MP s SUPPORT CAMRA FULL PINT CAMPAIGN On the 21st of November 2001, Joan Walley MP tabled a cross party Early Day Motion 464 in the House supporting our campaign against short measures. It states: That this House considers that when ordering a pint measure beer and cider drinkers should receive a full liquid pint without having to ask for a top up; notes research conducted by CAMRA which reveals that 80% of pints served in pubs are under measure, some by up to 15 per cent; further notes that current legislation is insufficient to protect consumers from short measures and that attempts at self-regulation have comprehensively failed; believes that there is an urgent need for legislation to protect Britain's 15 million beer and cider drinkers from short measures; welcomes the Government's proposals announced in December 2000 to introduce more effective protection against short measures; and urges the Government to ensure drinkers receive fair measures.
HAS YOUR MP SUPPORTED THIS EDM? IF NOT, AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, WHY NOT?
CURRENTLY IT HAS 223 SIGNATURES IF NOT, AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN PARLIAMENT WHY NOT? Chesterfield – Paul Holmes (Lib Dem) : YES N.E. Derbyshire – Harry Barnes (Lab) : YES W Derbyshire – Patrick McLoughlin (Con) : NO Bolsover – Dennis Skinner (Lab) : YES Amber Valley – Judy Mallaber (Lab) : NO Derby North – Bob Laxton (Lab) : NO Derby South – Margaret Beckett (Lab) : NO Erewash – Liz Blackman (Lab) : YES High Peak – Tom Levitt (Lab) : NO South Derbyshire – Mark Todd (Lab) : YES
Ask for the Full Pint
*Details correct at going to print obtained from the Government web site www.parliament.uk Cont. overleaf...
MP s SUPPORT CAMRA FULL PINT CAMPAIGN Dear Jim McIntosh, Thank you for your card. I signed Early Day Motion 464 when it first appeared. I have been pressing for full pint legislation for some time. I shall continue to do so. Harry Barnes MP ========================================== Dear Mrs Keast, Thank you very much for your interesting postcard regarding the CAMRA campaign against short measures. As a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Beer this is an issue in which I take a keen interest. I have signed the early day motion 464…. in addition I have written to the Secretary of State Patricia Hewitt, urging the DTI to take action against short measures. Cllr. Paul Holmes MP ========================================== Only 5 out of ten Derbyshire MPs have signed this EDM supporting a full pint. PLEASE WRITE TO YOUR MP TODAY TO ADD YOUR SUPPORT TO THE CAMPAIGN! You can also write to the Secretary of State for Trade & Industry, Patricia Hewitt at the Department of Trade and Industry, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET, to add your support for the Full Pint Law. If CAMRA is to be successful in the campaign for an Honest Pint Law we need your support. Sign up today to our on-line petition at www.camra.org.uk or call 0845 60 30 20 8 and pledge your support. Write to your local MP at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
• Skyline Supplies Ltd • Bar, Catering, Janitorial Supplies & Promotional Glassware Unit 5, Burley Close, Off Storforth Lane, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 2UB Tel 01246 221203 Fax 01246 238539 Email sales@skyline-supplies.com www.skyline-supplies.com 2
Full Pint Campaign New research released in January by CAMRA, shows that nine out of ten pints served in British pubs are less than 100% liquid; an increase of over 10% since the last survey in 1997. The results draw on surveys carried out by Trading Standards Officers from 21 local authorities. CAMRA's research shows that: • 89.4% of pints are less than 100% liquid • Over 1 in 4 pints (27.7%) are less than the industry's guidelines of 95% liquid • Pubs which already serve 100% liquid pints are cheaper on average than pubs which do not guarantee full pints. CAMRA is now calling on the Government to honour the pledge it made during the 1997 general election campaign to tighten legislation to protect drinkers from short measures. Mike Benner, CAMRA said, “It is a Labour Party policy to tighten the law to protect Britain's 15 million beer drinkers from short measures, but despite proposals from the DTI, the Government seems to have swept reform under the carpet. Our research shows clearly that short measure is on the increase and there is a need for Government action to stop drinkers being ripped off.” Results of research by CAMRA in 2001 shows that pubs that already serve 100% liquid pints using oversized lined glasses or metered dispense are on average cheaper than pubs which do not guarantee full pints. Pub surveys in seven regions showed that a full liquid pint of real ale costs £1.72 on average, while a non-guaranteed pint costs £1.86 a staggering 14 pence more expensive. Mike Benner said, “Industry bodies have persistently objected to legislation to ensure full pints claiming that it would lead to higher prices for consumers. The truth is that pubs set their prices based on a number of different factors, which is why the same brand is priced differently in different pubs. Our research stamps out the myth that full OPEN FOOD pints mean higher prices. Drinkers are charged ALL 12-2.30 per pint and they should get exactly that; 100% DAY EVERYDAY liquid.” CAMRA's hard hitting poster campaign will feature at 145 beer festivals across the country in 2002 and it will send a clear message to the Government. 100 MPs at a special House of Commons reception will preview the posters: Sutton cum Duckmanton • Campaign poster one asks drinkers how their Chesterfield pint measures up • Poster two shows an 'incredible shrinking pint'! Tel: (01246) 232053 • Poster three reveals that beer consumers are www.arkers.co.uk 'making substantial losses in all constituencies!' • And Poster four reminds the Government that LARGE BEER GARDEN we are still waiting for it to honour its 'drinkers AMPLE SEATING OUTDOORS will get what they pay for under Labour' pledge. Nearly 100,000 beer drinkers will be asked to fill TRADITIONAL in postcards and send them to their MPs and HAND-PULLED CIDER Patricia Hewitt MP at the DTI, or to support the campaign by voting 'Yes' for full pints at AT LEAST 5 www.camra.org.uk. HAND-PULLED ALES
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RKWRIGHT ARM A E
Outgoing Chairman’s Last Duty
Jim McIntosh
It is traditional at the Annual General Meeting to review the last 12 months activities and, being a creature of habit, I would like to provide this short overview of what has been, in my opinion, another successful year for the branch. This is also my last formal act as chairman, before handing over to Mary Keast and I will return to that matter later. So what have we done? And how was it for you? You may recall some of the following highlights: • A very successful 4th Chesterfield Beer Festival. • A first Beer Festival in Eckington in August 2001. This also gave us front page coverage in the ‘Sheffield Star’. • Launch of a major CAMRA national publicity campaign ‘Ask if it’s Cask’, featuring ‘hopman’ and ‘hoplady’ (once seen, never forgotten!) However we should not forget the bad news: • The closure of Mansfield Brewery • The closure of Dema Glass here in Chesterfield Our main local campaign tool is ‘Innspire’ magazine and thanks to the efforts of a number of branch members, this continues to receive a lot of positive feedback. We are also grateful to our advertisers (past, present & future) as without their support we could not hope to produce the magazine in its current format. We also continue to welcome articles from all sources to ensure the magazine covers as broad a range of interests as possible. The best way that as a branch we can contribute to campaigning has to be by doing what I would consider we do best, namely getting around the pubs of North East Derbyshire and spreading the word. Local pub beer festivals can also assist in this respect, by bringing to the attention of a wider audience the flavours and variety of real ales. But in our enthusiasm for the pubs with ten handpumps across the bar, offering goodies from microbreweries far and wide, let us not forget the pub with a couple of real ales on, situated in an area where real ale is having a rough ride with the ‘smooth’. Locally our membership is around the 325 level and we have seen a number of new active members over the last twelve months. However there are always opportunities for people to get involved in branch affairs, and it need not be a heavy time commitment. Many tasks such as distributing Innspire magazines around local pubs and collecting pub news do not require experience, and all assistance is gratefully received. One battle we continue to fight, mainly at a national level is for Full Pint legislation. CAMRA research indicates that nine out of ten pints are short measure, and the cost to British drinkers is £1M per day. Two of our local MPs (Harry Barnes & Paul Holmes) have written to local branch members stating that they support the introduction of such legislation. The government has recently indicated (although not for the first time) that it may be ready to honour its 1997 election pledge to end the short pint scandal. On a sadder note, we were sorry to lose a very popular local member, Brian Keast, who died in May 2001. Additionally Martin Rutherford, who died in December 2001, will be remembered by many as supporting his wife Jayne at the Red Lion, Whittington Moor before they moved to Tenerife at the end of 2000. The various changes of licencees at local pubs are too numerous to mention. However it is worth noting that we have gained not one, but two new Wetherspoons pubs in Chesterfield, namely the Spa Lane Vaults and the Portland Hotel (strictly speaking a Wetherlodge). They are a welcome and overdue addition to the Chesterfield town centre real ale scene. I would hope both seek to maintain some individuality (as they do very successful with the designs of their excellent toilet facilities!), and keeping locally brewed beers on the bar certainly helps in this respect. Still on local pubs, the contribution made by Martin and Linda Goacher, who ran the Victoria at Brampton as a tremendous traditional ‘local’, has rightfully received our recognition over the years. In January 2002, they left the trade for family reasons and we wish them well. In conclusion then, during 2001 we continued the good progress we have made during the last few years. I am very pleased to be handing over to Mary and offer her my full support as she takes over the reins. 4
Incoming Chairman’s Welcome
Mary Keast
I would like to take this opportunity through the pages of Innspire to introduce myself as the newly elected Chairman of Chesterfield & District CAMRA. As a traditionalist and without wanting to upset anyone I prefer Chairman to Chair or any other variations. Firstly I would like to thank the branch for having the faith in me to perform the role of Chairman and electing me into the post. It is a compliment that I am your first female Chairman, not only that I am also a southerner and an O.A.P! I look forward to being able to pass on my experience on both sides of the bar as I have had 30 years experience in the trade with my late husband Brian. Seventeen consecutive years of which were described in the pages of the Good Beer Guide, whilst we were at the Black Horse at Stansted in Kent. As Chairman I give my wholehearted support for the ‘Full Pint’ campaign which we will be supporting through Innspire until the battle is won. If you are reading this you are likely to be already interested in a decent pint of great tasting real ale. If you are not a member of CAMRA yet, please join us we need your support. CAMRA is a national organisation of district branches, which campaign on behalf of Britain’s traditional real ale and traditional pubs, which thanks to CAMRA many have been saved from extinction. If you see me or any other of our committee members please come over and say hello and have a beer with us, I look forward to meeting you.
The The Rose Rose & & Crown Crown BARLBOROUGH
Prince of Wales Brimington (01246) 231649
. Set in Historic Village . Hardys & Hansons Kimberley Bitter & Cellarman Seasonal Ales . Beer Garden - Home Made Food Restaurant - Bar Snacks - Families Welcome . Sunday Lunches .
Beers from Oakwell Brewery Barnsley Bitter 3.8% Old Tom Stout 4.0% Acorn Lager 3.8% Oakwell Lager 5.0%
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Sunday carvery 12-3.30pm £3.95 (eat what you can) Lunches 12-2.30pm (except Sunday) Evening meals 5-7.30pm (not Sunday) Mon-Sat meal offer - 2 for £5 (on set menu) Theme music nights every Saturday Quizzes Sunday & Monday
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SUSAN & DAVID GROWNS HIGH STREET, BARLBOROUGH, NORTH DERBYSHIRE. S43 4ET TEL. 01246 810364
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Branch Contacts
Social Diary
Website: www.camra.org.uk/chesterfield E-mail us at: innspire@yahoo.com
Branch Meetings Thursday 25th April, 8.30pm Chesterfield Beer Festival Meeting The Barrow Boy (formerly Joplins) Chesterfield.
CHAIRMAN: Mary Keast: 147 Boythorpe Road, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 2ND. Tel: 01246 222762 e-mail: M1KEAST@aol.com
Thursday 2nd May, 8.30pm Branch meeting at the “All New” Red Lion, Clay Cross, currently offering 3 cask ales which usually includes Charles Wells Bombardier, Whim IPA and a rotating guest ale. Subsidised Transport available.
SOCIAL EVENTS: Geoff Carroll: Tel: 01246 567247 e-mail: geoffcarroll@hotmail.com
Thursday 6th June, 8.30pm Branch meeting at the Royal Oak, The Shambles (TBC).
INNSPIRE EDITOR: Neil A Parkin: 6 Fern Close, Eckington, Derbyshire S21 4HE. Tel: 01246 434260 e-mail: Neil@Parkin928.fsnet.co.uk
Trips, Socials & Beer Festivals: Wednesday 3rd - Saturday 6th April - Yellow Lion Beer Festival, Apperknowle. (Branch social on Saturday night)
INNSPIRE ADVERTISING & PRODUCTION: Nick Wheat: 56 Main Road, Holmesfield, Nr. Dronfield, Derbyshire S18 7WT. Tel: 0114 289 0348 e-mail: wheaty@derby.org
Friday 5th - Saturday 6th April - 11th Mansfield Beer & Cider Festival 100 real ales, ciders & fruit wines. (Friday night Branch trip - contact Roy Shorrock for seats) Saturday 13th April - Caythorpe Brewery Trip & Crawl.
BEER FESTIVALS CO-ORDINATOR: Roy Shorrock: Tel: 01246 434294 e-mail: rshorr1607@aol.com
Thursday 16th - Sunday 19th April - 12th Doncaster Beer Festival at Doncaster Racecourse Exhibition Centre. 100 real ales, cider, perry & continental beers. (Branch train trip from Chesterfield on the Saturday).
Please contact Roy for assistance with your Festival
JOIN CAMRA NOW!
Friday 3rd - Sunday 6th May - The Thorn Tree Beer Festival, Matlock
Send your name and address with a cheque for £16 single or £19 joint membership (at the same address), OAP single, UB40, disabled, under 26 all £9 payable to “CAMRA Ltd.” and post to CAMRA, 230 Hatfield Road, St. Albans, Herts. AL1 4LW. Tel: 01727 867201
Friday 31st May - Monday 3rd June - The Black’a’Moor Beer Festival. Subsidised courtesy coach available. See advert for full details.
INNSPIRE 36
Name...........................................................................
Friday 31st May & Saturday 1st June - Barrow Hill Roundhouse Beer Festival. Free transport from town. See advert for full details.
Friday 14th - Sunday 16th June - Boat Inn, Cromford 1st Beer Festival weekend featuring local micro breweries.
Address ............................................................................
Further information on Branch socials or to book seats for trips etc. please contact Geoff Carroll on 01246 567247 (email: geoffcarroll@hotmail.com) Please note that Branch Meetings and all social trips are open to both members and non-members of CAMRA. We look forward to seeing you there!
.......................................................................................... ......................................................Post Code .................... tel: ............................... email: ........................................ I/We wish to become a member of CAMRA and agree to abide by the Memorandum and Articles of the Association.
I/We enclose a cheque for £ .............................................. Date ................................................................................. Signature ......................................................................... 6
Ockbrook Charabanc
Nevil Cardus
To celebrate the 600th anniversary of the Relief of Whittington, (Public Sanitation Act 1402) and the twinning of the two medieval settlements of Ockbrook and Borrowash, a Grand Civil Tour of the twinned towns was organized on Saturday 19 January last. One of Mr. Henry Ford’s splendid new combustion vehicles, was hired to transport the Mayor of New Whittington and his party to celebrate the sexi-centenary. The party, were transported in the utmost luxury by chauffeur, Mr. I.Leffly. His vehicle featuring acetone lighting and pneumatic tyres, is one of Mr. Ford’s latest style of velocipede, (but excluded the new travelling commode). His wife Julia, Alderman J. Miles and his wife Edna, several other civic burghers, and some other quite silly burghers accompanied the Mayor Mr.C.Bentley. It departed south to three rousing cheers from a popular local public house in late afternoon sunshine and arrived some hours later in the town of Ockbrook. The early evening light was fading as the Band of the 51st Foot and Mouth, playing a medley of popular airs and tunes met the party. Mayor Bentley in the finest local tradition was presented with a two finger salute, (made in the parish) and a speech which left him in no uncertain terms as to how welcome the Whittington group were. Alderman J. Miles in reply and on behalf of the party memorably quoted D. H. Lawrence, and noted the problems Ockbrook inhabitants had with lead in their diet. Should an Ockbrook party visit Whittington he noted “they would be welcomed with all the grace and charm as a carbuncle on the very posterior of His Majesty the King, God bless him”. To Rousing cheers and much cap throwing, Mr. Bentley led his delegation through the police cordon to a public reception in the Royal Oak hostelry, where the excellent products of the Cottage brewing Co. and a local Firm, Messrs Whim, were sampled and pronounced superb. During the short time of the tour, several charitable works were performed, not the least of which by Miss Thompson, who on finding a forlorn orphan off the moor, provided warmth and succour while he was revived. Mr. P. Andjoy donated several copies of an academic manual by Mr. Protz, to be distributed among the poor and needy. Superb marshalling by the local constabulary enabled the party to leave on time to keep an appointment in Ilkeston, with Lord Spondon and his group. Spondon is known for his research in Africa with the well-known Fakawe pygmies. In the Dewdrop Inn, Spondon gave a short talk on ‘The South Yorkshire Civilization” which was followed by a demonstration of the moon in its various phases. Such was the passion and vigour of Spondon’s popular illustration, that several ladies in Mr. Bentleys party, had to be revived with the products of Messrs T. Taylor of Keighley, most notably Ram Tam. Messrs. Bass & Whim provided other styles of popular beverage hitherto untried. The inn superbly run by Mr. D Meakin provides sustenance of such quantity and quality, this scribe has not seen since before the Great War. A Grand Tour to the Dewdrop in future, without the Mayor, would indeed invigorate the spirits of the poorest working man in the Empire. At about this point, clad in leather coat and goggles, Mr. Leffly arrived to forewarn of the imminent departure home. The machine having been refuelled and thoroughly aired through to prevent the vapours affecting the party. Despite fireworks, bunting and a copious display of wind, Mr. Bentley’s party, remounted Mr. Ford’s iron horse at midnight for the return to the North Country. A clear night enabled confident celestial navigation. Uranus was clearly visible with all its rings. The Whittington populace pronounced the Grand Tour a triumph. Seldom are the inhabitants of New Whittington allowed to travel abroad, thus depriving the world of demonstrations of inspiration, genius and wit. The Mayor was later released from the iron railings to which he had been manacled with his chains of office. Your correspondent received a most succinct quote during this educational safari, from Mrs. F. Shorrock, spouse of the Mayor of Eckington (twinned with Beirut). “Never have I found the moon so interesting, nor travelled on a charabanc, with the back seat occupied by such an ugly bunch of ostlers”. Your correspondent is left in the belief that should travel broaden the mind, My Lady Mayoress may have visited Unstone. 7
Old Whittington Pubs Past & Present
Jim McIntosh
Having previously considered the history of New Whittington pubs (Innspire 35), we now turn our attention to Old Whittington where nine inns and alehouses are known to have existed, five of these still being open today. Until the mid-19th century the whole of this area was just plain ‘Whittington’, the ‘Old’ being added to give the original community a separate identity from ‘New’ Whittington, which appeared in the 1850s. The Bulls Head has origins as an old alehouse that dated back to the 17th century, maybe earlier. The original stone building was demolished in 1907, and rebuilt as a pub/hotel by the owners Brampton Brewery. Since 1962, the pub has been owned by John Smiths Brewery, which ultimately became the owner of Brampton Brewery pubs. Between 1821 and 1870, the licensees were a John Cooke and then Hannah Cooke, who were probably husband and wife. John Cooke was also a blacksmith. The Cock & Magpie was built to replace the historic Cock & Pynot inn that still stands in front of it ('Pynot' being an old Derbyshire word for magpie). The old alehouse played a key role in English history. In 1688 a group of local Protestant noblemen, seeking to avoid a rainstorm, ended up here to plan their part in the 'Glorious Revolution'. As a result of the plans they made, James II (a Catholic) was deposed and replaced by the Protestant William of Orange and his queen, Mary. The alehouse was open for another 100 years after the Revolution, until the Cock & Magpie was built in 1790. Mansfield Brewery owned the new pub over the period 1935-2000, prior to that it belonged to Chesterfield Brewery. One pub that has closed was the Square & Compass or Compass. Records show that the pub was open in 1821 and that it closed sometime during the period 1849-1852. The only known licensee, George Bower, is also listed as being a cattle dealer and a farmer at ‘Compass Farm’ and the pub undoubtedly operated from the farm buildings that stood on High Street. The farm was pulled down many years ago and the site used for a petrol station, although this too has recently been demolished and the land is now a housing development. As a reminder of what once existed, streets named Compass Crescent and Bower Farm Road can still be found. The Newbridge Inn was first listed in 1870 when the landlord was John Wilcox, who was also a shoemaker. The pub, which was situated in an area known as Foxley Oakes, held a full licence and in 1912 was leased to John Smiths Brewery but closed in 1914. The Poplar Inn (pictured) can be found hidden away in quiet surroundings on Church Street North. The premises were originally a private house built during the period 1700-50. About 1870 the house was bought by a Nottinghamshire miner named John Bamford who converted part of the building for use as a beerhouse. Subsequently, Chesterfield Brewery bought the beerhouse and a full licence was granted in 1951. The pub takes its name from a large house that stood opposite the pub, which was known as the ‘Poplars’ on account of the poplar trees in its garden. The White Horse was built as, or converted into, a pub around 1780 to provide accommodation and refreshments to travellers on the road from Chesterfield to Rotherham. The name is derived from the emblem of Germany’s House of Hanover, one of their mob (mad King George III) being king when the inn opened. At some point the pub was purchased by Tennant’s Brewery of Sheffield, who merged with Whitbread in 1961-2 and still retain ownership as at 2002. The pub was rebuilt during the 20th C and now has a mock Tudor frontage. A pub that has had several names is the Odd Couple, one of the three pubs once found in an area that is still known as ‘The Brushes’. It was originally a beerhouse known as the Railway Inn, which first traded around
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1868, coinciding with the opening of the new Sheffield-Chesterfield railway. Situated at 148 Sheffield Road just off today’s busy A61 bypass, it was handily placed for the massive Sheepbridge steelworks. Beers were supplied by John Smith’s brewery. Older readers may recall that the sign affixed to the pub’s wall showed George Stephenson’s ‘Rocket’. The name was changed to the Two Jays in the 1980s, the inspiration being the initials of the two people who owned the pub at that time. The current name of the Odd Couple was adopted during the 1990s. Another Brushes’ beerhouse was the Pheasant Inn, situated in a terraced row along from the Odd Couple. The beerhouse, which was known to have been open in 1869 and was owned by Brampton Brewery, had a relatively short life and closed in 1907 under the Compensation Act. The terraced row is still standing, albeit some of the properties are in need of urgent repair. Our final pub, the Sheepbridge Hotel (pictured), was the third source of alcoholic refreshment in The Brushes area. The premises, which still stand, were situated just off the original Sheffield Road, very close to the A61 bypass that is the main route into Sheffield for 21st century travellers. Records indicate that it opened in the 1820’s and was probably built as a coaching inn for 19th century travellers on the Sheffield to Chesterfield road. However, this source of business dried up when the railway link arrived in the late 1860’s. The pub, which was owned by Richdales Brewery of Sheffield for many years, closed in January 1978. The premises are now used as offices, although etched windows from its time as a pub are still visible. Acknowledgements: Thanks go to John Hirst who kindly provided information & reference was also made to unpublished notes by Trevor Nurse.
che s • Hot foo d & San dwi out the event available through
• Mu sic & Ent erta inm ent
• Ov er 60 ale s plu s cid ers
Friday
Lea von Arc her
Time s Ope nin g Times 11pm Frid ay 6pm - 11pm 11pm Sat urd ay 1pm 11pm
Acoustic Folk & Blues Saturday
Cro ssf ire
Classic Rock
T icke ts ava ilab le from :Bar row Hill Rou ndh ous e Tup, Whi tting ton Moo r Der by Tup, Dea d Poe ts, Holb rook
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Beer Orders The Campaign for Real Ale, the World's largest drinkers' consumer group, has reacted with anger and disbelief at the DTI's decision to revoke the Beer Orders. CAMRA is predicting the loss of hundreds of community pubs and the closure of dozens of small brewing companies should deregulation be allowed to proceed. Mike Benner, CAMRA said, “The revocation of the Beer Orders will send shock waves through the industry as there will be nothing to stop large brewers and pub chains tying up huge chunks of the market, restricting access to smaller brewers and smashing consumer choice”. CAMRA believes: 1. That the DTI is acting AGAINST the advice of the Office of Fair Trading following its review in 2000 2. That the move to allow brewers to prevent pubs from being pubs in the future if sold will lead to HUNDREDS of community pub closures particularly in rural areas where pubs are most at risk. This is despite steps by DTLR to protect rural pubs through improved planning measures and rate relief. 3. That breweries will be allowed to REFUSE to supply beer for resale enabling large players with key brands to FORCE smaller wholesalers and retailers to stock all or most of their products, even if they only want one. 4. That revocation will allow brewers to charge DIFFERENT prices to any number of different customers as they will not be obliged to publish wholesale price lists. 5. Revoking the guest beer provision will allow any brewer to buy and tie many thousands of pubs to its own products, excluding smaller brewers and WRECKING consumer choice 6. Lack of alternative anti-competitive controls specific to the industry will hand more brewing, distribution and retailing power to the large brewers and pub retailers. Mike Benner added, “The DTI is pulling the rug from under Britain's 15 million beer drinkers and 400 small brewing companies and leaving us all to the mercy of global brewing giants and massive pub chains who will now be able to control the market unhindered. The decision, made with no consultation of the parties involved, demonstrates a mind-boggling lack of understanding of the industry and it will have a huge impact on choice and competition for years to come.” “Revocation of the Orders is untimely and inappropriate as they still play an important role in protecting consumers and smaller operators. There must be an urgent consultative review of the entire industry, which would result in a detailed Government strategy to ensure access to market for small brewers, fair choice for consumers and steps to protect community pubs from closure. Otherwise our unique beer and pubs industries are likely to be consumed entirely by a small handful of global giants.” 10
THORN TREE 48 Jackson Road Matlock (behind County Offices)
tel: 01629 582923 A warm welcome from Phil & Karen Sismey Timothy Taylor Landlord Black Sheep Bitter Draught Bass Opening hours: Mon & Tue: 7.00 - 11.00 Wed - Sat: 12 noon - 2.30 & 7.00 - 11.00 Sun: 12 noon - 10.30
Food available 12 noon - 1.45 plus Thursday curry night (only £2.95) All musicians welcome to Sunday afternoon jamming session Beer Festival - Bank Holiday Friday 3rd May (night), Saturday 4th May (all day) Drink up sessions Sunday 5th & Monday 6th
Folk Groups
Timothy Taylor’s Housekeeper
Should your local landlord casually mention one night, that midweek trade could do with some sort of uplift, do not be afraid. What he means is, he is considering starting up a folkgroup, or folk music evening. There are several reasons why you should have no fear, one is, these always occur midweek evenings because there are fewer regulars in the pub to irritate. Folk evenings have, and always will be exactly the same. In any photograph of ‘folkies’, taken in 1957 or 1996, only the wallpaper will have changed. Folk clubs are a sort of Dark Ages Karaoke, and only pubs with a very large room and log fire, or several upstairs rooms can adapt to this musical menagerie. The pubs clientele will eventually decide in which room in the pub, the group plays. Some pubs attract among their clientele, big fat blokes in waistcoats and cravats, who learned the words to the Fields of Athenry at school, and take every opportunity to inflict it on a captive audience. This can only be done with a pint pot in hand and bum to the fire, while the poor wife cringes in the corner with embarrassment. This encourages the pub clientele to laugh their socks off at him, and they will urge the group to stop downstairs by the fire to provide their amusement. Where the musicianship is not of a particularly high standard, or the vocals sound like corncrakes, they will be advised “to bugger off upstairs and stop bothering people”. The basic musical instruments needed in a folk club, are a couple of guitars, a banjo, whistles or a harmonica, a bass and some sort of percussion. (Never, ever, are tubas, trumpets, and trombones used, or this would automatically make it a jazz club. Ummm…….Nice). At no time should electricity be used. The musical integrity, and seniority of the group, will be decided by several factors. One of the guitar players, will have played as support to Hendrix at the Isle of Wight festival, and thus by age and experience will be a major influence on the group’s play list. The other guitar player will be somebody who was a tidy player at school, and likes playing in front of an audience. The bass player is usually the man who pulls all the group together, and makes the worst group sound vaguely musical, and the best groups brilliant. The Banjo player has the ego the size of a bus, because in his opinion, its his instrument that makes the band sound different, and wants to play lead on everything. The percussion player only has to own an arran sweater. The more proficient the players are, the more highbrow their play list is. Venezuelan trawler songs, Canadian mining disasters, and 15th century Welsh ballads about sheep farming. The worse the group is, the more they encourage the pub to get up and ‘sing along with us’. The wild rover, Molly Malone & Paddy Mcginty’s goat. What exactly compromises a folk song, causes conflict in a group. One will only play 60’s Dylan, another will only sing of his love drowning in a deep pool. These are usually geography teachers who insist it was an ox bow lake, but it is universally agreed however, anyone wanting to sing Robbie Williams should automatically be punched. Singers always traditionally sing with one hand cupped around one or other of their ears. This is allegedly, to acoustically assist the singer. In actual fact it is to ward off missiles flung in appreciation of the voice of a bullfrog. In recent times the traditional themes of folk music have been re-written. Sea shanties are still popular despite all the modern inferences about seamen. Traditionally, a trawler man would be lured to his death on dangerous rocks, by a half naked siren wailing, but now EC fishing quotas do for him. A tinker did a call me on my mobile phone’o, and asked me my drive to Tarmac oh. The shepherd now takes his three headed genetically modified sheep to Widdecombe Fair, and so on…. Despite their appearance, (beards, rings and studs are compulsory,) women generally wear check shirts and jeans. Men smoke dubious material, which they roll for themselves, in the breaks between tunes. All drink cider or stout. If the pub is full on folk nights, it will seem like the desired improvement in midweek trade, (even if everyone is drinking fruit juice). But the landlord will judge the success of his new folk group, not by the increase in turnover, but by the amount of complaints he receives from his regulars. If the landlord’s dog clamps its paws to its ears and howls all evening, then he will most certainly disband the group and start up a line dancing group instead. He can still remember the bloke who came to the New Years eve disco two years ago, who danced like the next Michael Flatley...
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PEBLEY HE T • REE HOUSE F •
A TRADITIONAL FREE HOUSE Chris & Andrea Dennis Welcome You
Ever changing guest ales
Good selection of Malt Whiskies Open: Mon & Tues 3-11pm, Wed-Sat 12-11pm, Sun 12-10.30 • Fresh home-cooked food available WedSat 12-2pm & 5-9pm, Sun 12-3pm (full menu available) Large Beer Garden • Oversized Glasses • Dogs Welcome Rotherham Road, Barlborough Nr. Chesterfield S43 4TH Telephone: (01246) 810327 We are on the A618 between Killamarsh - Barlborough
The Hebridean Brewing Co. After a most satisfying Burns Supper (25th January) during which the brewery was toasted over haggis, on Saturday 26 January, the first stand alone brewery in the Outer Hebrides mashed its first brew. A long-term effort has at last paid off and the first brew of CLANSMAN is on its way. The beer is 3.9% ABV, pale and lightly hopped. The brewery is seeking wholesalers to distribute the beer through the UK mainland, but at the moment, a trip to Stornoway next week will be the only way for you tickers out there to get a taste. The premium strength product is due to be brewed soon. Prospective customers (shameless plug here) can contact the brewery on 01851 700 123. Before you ask, pump clips and beer mats are not for posting out to anyone who sends a badly photocopied scrounging letter. They are for sale at the brewery door, so only the really dedicated can get them! The brewery was built by the owner, Andy Ribbens in an old bus station, with Internet input via Freeminer Brewery. Don Burgess from Freeminer eventually made it to the island despite gales and snow, albeit 6 hours late (nothing new if you have ever waited for a Freeminer delivery!) The brew passed off with just a handful of teething problems. Visits are by appointment only and please note that there are no Sunday flights or sailings to the island and all the pubs shut on Sunday as well. The sheep however roam free at all times....
TOWNES BREWERY
LOWGATES STAVELEY CHESTERFIELD • TELEPHONE 01246 472252
• THE SPEEDWELL INN • CHESTERFIELD’S ONLY BREW-PUB
• FOUR TOWNES ALES • GUEST ALES • CASK CIDER • BOTTLE CONDITIONED BELGIAN BEERS
OPENING TIMES MONDAY - THURSDAY. 6-11pm FRIDAY & SATURDAY 6-11pm SUNDAY 6-10.30pm
CHESTERFIELD CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2000 12
Postbag ~ ~~~~~~ `~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ ~
Dear Editor,
Did you know that Beer may be sold in quantities of One third of a Pint.Well it can and I managed to get hold of a Glass from a Firm in Telford Shropshire which is approx 7ozs to the brim but is lined and govt,stamped to one third of a pint, this company have just launched this glass for beer festival tastings and I understand this measure was called a 'Stick' in the Midlands, a Pony down South and a Nip up North can anyone confirm these names ? It appears this glass was last in regular use in the sixties. boozybaz (via the internet) ======================= Dear Editor, Has anyone else noticed that television beer adverts seem to be promoting short measure? They invariably show beer served in brim measure glasses with at least an inch of head. A case in point is the latest Boddingtons advert. A couple is shown in bed. The female seeming to find a non existent pint of Boddingtons more satisfying than sex. I am not too sure about that one, but I don't suppose that an imaginary pint of Boddingtons would have much less taste than the real thing. At the end of the advert up pops a pint with at least 30p worth of beer missing. I don't suppose that would upset the actress in the advert too much. She looked as though she was used to receiving short measure, but it does promote the image of the pint as having a huge amount of foam in place of 15% of the beer.
STORK VENDING
SPECIALISTS IN CIGARETTE VENDING 128 Mansfield Road, SHEFFIELD S12 2AQ Tel. & Fax: 0114 239 9540
I wonder if it is a case for the ASA? Dagmar Weimer INNSPIRE is produced by the Branch membership of Chesterfield & District Campaign for Real Ale and has a circulation of 2500. Articles and letters are always welcome and can be submitted to either Neil Parkin or Nick Wheat. The views expressed herein are those of individual contributors and not necessarilly those of CAMRA or the local Branch.
A local family owned vending business. Supplying cigarette machines to Public Houses and Clubs. Giving our customers an individual, personal service. 13
Chesterfield 2002 Beer Festival...
The Chesterfield CAMRA beer festival in February was another great success. This year's beer selection theme celebrated 25 years of the Chesterfield Branch of CAMRA with 25 champion, 25 local and 25 ales, which had survived the 25 year period. This allowed a range including top class ales, new brews and some old favourites. Whim's Black Christmas was voted beer of the festival, closely followed by the deliciously spiced Morocco Ale from Daleside (which people either loved or hated). Joe, the Whim brewer, definitively seems to have his finger on the pulse of the Chesterfield imbibers as his El Culo and Whim IPA were also forerunners in the voting stakes. The first ale to sell out was Golden Silver by Kelham Island, closely followed by another festival special Brampton Comes Alive from the neighbouring Port Mahon Brewery at the Cask & Cutler. The latter ale was obviously named in homage to the live album by the great guitar hero of the seventies, but the Brewery name is a mystery to me (answers on a postcard please). Timothy Taylor's Landlord was another fast seller showing that festival drinkers appreciate classic as well as novel ales. Jovial Jeff Gaunt, the Eckington Butcher, once again provided an appropriate choice of festival food, including his famous beer sausages and new Rogan Josh burgers, which were devoured with relish. The music was well received with the volume being deliberately restricted to allow conversation at the back, whilst providing the atmosphere and buzz that is only produced by a live performance. It was heartening to see some dancers actually move in time with the music, although others were often more entertaining. Lots of happy ladies were having fun with the cider and Country wines, which has inspired a new campaigning issue for me. I will now try to convert one woman, at each festival, to real ale. Better make myself a “hop man� costume. 14
Another Great Success
Devoted Durham Drinker
Janet's Jungle Juice was voted “Cider of the Festival”, and has indeed gone on to win further acclaim nationally. The old favourite Moonshine was the fastest selling cider, probably due to the luscious Julie. By recommending it to appleheads whilst serving on the stand, not by actually drinking it all herself you understand. All things considered this was another friendly, relaxed (at times) event and I would like to thank all the sponsors and those big-hearted souls who worked to make it happen, although I do know that working was embarrassingly good fun.
The
The Boat Inn
Lathkil Hotel
Over Haddon, Nr. Bakewell Tel: 01629 812501 Email: info@lathkil.co.uk
Market place Scarthin CROMFORD (01629 823282)
www.lathkil.co.uk Chesterfield & District CAMRA Pub of the Year 2002
Marston’s Pedigree Springhead Bitter 2 ever-changing guest beers Kevin & Debbie welcome you to our
1st Beer Festival weekend 14th-16th June Featuring local micro brewery beers Live entertainment Food available all weekend Regular quiz every other Sunday. Live music Tuesday nights.
Situated Peacefully Above Lathkill Dale in the Heart of the Peak District National Park 15
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UxxÜ Yxáà|ätÄ `tç FDáà àÉ ]âÇx FÜw
Featuring over 20 Guest Ales!! Live Entertainment F ree Entry All W eekend BBQ Stunning V iews Beer Marquee Extensive Restaurant Area A ward W inning P atio Area For further information visit
The Black-a-Moor Snowdon Lane Troway (between Marsh Lane & Coal Aston) Nr. Sheffield S21 5RU Or Contact Mat or Michelle Tel: 01246 413180 16
Courtesy Coach A subsidised courtesy coach will be available to CAMRA members at a cost of £2.00 return per person. Please contact Mat or Michelle for further information & reservations
Supreme CAMRA Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2002
• THE •
NEW INN 229 Mansfield Road Winsick, Chesterfield Telephone: 01246 273727 •••
Newly Refurbished
••• LIVE ENTERTAINMENT EACH SATURDAY WITH TOP ACTS
EXTENSIVE BEER GARDEN NOW OPEN WITH NEW CHILDRENS’ PLAY AREA Meals For Two - £4.90 From the Blackboard
Plus Sunday Carvery £4.50 Bookings Advisable
'Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout' from Hereford brewer Wye Valley has been named as the Supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2002, by a panel of judges at CAMRA's national winter celebration of beer. The 4.6% ABV stout is described in the 2002 edition of the Good Beer Guide as a 'smooth and satisfying stout with a bitter edge to its roast flavours. The finish combines roast grain and malt'. At the announcement, Steve Prescott, the organiser of the National Winter Ales Festival congratulated Wye Valley on their ability to produce beers to perform on the national stage with companies a hundred times their size. He said, “Year after year we see beers from smaller breweries taking the top gong and leading the field with high quality and distinctive beers. Well done Wye Valley.” On hearing the news Peter Amor , Managing Director of Wye Valley, said “We're extremely happy, it gives us a real boost. We're planning a major brewery expansion this year which means we can promise even better beers in the future - if that's possible!” The silver prize went to Bath brewers Bath Ales with their superb Festivity, and the Bronze award went to Robinson's brewery from Manchester for their Old Tom, which won the supreme prize in 2000.
Category Winners
PENSIONERS SPECIAL
Old Ales & Strong Milds
Choice of Five Main Meals, Sweets and Tea or Coffee - Served 12 noon to 3pm
Gold - Bath Ales, Festivity Silver - Rudgate, Ruby Mild Bronze - Beartown, Black Bear
Monday to Saturday - Only £2.50
Stouts and Porters
NO SMOKING AREA NOW AVAILABLE
GUEST BEERS
Gold - Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout Silver - Ringwood, XXXX Porter Bronze - B & T, Edwin Taylor's Extra Stout Barley Wines
Courage Directors John Smiths always available
Gold - Big Lamp, Black Out Silver - Robinson's, Old Tom Bronze - Adnams, Tally Ho 17
Pub of the Season - Lamb Inn, Holymoorside
Handley Hack
So the Lamb, long a winner with CAMRA members and winner of CAMRA awards, is successful again as our Spring Pub of the Season, in spite of strong competition. It seems a long time since the Lamb became such a favourite; it has been in the Good Beer Guide continuously since 1994, it was twice Chesterfield CAMRA Pub of the Year, in 1994 and 1996, and most recently Pub of the Season in Spring 2000. So what makes it so popular? The Lamb doesn’t do food, juke boxes or games machines but excels in what it does do - the owners, mine hosts Pat and Alan Goucher consistently provide good ales, friendly atmosphere and comfortable surroundings. If you turn up at the weekend (it doesn’t open weekday lunchtimes, apart from Fridays) you will usually find seven real ales, including Home Bitter and Timothy Taylor Landlord, and the range provided generally comes from such well known brewery names as Barnsley, Black Sheep, Batemans, Adnams, Shepherd Neame and Bass. The choice is fewer (about five) weekday evenings, but that is in response to customer demand and means all the beers on offer are in peak condition. Two cosy bars, attractively decorated with mirrors of all sizes and shapes - where could be more welcoming on a winter’s evening with a real fire putting out a seriously warming heat, the tap of dominoes being played, and the hum of friendly conversation. Again, now that spring is here, how about a weekend walk round some of the many footpaths in the area finishing up sitting outside the pub downing a well deserved pint in the spring sunshine (well one can dream). Or if the thought of trudging through the countryside is too much for you, there’s an hourly bus from Chesterfield town centre. Anyway, make your way there – you won’t be disappointed. Alan Goucher, Branch Chairman Mary Keast & Patricia Goucher with the warmly received “Spring Pub of the Season” award.
18
Henry 3rd, Stocks, Conners, Marks & Sparks
Nick Williams
You may wonder what the above have in common. All, in their own way, have made major contributions to the beer we drink today. Before Henry 3rd, ale was a totally unregulated. Anyone, who wanted to, could brew and sell beer, but as it was totally unregulated, they could adulterate it and water it down at will. In 1267, Henry 3rd passed the “Assize of Bread and Ale”. This was the first piece of quality control ever introduced. The fact that it related to both ale and bread shows how importantly both commodities were viewed. The Assize regulated price, quality and measure. Ale could only be sold in pots bearing the official stamp. (A regulation that is still in force today.) A few years later the office of Ale Conner was introduced. This lucky (or sometimes not so lucky) chap wandered round the country, descending upon hostelries. There he would demand food and ale, and donning his leather pants would pour beer onto his stool before tucking into his meal. After dining the Conner would attempt to rise. If the stool failed to remain attached to his rear, the beer was passed unfit, and the landlord spent the night in the pillory. I have also heard it said that the test was exactly the opposite and sticky pants meant unfermented sugars, and thus poor beer. Perhaps others can throw more light on the truth. Since those days hydrometers have come into use, and breweries have by and large replaced the selfbrew pub. (Although these have been making a comeback in the last few years). The Ale Conner no longer checks the beer, but his role has been replaced by the excise man, who checks the alcohol content of beer at the brewery itself. So where, you might ask, do Marks & Spencer fit into all this? Well it is to Marks & Spencer that we owe the little ABV mark on our beer bottles and pump clips. Since World War 1 the strength of beer sold in our pubs has reduced by around 50%. A fact the brewers were not particularly keen to share with their customers. On the contrary, most were keen to promote strength and goodness, despite 50 years of ringing both out of their produce. The reason was simple. The excise man at the brewery charged duty based on alcohol content. The weaker the beer the less duty, and the more profit. In the late 1970s, Marks and Spencer started to display gravity on its tinned beers. Others were forced to follow suit. It was only then that drinkers learned the truth about what they were drinking. Several National brands were BOYTHORPE ROAD, CHESTERFIELD. (Tel 235280) actually less than 3% alcohol. Many did not survive the revelation. It is a pity that so few sets of stocks YOUR HOSTS LD CAMRA were still around. CHESTERFIE ’ 1998
THE BOYTHORPE INN
So today you can assess the quality of your beer in a variety of ways. 1 Know your pub. A good landlord knows how to keep a good cellar, and does not mind being told about the odd rogue pint. 2 Look at the pump clip. The ABV will tell you about the strength of the beer. The reputation of the brewery will tell you the rest. 3 Taste & Smell. Bad beer usually has an acid taste and a vinegary smell. But if you took notice of 1, this should not occur. Of course, modern pub furniture does not allow you to replicate the tests of the Ale Conner. Cloth covered seating does not produce the same results, and it is you that is likely to end up in the stocks if you attempt it. A more scientific test is to drink the stuff and try and walk in a straight line. If you find that you cannot manage that, you can go home, get into a warm bath, and count the bubbles.
19
E YEAR ‘PUB OF TH
PETER AND SHEILA
TOP QUALITY PRODUCTS & SERVICE GUARANTEED
CASK CONDITIONED HAND PULLED BEER SERVED IN OVER-SIZED GLASSES. CASK MARQUE AWARD. SEASONAL BEER FROM THE CELLARMANS COLLECTION FOOD AVAILABLE LUNCHTIMES FAMILY ROOM DARTS - TWO POOL TABLES QUIZ NIGHT WEDNESDAY SPONSORS OF CHESTERFIELD LADIES FOOTBALL CLUB
THE TRUE TASTE OF TRADITION
Chesterfield CAMRA - 25 Years of Rewarding Excellence
John Hirst
In our 25th Anniversary year we take a look back at the early awards given for the excellence of keeping a good pint of beer, then known as Pub of the Month. How have these pubs changed over the years? Branch records indicate that the award began in the summer of 1979, no doubt following the lead from larger CAMRA branches. The first pub to receive the award was the Royal Oak in Chesterfield’s Shambles, kept in those days by Roland Sullivan. Licensee from 1958 to December 1979, he can be credited with preserving the pub to the closest the town centre has to an unspoilt pub. He kept a wonderful pint of Stones and was well worthy of the award. Today, after a very uncertain recent past, the Enterprise Inns pub has been given a new lease of life by licensee Adrian Robinson, who has funded its refurbishment. He believes real ale should be the basis a traditional pub, and for good measure also provides good food. Regular ales are Stones and Pedigree, with a guest ale, currently Fullers London Pride. Hopefully he will be a future contender for the award. The next award was the Barley Mow, Saltergate. At this time CAMRA meetings were held in the upstairs room. The landlord was Don Grace, quite a character, who kept a superb pint of Wards bitter at a time when it really was full of flavour and body. For a small pub his beer sales were exceptional, rows of hogsheads (54 gallons) were lined up in his cellar. Although now renovated the modern pub still retains some of the cosy atmosphere that once prevailed. Beers are from the Pubmaster range, with Tetley’s, Theakstons and Pedigree on tap on a recent visit. Clay Cross was the venue for the September award. The Shoulder of Mutton sold Tetley’s on electric pumps. It was a good town local, now an Indian restaurant called the Clay Oven. October saw us travel to the Great Central (pictured) at Wheeldon Mill, one of the few Shipstones pubs locally. Serving bitter on electric pumps it was a true locals pub. The pub was bought in 1983 by ex-footballer Peter Swan, who changed the name to The Mill, as it is known today. Sadly poor sales at the expense of creamflow have recently forced real ale from the bar. The first award in our western area was the Three Stags Heads, Darley Bridge. Little has changed since those days, keeping its old charm and character. Owned by Hardys & Hansons, selling Kimberley bitter, although poor sales have once again driven traditional mild out in favour of the creamflow version. 20
The last award of 1979 went to the Queens Park Hotel, a large town pub with a fine glazed brick façade. It originally gained much of its trade from the old cattle market at the rear. Selling Home mild and bitter from a plush lounge or large open tap room, it caused quite a stir when it was swiftly demolished in April 1997 before any opposition could be mustered. The loss, it transpired was to give more parking spaces in the new retail park.
THE PORTLAND HOTEL WEST BARS CHESTERFIELD
A quick note about the change in presentation of real ales. Of the pubs mentioned, four out of the six served the beer through electric pumps, as did the majority in our area in 1979. Hand pulls were thought of by brewers as old fashioned and only slowly gained favour once again as the more traditional method of dispense.
& Sam Welcome you to
Dean
THE JOLLY FARMER
A Hotel and a Wetherspoon pub!
Pentland Road, Dronfield Woodhouse. Tel: 01246 418018 Open 11.00am. - 11.00pm.
We have a 22-room hotel: Mon-Thu £39 room only, Special weekend rate £35 room only
We are in the 2002 Good Beer Guide Regular Beers: Black Sheep Bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Tetley Bitter plus 3 ever changing guest ales served from our glass fronted cellar behind the bar.
We have a great selection of good, hearty food at very keen prices. A fine selection of cask ales featuring ever changing guest ales from around the country including a selection of our local Townes ales from Staveley and some old favourites.
FUN QUIZ NIGHT EVERY TUESDAY COME AND TRY OUR HOME COOKED FOOD FROM OUR ALL NEW MENU 21
Is British Stout A Dying Breed...
Roger Protz
... I mean stout brewed in the traditional English and Scottish fashions of the 18th and 19th centuries, not versions based on the Irish model. A quick canter through the 2002 Good Beer Guide reveals around three dozen regular beers listed as “stout”. There may be more hidden away behind some of the rococo names given to many modern beers. Most of the glorious three dozen are brewed by small craft brewers, so the total volumes are small. Bigger regional brewers, by and large, don't go in for stout brewing. It's not hard to discover why: for most pub goers, stout means Guinness, and so the Irish beer appears on just about every bar in the country, occasionally replaced by Beamish or Murphy's. The sheer ubiquity of Irish stout in Britain is destroying the native versions. Many of the stouts produced by craft brewers in Britain are based on the Irish model and this only drives more nails into the coffin of the British style. This is not written for reasons of pedantry, let alone crude xenophobia. The style known as “Dry Irish Stout” is a brilliant one and is rightly lauded throughout the world. But, for reasons of geography and politics, it is different to the style that developed in England in the 18th century and which was further tweaked by Scottish brewers to meet local preference. Stout is a member of the porter family. In London in the 18th century a craze for a mixture of pale, brown and “stale” [old] ales gave way to a cheaper version that came from just one cask or butt. “Entire butt” was not the most harmonious of brand names and it was quickly supplanted by the nickname of porter, which arose as a result of the beer's popularity with the army of street-market porters who worked in the capital. At the time, brewers called the strongest or stoutest beers they produced “stout”, as in stout brown ale and stout butt ale. Inevitably, the most powerful versions of porter were labelled “stout porter”. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, punitive taxation drove down gravities to such an extent that stouts were reduced to the level of porter. Porter disappeared from labels and only the word stout remained. There are two distinct phases in the history of porter and stout brewing. In the 18th century they were brown beers made predominantly by a new and superior type of brown malt known as “high dried malt” cured over Jane, Ken & staff wood fires, blended with older vatted beer that gave the welcome you to finished product the slightly sour, lactic tang in vogue at the time. Early in the 19th century brewers switched en masse to pale malt, cured over coke-fuelled fires: pale malt 23 STEPHENSONS PLACE contained high levels of enzymes and thereby had the CHESTERFIELD “diastatic power” to more easily convert starch into fermentable maltose sugar. The brewers were able to cut production costs by using smaller amounts of malt but they had to colour their beers to give them the required appearance of porter and stout. Help came in 1817 in the shape of a roasting machine invented by Daniel Wheeler. Overnight, brewers switched to black and chocolate malts to give colour and flavour to their beers. Porter and stout changed from being a dark brown beer to the jet-black style we know today, with the touch of sourness supplied by bitter dark malts instead of expensively vatted “stale” ale. The brewing of porter and stout followed a different course in Ireland. When the likes of Beamish & SUPERB CHOICE Crawford in Cork and Arthur Guinness in Dublin saw OF CASK ALES the enormous amounts of beer brewed in Bristol and Food Served Daily London flooding into Ireland they determined to corner Good Ale, Good Food, a slice of the lucrative market. The cost of raw materials Great Atmosphere. was high. Hops had to be imported from England at
THE RUTLAND
22
considerable expense and the Irish brewers looked for ways to improve profitability. At the time duty was levied not on the strength of beer but on malt and hops. Arthur Guinness II hit on the idea of reducing the amount of taxed malt in his beers with some unmalted and therefore untaxed roasted barley. The acrid, bitter flavour of his porters and stouts gave them a distinctively different character and the success of the beers forced the other Irish brewers to adopt the new style. British brewers did not follow the Irish method. For a start, demand for porter and stout was falling and were replaced by a new, less hoppy and sweeter brown beer - what is now known as Mild Ale - while the revolutionary beer style, India Pale Ale, was starting to transform all brewing practice. William Gladstone's budget of 1880 replaced duties on materials with a “mash tun” tax on the original gravity of the “wort”, the sugary extract of malt, which meant there was no advantage in using roasted barley. In World War One a government clampdown on dark malts to save energy was imposed on British brewers but not on the increasingly rebellious Irish. Porter's death-knell sounded, stout became a pale shadow of its former self, and the robust Irish versions increasingly dominated the market throughout the British Isles. There is clear evidence that British stouts were definably different to the Irish versions. Those indefatigable seekers after brewing truth, the Durden Park Beer Circle, who recreate old British beers from contemporary recipes, list several porters and stouts in their seminal pamphlet Old British Beers and How to Make Them. The recipes include oatmeal stouts, London porters, export porters and stouts, double stout and triple stout. They cover a period from the mid-18th to the late 19th century, with such famous names as Maclay, Whitbread, Younger and Ushers. Only one beer, Younger's XXXP Export Porter dating from 1841, uses roast barley and it appears as an alternative to black malt. Few of the revivalist British stouts today are true to style. Edwin Taylor's Extra Stout, from B&T in Shefford, Bedfordshire, is a remarkable beer, one worth crossing burning coals to drink. But with roast barley making up a massive 16% of the malt grist, the beer has the charred and acrid character of the Irish style, like Guinness from the good old days. Cropton's Scoresby Stout from Pickering, Yorkshire, is described by the GBG as a “classic of the style”. But with 10%-roasted barley in the recipe, it's not a classic British stout. Pitfield's new organic Shoreditch Stout in North London similarly uses roast barley. Pitfield is close to the site of Sam Whitbread's original brewery but he wouldn't recognise most of the ingredients in Shoreditch Stout. There are a few traditional British versions. Ted Willems has won a fistful of awards for his Velvet Stout from the Reepham Brewery in Norfolk. The 4.3% beer uses pale, crystal and black malts, with cane sugar and caramel. The hops are Fuggles and Goldings. It has a luscious, smooth, bittersweet aroma and flavour, with liquorice and dark malt in the mouth, and hops coming through late in the dry finish. Burton Bridge in Burton-on-Trent, best known for its 4% Porter, now only produces Top Dog Stout as a seasonal, 5% beer. Drink it when you can: the malts are pale and chocolate, the hops are Challenger, and the beer delivers a rich dark malt and biscuit aroma, with chocolate dominating the palate and the finish, with some rich fruit from the house yeast and a good blast of hops. The Scottish tradition of adding oats to stout lingers on in the splendid Scottish Oatmeal Stout (4.2%) from Broughton in Peeblesshire. The recipe does include some roasted barley along with the pale malt and oatmeal, so it is not 100% traditional. The oatmeal gives a rich, smooth and velvety note to the beer, with creamy sweetness in the mouth. Maclays of Alloa brewed a revered Oat Malt Stout but its successor, Forth, dropped the beer. The former Maclay's brands have now passed to Belhaven and it does not list the stout. True British stouts are thin on the ground. With the interest now being shown in genuine porters and IPA’s, perhaps craft brewers could go easy on the Blarney and start to make some indigenous stouts that will click another piece into place in the jigsaw of our brewing heritage. This column originally appeared in What's Brewing.
23
The Barrow Boy - Pub Feature The Barrow Boy pub on the Low Pavement in Chesterfield market is the new name for what has formerly been known as Joplin’s and before that the Crown & Cushion. The original named Crown & Cushion is obviously an old building and was indeed listed in the Sheffield trade directory in 1828 when the landlord was Mr Abraham Cooke. Earlier records don’t mention the pub but it may have been known under another name. In 1977 CAMRA made mention of the Crown & Cushion in the guide ‘Where to find Good Beer in and around Sheffield’. A simple but all encompassing description of, Stones Best Bitter served on ‘electric,’ a town pub with two cosy rooms, frequented by market tenants on busy days. The name Crown & Cushion is usually depicted by a crown resting on a cushion which is used to carry it to the monarch at a coronation or similar ceremony. In the early 1980’s the Crown & Cushion was closed for refurbishment and reopened by Whitbread’s as Joplin’s wine bar. Named after the one of the rocks finest white blues singers. Her on stage performances became legendary for their outrageousness, but even these were surpassed by her own excessive lifestyle. Janis epitomised the most alarming aspects of the rock and roll lifestyle in her determination to live life to the full. What should have been a long and fruitful career was tragically cut short on 4th October 1970 when Janis was found dead in her hotel the victim of a drug overdose. All in all an unusual choice to name a wine bar in Chesterfield! Roland and Geraldine Parsons who came to Chesterfield from London to run Joplin’s were recognised by Whitbread in 1982 for their catering, a shame it wasn’t for the quality of their real ale! The pub is now owned by Tom Cobleigh and has undergone its most recent change at the beginning of March this year when it was renamed The Barrow Boy. No prizes for making the link to the market place outside the front door! The new tenant is Dave Samuels (pictured) with his partner Tristan Roberts who is responsible for the catering. Many people will know Dave who was a former cellarman and popular figure at the Derby Tup. Dave left the Derby Tup for London but has now returned to Chesterfield to take on the Barrow Boy. One of Dave’s first jobs was to restore the real ale quality and we now have a choice of four ales. Black Sheep Bitter is the one permanent beer with three changing guests. On our first visit we had a choice of Timothy Taylors Landlord, Theakston’s Old Peculier and London Pride. We tried the Black Sheep and Taylors and both were well received. The Barrow Boy is a comfortable town centre pub suitable for all. Step from the market into a light and open area where blackboards display the traditional pub food available. The pub is open all day for coffee so there is a good mix of people in all areas which has a split level two steps down to the comfortable bar area. From there the pub has been extended using a conservatory to the rear to add extra space. Talking of extra space downstairs there is an excellent room that is used for private parties, meetings and meals on busy days. All in all it is a welcome addition to the town centre real ale scene. 24
Th e Ba rrow Boy (Formerly Joplins) Low Pavement Market Place Chesterfield Tel: (01246) 207707
Black Sheep Bitter Three changing guest beers Opening hours: Monday: 9.00am - 6.00pm Tuesday: 9.30am - 6.00pm Wednesday: 9.30am - 6.00pm Thursday: 9.00am - 6.00pm & 7.00 - 11.00pm Friday: 9.00am - 6.00pm & 7.00 - 11.00pm Saturday: 9.00am - 11.00pm (open all day) Sunday: Closed
Pub & Brewery News The next and probably the last Yellow Lion at Apperknowle Beer Festival is to be held from the 3rd to the 6th April. Meanwhile, the first and hopefully not the last Barrow Hill Roundhouse Beer Festival will be taking place on Friday 31st May & Saturday 1st June. This promises to be one of the most ‘atmospheric’ beer festivals of the year in its unique setting - the last operational railway roundhouse in Britain! See their advert for details. Congratulations to Mat and Michelle at the Black ‘a’ Moor, Troway who have received Cask Marque accreditation. The Cask Marque scheme is designed to ensure good quality real ale and holders have demonstrated that their standards meet those requested by Cask Marque. The pub will also be holding another beer festival 31 May - 4 June, with around 25 different beers selected on the theme of the Golden Jubilee. The pub is also kindly offering to subsidise any coaches arranged by CAMRA branches attending the festival. The Rose & Crown at Barlborough is continuing with its seasonal guest ales from Hardys & Hansons, the current one being Peak Perfection. There was no doubting that’s just what it was when we called. An excellent pint from this current GBG entry pub and a drink to look out for. Still in Barlborough, we are pleased to report that real ale is available again at the Dusty Miller. Several have been tried and have sold well. The best seller was Black Sheep Bitter and this is now available permanently. The Pebley near Barlborough continues to offer Bass, Stones and Pedigree as regulars with recent guests including Golden Salamander, Monkey Magic from Slaters and John Smith’s Magnet in oversized glasses!
All new menu with fresh home cooked food. Serving all day breakfasts, tea & speciality coffee. Parties and private functions catered for in separate downstairs room.
Dave Samuels & Tristan Roberts welcome you to The Barrow Boy formerly Joplins
The Mallet & Chisel at Whitwell (above) didn’t disappoint when we called in February with a choice from Mansfield Bitter, Mansfield Dark Mild, Shepherd Neame Spitfire and Black Sheep Special. Not satisfied, we made a further visit and enjoyed the Harviestoun All Black and Morrell’s Old Don. We understand the intention is to drop the Mansfield Cask and go with three changing guest ales.
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Pub & Brewery News (continued) On a cold and wet night in February we made an evening of visiting pubs around the Clay Cross and Wingerworth areas in search of cask conditioned ales. We started at the Red Lion in Clay Cross, which has recently changed hands and undergone a refurbishment. The beers on offer were Whim Hartington Bitter, Daleside Bitter and Bombardier. The beer was so good that we shall be revisiting for May’s Branch Meeting. We were less successful where we tried the Shinnon in Tupton and the Blue Bell, the Gate and the White Hart in North Wingfield but all were nitro-keg only. We were more succesful at the Royal Oak Inn at Old Tupton, a former Pub of the Season award winner. This pub was busy as usual and tempted us with Whim IPA, John Smith’s Cask, Old Mill Bitter and Daleside Bitter. Finally, the Barley Mow at Wingerworth. Despite missing the narrow car park entrance at the first attempt, we managed to negotiate our way to the bar for the Bass and London Pride which was excellent. On a recent trip out to find cask conditioned ale we descended on Bolsover. Our quest didn’t look promising at all as we ventured into and then out of the Black Bull, the Cross Keys, the Cavendish, the Anchor and the Angel, all without any luck. Finally we happened upon the White Swan (pictured) that was selling cask conditioned Kimberley Bitter on electric dispense. This very large pub has plenty of history (which we may well return to later) and a warm welcome. With our thirsts quenched we wound our way through Bolsover to the Blue Bell on surer ground. This exMansfield pub still sells the Mansfield Riding Bitter and also Cameron’s Strongarm which was popular and for good reason. Then onto the Albert at Woodthorpe which had previously supplied us with Timothy Taylors Landlord (which was excellent), Bass, Black Sheep, Whim and Stones. Unfortunately, when we called again they only had the Stones available! Finally, onto the Townes Brewery and the Speedwell which offers a good choice of Townes Beers, Belgium beers, real cider and a guest - it was a good place to finish. We mainly stuck to the Pynot Porter which was excellent as usual and is probably the brewery’s best brew. The Arkwright Arms at Sutton Cum Duckmanton (pictured) continues to be a good outlet for micro brewery beers. On one visit beers from Brewsters (Melton Mowbray) featured. The beers on the bar were Marquis (3.8%), Bitter (4.2%), Monty's Dark (4%) and Vale Pale Ale (VPA 4.5%). The VPA can be described in one word - superb! Brewster by the way is the old English term for a female brewer, the lady in question being Sara Barton who set up this brewery in 1998. For further details, see their website www.brewsters.co.uk. The Victoria at Brampton, despite the change of landlord, is still good, offering Adnams real ale amongst others. Still in Brampton, the Star on Chatsworth Road, offered Timothy Taylor Landlord, Charles Wells Bombardier and Tetley Bitter at the time of our visit. These were on great form and do justice for this very comfortable local. Meanwhile, one of our best landlords from the past has just taken the nearby Peacock. John Bradbury was the first landlord to be presented with a certificate for 10 years in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, when he was at the Grouse in Brampton 10 years ago. He has been running the Queens Park sports centre bar in Chesterfield for many years and was responsible for persuading the Council to sell real ale there. Further down the Brampton ‘Mile’, the Royal Oak is enjoying a return to its former glories. On our recent midweek visit, both bars and all rooms were extremely busy and the quality of the numerous available cask ales was excellent. The George & Dragon, Old Brampton is hoping to increase his choice to two guest ales. On a recent visit to Cromford we nipped into the Greyhound,the large building in the village square that looks more like the town hall than a pub and were pleased to find a choice of Mansfield Cask, Marston’s Pedigree and Tetley Bitter. Around the corner and up the alleyway we found the Boat where we had a choice of Pedigree, Springhead Bitter, Burton Bridge Paramount and St. Valentine’s Massacre. Being old romantics we plumped for the St. Valentine’s and weren’t disappointed. Then onto the White Lion at Starkholmes (pictured) where we will have to spend more time soon. We popped in and were offered a selection from Whim Hartington Bitter, Pedigree and Ind Coope Burton Ale. We were soon in Matlock where we visited the Wetherspoons owned Crown and the Railway opposite. The Railway is currently undergoing major refurbishment and when completed this spring it hopes to be able to rival the Crown,
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attracting real ale drinkers with a good range of Kimberley ales. We understand the landlord at the Crown is soon to move on to the Peacock at Barlow where he is keen to restore the real ale choice. The Boathouse offered Kimberley Bitter, Classic and Rudolph when we called. The Bitter was excellent. Finally, the last stop for the night was the Thorn Tree at Matlock. Not a bad way to finish the evening with a choice from Black Sheep and Whim Hartington which was in excellent condition as usual. Whilst in Matlock Bath, the Princess Victoria had recently been purchased by Batemans Brewery and we now have XB, XXXB and Salem Porter to select from which were in excellent condition. The Plough at Two Dales is offering Bass and Timothy Taylor Landlord and both were excellent on a recent visit. The Flying Childers, Stanton in Peak had beer from Abbeydale when we called plus Slaters Original both were excellent, as was the Timothy Taylor Landlord and Whim Hartington Bitter on a subsequent visit. The Childers is now becoming a regular favourite in the Good Beer Guide and for good reason. It is well worth seeking out. The Church, Churchtown, Darley Dale is a Hardys & Hansons pub offering Kimberley Best Bitter which we accepted gratefully and was excellent. This traditional village Good Beer Guide pub is worth finding out. The Three Stags Heads at nearby Darley Bridge is another Kimberley house where we had the Best Bitter which again was excellent. Unfortunately, there was again no sighting of the cask Mild which helped gain the pub a Pub of the Season award in Summer 2000. The Bulls Head at Monyash has four real ales on the bar - Whim Hartington, Ind Coope Burton Ale, Tetley Bitter and Tetley Mild. As well as providing the opportunity to sample the consistently good Timothy Taylor Landlord at a very reasonably priced £1.80 per pint, a visit to the Cock & Pullet at Sheldon (pictured) also provides the opportunity to enjoy the collection of twenty or so pendulum clocks inside. Moreover, the hourly chiming provides a very pleasant alternative to piped music. The Queens, at Taddington is considering having Whim Hartington on a trial basis. Let’s hope the locals appreciate this great tasting locally brewed beer. The Prince of Wales in Eckington now has real ale! The Bombardier was on good form when we visited and recent favourites have been Courage Directors and Timothy Taylor Landlord. Real ale has been available for several weeks. We have been made aware that the application for the George at Marsh Lane to 'change the use of existing public house to a single dwelling' was approved. It was actually 'conditionally approved' on 6 March 2002 but upon contacting NEDDC, these are minor conditions only and relate to vehicle parking. The pub could close very soon. A sad end to what was once a great local’s pub ruined by the present incumbent. Meanwhile, the once extremely popular Robin Hood Inn at Lydgate near Holmesfield has also closed and a planning application has been submitted for residential re-development. Also in Holmesfield, the popular Doug & Pat Williams have retired from the Travellers Rest, whilst The Jolly Farmer in Dronfield Woodhouse has seen Dean and Sam take over from Paul & Di Basham who we understand have returned to their native Doncaster after the pub was sold by S&N to the Pub People Co. The three guest ales policy looks set to continue, complementing the pub’s range of regular ales which includes Timothy Taylor Landlord and now Black Sheep Bitter. The pubco also has interests in the Rose & Crown on Whittington Moor, where it is hoped Black Sheep will be available in the near future and the Woodside at Ashgate which is about to undergo a major refurbishment. New Beers from the Townes Brewery, Staveley are in 'The Real Gone Series'. 'OUTLAW' 4% abv - the first in a regular series in memory of Waylon Jennings should be available by the time you read this. A new version of Lockoford, as yet unnamed but up to 4.2%abv is also out soon. A new version of Speedwell at 3.8% abv is available now and going really well as is the ever popular Pynot Porter. The next brew, a Premium Bitter should be out in April which is next in the ‘real gone' series, to be called 'Spike' and its not called after Poolsbrook! Springhead Brewery has enjoyed success recently with two of their beers. Puritans Porter, a 4.0% ABV smooth, dark beer with a lingering finish of roasted barley, was runner up at the Macclesfield Beer Festival. Roaring Meg, the “Big Blonde” at 5.5% ABV was also rewarded by SIBA judges at the recent North Midland Beer Festival in Louth. Shirley Reynolds, Brewster at Springhead commented “It is pleasing that these well established and popular beers are still holding their own in competitions against the wealth of new brews coming onto the market”. Springhead Brewery has recently launched a new beer, Oliver's Army. This additional brew is described as “a rich tawny red beer with a hint of fruit, a creamy head and the characteristic finish of Golding's hops” and has an ABV of 4.4%. Trialled in February as St Valentine's Day Massacre, it proved so popular that it was decide to make it a permanent addition to the range. Helen Teasdale, Manager remarked “Ruby beers from East Midland brewers are somewhat rare and so it seemed an obvious move. Judging by the number of barrels sold to pubs in Nottinghamshire our customers agree”.
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