RyedAle & CoastAle 6

RyedALE & CoastALE Issue 6

Christmas 2019

FREE - Please take a copy

EDitor's Welcome

Chair: Dave Balmford chairperson@scarborough.camra.org.uk Secretary: VACANT Membership Secretary: Graham Woodford membership@scarborough.camra.org.uk Treasurer: Stewart Campbell treasurer@scarborough.camra.org.uk Webmaster: Richard Matthewman IT@scarborough.camra.org.uk Pub Protection Officer/ACV: VACANT ppo@scarborough.camra.org.uk Pub Campaigns Co-Ordinator (Town): Mike Stock indigoalley@btconnect.com Pub Campaigns Co-Ordinator (Rural) / WhatPub: Ray West whatpub@scarborough.camra.org.uk Pub Campaigns Officer (Filey / Hunmanby) Ed Koscielski LocAle: Bob Watmore locale@scarborough.camra.org.uk Cider and Perry: Tracey Knorn cider@scarborough.camra.org.uk Clubs Rep: Harry Smith Magazine Editor: Eddie Knorn publicity@scarborough.camra.org.uk Beer Festival Organiser: Stewart Campbell bfo@scarboroughbeerfestival.org.uk

Hello again, and welcome to the latest RyedALE and CoastALE. Since the last issue, we have held our Annual General Meeting, and there have been a couple of new faces added to the branch committee. Welcome to Dave and Richard, Chairperson and Webmaster, respectively. Thanks are due to our outgoing Chair, Gillian Harper, for the work that she has done for our branch over the last 5 years, having been Chair for the last two years and Secretary for three years prior to that.

It is Christmas time again, and what better way to enjoy the festive season than visiting the pub?

Best Wishes for the Festive Season and for the coming year!

Front Cover I know that Helmsley is outside our branch boundary, but on a recent visit there, I could not resist the urge to take a seasonal photo of the Black Swan Hotel on the Market Place.

Why not take a trip to Helmsley yourself?

See my Transport Links article in this edition...

DISCLAIMER Articles, comments etc. within this magazine represent the views of the contributor and not necessarily Scarborough Branch of CAMRA, nor those of the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd.

Pub & Club News Scarborough town area:

the Ivanhoe is currently looking for a new licensee.

Mist Bar now has one real ale available, and as it is free of tie it has the opportunity to source beer locally.

A new micro-pub has been proposed for Northway, adjacent to the Rendezvous Cafe. As of December, we hear that planning permission has been obtained and we anticipate that a license will be applied for in due course.

At North Riding Brewpub, barman Rob Taylor's charity head shave raised nearly £1000. Well done Rob! Currently (mid December 2019) The Shakespeare is boarded-up. Also closed is The Duke's Knickers, with no sign of reopening. Further pubs remaining closed in town are the Old Vic, the Black Swan and the Nelson (Victoria Road).

By the time you read this, Wilson's will be on Winter opening hours, and these will apply until the beginning of March .

Malton area:

Norton's Derwent Arms has been sold to Punch Taverns, and a Cask Marque certificate has been obtained.

Harrisons remains closed.

Stew & Oyster has hand pulls now.

Clubs: Scarborough's

Corporation Club will be undertaking some upgrading of the old concert room in the new year with the intention of bringing it back into use as a function room by Spring 2020.

Rural

area:

Hunmanby's Horseshoe only has two real ales, and on a December visit we found Doom Bar and Wainwright on the bar.

Sawdon's Anvil has closed, sadly, and we are not aware of any plans to re-open it.

Nearby, the Cayley Arms in Brompton has been closed for some time; the refurbishment of the building is making good progress though we are not aware of any plans to reopen.

In West Lutton, the Three Tuns has a new manager.

Whitby

a r e a : Widely publicised news from Star Pubs & Bars of their intention tochange the name of the Golden Lion on Golden Lion Bank, to the Salty Dog resulted in letters to the Whitby Gazette and a petition being launched in opposition to the proposal.

Following the public outcry, Star Pubs & Bars have reconsidered but did, however, submit a planning application that will considerably alter the layout of the Grade II listed pub. Despite public objections to the name change there were no such objections lodged against plans, albeit Whitby Town Council objected to the removal of the ‘ Tetley’ windows, and on 5 September the planning application was approved. Work on the pub has yet to commence.

Brewery News

To start of the festive season at the brewery, 5 Wold Rings is a bright, crisp beer with an amber colour from the Maris Otter, Amber and Cara malts and a light, citrusy bitterness from Cascade and Northdown Hops.

Latest beer inspired by the Olympian god of the sky and the chief figure in Greek mythology, Zeus is a golden beer with a good body and aromas of floral citrus, lemon and sage.

All Wold Top beers are now suitable for vegans.

A new mobile bar has been built.

Upcycled from a decommissioned delivery van, the new bar (as yet unnamed*) serves a range of merchandise, bottled beer and pints of keg beer, but apparently no cask!.

So, if you're looking for a pop up bar please give the brewery a call on 01723 892222.

Colin Povey.

New beers from the Brewery include: Mini Enigma 3.7%, US Lite v4 3.5%, US Triple Hop 4.5%, Cascade/ Lemondrop 4%.

In October, their Rum n' Raisin Mild was joint winner at Sunderland Beer Festival.

Meanwhile, at the Brewpub, Kestis a 4.5% chocolate, coconut cranberry Mild, Banbaro 4.1%,The Reliable 4.3%, Mosaic 4.3%.

Graham Rogers

During January Brass Castle Tap are redeeming any public transport ticket to Malton for one free pint.

Northern Monk Brewery of Leeds have brewed an 11% barrel aged imperial stout up Ben Nevis which they they believe is the highest altitude brew in British history, brewed with ingredients foraged on the mountain including Blaeberries (bilberries). It was aged in a whisky barrel for 2 months donated by Ben Nevis Distillery and only 50 330ml bottles are available costing £1000 each. All proceeds are going to The North Foundation

Christmas Gift Idea!

Mikey G Swann My name is Mikey and I live in Filey in North Yorkshire. I just wanted to let you know that I've recently finished writing a book and it has now been published on Amazon in both Paperback and Kindle format. The book is called Weird, Wondrous & Historic Pubs of the United Kingdom and it has taken me around 10 years to write. I have visited all of the pubs inside and it covers numerous counties in England, and also covers Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. I have a great foreword at the beginning of the book written by one of the co-founders of Wold Top Brewery in East Yorkshire and Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery in North Yorkshire. As this is my first ever book, I am wanting to spread the word to every part of the UK to get it out there.

The Facebook fan page is for anyone to join and on it I will be keeping people updated by posting interesting facts and photos of the pubs I have visited in the book. The Amazon links and to the Facebook page are below:

Paperback - https:// www.amazon.co.uk/WeirdWondrous-Historic-UnitedKingdom/dp/1089962797/ ref=sr_1_1? keywords=weird+wondrous&qid= 1568580573&sr=8-1 Kindle - https:// www.amazon.co.uk/WeirdWondrous-Historic-UnitedKingdom-ebook/dp/ B07XQJD9V6/ref=sr_1_2? keywords=weird+wondrous&qid= 1568580607&sr=8-2 Facebook page - https:// www.facebook.com/ weirdwondrousandhistoricpubs/

Cider Tracey Knorn I recently went on a minibus trip run

by Scarborough CAMRA. I ended up visiting 12 different drinking establishments and only in the first pub, not part of the trip, was there any still cider. CAMRA’s definition of Real cider requires a cider to be made from the freshly pressed juice of apples, not syrup or concentrate, and not to have been pasteurised or artificially carbonated. The other pubs all said ’ Cider’ and offered draught Strongbow, Carling or Magners; fizzy excuses for cider that leave people saying that they can’t drink cider because it gives them terrible indigestion or heartburn. I’m not surprised, just disappointed that so few people know of or have tried real cider.

The only real cider available all day was Weston’s Old Rosie at the Lord Rosebery. Well done Wetherspoons for serving a still bag-in-box cider.

It’s a shame they showed no originality; go around Whitby where several pubs serve it, or sense of locality to offer something local i.e.

Treetop Press or Hedgehoggers cider, obviously these are relatively expensive due to comparatively low production volumes and thus affect PubCo profit margins….

Okay, I accept more pubs do offer what they think is ‘real cider’ in the summer. It is still and bag-in-box so it must be real right? However, not all bag-in-box cider is ‘real’. Lilley’s own flavoured cider for instance is made from concentrate and has lots of syrup added. Hence it’s cheap price which can be marked up significantly

by the pub selling it to suggest they are real cider and not just a cheap substitute. Unfortunately it is the consumer, thinking they are getting the real deal, coming off the worst as they are charged extortionate prices for a 4% flavoured syrup.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the 4% flavoured syrup ‘ciders’. I think they taste great. I just wish that people knew there was an alternative to the ‘big brand’ sparkling stuff that gives you indigestion.

When we have such excellent local cider producers whose offerings include some very warming ginger and chilli ciders, perfect for cold winter days or mulled cider served warm, I really do not feel there is any excuse for not serving cider all year round. Hedgehoggers, and Colemans, Wassail in January is the perfect place to taste a mulled cider as it should be.

2019 Branch Cider Pubs of the Year as voted for at our recent AGM

Scarborough Town: Stumble Inn Joint Runners-Up: Scholars Bar, North Riding Brew Pub, Valley Bar

Branch Rural Area: Sun Inn, Pickering Well done to all!

See Branch Diary on Page 25 for details of award presentations.

CAMRA names the top four pubs in the country

The race is on for the national Pub of the Year competition, with three of the final four pubs having previously scooped the title.

The Swan with Two Necks in Pendleton, the George & Dragon in Hudswell and The Bell in Aldworth have all claimed the prestigious award in previous years. Newcomer to the scene is the Red Lion in Preston, which became the first community-owned pub in Great Britain in the 1980s.

All four of the pubs will now go on to the final competition to win the ultimate Pub of the Year title, to be announced in February 2020. The competing pubs (illustrated clockwise from top left) include:

The Swan With Two Necks in Pendleton (2014 winner) – an outstanding and recently renovated traditional pub set in a pretty Pendleside village that’s deservedly popular with locals and visitors alike.

Five constantly changing ales and one real cider are served along with delicious home-cooked food, and there’s plenty of outdoor seating and lovely open fires when the weather grows colder.

The George & Dragon in Hudswell (2016 winner) – a pleasant walk from Richmond (if you don’t mind the 300+ steps!) brings you to the pub’s large beer terrace with fantastic panoramic views over the Swale valley.Rescued by the community in 2010 and refurbished, it boasts its own library, shop, allotments and other community facilities as well as food and drink.

Bell, Aldworth, Berkshire (1990 winner) – this perennial gem is the only pub with a heritage interior in Berkshire.

Its name refers to bells which were part of the coat of arms of the traditional landowners. It’s large open garden and excellent beer attract walkers and drinkers from far and wide.

Red Lion, Preston, Hertfordshire (new finalist!) – This attractive free house dating back to 1844 stands on the village green and is the first community-owned pub in Great Britain.

There is an ever-changing list of beers including many from small breweries and Ray and Jo prepare the fresh homemade food, sourcing their ingredients locally. The pub also hosts the village cricket teams and fundraises for charity.

so many well-respected pubs return to this prestigious competition to compete for the ultimate title of the best pub in Britain. We wish them – and our newcomer – the very best of luck. It is a huge honour to come this far in the competition and be named one of the best four pubs in the country, and all four finalists should be very proud.”

All of the pubs in the competition are selected by CAMRA volunteers and judged on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, value for money, customer mix and quality of beer.

Each of the four finalists will be presented with their super regional award at local events over the coming weeks. The four finalists will then have a chance to win the National Pub of the National Pub of the Year Coordinator Year title for 2019, which will be Andrea Briers said: “It is amazing to see announced in February 2020.

2019 Branch Pubs and Club of the Year as voted at the recent AGM

Scarborough Town: North Riding Brew Pub 2nd: Wilson's 3rd: Scholars Bar

Branch Rural Area: Sun Pickering Joint Runners-Up: Brass Castle Brewery Tap, Malton Dawnay Arms, West Heslerton Star Inn, Filey

Club: Corporation Club Well done to all!

See Branch Diary on Page 25 for details of the award presentations.

The Monks Take Over a Scarborough Pub! Graham Rogers Back in October, a great night was had by all at North Riding Brew Pub with an amazing diverse range of beers from Northern Monk Brewery plus three collaborations, two with North Riding Brewery & one with North Riding Brew Pub.

l-r: Matt (2nd Best Gravy Wrestler Northern Monk), Stu (North Riding Brewer), Brian (Head Brewer Northern Monk), Cat (Brian’s partner, works at Roosters Brewery) There were six cask & six keg beers with strengths for all, 4.1% to 10%!

Cask ales; *Eternal 4.1% (session IPA), *Second Best Gravy Wrestler in the World 5% (West Coast Pale) Collaboration.

This soon ran out, however a second barrel was on hand...

*Faith 5.4% (modern pale ale), *Neapolitan 6.2% (ice cream pale ale), *Don’t Mess With Udders 6% (nut milk stout) Collaboration - see Brewery Report Special page in this magazine... *G.K.O Outta Nowhere 6.2% (murky pale) Collaboration

Keg beer; *Neal’s Sour 4.5% (cherry, blueberry, blackberry), *I Feel Love 5% (blueberry & hibiscus kolsch), *Rock The Float 6.5% (cherry cola float sour), *Devil’s Press 7% (triple fruit black IPA), *Dream Line 7.4% (double dry hopped IPA), *Sticky Toffee Strannik 10% (barrel aged toffee imperial stout) The World Gravy Wrestling Championships takes place in Rossendale over the border on the dark side of the hills.

My personal beer favourites were the Second Best Wrestler & Dream Line, let’s all hope they do it again next year.

Brewery News Special: North Riding Brewery & BrewPub Graham Rogers An early start for me in September to assist North Riding Brewery's Stu and Brian Dickson, Head Brewer at Northern Monk Brewery who came over for a Double Brew Day collaboration here and at the Brew Pub. "Don't Mess with Udders" a 6% nut milk stout brewed here for Independent Salford Beer Fest.

Mashing in...

Stuart was invited to brew with them in Leeds the next day producing "Second Best Gravy Wrestler in the World" 5%.

Stuart has been busy undertaking other collaborations, with Thirst Class Ale to produce "War of the Blueberries" a 6% stout, and with Town Mouse Newcastle "Sticky Toffee Porter" at 7.4%.

Stu was invited to Ossett Brewery to brew with Paul Spencer Director of Brewing, a first collaboration in a long while for them, produced surprisingly a hoppy beer, "Hopnik" 4.3% session IPA. (See below).

Recent new beers from the Snainton brewery have included: The ever popular Rum & Raisin Dark Mild 4.3%, Loral 4.3%, Kohatu/Motueka 4%, Eureka/ Ekuanaot 4%, US IPA 5.5% (sabro, HBC431 hops), Chocolate & Nut Porter 4.5%, Pale Ale 4.5% (columbus, el dorado & lemon drop hops), US Session 3.8% (zythos, bravo & HBC 431 hops).

Adding the hops...

And here's the finished product...

The Northern Monk Double Brew Day also saw Brian Dickson undertake a collaboration brew at the North Riding Brewpub, "G.K.O. Outta Nowhere" a 6.2% murky pale for the Independent Salford Beer fest in November. Both beers were launched on Friday 18th October at our Northern Monk Tap takeover.

One notable beer to emerge from the Brewpub recently was “70 not out” a 7% pale brewed with sorachi hops to celebrate Mike Webdale reaching this milestone. Other beers include Belmont 5.8%, Styrian Wolf 3.7%, Ekuanot 4.3%, Nelson Sauvin 4 %

Local Pubs and the Good Beer Guide Mike Stock

Often the Camra Committee are asked to evidence why certain pubs are or are not listed within the Good Beer Guide (GBG) so I thought an article explaining policy and procedure in general terms may be helpful. The following is to be read as a guide and is not necessarily national policy as branches have autonomy.

It is important to remember that the Scarborough Branch area covers as far South as the Honeypot, as far North as the Flask and inland includes Malton, Pickering and everywhere between.

Despite this huge geographical area we are only allowed a total of fifteen pubs within the GBG making selection difficult at best.

Both town (Scarborough) and rural Pub Of The Year (POTY) plus runners up receive automatic selection in the belief that to win such an accolade they have excellent quality ale. This takes the remaining entries available down to eleven.

For one of our (over four hundred) members to vote for a Pub they need to have drank there at least once within the last twelve months hence our first task is to encourage all to spread their wings further than their preferred local and join us on survey trips whether on foot, minibus or public transport.

Cask ale quality is key although other awards such as POTY have a wider judging criteria. To assist in evidencing quality the National Beer Scoring System can be used and tasting courses are available. There is no minimum amount of hand pumps required, no rules as to whether it is a free or managed house and no relevance as to whether it serves food.

For a Pub to be eligible it needs to be stable and therefore not be for sale or have an “untested” Landlord/lady which generally means they need to have been in post at least six months. Imagine the embarrassment and waste in selecting a Pub which closes down, gains poor ale quality or becomes a “keg house” prior to publication of the GBG. It's also important to remember that all members have equal voting rights which are not weighed depending on your branch position. Selection is by nomination and voting with no fee involved so “buying” entry is not possible. Transparency and fairness are paramount thus those with a conflict of interest by virtue of their job or personal connections for example are not eligible to vote.

The above procedure is not perfect and only a summary. Of course not everyone concurs the correct Pubs are listed within the Good Beer Guide, however I hope this short article adds clarity and removes myth.

For those unable to join the October survey trip, you missed out on: Tow Bar, Star at Cayton, Bull, Gristhorpe Royal Oak, near Primrose Valley Ship, Muston Foxhound, Flixton, Dawnay Arms, West Heslerton, East Riding, Sherburn, Greyhound, Ganton, Spital Inn, Staxton

Wassail Time!

Wassail derived from old English etc. means ‘be thou hale’ or ‘in good health’. An orchard wassail is an ancient custom of visiting orchards to promote a good harvest for the coming year by driving off the evil spirits and waking the trees up. It is usually celebrated on ‘old twelvey night’ according to the Gregorian calendar so about 17th January although some have moved it to the new calendar and celebrate it on January 6th. On Saturday 18th January Hedgehoggers Cider is holding another wassail event.

The wassail king and/or queen or druid leads the processional throng to the orchard and then the toast soaked in cider in the wassail cup is put in to the tree as an offering to the tree spirits (and to show the fruits of last year’s harvest). Incantations or prayers are recited or sung and then the procession are invited to join in with songs, shouts, banging drums and generally making as much noise as possible to scare the evil spirits away until it is time to move on to the next tree, or orchard.

Hedgehoggers, the organisers of the forthcoming wassail based their event at Seamer and Irton Memorial Hall last year, handily down the road from the orchard. This was open from 4pm with the bar with beer and cider, and soft drinks, available. Hot food was available from the kitchen and music was playing in the background. The procession through the village to their orchard began at 6.30pm with Morris dancing and much noisemaking. The dark was lit by torches as there are not many street lights in Seamer and bottlenecks of parked cars prompted lots of noise as the children, and some adults tried to outdo one another.

Tracey Knorn

A few brave souls came to see what the riot was. We were only missing pitchforks at this point! More mulled cider was consumed as the druid led the procession around to various trees within the orchard. The blessing or supplication was followed by the encouragement to make as much noise as possible to discourage the evil spirits and persuade them to flee before the assemblage returned to the village hall for more merrymaking.

This consisted of much quaffing of cider and ale as well as hot food and a ceilidh.

The only thing fortunately missing was the firing of guns into the branches of the trees to ensure the evil spirits had been banished. This practice has been discouraged from Seamer, probably an excellent idea considering the intake of alcohol involved and the dogs and small children present. It will be interesting to see if they have made any changes to timetable or content this year as last year was their inaugural January event.

Colemans cider is holding their wassail at their new premises and it will be interesting to see what elements of their previous events at Sledmere house they keep. It was a purely outdoor event this year when two groups of Morris dancers met the interested parties in front of the restaurant and farm shop. They both put on an excellent display, giving everyone time to assemble and keep themselves warm.

Hopefully, Colemans cups of mulled cider will be in evidence again this coming year.

But where the orchards are and whether a wassail cup will be in evidence, I’m eager to find out.

Transport Links A Day Out in Helmsley Eddie Knorn Helmsley is a delightful town and it has three pubs and a brewery to entertain the real ale drinker.

Access to Helmsley from Scarborough is easy as it is only a bus ride away.

Admittedly, Helmsley is technically outside the geographic boundary of the Scarborough CAMRA branch area, but I take the view "Why should York CAMRA keep this place to themselves...?"

East Yorkshire fleet number 781 is normally found on the route 12 "Coaster" service to Bridlington. Thanks to your author, it enjoyed a run to Helmsley on route 128 a few weeks ago. It is seen here on the Market Place with The Black Swan in the distance.

Our journey commences alongside Scarborough Railway Station, adjacent to the Railway Social Club at bus top "U". From here, the 128 bus route provides a through service to Helmsley, a run of just under two hours. Buses typically leave at 10 past the hour until 1.10p.m., then from 2.30p.m. they then depart at half past the hour. If a few of you are travelling in a group, you may like to sit around one of the tables for four, on the upper deck of some of the buses.

The route takes a leisurely meander along the A170 road with diversions through picturesque villages and through the towns of Pickering and Kirkbymoorside. Upon arrival at Helmsley, the 128 passes the front of the Black Swan Hotel then loops around via Castlegate to pull up opposite the Feathers Hotel on the Market Place bus stand, as seen in the image to the left.

The Market Place marks the centre of the town, often busy with visiting motorcyclists during Summer and home to the market on Fridays. From the bus stand, it is possible to see three of the town's public houses. Join me as I take a virtual walk around town, in no particular order...

The Royal Oak is a Marston's house and in my opinion is the closest to being an actual "public house" rather than a bar associated with a hotel.

Transport Links It is sited across the Market Place from where the bus stops, and on a recent research visit I found three Marston's staple beers on the bar, namely their own Pedigree together with Wychwood Hobgoblin and Thwaites Wainwright.

The Royal Oak offers lunchtime and evening meals, and is dog friendly.

A short walk across the Market Place will take you to the Black Swan Hotel.

On a recent research visit here, I found two ales from Black Sheep, namely Best and Holy Grail.

According to Whatpub, there are sometimes three real ales on offer here. The ambience and furnishings in the bar area reflected the quality of the hotel itself. I am pleased to report that I was able to enjoy my Holy Grail in comfort. (as a little aside, Tracey, my co-researcher is a great fan of pubs with comfortable seating!). Again the Black Swan offers lunchtime and evening meals, and is dog friendly.

Just across the road from the Market Place bus stand area, the Feathers Hotel, and its associated public bar, the Pickwick Bar. The atmosphere in the Pickwick Bar is "olde worlde" with timber beamed ceilings.

The bar here has up to four hand-pulls in use, and my researches have found Black Sheep Best, Tetley's Cask and two ales brewed especially for the pub by Cameron's, Pickwick Pale and Pickwick Brown.

Again food is available at lunchtime and in the evening, though dogs are not allowed.

The final place to visit is the Helmsley Brewery Tap, a short walk from the Market Place.

On my recent visit, I found Striding the Riding, Yorkshire Legend, Howardian Gold and H!pa on hand pull. A useful facility is the "three thirds" beer taster bat. Bottled beers are available to drink or to take away. Opening times vary, so check first....

So, that concludes my guided tour of Helmsley. Hopefully see you there soon!

Bus Ticket information: a return ticket from Scarborough to Helmsley costs ÂŁ12.50. I suggest purchasing the East Yorkshire "Go Anywhere" ticket also at ÂŁ12.50, valid on all EY buses, It also allows you to stop off at other pubs on the way to/from Helmsley

One Paw in the Treat Jar

Hi, my name is Maisie and I’m your new canine reporter fur the Branch.

I’m looking forward to checking out all the pubs and clubs across the area, and sniffing out all the water bowls and treat jars, as I’ve not been here very long. I’ve only moved from our neighbouring Branch area of Hull, where I was very well treated. More on that later.

Christmas Wishes .....

Across the Branch area everyone is getting ready for Christmas and I’m excitedly writing my Christmas list to Santa Paws.....maybe I’ll get a new coat or a new lead. If I’m really lucky my hoomans might get some Brass Castle Christmas Kitty, not that I’ll be allowed to taste the Kitty!!! I’ll be happy with a new coat though, all the better for walking my hoomans to the pub on a cold and frosty evening. I’m also wishing for some snow to play in. I’m also so excited that the coastal beaches are all open for us furries to play on for the whole winter until May next year.

Further a’field ....

So, as I was so well looked after in Hull, I thought I’d mention a few pubs within an easy walkies of the City Centre, where there’s always a warm welcome fur us furries like the Olde White Hart with its fantastic inglenook fireplace, the historic Whalebone licensed since 1791, but not a bone you can chew on, and the Sailmakers where there is often some live music to wag along to. Check ‘em out next time you are down that way with your hoomans.

Recently I took my hoomans for a nice walk in Hutton le Hole, near Kirkbymoorside, where on the bar at The Crown, there’s an all you can eat dog treat buffet for £1 - I was in heaven!!!

We’re off to Saltburn soon in the Cleveland Branch, for a couple of days and I’ll report my findings in the next issue. It a tough job all this investigating work, especially when it involves so many gravy bones, but I am up for it.

If you want to tell us about any dog friendly pubs that you know, send us your pupdates to locale@scarborough.camra.org.uk.

To find all the dog friendly pubs in our region you can go onto the What Pub website, type in the location you want and just paw on ‘Dog Friendly' filter, then paw the box for 'Search Results' at the top. There are 120 dog friendly pubs in our Branch, great for after a day on the beach or walkies in the countryside.

That’s enough for over 2 a week, so Its going to take some time to visit all of them ..... phew.

Seasons greetings to all my furry friends, and remember if you see a decorated tree inside a pub it’s not for you to water!

National Cider Pub of the Year The New Union pub in Kendal has scooped CAMRA’s prestigious National Cider Pub of the Year Award for its wide array of real ciders and perries available.

Nestled on the fringe of the Lake District, this ‘no-nonsense’ pub is a popular community hub hosting a weekly quiz, fortnightly music nights, carol singing, live music and whisky tastings. It works closely with Kendal businesses to offer local produce and boasts ‘great beer, good craic and a friendly atmosphere’ and re-opened just two years ago following an untimely closure.

The presentation to the New Union was made on the 1st of October at 1.30 pm to kick off CAMRA’s ‘Cider Month’, a month-long promotion of real cider and perry production. CAMRA members organised hundreds of events to celebrate one of their favourite drinks as producers across the country prepare to harvest apples.

Phil Walker from the New Union said: “I’m absolutely honoured that The New Union has won CAMRA’s National Cider Pub of the Year Award. To go from opening the pub just two years ago to being able to compete against the finest cider pubs across the country makes me incredibly proud.

“I want to say a massive thank you to the judging panel for selecting the New Union and to our loyal customers here in Kendal who have helped us get where we are today.”

Sarah Newson who organises the competition said: “This is a remarkable achievement for a previously closed pub to win national recognition so quickly after re-opening. The New Union boasts an excellent range of real ciders and perries in an area that isn’t usually known for cider and perry, and we’re pleased to see such an offering on the fringe of the Lake District.”

Other finalists in the competition include last year’s Club of the Year winner the Appleton Thorn Village Hall in Appleton Thorn, Cheshire, Larkins’ Ale House in Cranbrook, Kent and the Woodbine in Waltham Abbey, Essex.

Treasury report on Impact of Business Rates on Business CAMRA has welcomed the House of Commons Treasury Committee’s report on the Impact of Business Rates on Business.

CAMRA National Chairman, Nik Antona commented: “Pubs pay 2.8% of the Business Rates bill but only account for 0.5% of total business turnover. This is an overpayment of around £500 million by the sector each year.

The report highlights that Business Rates do not fall upon all businesses equally and they place a far greater cost on bricks and mortar, than those that operate mainly online.

The crucial role that pubs play as the social heart of many communities cannot be moved online. That is why it is vital that the system is drastically reformed or replaced.”

Long Live the Local Following a survey of more than 2000 adults by CAMRA the government is being urged to make substantial reforms to aid pubs to remain open.

The research suggests that pubs play a significant role in local communities by helping establish new friendships and reducing loneliness and isolation. More than half of those consulted revealed they had made at least one new friend during their visits whilst almost one in three said they had made five or more friends and the research suggests that people who have a pub in their locale are happier, more trusting and better connected to their community.

With the closure of many community centres, libraries and children’s centres pubs are now the focus for many local communities with many taking on the role of those amenities that have closed with the activities being hosted within the pub and supporting the community. Many pubs are active in raising money and awareness in support of the community groups and their activities.

Nik Antona, CAMRA National Chairman, said ‘Pubs play a significant role in communities across the country, providing a space for local

people to meet, helping tackle loneliness, and having a positive effect on the wellbeing of pub-goers. It is vital that the government continues to act to reduce pub closures so that pubs remain at the heart of communities.’

Britain’s Beer Alliance recently launched a campaign, petitioning the government to reduce beer tax, called Long Live the Local, aiming to celebrate British pubs role and raise awareness of the jeopardy they face from tax pressures. Further research from Oxford Economic Data revealed that we could lose one in ten pubs over the next five years. CAMRA research earlier in 2019 revealed a pub closes every 12 hours and that the number of pubs has halved since 2001.

Featured Pub: The Providence Eddie Knorn A few weeks ago, Tracey and I journeyed over to Yedingham for a chat with Vicky Breheny, the new landlady at The Providence Inn. In recent times, the pub has had ups and downs - it has undergone refurbishment, but has seen a few changes in landlord. Vicky and her husband have taken a three year tenancy and are looking to bring some stability to The Providence. Originally from West Yorkshire, and a former teacher, she has worked in pubs since her teenage years. Apparently they were among twelve applicants to take on the tenancy. She has an interest in caravanning, entirely appropriate for the pub as it has a caravan/camping site at the rear; (bookings can be made via pitchup.com).

Having been at The Providence since July, Vicky and her husband are still getting to know the locals, and I understand that they are aiming to fine tune the food offering to suit their customers' tastes. The same is true of the live music that will feature at the pub.

The aim for the future is to make the pub a "destination" but also to cater for the people of Yedingham. Under previous management, the pub had been receiving some bad reviews on Trip Advisor, but a recent check found nothing but good feedback. From observations on social media the pub menu certainly has a number of tempting dishes.

Part of the philosophy is to source food from local suppliers, including the interestingly-named Horny Cow...

The ingredients are fresh, not frozen,

and the food is intended to be good pub food, at a reasonable price, rather than the small portion - big price approach of some gastro-pubs.

As part of the intention to serve the local residents, a number of community-type events have taken place or have been planned; Halloween night had a children's party, followed shortly after by a bonfire night event. To start December, the local residents will be invited to a Christmas themed event, while New Year's Eve will have a Peaky Blinders theme and a live musician. Further ahead, outdoor events are in planning, with possibly a tug of war across the nearby River Derwent.

When Vicky took over, the bar offered Tetley's. New, permanent ales are Black Sheep and Wainwright, while Tetley's is intended to be rotated with other ales, as yet to be determined. I believe that these may come from the Punch beer list, but there is the possibility of selling local ales as well. In Summer, the Tetley's pump may be used for real cider; watch this space...

Real Ale and Cider in West Dorset Eddie Knorn

Back in September, Tracey and I revisited the area around Bridport in West Dorset. One of my main objectives was to explore the remains of the Maiden Newton to Bridport railway branch line that closed in 1975, but while we were in the area it was an opportunity to explore the real ale and cider situation in the area.

Unfortunately (!) our accommodation had no provision for self catering, so we took the opportunity to dine at a number of local pubs.

The major real ale presence in the area is the Palmer's Brewery, situated on the southern side of Bridport itself.

Brewing has taken place here, the only thatched brewery in the UK for the last 225 years, although the Palmer family only took the site on in the late 19th century.

Not surprisingly, they have a number of tied pubs and around half of the 53 houses in the estate are in Bridport or the immediate surrounding area. One of the most iconic must be The Anchor at Seatown; in a beautiful location almost on the beach with spectacular cliffs either side.

Although the tied houses typically sell four or five ales from the range, they are not tied to any particular format for the food offering. We found some places that provided what we personally considered as "posh dining" but other Palmers houses could serve us sizeable portions from a more down-to-earth menu at more reasonable price. Wherever we dined in a Palmers house, I was able to treat myself to a personal favourite, "Tally Ho!", a dark strong ale with many awards to its name.

On the Sunday afternoon of our stay, I was able to enjoy a Bridport pub crawl. Highlights included The Woodman, a free house with its own skittle alley, an ever-changing array of real ales (including one from Bad Seed) and the local CAMRA cider pub of the year, The Ropemakers, A Palmers house with a friendly welcome and a pleasant garden, and the town centre micropub, The Pursuit of Hoppiness, again with a wide range of ale and cider.

In nearby West Bay, we blundered into what could be the micro-est micro pub we have ever found, 100 Nautical. As can be seen, the only seating consisted of two chairs and a table outside in the yard. Many real ciders were available bag in box, though the one real ale, Piddle Brewery "Summer Luvin" was available on gravity, nestled amongst some of the cider boxes.

Important research also found a couple of cider makers in the immediate area, Dorset Nectar and Dorset Orchards, with produce from other Dorset and Somerset cider makers also available.

We are already looking forward to the next visit.

Pubs Code Review In May, Kelly Tolhurst MP, the Small Business minister, announced a statutory Government review of the pubs code and the pubs code adjudicator.

Lasting 12 weeks the consultation period ended in late August, the review examined how the code has ensured that tied tenants are being treated fairly by pubco’s and whether it has operated effectively and proportionately in the period since its introduction in 2016. Opinions and experiences were sought from puboperating businesses, tied and previously tied tenants, those representing their interests, trade bodies and the afore mentioned pubs code adjudicator. The final report on the reviews findings will be published in due course.

In an interview published in the Morning Advertiser, Ms Tolhurst said she was ‘committed to ensuring the review is based on good evidence. This review will look closely at how the pubs code regulations and the role of the adjudicator have worked since introduction and encourage stakeholders to share their views on what is working well, as well as what changes might make it more effective.’

Despite mounting evidence from tenants to the contrary, Brigid Simmonds, outgoing chief executive of the British Beer & Pubs Association (BBPA) commented ‘The six companies covered by the pubs code have always been committed to working within both the letter and spirit of the legislation to support the success of leased and tenanted pubs and publicans alike. While there have been some challenges with parts of the implementation of the code for all involved, the BBPA and the companies continue to work closely with

the adjudicator and other stakeholders to resolve these.’

In contrast Tom Stainer, chief executive of CAMRA, remarked ‘The introduction of the pubs code could have marked a turning point for England’s community pubs but, since it came in, we have seen pub companies use every trick in the book to prevent the legislation from achieving what it set out to do. When Parliament brought in the pubs code its intention was for Market Rent Only to be a realistic option and that simply hasn’t happened. This review is therefore essential and welcome.’

In summary there are clear concerns and flaws in the legislation which the pubs code adjudicator should be prioritising in order to reach fast and effective arbitration decisions.

CAMRA campaigned for ten years for a Pubs Code to be put in place and the current code is failing the very tenants it was established to protect.

CAMRA’s Campaign Team surveyed over 400 tied tenants and their responses found that 75% did not feel they were treated fairly and lawfully by their parent pub companies whilst 73% felt they were worse off than a free of tie tenant.

Furthermore, one in five tenants who have legal rights under the code was unaware of the Market Right Only option – an important component of the legislation that allows them to buy beer on the open market.

The results of the CAMRA survey have been submitted to the Government to feed into the review.

Regional news The relocation of Roosters Brewery to Harrogate has resulted in a chain reaction of moves for a number of Yorkshire breweries. Roosters' old brewery site in Knaresborough has been occupied by Turning Point formerly of Kirkbymoorside with that site soon to be occupied by Great British Breworks of Pickering.

Production is in full swing at Roosters and Turning Point.

Beer Monkey have vacated their brewery in Skipton with the landlord taking possession of the site and equipment.

The Otley Pub Club have stated that one of the countries largest pubco’s, Star Pubs & Bars, has too many pubs in the town. The ongoing dispute

between the pub club and Star began a number of months ago over Star’s plans to make alterations to a number of pubs. Following representations by the Pub Club an agreement concerning the pubs was believed to have settled upon a compromise however local objections to the PubCo’s plans for the White Swan have again brought the situation to a head. Star intend to introduce a more food led model to the operation of the White Swan contrary to the local view that the pub is commercially successful as a wet-led pub. The Pub Club say it is unrealistic to turn all six of its pubs in Otley to pubrestaurants and that there is a place for wet-led locals to co-exist but that it would be preferable for one or two to be sold to sole operators or a small operator.

Quacky Duck's Festive Puzzle Page Settle down with a pint and have some quacking good fun with this puzzle

Branch Diary December 24th: Christmas Eve Shindig, Brass Castle Taphouse, Malton, 12.00 onwards.

31st: Roaring 20's Flappers & Gangsters Party, Brass Castle Taphouse, Malton, from 12.00

January 9th (Thursday): BRANCH MEETING, Wilsons, from 7.00pm.

11th: Minibus trip to present certificates to Rural Pubs of the Year. Midday from North Riding 18th: Hedge Hoggers Wassail, Seamer, from 6.00pm.

22-25th: Manchester Beer and Cider Festival, Manchester Central (formerly G-Mex).

February 4-8th: Great British Beer Festival Winter, New Bingley Hall, Birmingham 8th (Saturday): BRANCH MEETING, Royal Oak, Old Malton from 12.30pm.

16th (Sunday): Meeting to select entries for Good Beer Guide 2021. North Riding, from 12.30pm.

Date TBA: Social Walkabout in Malton

March

SCARBOROUGH BEER AND CIDER FESTIVAL, The Spa 5-7th:

April 3-5th: CAMRA Members' Weekend, AGM and Conference, York 18th (Saturday): BRANCH MEETING, Cobblers, Filey from 12.30pm.

May 14-16th: Malton

Beertown

Festival,

June 19-21st: Fathers' Day Weekend Beer Festival, Royal Oak, Old Malton

Advertising in RyedALE and CoastALE We welcome advertisers for future editions of this magazine. Rates per issue are as follows: Quarter Page - £50 Half Page - £80 Full Page - £140 Back Cover - £175 If you advertise in successive issues, then discounts are available - please contact the Editor, Eddie Knorn, by e-mail: publicity@scarborough.camra.org.uk

Deadline for all contributions to Issue 7 is 1st February 2020 Issue 7 of RyedALE & CoastALE will be published February 2020

Consumer and Trading Concerns If you have any complains regarding short measure or any related consumer rights issue, please contact Citizens Advice

03454 040506 www.citizensadvice.org.uk CAMRA Head Office Campaign for Real Ale Limited 230 Hatfield Road St Albans AL1 4LW 01727 867201 www.camra.org.uk