bus is available or via a very attractive section of the river Ayr Way through Failford Gorge from Failford (about three miles). Keen walkers could even use this part of the long distance path to visit Sorn, Mauchline (with a diversion off the path), Failford and Stair.

The rural area south of Ayr is restricted to two real ale pubs at present, since the recent closure of Souter Johnnie's in Kirkoswald due to fire damage.

The Hollybush Inn at Hollybush is 17

actually in East Ayrshire, although its connections are all with Ayr, and can be reached from the latter by the 52 Dalmellington bus. It has a conservatory restaurant with fine views, plus a bar, and one real ale.

The Kirkmichael Arms in Kirkmichael has recently reopened after a period of closure and is gaining a reputation for its food and its two real ales. It can be reached by the 361 and 358 buses from Ayr, which also connect to Maybole. The remaining pubs south of Ayr are both in Girvan, which has train services to Stranraer, Ayr, Kilmarnock and Glasgow as well as various bus connections.

The Royal Hotel in Girvan has a Houston beer while the Roxy Cafe Bar has two bars, a restaurant and a beer garden overlooking the harbour.

Getting Around Buses: Stagecoach West Scotland Customer Services 01292 613500 Disability Helpdesk 07736 892253

Trains: Scotrail Customer Services 0845 601 5929

Ferries: Caledonian MacBrayne Enquiries 0800 066 5000

All: Traveline Scotland www.travelinescotland.com 0871 200 22 33

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Prestwick Pioneer photo special published in lieu of an advertisement that was purchased but not included in the last issue of Full Pints.

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FULL PINTS PLEASE SIGN THE E-PETITION CALLING FOR THE BEER DUTY ESCALATOR TO BE SCRAPPED. PEOPLE power caused the government to uturn on the damaging, unpopular pasty tax - we can do the same for beer.

Every year the price of your pint increases by 5 to 10 pence down your local because beer tax rises an additional 2% per cent above inflation annually this is called the Beer Duty Escalator.

Around ÂŁ1 of your pint now goes to the taxman.

This high rate of tax means pub going is becoming unaffordable and contributing to a closure rate of 12 pubs a week.

www.saveyourpint.co.uk

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FULL PINTS Catacol Bay Hotel, Catacol, Isle of Arran

Owned and run by the same family for over 30 years, the Catacol Bay Hotel is a small, friendly, licensed hotel nestling in the Arran hills 1.5 miles from the Lochranza ferry terminal and approximately 16 miles from Brodick The hotel boasts stunning views across the Kibrannan Sound.

We serve an extensive range of real ales, draught beers, wines, meals and snacks in the bar daily from 12 noon to 10pm, or enjoy our famous Sunday buffet served 12 noon to 4pm throughout the year.

Outside there is a large beer garden with children's play area, the perfect place to watch the sun go down.

01770 830231 www.catacol.co.uk

The Waterside Bath Street, Largs Tel: 01475 672224

Two ever-changing REAL ALES now available Live Music Saturdays Poker Wednesdays

Karaoke Fridays

Open Mike night Sundays

Food available every day, except Monday 23

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By Mick Lee igtownshire is a less straightforward area to get around without a car, but most pubs can be reached by bus with planning, although in many cases only daytime visits are possible and Sunday services are reduced.

Stranraer has train services to Ayr, Kilmarnock and Glasgow, but otherwise it's down to the bus. Most services run from Stranraer, although there are exceptions in the east part of the area.

In the Rhinns of Galloway, there are pubs in Portpatrick, Kirkcolm and Sandhead serving real ale, and all can be reached by bus from Stranraer.

Portpatrick is served by bus 367 every two or three hours throughout the day, although there is a reduced Sunday service Sundays.

Both the Harbour House and the Crown Hotel are on the harbour front and have a selection of ales, good food and outside seating areas. Nearly all the buses are run by Stagecoach, but some others in Wigtownshire are run by local concerns, with King of Kircowan being prominent.

Most of the 408 buses to Kirkcolm are run by that company and run throughout the day up to about 8pm. The multi-award winning Blue Peter Hotel has an ever-changing selection of real ale, good food and a beer garden with an amazing selection of wildlife including red squirrels. However, daytime opening is only at weekends.

King of Kircowan also runs the the 407 to Drummore calling at Sandhead six or seven times a day, Monday to Saturday. The Tigh-na-Mara Hotel is right behind the beach and has one real ale. It may be worth continuing to Drummore this summer as the Clashwannon Inn is said to be trying out real ale.

W

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Stranraer is also the starting point for the Stagecoach 430 to Newton Stewart and the 500 and X75 services to Dumfries which call at Glenluce and Newton Stewart and can also be used to visit pubs in Gatehouse of Fleet, Castle Douglas and Dumfries.

Glenluce is a village bypassed by the main A75 road and the Kelvin House Hotel is the place to find real ale. North of here is the village of New Luce where the Kenmuir Arms has just re-opened.

However this village is served by one bus only in each direction on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays so visits by public transport are not practical Newton Stewart has buses north to Girvan and south into the Machars in addition to those on the east-west main road. The town itself has the Creebridge House Hotel sitting in its own lovely grounds and serving a selection of real ales and good food. A more recent addition is the Galloway Arms Hotel in the town centre.

Real ale in the Machars is available at Wigtown and Isle of Whithorn, both served by Stagecoach 415 which runs regularly throughout the day from Newton Stewart.

The Wigtown Ploughman in the former is handily placed for visiting the many bookshops in Scotland's Book Town, and has an attractive garden. The Steam Packet Inn at Isle of Whithorn is a harbour-side gem which has won many awards and serves five real ales and good food. There is also a twice a day bus service 416 from here to Stranraer but it is not very practical for pub visits. North of Newton Stewart is the House o' Hill Hotel at Bargrennan, close to Glen Trool in Galloway Forest Park. It is a short walk from the King's bus route

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FULL PINTS Tickets will be available from all CAMRA members from July at £2 each.

CAMRA is donating the proceeds of this year’s raffle directly to Pub is the Hub. CAMRA’s figures suggest that 12 pubs are closing per week, four of which are rural pubs. In total, 4,500 pubs have closed since 2008 with the loss of around 78,000 jobs.

In addition, almost 70 per cent of villages no longer have a pub or a shop, Post Office or other services. These worrying figures have contributed to the launch of Pub is the Hub. What is Pub is the Hub? Pub is the Hub (PITH) is a not-for-profit advisory group that encourages local communities and pub owners to work together to support, retain and locate local services within the pub. They encourage pub diversification to support local services that are either under threat or may have ceased trading.

They also advise on scheme funding and the best way to progress projects.

Benefits of Pub is the Hub Ÿ By diversifying a pub to support local services, the pub is able to share overheads. Ÿ Additional staff can be recruited helping to support local people Ÿ Raises awareness of pubs and services which increases footfall in pubs and enhances pub sustainability Ÿ Encourages communities to use local services which in turn supports local businesses As a not-for-profit oranisation funds are not easily available which limits the amount of free support that PITH can provide. PITH needs to ensure that they have the funding available to continue supporting local services, pubs and communities.

By purchasing raffle tickets you are helping us to rise to the challenges that rural pubs are facing. We need your support to secure a future for Britain’s pubs. .The raffle will close on Friday, October 19, 2012.

For more information, see: www.camra.org.uk/raffle 26

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B

ritain's biggest pub opens its doors for a five day festival on Tuesday, August 7.

There will be over 800 different real ales, ciders and foreign beers for the expected 50,000 crowd to try.

This fun event is not all about the beer though. There are a variety of different foods from around the world and music to enjoy.

This event really is a beer drinker's paradise.

This year the GBBF returns to Olympia and Earls Court is beingused for the Olympic games.

Opened in 1886, Olympia is an exhibition centre and conference centre in West Kensington, on the boundary between The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham. It features three exhibition halls - Olympia Grand Hall, Olympia National Hall and Olympia 2.

London Overground and Southern Trains run direct services to Kensington (Olympia). Direct services run from Clapham Junction, Balham, East Croydon, Shepherd's Bush, Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Willesden Junction, West Hampstead and Stratford.

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Opening times: Tuesday 5pm - 10.30pm (last admission 10pm Wednesday to Friday 12pm - 10.30pm (last admission 10pm) Saturday 11am - 7pm (last admission 6.30pm) Trade session Tuesday, August 7, 12pm - 5pm. Ticket only.

http://gbbf.org.uk

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The View to Headline Live@Troon 2012 August 31st, 1st to 2nd September 2012 http://liveattroon.com

Year Three here we come!

With two of Ayrshire's most happening music events under our belt, we're heading into our third weekend music fest with a blistering line-up of headline acts, fantastic musicians and breakthrough bands.

Some of Scotland's hottest property will be gracing the stage at Troon this year when The View, Carly Connor and The Imagineers come to town.

Tickets: But as usual, Live@Troon is not Tickets Scotland only about music. We'll be www.tickets-scotland.com offering masterclasses a film 08444 155 221 night and for the first time, a or comedy fringe.

Fullartons 10 Portland Street Troon

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FULL PINTS Beeragrams

Pub Quiz

Rearrange to following into the names of real ales including the brewery and the beer.

1 Pervert hates tantrum

1 Which company is the world’s biggest tyre maker?

2 What is the most watched drama on US TV? 3 What is the world’s fastest production car?

4 What are David Cameron’s middle names?

5 John Edwards replaced Alan Lancaster in which band?

6 Laertes and Polonius appear in which Shakespeare play?

7 Name Shane Ritchie’s character in Eastenders 8 In what year were did Acts of Union take effect?

9 Taraxacum Officinale is the Latin name for which flower?

10 James Harding edits which national newspaper?

2 Vandalises inn room 3 Fine droll splendour 4 Well-suited topnotch gem 5 Thrusting blow degrades 6 Loony anorak’s Halo 7 Sloppy feelings dear 8 Rub dinky meddlers 9 Alexander’s romp 10 A cast-iron pedantry

Sudoku 1

7 4

2

1 6 5

4

8

3

9

6

2

3

1

6

2

6

9

3

7

5

5

8

9 3

6

3

5

A beer, an old Scottish word for gossip and Hugh Laurie s

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What Links…

FULL PINTS Pub Quiz 1 Lego 2 NCIS 3 Bugatti Veyron 4 William Donald 5 Status Quo 6 Hamlet 7 Alfie Moon 8 1707 9 Dandelion 10 The Times Sudoku

Beeragrams 1 Strathaven Trumpeter 2 Inveralmond Ossian 3 Fuller’s London Pride 4 Tempest Long White Cloud 5 Stewart’s Edinburgh Gold 6 O’Hanlon’s Royal Oak 7 Fyne Ales Piper’s Gold 8 Kelburn Red Smiddy 9 Adnams Explorer 10 Tryst Carronade IPA What Links?

Claverhouse: brewed by Strathaven, clishmaclaver and plays Dr Gregory House.

1 5 6 2 4 8 7 9 3

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9 4 2 3 7 5 8 6 1

8 7 3 6 1 9 2 4 5

5 1 8 7 6 4 3 2 9

4 2 9 1 8 3 5 7 6

3 6 7 5 9 2 4 1 8

7 8 4 9 3 1 6 5 2

6 9 5 8 2 7 1 3 4

2 3 1 4 5 6 9 8 7

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REAL ALE IS BACK at The Hunting Lodge

Allan, Kerry and Sarah are delighted to welcome real ale drinkers to Killie’s famous Hunting Lodge at Glencairn Square, Kilmarnock.

Karaoke on Fri. and Sat. Food all day Thurs. – Sun. Two function rooms for up to 300 people.

Tel:01563 522920

01292 540117 NOW UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF NICK and LINDA BROOMHEAD The Failford Inn is a rural pub on the B743 between Ayr and Mauchline from the Whitletts roundabout. Failford is home to the Ayr Gorge section of the River Ayr Walk and the Failford Inn makes a great place to relax. We offer the choice of a real fire in the bar or our picturesque beer garden which slopes down to the river.

We offer a full restaurant and bar meal service with a choice of real ales.

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By Bob Wallace

M

embership of the Ayrshire & Wigtownshire has now reached 400 with roughly the same number of new members joining since Christmas, to replace the dozen or so who chose not to renew.

I thank you for your support if you are one of the latter but encourage you to keep drinking real ale and to consider rejoining at some point in the future.

If you are reading this article and are not a CAMRA member then you can use the form opposite or visit the ‘Join us’ page on the CAMRA website www.camra.org.uk.

As a member you will receive the following benefits: 1. What's Brewing, a monthly colour newspaper, delivered direct to your letterbox.

2.Beer, a quarterly magazine, also delivered direct to you.

3. Reduced admission to over 150 CAMRA beer festivals 4. Discounts on CAMRA books, including the Good Beer Guide.Discounts from a number of partners, such as. Cottages4you and Hire a Canalboat.

Remember also that every new, and renewing, member will also receive £20 of real ale vouchers from JD Wetherspoon, which equates to the cost of a single, full, direct debit subscription, and you are effectively getting a year's free membership.

Regrettably the only two of their 700+ outlets which still do not accept these vouchers are the West Kirk in Ayr and the Prestwick Pioneer. Come on South Ayrshire Council, surely a 50p discount 32

on one pint is not going to encourage binge drinking.

Indeed, should you not be encouraging drinkers, especially the younger age group, to drink alcohol in the controlled environment that is the pub rather than consume without such controls elsewhere?

Vouchers can of course be used at the Salt Cot in Saltcoats and the Wheatsheaf in Kilmarnock as well as all other JDW outlets in Scotland and beyond.

If you have any questions please contact me, Bob Wallace, branch membership secretary. My email address is bobwallace.1869@yahoo.co.uk and my mobile number 07929 990972.

Ayrshire and Wigtownshire CAMRA

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He’s the man in the know!

W

hat constitutes good service when it comes to real ale? It’s a question I‘ve been pondering over the last few weeks after being served a couple of dodgy pints.

Now I do not have problems with beer often. After all, I choose my pubs carefully and I only go to good ones.

The first problem was in a popular and well-known real ale bar in Glasgow. I had a pint of beer that should have been hoppy but tasted yeasty. I asked for it to be changed. And although the bar staff insisted the beer was of fine they did exchange it for another. The beer was kept on sale but that is probably OK because one person’s opinion is just that - one person’s opinion. If a couple of more customers complained about the beer then I am sure it would have been removed from sale. Nobody else ordered it while I was there so I’ll never know.

This was an acceptable level of service from knowledgeable bar staff in a pub with a reputation to maintain and is exactly what the discerning beer drinker has come to expect.

Compare that experience to one I had in Ayrshire shortly afterwards in a pub to which I rarely go.

It was a busy Saturday night. I ordered a pint of the one real ale on offer.

The same problem - it was yeasty and as

it was a beer I have had many times I knew it should be hoppy. The smell alone should have warned me. But I was in company and didn’t want to delay our evening so I tried to drink it. It was impossible.

So I took my beer back to the bar, explained the problem and was told that there was no way there could be anything wrong with the beer as it had only been in for two days.

I tried to explain that even though it was within its shelf life it still was far from anything I would want to drink.

After much tutting and moaning from the staff I was offered a replacement pint but there was only one beer on sale. How could another one from the same cask and same line be any better? Of course it was not.

I then asked if I could change it for something else. I was told that I could not because it would ‘upset the stock take’.

Nonsense of the highest order.

So I demanded a refund and was given it.

The simple fact is that real ale is easy to look after but it does have to be looked after.

If something goes wrong, as sometimes things will, the publican should accept it with good grace and do his or her best to keep the customer wanting to some back to the pub.

Most people are reasonable and understand that a single beer that is slightly off does not a bad pub make.

Having to debate with the bar staff when a beer is undrinkable however has put me off going back.

Oh one more thing publicans. When the beer runs out, have another one ready to go on.

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steampacketinn@btconnect.com

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At Sulwath Brewers, we give you the chance to see the craft of brewing in action, and to taste our speciality ales, at our fully-licensed brewery tap visitor centre.

Open Mon-Sat 10am until 5pm Off-sales also available

The Brewery, King Street Castle Douglas DG7 1DT www.sulwathbrewers.co.uk

Telephone: 01556 504525 36