Swale Ale
Vol 4 Issue 2
The FREE Magazine of the Swale branch of CAMRA The Campaign for Real Ale
May is mild month
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nce again CAMRA are devoting a month of campaigning to celebrate Mild beer in May. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the growing number of Mild beers brewed in the UK; to encourage pubs that don’t usually stock a Mild to try serving one during May and to encourage drinkers who haven’t tried Mild beer before to sip a pint or two in May (or at any time of the year!!). Mild was once the most popular style of beer in Britain but was overtaken by bitter in the 1950s. It developed in the 18th and 19th centuries and was most popular with industrial and agricultural workers. Early Mild beers were much stronger than modern versions which usually vary between 3.0 – 3.5% ABV but some current versions reflect its earlier origins, for example Rudgate Dark Ruby Mild at 4.4% ABV. Mild is usually dark brown in colour, due to the use of well roasted malts or roasted barley, but there are paler versions such as Banks Mild or Timothy Taylors Golden Best. Recently local brewer Shepherd Neame produced a Mild called Old Faversham Dark (3.5% ABV); a dark mild brewed in the north western style.
Pint prices and discount… Brewery visits…
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Valid from 2nd January 2012 until 29th February 2012
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May is Mild Month The following Swale area pubs always or almost always stock a Mild: The Black Lion – Lynsted Lane, Lynsted, Nr Teynham; The Elephant – The Mall, Faversham; and The Shipwrights Arms, Ham Road, Hollowshore, Nr Faversham The following is a short list of some but not all of the Mild beers produced by Kent based Breweries: Goachers Real Mild Ale; Nelson Brewery Master Mate Mild; and Rother Valley Smild. A full list of all the Mild beers currently brewed in the UK can be accessed at: www.camra.ork.uk/mildsbyregion So what can you do to help to support our Mild in May campaign? Well you could ask your local pub or club or bar if they would consider stocking a Mild in the month of May. You could also encourage your friends and colleagues who may not be Mild or even Real Ale drinkers to try a pint or even a just a half as a change from their normal
tipple! And, most importantly, you could try a pint or two yourself! With our efforts to increase availability and encourage consumers to re-discover this classic beer style we hope pubs and breweries will experience good sales, and particularly during May. The success of Mild in May Month hopefully will lead to more Mild at the bar all year round and more brewers producing Mild beers as both a seasonal and regular beer. [LB]
For updates visit our website at: http://www.camra-swale.org.uk/ Or our national campaigns website at: www.camra.org.uk
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Swale Ale © Spring 2012 Published by the Swale Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. (CAMRA). Circulation 800 Editorial Committee and Contributors: Jeff Waller, David Wiles, Jane Wiles, Gary Holness, Keir Stanley, Andrew Kitney, Paul Irving, Suzanne Collins Print Liaison: Les Bailey Advertising: Gary Holness ——————————————–———— All Correspondence to: Les Bailey 58 Wallers Road Faversham Kent ME13 7PL Email: bailey664@btinternet.com Telephone: (01795 538824) ———————————————–———
Editorial Greetings to one and all and welcome to the latest edition of Swale Ale. You find us in the editorial team in an anticipatory mood as the days start to get longer, the temperature rises and the prospect of long evenings al fresco with a few beers outside country pubs becomes ever closer. May is Mild Month so if you are a die hard mild lover or have never tried it, get out and sample some of the wonderful examples of this style of beer. So what ever you are doing this Springtime enjoy the superb variety of beers that are available in the Swale region.
Any opinions expressed within these pages are those of the individual authors only and do not represent those of CAMRA or any of its officials. The existence of this publication in a particular outlet does not imply an endorsement of it by Swale CAMRA . ———————————————–——— Printed by: Abbey Print, Faversham ———————————————–—— Branch Details: Chairman: Simon Ing Secretary: Les Bailey Social Secretary: Gary Holness Treasurer: Les Bailey
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Visit our website at www.camra-swale.org.uk
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Chairman’s Chat
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f you like me have survived Christmas and the Festive season, and all the excesses that go with it, then congratulations. Having eaten too much (I wouldn’t admit to drinking too much, well not too loudly anyway) you may be relieved that Spring hopefully has arrived. But let us not forget all those Winter Ales that you have sampled and maybe the one or two still forgotten, hiding in a
cupboard at home somewhere. So remember them fondly and if you do find that lost or forgotten bottle, drink it, and then look forward to all those light and refreshing Spring Ales. Looking forward there is some good news with The Sondes Arms hopefully reopening. This in a climate where businesses of all types are being closed. So let us all try to support all of our local pubs and go and buy a pint. [SI]
Faversham’s hidden gem The Shipwright’s Arms, Hollowshore, Faversham
A 17th Century traditional creek side free house. Selling up to five real ales from Kentish brewers, and serving good food. Take a trip back in time and savour the delights of a truly traditional pub. Rated by Jamie Oliver as one of the top 100 traditional pubs in the country.
Please check website or phone to confirm hours of opening. Tel: 01795 590088
Web: www.theshipwrightsarmspub.co.uk Directions: At Davington School turn into Ham Road and follow the signs across the marsh.
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Swale CAMRA Branch Diary Wednesday 11th April: Open Branch Business Meeting, 7.30pm, Carpenters Arms, Eastling. Saturday 21st April: Big Beer Quiz, 6.00pm, Old Wine Vaults, Preston Street, Faversham (For further details and to book your place please contact Gary Holness by e-mail at garyinthepub@live.co.uk Wednesday 25th April: Branch Social Meeting, 8.00pm, The Parrot, Church Lane, Canterbury.
Wednesday 9th May: Open Branch Business Meeting, 8.00pm, The Black Lion, Lynsted. Wednesday 13th June: Open Branch Business Meeting, 8.0pm, Tonge Golf Centre or The Mechanics Arms, Faversham (see website for further details) Note: We hope to hold Branch Social Meetings on the 4th Wednesday of each month (see website for further details).
Kent Pub and Brewery News SHEPHERD NEAME: The pilot brewery has recently produced Heart Warmer (4.2%ABV) for Valentine’s Day which contained the petals of a dozen roses and three passion fruits. There was a welcome return for Old Faversham Dark (3.5%ABV) a dark mild brewed in the north western style. Mothers Pride (3.7%ABV) was produced to celebrate Mothers Day. Early Bird (4.3%ABV) is available now until mid May when it will be replaced in turn by Canterbury Jack (3.5%ABV) and Whitstable Bay (4.1%ABV) from June to September. The New Head Brewer is Richard Frost, previously Head Brewer at Marstons Wolverhampton Brewery. HOPDAEMON: Is operating at full capacity but if time permits some new trial brews for research purposes may be undertaken. New cask bar coding traceability system has been introduced. 6
Selling: The Sondes Arms: The good news is that the pub has a new owner, local business Robert Bright, and new managers, Sarah Gould and Neil Davidson. The pub is expected to reopen on St Georges Day, Monday 23rd April. It is reported that the pub could also be the base for a small local shop and post office. Faversham: The Windmill, Preston: Is the subject of a planning application to convert to two residential dwellings Faversham: The Mechanics Arms: It is understood that the pub was scheduled to close in March but that the new Licensee has been given an extension by Shepherd Neame until September to establish its long term viability. Sittingbourne: The Fountain: Has received a ÂŁ60,000 refurbishment and now features Thai food
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Beer Festivals 6th & 7th April: Planet Thanet 2012 Easter Beer Festival at the Winter Gardens, Margate; Friday open 12 noon to 10.30pm (Admission £4); Saturday open 12 noon to 9.00pm (Admission £2) – CAMRA Members Free admission both days. Over 200 real ales, ciders and perries. See www.easterbeerfestival.org.uk for more information. Sunday 20th May: Swale CAMRA Branch Beer Stall at the Faversham Classic Car
Show; Outside Iceland Frozen Foods/ Faversham Post Office in East Street, Faversham; 10.30am to 4.00pm (or until the beer runs out!!) 1st – 3rd June: The Elephant Public House, The Mall, Faversham, Coronation Celebrations Weekend Beer Festival; Friday 3.00 – 11.00pm; Saturday 12 noon – 11.00pm & Sunday 12 noon – 7.00pm (or until the beer runs out!!)
Hand-Pumped
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rewers’ news and views are flowing freely – thanks to a new dedicated brewing industry website which launched at the recent Rotherham Real Ale Festival. Hand-Pumped, at www.handpumped.co.uk is Britain’s first commercial site aimed at serving real ale brewing and its ancillary industries. The website brings together brewers and their customers – together with real ale lovers and the pubs that they supply – under one roof in a single unified website. Everything is catered for – from news and features, to private forums where brewers can chat to each other about their successes and problems, to public forums where real ale drinkers can feed back their views and likes and dislikes. A user-friendly clickable gazetteer map leads instantly to a comprehensive database of Britain’s real ale brewers and micro brewers. From malt and hops and yeast , to the fermenting vessels, to glasses, pump-clips and beer mats the website aims to cover the entire industry.
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www.hand-pumped.co.uk
If you have any pub or beer festival news please contact Swale Ale at: Les Bailey 58 Wallers Road Faversham Kent ME13 7PL bailey664@btinternet.com
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The Three Hats Cornish Beer Festival 24th/25th March 2012 Open from 11am - close
93 High Street, Milton Regis, Sittingbourne. Kent ME10 2AR
For all enquiries call Malcolm on 07764 842 478 10
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Landlord’s Lament
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lutching a toilet roll as I await the annual pubco price rises, wondering what to paint on the blackboards, “coming soon major price rises – whilst customers last” springs to mind! I wonder to myself how much longer the traditional British community pub can survive. When will the ever increasing tax burdens heaped on publicans abate? Even the likes of Punch Taverns, Enterprise Inns and other pubcos are all feeling the pinch. With plummeting share prices, the major protagonists have awoken from their slumber and realised they must address the relationship they have with tenants and leaseholders. Now offering unprecedented rent reductions and greater barrelage discounts, provided the need can be proved, publicans and pubcos battle valiantly together in a vain attempt to stem the tide of the widening price gulf between supermarket and pub prices. Unfortunately, recent years have seen numerous pubs close permanently, with even more suffering temporary closures, many on a regular basis. Disappearing are dominoes and cribbage leagues as pubs diversify, many holding regular poker evenings. To an extent the government issued guidelines on legally playing poker in pubs. Live music in pubs is on the demise as hosts seek alternative, more cost effective entertainment to encourage the dwindling number of pub goers to attend. The demise of the local has seen the demise of the community, where everyone knew and looked out for each Spring Issue 2012
other. If you were out of work on Friday, someone in the pub would point you in the direction of a job for Monday. If Joe Bloggs had not been seen for a few days, someone would check on him. Where did this demise begin? When supermarkets became licensed to sell alcohol, pub closures accelerated. Removing trade and the need for many to visit the pub, encouraging unsupervised home drinking. If a customer drank a litre of vodka in a pub and proceeded to cause serious trouble, on or off the premises, the police and local licensing authority may hold the publican liable or call for a review of their licence. However every day, supermarkets sell large quantities of alcohol to customers, sometimes cheaper than water, with little or no repercussions. Licensees have a legal duty to refuse service if a customer has had too much to drink. Even if the same licensee has spent the day getting the customer in that state! Supermarkets responsibilities finish at the checkout. 1988’s introduction of all day drinking is another major contributor to our beloved pubs demise. Previously due to limited hours customers would find themselves in the pub at the same time as friends, whatever time they popped in, planning their day to accommodate their pub visit. With extended hours the odds of bumping into friends on an unplanned visit greatly lengthened. Thank god for real ale. The last saving bastion for pubs. [MW] 11
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The Just Reproach, Deal
The Just Reproach Deal
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ituated in King Street in the centre of Deal is the counties newest micro pub, The Just Reproach which opened in December 2011. The pub is named after a report of the Great Storm in 1703 by Daniel Defoe in which he is less than flattering about the inhabitants of Deal. However the good people of Deal seem to have forgiven him judging by the packed bar on the day we visited. The pub consists of a single room with wooden tables and benches with the walls being adorned by metal advertising signs. The landlord Mark offered us a warm welcome, shaking us all by the hand as we entered, and circulating for a chat as we enjoyed a pint or two. The philosophy of the Just Reproach is the rejection of all that the big pub chains tell us that we want. There is no television, fruit machines, juke box, food, spirits and defiantly no lager. This is pointed out by the letters NFL being etched into the glass of the Spring Issue 2012
window by the door. (NFL?... No Fxxxxxx Lager!!!) Although this has caused disappointment amount some of the less discerning drinkers of Deal, Mark was telling us that several people who asked for lager tried real ale instead and have become converts. The pub concentrates on selling good beer from microbreweries with cider and house wines also available. The beer is served straight from the cask with the stillage area being visible through a window in the bar. The beers that were on when we visited were Wold Top Bitter (3.7%), Hopdaemon Skrimshander (4.5%) and Wantsum Hengist (5%). Tydeman Early cider (5.5%) and house wines were also available. The pub is open lunchtimes and evenings but it is best to check out their website www.thejustreproach.co.uk for the exact opening times. [SB] The Storm (1704) Daniel Defoe ‘If I had any Satire left to write. Could I with suited spleen indite, My verse should blast that fatal town, And drown’d sailors’ widows pull it down; No footsteps of it should appear, And ships no more cast anchor there. The barbarous hated name of Deal shou’d die, Or be a term of infamy; And till that’s done, the town will stand A just reproach to all the land.'
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The Floating Brewery
W
elcome dear reader to the second of my occasional series looking at the stranger side of brewing history. This time I am going to take you back to the dark days of the Second World War in the Far East where our brave boys were slugging it out with the Japanese and in the words of a well known seventies sitcom ‘It ain’t half hot mum’!! To keep the troops in beer in the Far East before the war, in 1938 Britain had exported 200,000 barrels worth of beer in bottles, that’s about 14 ½ million pints to the Far East. This however was never going to be enough to keep the wartime army in beer. The Murree Brewery of Rawalpindi helped out by providing a creditable 80 million pints by the end of 1944 but this was still not enough and beer rationing was introduced which meant that each man received only three bottles per month. The situation was not helped by the Murree Brewery having to stop brewing as it ran out of coal!! Something had to be done! Our chaps couldn’t carry on without a beer! This point was made by a Lieutenant Clarkson (Any relation to a certain motoring program presenter I wonder??) who reported: The beer issue is naturally a matter of paramount importance to the troops who are fighting in temperatures never below 80 degrees and often above 120 degrees in the sun. One idea that was floated (pun intended) was to convert ships into breweries so if the mountain could not Spring Issue 2012
RNAS Menestheus aka Davy Jones come to Mohammed then Mohammed would come to the mountain as it were! The original plan was to convert two Blue Funnel Line ships, The Agamemnon and The Menestheus, into breweries. However once the war office had given the go ahead progress was painfully slow due to the fact that getting hold of the parts was proving problematical due to the efforts of Hitler’s U Boats. As a result of these delays it was decided to scrap the idea of converting two ships so the Agamemnon was returned to the Blue Funnel Line. But in true British fashion when faced by a setback and the possibility of no beer the project soldiered on and the Menestheus was thus converted and renamed the RNAS (Royal Navy Amenity Ship) Menestheus and on the 31st Dec 1945 the first test brew was made. The brewery was named the Davy Jones’ Brewery and was operated by the NAFFI. It produced just one beer - an English Mild Ale with a gravity of 1037. However those who tried it said that it 15
The Old House at Home Queenborough The home of live music! Bands every Sunday from 5pm also bands some Fridays & Saturdays
Jamming nights every Wednesday A great place to meet and see the sunset Real Ales changing regularly We serve food Monday to Saturday from 12 to 9
Roast Sunday dinners 12 to 4 Real log fire
“May you come as a stranger and leave as a friend� Children & dog's are welcome
Tel: 01795 662463
oldhouseathome@btopenworld.com 1, High Street, Queenborough ME11 5AA 16
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The Floating Brewery had an odd tang (possibly slightly salty?) but this soon became a selling point and the brewery produced in total of over ¼ million pints in the six months of its existence. You might be forgiven for thinking that this was a very short time given all the effort that went into constructing the brewery. This we can blame on the Americans!! On 6th of August 1945, months before the brewery was finished, the US bomber Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on the town of
Hiroshima in Japan effectively ending the war in the East with the upshot that most of the troops were de-mobbed thus taking away most of the potential customers. So there you have it gentle reader a typically inventive solution to a thirsty problem. However in the end the Davy Jones’ Brewery was sunk (also intended!) by an atomic bomb. It usually takes something like that to keep a Englishman from his beer! Obadiah Spillage
Mutts Menu
Kent Walks
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fter gaining a well deserved reputation for its pub food and a loyal human following, the Old Wine Vaults in Preston Street in Faversham is branching out to offer a special menu for our four legged friends. The dog friendly pub will now offer a special menu especially suitable for dogs. Pub owners David Thompson and Nuala BrenchleySayers aim to provide a “Mutts Menu” which will consist of home cooked food which is specially made for dogs. A sample “Mutts Menu” is Apple and Cinnamon Snacks, Minky Bones and peanut Butter Crunch. So dog owners ordering from the main menu will also be able to order for their dogs at the same time. No doubt pub dogs Tetley and Griff will be employed as official menu tasters. The pub features in the Good Beer Guide and is the current Swale CAMRA Branch Cider Pub of the Year. [LB] Spring Issue 2012
This month Swale Ale became aware of a new internet site providing links to walks to and from pubs in Kent. This website enables walkers to download walks that they wish to follow, as well as upload new walks to the database to allow others to enjoy.
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THE LEADING LIGHT
wetherspoon OVER 600 OF THE FINEST ALES SOLD NATIONALLY AT J D WETHERSPOON BRITAIN’S NO.1 SUPPORTER OF MICROBREWERIES JOIN CAMRA TODAY AND RECEIVE WETHERSPOON REAL VOUCHERS WORTH £20 FULL DETAILS ON APPLICATION FORM: WWW. CAMRA.ORG.UK
Join us for your Christmas meal up to 22 December. No booking required. Why not eat on one of our Club days? Steak Club: Tuesdays 3pm to 10pm Curry Club: Thursdays 3pm to 10 pm Sunday Club (Roasts): Sundays Noon to 6pm Club meals include a free drink. See menu for details.
20-22 Preston Street, Faversham, Kent Subject to local licensing restrictions and availability at participating free houses
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Beer and Trams in Sarajevo
Tram in Sarajevo
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n September I missed the Faversham Hop Festival and went on a tour of the Balkans including Bosnia and its capital Sarajevo. There are two things which spring to mind when I think of Sarajevo; first, the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914; second is the recent civil war and siege of the city between 1992/1996 which heralded the breakup of the former state of Yugoslavia. But to these I found I could add a good tram system and some decent local beer. The centre of Sarajevo is served by a tram network, the first in the Austro-Hungarian Empire built in the mid 1870’s, which makes an anti-clockwise circuit around the central district. Tickets for a single journey valid for one hour may be purchased in advance for 1.60 KM (1KM= 45pence) from kiosks with a tisak sign on the street, or from the driver for slightly more (1.80 KM). Spring Issue 2012
Tickets should be validated upon boarding the vehicle and are valid for a one way trip only. Changing tram or bus means validating a new ticket. Better value for the tourist is a day card valid for unlimited travel on all local public transport in zone A for 5.30 KM. The trams used are a real mixture with a large number of old Czechoslovakian ‘Tatra’ trams, supplemented by trams donated from countries, such as Holland, after the conflict to replace those destroyed or damaged. Now to beer. Whenever I go off on my travels I always have a predeparture search for information on beers available, especially looking out for craft beers or microbreweries. I was therefore a tad disappointed to find nothing of interest so it looked like local wine would prevail. On arriving in Sarajevo however, I learned that they have an historic brewery and that not only did it survive the civil war, albeit with substantial damage, but it played a major role in the siege by keeping the city supplied with water from its own spring. Brewing started in Sarajevo in 1864, under the Ottoman empire, although the brewery building dates from the time the Austro-Hungarians annexed Bosnia in 1908. It has been extensively and sympathetically rebuilt following damage in WW2 and the civil war. The brewery has expanded rapidly since the 1980’s and now produces nearly 500,000 barrels of beer annually. After trying out the draught beer in some local bars and deciding it had taste, plus wasn’t too gassy, I felt a visit to the brewery was called for. The brewery 19
Beer and Trams in Sarajevo site, not far from the city centre, is a large and compact site built on a hillside, with an ornate frontage. No brewery visits being allowed I decided to try the fairly new bier hall, built within the brewery building and seating 400. Upon sitting down and looking at the menu I was delighted to find that apart from the standard lager type beers they also brewed a dark ale and an unfiltered lager style ale, all around ABV 5%. Both were full of flavour but the dark was just so smooth. To finish off I tried the Sarajevsko Premium beer (4.9%) served in bottle and said by the brewery to be a completely natural beer with no additives and ranked as 7th in the world! Not bad, but I preferred the dark. [JW]
Beer in Sarajevo
Quizzicale See if you can work out these anagrams of Kent breweries. No prizes for getting them right just the satisfaction of knowing you’re a clever clogs!! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
10. 20
A La Beg I Reshaped He Men Air Oddly Bats We Hilt Name Pod Ho Acre Hogs Maws Nut Ran Silk Rebid Tong Game Tsar
??
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The Elephant Faversham’s Free House
CORONATION
Jim’s Birthday Beer Festival 1, 2, 3 June 2012 Jazz Sat 2 June 2012 Swale CAMRA Pub of the Year 2007 to 2011 and East Kent CAMRA Pub of the Year 2010 Normally five beers, mainly from local microbreweries and a real traditional cider
Large courtyard garden and a function room Open: Tuesday to Friday: 3pm to 11pm, Saturday: 12 noon to 11pm, Sunday: 12.00 noon to 7pm
31 The Mall, Faversham, Kent ME13 8JN. Tel: 01795 590157 Spring Issue 2012
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The Price of Your Pint
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he Budget was much as expected and CAMRA has lambasted the Government for its approach to one of Britain’s most valued institutions, the pub, as a further inflation plus 2% increase on beer was confirmed in the budget. This will bring about yet more price rises at the bar, and further job losses in the sector. Around £1 of a pint costing £3.10 goes to the taxman in beer duty and VAT. Duty has increased 35% since 2008. I am sure we can expect an increase of at least 10 pence on the price of a pint and then next of course there will be another rise to cater for the increased costs for ingredients, inflation, labour costs etc. Meanwhile as we have seen over the last few years many pubs are struggling to survive. The United Kingdom has the second highest excise duty per 5% ABV pint in the European Union. Germany has one of the lowest. With the beer and pub industry supporting almost 1 million jobs and contributing £21 billion to UK GDP, CAMRA has condemned the Government for imposing punitive successive tax increases, which will impact both breweries at production level, and drinkers at the bar. I wonder what the Community Pubs Minister has to say on the matter as he himself said only a year or so back that "As Minister with responsibility for pubs, I am determined to protect the valuable role pubs play and help them to thrive”. CAMRA is urging its 136,000
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members and all pub goers to sign an industry backed e-petition, www.camra.org.uk/ saveyourpint ,to stop the beer escalator, it is backed by CAMRA, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), and the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA). If you care about the future of the British Pub get signing now. [JW]
CAMRA Discount The following pubs offer discount for CAMRA members in SWALE: Elephant, Faversham Three Hats, Milton Wetherspoons, Faversham Wetherspoons, Sittingbourne Spring Issue 2012
Rose and Crown Perry Wood
Summer Holiday Party - Live music, Games, Fancy dress One of Camra's ''Best British Pubs'' Regular casks are Harveys Best and Adnams Southwold along with a changing guest. Food is traditional using local suppliers with daily specials served in the pub or adjoining restaurant. Opening hours: Mon to Sat 11.30-15.00, 18.30-23.00 (not Monday evenings) Sunday all day 12.00-22.30 Lunch served daily 12.00-14.00 (Sunday 15.30) Evenings Tuesday - Saturday 18.30-21.00 Perry Wood, Selling, Nr Faversham, Kent ME13 9RY. Tel: 01227 752214 www.roseandcrownperrywood.co.uk Spring Issue 2012
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THE BOWL INN
Find us on the top of the North Downs above Charing, in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Enjoy a pint of real ale or a glass of wine in our large beer garden or heated patio area. Regular steak nights, curry nights, and live music.
Annual Beer Festival 13th, 14th, 15th July For ‘what’s on’ please visit our website www.bowl-inn.co.uk We can also offer bed and breakfast accommodation with 4 en-suite bedrooms, and a garden room which offers full facilities for disabled guests. We are a 'dog and horse friendly' Inn
Alan and Sue Paine Egg Hill Road, Charing, Ashford, Kent TN27 OHG Tel: 01233 712256 email info@bowl-inn.co.uk 24
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Thornbridge Brewery
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hen Jim Harrison moved into Thornbridge Hall he decided to open a brewery, as it was a known fact that a brewery at one time had existed at the hall. He converted a couple of buildings, purchased some second hand equipment from a small Yorkshire micro brewery that was closing and began producing craft beers. Thornbridge had two main brewers, Stephano Cossi and Martin Dickie. In the summer of 2005 the recipe for Jaipur was perfected and was entered and won a gold award in the Sheffield beer festival. Following the award they had to brew 5 times a week to try and keep up with demand, but still found that they couldn’t. A decision had to be made on the way forward. Martin Dickie left the brewery to start Brew Dog in Scotland. Stephano found premises in Bakewell and a new brewery was established. Designed and built in Italy, it was installed in August 2009. The brewery at Thornbridge Hall was closed,
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refurbished and is now used for pilot brews. Swale branch members will, I am sure, be interested to know that they use over 60 varieties of hops, mainly pellets. We went on the brewery tour and sampled Kipling and Chiron. Both were on draft but there was an issue with the new beer called Chiron. The beer was cooled and the cask fitted with an Aspirator (I believe it was called a key cask). It did appear to make the beer slightly gassy. The Marketing Manager who showed us around the brewery explained that this method of serving the beer was popular with the younger real ale drinkers (we might well question that) and was used in their new bar in Sheffield called Dada. The site in Bakewell now means that Thornbridge can supply beer on a national basis. It has its own bottling plant and recently acquired a contract with Waitrose. The newly opened Waitrose in Canterbury stocks a good
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Advert
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Thornbridge Brewery variety of Thornbridge beers including Wild Swan and Jaipur. Stephano Cossi has since left Thornbridge and a team of 4 brewers now continue the Thornbridge passion to brew innovative beers. They continue to win awards for their beers and over the last 12 months have opened several pubs. Their list of beers continues to grow and I would certainly recommend trying Kipling, a south pacific pale ale which is a golden blonde beer with a taste of grapefruit (5.2%), and Jaipur an Indian Pale Ale with a citrus flavour (5.9%). [JW&DW]
Thornbridge Brewery
Wiles Scooter Classics Lambretta Repairs and Servicing Complete Restorations No Repair Too Small Tel: 01795 530765 / 07850 529018 FOR SALE : SX225 completely restored POA : PX welcome
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Something's brewing in Faversham
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ituated in the small market town of Faversham a new business is brewing, opposite the post office “Faversham Homebrew” endeavours to stock everything for the Home Brewer. Established in Mid August 2011 it looks like success is fermenting for this newly opened outlet. Proprietor Mr Colin Shadbolt, also a resident of Faversham for over twenty years told us he decided to open the shop because of the escalating price of alcohol and the recent trend for wanting to make more of your own beverages. He added “We’re really lucky here in Kent, we have a virtually unlimited supply of wild fruits and vegetables just crying out to be turned into wine and beer.
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Anybody interested in trying your hand at brewing your own beer or wine please contact Colin on 01795229073 or 07764363254 for free advice or why not pop into the shop for a chat and see just how easy it is, and what great results you can achieve simply and economically. [GH]
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Tap East, Stratford
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ap East is the new microbrewery inside Westfield Shopping Centre. Wait, come back… You may one day find yourself, as I did, stuck at Stratford station and deflated by the news that the journey back to Swale includes a 20-minute wait in Gillingham and a rail replacement bus service. After that bombshell I needed a drink. Fortunately enough, Tap East is the first place you reach when entering Westfield from Stratford International Station. The micro-brewery’s three copper tuns are visible from the bar and eventually they plan to serve three regular microbrews plus one seasonal beer. On my visit there were two microbrews available on tap; the Stout (5.0%) and East J.E.B (4.2%). Also on tap were Thornbridge Browne (4.3%), Dark Star Espresso Stout (4.2%), Oakham Ales’ Inferno (4.0%) and Scottish Inveralmond Brewery’s Independence (3.8%). There are also over 100 bottled beers and ciders to be explored. as well as 9 keg beers from
Tap East Stratford
around the world. Being based in a gigantic shopping centre means this is never going to be the cosiest place to settle in. There are a few sofas and comfy chairs, but mainly tall tables and high stools, which is perfect if you are popping it to steel yourself from the madding crowd. But the ambition of the beer selection can’t be faulted. As hateful as the 320 store shopping centre is, with its piped music (Cliff Richard, anyone?), it’s great to see a another microbrewery in such an unlikely location. [SC]
Quiz Answers 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Goachers Wantsum Larkins Tonbridge Ramsgate
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Abigale Shepherd Neame Old Dairy Whitstable Hopdaemon 30
Spring Issue 2012
The Swan Inn Teynham
Wadworth 6x and Rotating 'locales' Live music Saturdays at 9pm Karaoke Sundays and Tuesdays from 7pm Friendly poker every Wednesday at 8pm
Sunday lunch 12-3.30 2 meals for ÂŁ9 78 London Road, Teynham, Kent ME9 9QH 01795 521 218 Spring Issue 2012
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A Sheppey Stroll Overview
This island walk starts at Sheerness Railway Station and then follows the coast to visit the Ship on Shore, The Napier and though to Blue Town to The Red Lion. Length
This circular walk consists takes around one hour. This walk mainly follows the sea front, Marine Parade and though the town centre to reach Blue Town. The Ship on Shore
S
tarting at Sheerness Railway Station you should cross at the pedestrian crossing and head towards the beach with the McDonalds and supermarket development on your left. As you follow the path you will see the trappings of an old seaside resort with amusement park and arcade developments, which were still open even though our visit was in the middle of winter with snow and ice on the ground. After around 4 minutes you reach some concrete steps that take you up over the imposing sea wall and deposit you on the main promenade. Looking directly out to sea it is possible to see Essex in the background with the masts of the USS Richard Montgomery which ran aground on 20th August 1944 and became stuck on the sand bank. USS Richard Montgomery was an American Liberty ship built during World War II, one of the 2,710 used to carry cargo during the war. The ship was wrecked off the Nore in the Thames Estuary in 1944 with around 1,400 tons of explosives on board, which continue to be 32
a hazard to the area. You should turn right at the bottom of the steps and follow the promenade with the beach on your left. After approximately 6 minutes the path will split. Turn left and down a few steps and then turn right across the shingle beach. Alternatively you can turn right and walk over the sea wall. Either way you will re-join the main promenade in approximately 2 minutes. After a short walk you will come to a bend in the large sea wall and a set of steps. Looking over this wall you will be
‘The Grotto’ at The Ship on Shore Spring Issue 2012
greeted with an aerial view of The Ship on Shore and its historic Grade II listed Grotto made from a mixture of cement barrels, rocks and stone. Information on the walls of the pub and a leaflet supplied by the landlord suggest that the Grotto was built from cement barrels salvaged from a small ship called the ‘Lucky Escape’ when she floundered during heavy seas. This long one barred pub has a games area to the left and a conservatory to the right serving simple pub meals. On our visit they were serving one real ale from a changing list, which was dispensed direct from the barrel in the cellar to the rear of the bar. Upon leaving the pub take a left and follow Marine Parade towards Sheerness Town Centre. Your walk will follow the main road back to town with the imposing sea wall to your right. After approximately 10 minutes you will reach The Napier Free House. This two barred ex Shepherd Neame pub has a distinctive public bar with four hand pumps serving national beers
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which on our visit included London Pride and Courage Directors, both of which were in excellent condition. The second bar in this pub has been converted into a restaurant. Leaving this pub turn left along the Broadway. After a while you will pass the bingo hall on your left. Continue until you reach a roundabout and The Royal Hotel. Continue along the Broadway towards the centre of town and the clock tower. At the clock tower take a right into the high street. Continue walking for
The Napier 33
SWAN & HARLEQUIN 01795 532341
TRADTIONAL ENGLISH PUB 4 REAL ALES (minimum) 8 EN-SUITE BEDROOMS BOOKINGS TAKEN NOW FOR OUR FAMOUS SUNDAY ROAST WITH 9 FRESH VEGETABLES AND LINDA’S HOMEMADE DESSERTS (including GYPSY TART)
£6.50 34
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A Sheppey Stroll approximately 5 minutes until you emerge outside Sheerness Railway Station. Continue walking past the station on the opposite side of the road with Sheppey College and McDonalds to your right. After a short while you will reach a roundabout and the entrance to the supermarket. Cross the road here and go across the bridge with the dock cranes in the distance. Cross Garrison Road and follow the new path into Blue Town, taking time to read the historical notice boards along its route. The Jewish heritage and history of Sheerness and Blue Town is fascinating and virtually unknown in this still remote part of England. The Jewish community in Blue Town grew up alongside the Naval Dock Yard during the Napoleonic Wars and echoes of this past can still be detected in the western part of Blue Town next to the old Dock Wall. Continue though Blue Town with the high dock wall to your right until you reach the Red Lion. The Red Lion is a two barred local in the middle of Blue Town. It serves an ever changing list of beers which are listed on the chalk board above the bar. At the end of your visit retrace your steps back to Sheerness Railway Station for connecting services via Sittingbourne. If you have a short wait at Sittingbourne remember to visit the two Shepherd Neame pubs to the left and right of the station entrance. To your left is The Globe and Engine which was closed when our last edition of Swale Ale went to press but has now reopened under new ownership. This traditional Shepherd Neame
Spring Issue 2012
The Fountain, Sittingbourne house has a large L shaped bar with a real coal fire next to the bar. The Globe and Engine currently serves one real ale which on our visit was Master Brew, although the landlord is trying to increase the beer range as the pub gets re-established. Since taking over the pub the landlord has removed the juke box, pool table and fruit machines to create a more traditional community pub. With its close proximity to the station he is also hoping to offer morning coffees and teas to commuters on their way to work. On the opposite side of the railway station is The Fountain. This traditional Shepherd Neame pub has recently been given a quality refurbishment both inside and out. The pub now offers a range of Thai food at reasonable prices and currently serves between two and three Shepherd Neame beers. On my visit they had Master Brew, Late Red and Amber Ale. The landlord is keen to introduce beers from the pilot brewery in the near future and is also looking at holding Thai new year celebrations in March/April. [KS&SB] 35
A Pint of View
T
revor Duncombe's article bemoaning the promotion of local beers (SwaleAle Vol 4 Issue 1) is bound to have provoked some keen debate. If I understood it correctly, he suggested pubs are unfairly promoting "locale" beers and therefore ignoring the wide variety of beers found nationally. He wrote "I would like to think that I will not be denied my favourite beers because of the impact of the "locale" campaign". If I might be permitted to counter this arguement I should like to suggest completely the opposite. I think Trevor is wrong. Local beer is good. And not just on environmental grounds. It is the nature of any consumer organisation to demand what they want, where they want it, when they want it at a price they want it. Thats why supermarkets abound with Kenyan french beans, Australian apples, New Zealand lamb and so forth. Beer, Trevor might argue, is just the same. But beer is a local product. Brewed for a local market. Consumed by locals. And our Kentish ale is unique. It has it's own EU protection because of it's distinctive hoppy characteristic. No other beer has this. Its found in Hopdaemon, Larkins, Wantsum and any of the 21 local brewers in Kent. It is a characteristic we, in the heart of the hop country, enjoy. In Lewes it's Harveys. In Southwold its Adnams. In Cornwall its St Austell. Their beers are distinctive. But Kentish beers are even more so. I suspect I'm not alone when I say I enjoy visiting other areas of the country because their beers are different. (Tell me you aren't disappointed when you walk into a Cumbrian bar and discover Spitfire?) So why am I against Trevor's suggestion? Well, two reasons. Firstly there
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is a risk that local brewers, seeking to develop national brands, might find themselves inclined towards 'safe' beers. Those beers that readily fit the national category are often indistinctive. Secondly, because you can doesn't mean it's right. Local cherries, from the orchards around here, are a spring treat I really look forward to. But if I got them every day they would lose the magic. I like the pride associated with Kentish beer ~ all of them. If I want other beers I'll go elsewhere. In Southwold there is a passion for Adnams. It's almost impossible to buy anything else. Why is it every pub in Lewes, Sussex that is listed in the GBG sell Harveys? Is it because they all praise their local brews? Are they proud of what they've got? Yes. Yet here in Swale Kentish beer is rejected. It is viewed with disdain. Look at the statistics. Of the twelve Swale pubs in the current 2012 GBG just over eighty-four percent can sell a range of beers from elsewhere around the country. Just two listed pubs sell Sheps. Trevor may be right to celebrate the diversity of beers nationally. But I believe it should be enjoyed in context. Kentish beer in a Kentish pub with Kentish hops. Perfect. Trevor seems to want to abandon the regional nature of beer. I think that would spoil the magic. Somehow I think he misses the point. Chris Maclean
If you agree with Chris or have your own view please write to Swale Ale at: bailey664@btinternet.com
Spring Issue 2012
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“The Best Homebrew Shop In Kent� Beer & Wine Kits
Opening Times Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm 14A East Street, Faversham, Kent, ME138AD (Opposite The Post Office)
Products include Beer, Wine & Spirit Kits. Starter Kits, Fermenters, Bottles, Corks, Heaters, Dried Fruits, Demijohns, Chemicals, Yeasts, Grains, Finings, Hops, Straining Bags & Much Much More. Contact Telephone- 01795229073 or 07764363254 Email- favershamhomebrew@hotmail.com 38
Spring Issue 2012
Three Stags’ Head, Wardlow Mires, Derbyshire “If you are staying near Bakewell in Derbyshire then you definitely need to find time to visit the Three Stags’ Heads in Wardlow Mires”. That was the advice we received from CAMRA East Kent Area Officer, Jeff. The writeup in the Good Beer Guide 2012 describes the pub as “a quaint 300 year old pub with two small rooms”. The pub is one of the few inns in the Peak district on CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, so we found the time to call in one lunch time to see for ourselves this very old pub with a reputed “grumpy landlord”. We knew this was going to be a surreal experience when we pulled into the pub car park to find it was home to a number of guinea pigs roaming freely. Having avoided squashing any, we made our way over the road to the pub. Sitting by the fire with two dogs at his feet was the landlord and standing erect in the window was a stuffed hare holding a shotgun! There were already a number of people sitting in the small room but we managed to cosily squeeze in at one of the tables. There were four real ales available including Abbeydale’s (Sheffield Brewery) Deception and Absolution. The house beer is “Black Lurcher” (8.6%). David was driving but obviously keen to try the beers, so he came up with the strategy that I should have a pint of each beer, and he would have a taste of my pint. So whilst he slowly sipped his Spring Issue 2012
Three Stags’ Head half pint, I made my way through the hand pumps including Black Lurcher! More and more people and dogs began to arrive, most of them walkers out enjoying the mild weather. At one point there seemed to be more dogs than people and an argument broke out amongst them, which resulted in the landlord demanding that the two Doberman should leave immediately, as they were upsetting his dogs. The barman was friendly and told us that the pub did not have locals, only regulars, the furthest coming from Stockholm. As it states in the Good Beer Guide – draft lager is NOT available but there is a good range of imported bottled lagers. No crisps or peanuts are sold but hot food was available including Shepherd’s Pie and Roast Duck Breast. The Three Stags’ Heads Inn is well worth a visit, as it has to be experienced to be believed. [DW/JW]
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The PHOENIX TAVERN Abbey Street, FAVERSHAM 01795 591462 REAL ALES from Around the UK and Local REAL FOOD prepared freshly daily on the premises REAL ATMOSPHERE lovely garden and open inglenook log fires REAL TRADITION - 14th century oak beamed pub Quality lagers and Quality Wine form Corney and Barrow
Good Beer Guide 2012
@Phoenixfav
The Phoenix Tavern Faversham
www.thephoenixtavernfaversham.co.uk ME13 7BH - 01795 591462
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Spring Issue 2012