mine's a pint issue 25
DESCRIPTION
The magazine for CAMRA Reading and Mid BerkshireTRANSCRIPT
THE CAMRA MAGAZINE FOR READING AND MID BERKSHIREISSUE TWENTY FIVE • SPRING 2013 • FREE - PLEASE TAKE A COPY
IN THIS ISSUEPub & Brewery News Reading Beer FestivalMeet the ChairmanSave the Pub GroupMalt and BarleyCAMPAIGN for REAL ALE
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Regulars help mark Jane andBernie's departure from the Retreat
APRILThu 4: First Thursday of the Month Social.20.00 start at the Griffin, 10-12 ChurchRoad, Caversham, RG4 7AD. Then BaronCadogan, 22-24 Prospect Street, RG4 8JGat 21.00
Fri 5: Curry Night. Meet 19.30 onwards fordrinks at the Conservative Club, HighStreet, Southall, UB1 3HB, then restaurantat 21.00. Contact John Robinson on 0118940 2787 / 0790 434 3187.
Mon 15: Branch meeting. 20.00 start at theBird in Hand, Bath Road, Knowl Hill,RG10 9UP. CAMRA members only, please.
MAYThu 2 – Sun 5: Reading Beer and CiderFestival at Kings Meadow. See more detailsin this magazine.
Mon 13: Branch meeting. 20.00 start at theDuke of Wellington, 27 High Street,Twyford, RG10 9AG (right hand bar).CAMRA members only, please.
See www.readingcamra.org.uk for updates.
For details of an event with no contact listed, to suggest an event or to receive regular e-mail updates of the branch diary, contact Antony Willis: [email protected] 07960 389940
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Branch DiaryEvents are open to all unless specified.
2 Broad Street Reading, RG1 2BH
01189 [email protected]
A Community pub in theheart of Reading
Follow us on twitter @AlehouseReading
3 West Berkshire Ales5 Guest Ales
Real Cider, Perry and Mead
Local CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year 2012
Pub quiz first Monday of the month
e e
Welcome to the first issue of a bigger andbetter Mine's a Pint. We've increased thesize to 32 pages to give more space fornews, articles and photos, and to give scopeto cover more issues in greater depth.
I hope that 32 pages will be the regular sizeof this magazine from now on, so this is agreat opportunity for you to help fill thatspace and make a contribution. If you haveany pub news, want to comment on an arti-cle, have a suggestion for a new feature oreven want to write one, please let me knowon [email protected] – and if youhave any photos to submit, I'm particularlykeen to see them.
It's been a busy start to 2013. We've saidgoodbye to some landlords – not least Janeand Bernie from the Retreat (see our coverfor their leaving party) – and welcomedsome new ones. We've hosted the quarterlyconference of CAMRA's NERDs (NationalExecutive and Regional Directors), which isa big vote of confidence in Reading. We'velaunched this year's ale trail, which is nowin full swing. Local newspaper “getreading”has launched its Pub of the Year competi-tion. And we're looking forward to the 19thReading Beer and Cider Festival, which willbe held at King's Meadow between the 2ndand 5th of May.
There are some quite significant changes tothe festival this year, which have been forcedon us by economics, and you can find outmore in the article in this issue. We knowthe changes will take some getting used to –for the volunteer staff as well as our cus-tomers – but all of us hope that they willgive a more secure base to the festival andensure we can all continue to enjoy it infuture years.
On a sadder note, wewere very sorry to hearof the death after ashort illness of NolaRobinson, wife ofEddie Robinson, land-lord of the Hop Leaffrom 1996 to 2002.Nola was a great sup-port to Eddie during
this period and was well known for herprowess at crib and ladies’ darts, playingdarts for the Eldon Arms, as well as theHop Leaf. More recently she got the ladiesdarts team going again at the Hop Leaf andwill be greatly missed. Our sympathies go toEddie in his sad loss.
I hope you enjoy the new, larger version ofMine's a Pint. Whether you like it or not,please let me know. It's nice to get feedback.
And now it's time to go out and support ourlocal pubs. Cheers!
Phil GillEditor
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From the Editor
Nola playing cribbage
Pub News
CAVERSHAMThe CAVERSHAM CONSERVATIVECLUB on Gosbrook Road may reopen ifplans to sell a bungalow in the grounds aresuccessful. The club was wound up andclosed last year after going into liquidation,and the sale is to raise funds to pay off thedebts and reopen the social club.
EARLEYOne of our surveyorsreported “the bestHoppit I've ever had”in the MAIDENOVER. A collectionof local bottled ales isbuilding up, availableto drink in or takeaway.
EMMER GREENAfter neighbour issues last year, the GARDENERS ARMS seems muchimproved. On a recent visit there werethree Greene King beers on, all under £3 perpint and all in good condition. The interiorhas seen a refurbishment and although someof the old panelling remains, it's been paint-ed over. A new dart board is a good sign,and there are TV screens around showingmusic videos and sport. Encouragingly, thepub was much busier than it used to be.
KNOWL HILLReal cider is back at the BIRD IN HAND,with two Tutts Clump ciders available.
READINGFirst impressions are positive of theRETREAT in St John's Street following thechange of licensee. We were worried that theatmosphere (or even the pub itself) might belost but little seems to have changed – in agood way! - and it's a warm welcome toBish who is now in charge. Ruddles Countyand Hobgoblin are new permanent fixturesand Loddon Ferryman's Gold is always avail-able, but the other four handpumps continueto serve a variety of guest ales in good condi-tion. Bish’s maxim is “If it ain’t broke, whyfix it?”, a sentiment that we can all agreewith. Music is on Tuesdays and Sundays,with a monthly folk night due to start.
Four new handpumps have been installed atthe BACK OF BEYOND on Kings Road,taking the total to 16. Although three ofthem were in use for London Pride when wevisited, this is still an encouraging sign andshould indicate a wider beer range beingavailable in future.
The closed KENNET ARMS, previously theCladdagh Ring, in Pell Street looks set tobecome a shop – probably an off-licence –on the ground floor with a house in multipleoccupation (basically bedsits) above.
Councillors have decided that the QUEENELIZABETH on George Street should beallowed to be converted into four flats. A similar planning application had beenrejected in 2011 because it would havemeant the loss of a community facility. Butthis time councillors decided that the changeshould go ahead, and granted planning per-mission. Local residents had objectedbecause of previous problems with poormanagement; CAMRA said the pub could
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Pub and Brewery News
CONTINUED OVERLEAF
be a sustainable community asset in keepingwith its residential location with a responsi-ble landlord. Here are a couple of quota-tions from councillor Tony Page, to let youmake up your own mind how reasonablethe decision was. 2011 - “Residents do notwant the Queen Elizabeth to reopen as ithad been but if we said to them, 'would youlike a well run pub?' like there are many inReading, that might produce a differentresponse”. 2012 - “There is no shortage inthe area of alternative pubs and so I wel-come the approach.”
The MAIDENS on Shinfield Road wasclosed and boarded up in December. It'sbeen sold to Sainsbury's, who plan to con-vert it into another convenience store.Looking back, there had been several plan-ning applications over the last year forthings that seemed harmless, but were obvi-ously preparing the ground for a new life asa shop. Things like air conditioning units, anew entrance and access ramp, and mostrecently a cash machine. We all need to keepour eyes open for things like this, so that weget as much advance warning as possible ofany proposed closures.
A bar billiards table has reappeared at theSUN in Castle Street.
The PHEASANT at the top of SouthamptonStreet – previously no real ale – is now sell-ing Youngs Bitter.
The BLAGRAVE ARMS in Blagrave Streethas reopened after a significant refit. Mostof the ornate woodwork around the bar hasgone – this wasn't nearly as old as itappeared but it's a shame to see it go – andthe place has been opened out to give a“more sophisticated look”. The real aleoffering appears to be Hobgoblin, oddlyserved through a sparkler.
What used to be Mannakoo oppositeReading station (and was once the JollyPorter) has been rebranded as BAR DUO. Itappears to be a venue that’s only open lateat night.
The well-regarded Sahara cocktail bar onthe corner of Gun Street has closed, with thepremises to be taken over by a London-based cocktail chain called BE AT ONE.This will be their first branch outsideLondon and may be open by the time ofpublication. Although there was no real aleon sale at Sahara, it's sad to see an inde-pendent bar with such a good reputationclose down. We hope the new bar is equallygood.
Two good ales were available at the WYNFORD ARMS on a recent visit –Fullers London Pride and St Austell Tribute.Over the road in the WARWICK, there weretwo Greene King beers in fair condition.The place seems to be run more like arestaurant now, although the bar is stillthere and you can still go in for a drink.
THEALEA recent report from a visit to Thealereturned the news that the best beer qualitywas in the RED LION (St Austell Tribute at£3.40). The FALCON has a new look withall the dining tables replaced by tall circulartables and tall chairs, and gives the appear-ance of having stopped doing food. The beerwas good (Caledonian Deuchars IPA) butnot as good value at £3.60.
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PUB NEWS CONTINUED
The Maidens in happier times
Just outside Theale, at Sherfield Bottom, isthe FOX AND HOUNDS, where licenseesDaryl and Katie Cooper have wonWadworth brewery's “marketing pub of theyear” award. The pub was chosen for its useof marketing and proactive communicationto build and sustain business – and beingrewarded with a loyal and growing numberof customers. It's on our ale trail this year,so why not pay it a visit?
TILEHURSTPlans to demolish the RESTORATION onOxford Road and replace it with 20 flatshave been refused. Similar, if not identical,plans had been refused two years ago.Sometimes an application comes along thatis well argued, backed up with evidence andmakes a strong case for change of use of apub site. This application did none of thesethings, in fact it was laughably bad anddeserved to be rejected. We can't see anyprospect of a different outcome unless theowner gets a new planning consultant.
A visit to the WATER TOWER (what usedto be the Bear Inn) found good beer quality,and this pub looks as though it could be arising star.
WALTHAM ST LAWRENCEThere has been a change of licensee at theSTAR. We don't know much about the
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PUB NEWS CONTINUED
CONTINUED OVERLEAF
Call: 01628 826622 / 2781 Email: [email protected] Visit: www.birdinhand.co.uk
The Bird in Hand, Bath Road,Knowl Hill, Twyford,
Berks RG10 9UP
A charming 14th Century Country Inn betweenMaidenhead and Reading. The Inn serves a host
of regularly changing Real Ales.
The beautifully refurbished Restaurant overlooksthe garden and the Inglenook fire provides a
warm and cosy setting.
The Inn has 22 en-suite bedrooms - standard,superior and suites. One room is adapted forthe disabled. Free wifi available throughout.
Forthcoming Events15th March -
Meet the Brewer/ Curry NightSample Ales from Longdog.
23rd April - St. George’s DayHot & Cold Buffet Supper with English
Ales & Ciders
6th MayCharity Dog Show & Fun Day 12-4pm
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Two Permanent Ales (Loddon Ferryman’s Gold & Sharp’s Cornish Coasting)
5 Ever-changing GuestsSelection of Draught and Bottled Cider
Live Jazz every Tuesday and SundayCheck our web site for
further gig listings:www.retreatpub.co.uk
Opening Times
Mon - Thurs: 4.30 to 11.00pmFri - Sat: 12-11.30pm
Sun: 12 - 11pm
TheRetreat
8 St Johns St, Reading, RG1 4EH Telephone: 01189571593
email: [email protected]
details at this Wadworth pub so any furtherinformation would be welcomed.
WARGRAVEAn update from the SNOOKER CLUB –Mel Davies is no longer in charge of the cellar but remains an active member of theclub committee. Thankfully the real ale isstill served in good condition.
The WHITE HART is advertising that it isto become an Indian restaurant. Whether“and pub” or “instead of pub” is unknown.Next door, a new cafe called the OLDPOST OFFICE sells Rebellion beer fromtheir mini kegs. This doesn't count as realale but it does at least give a local breweranother outlet.
WOODLEYThe GOOD COMPANIONS on LoddonBridge Road is one of the pubs nominatedin getreading's Pub of the Year contest.Licensees Nigel and Lynn Hall took over inlate 2011 and carried out a major refurbish-ment. It's part of the John Barras PubCompany (an arm of the Spirit group) andserves two real ales as well as traditionalpub food. Darts, pool and poker teams playthere and there's sport on TV, along with abeer garden and children’s play area.
The SHEPHERDS HOUSE on the A4 wasboarded up earlier this year.
Brewery NewsNEW BREWERYThe big news this issue is the launch of anew brewery – Siren Craft Brewery, basedin Finchampstead. They are starting withtwo fermenting vessels, but space is reservedfor three more which would take them to 40barrel capacity. The brewery has a strongAmerican influence, with a consultant on
site who we understand has worked for twoUS micros and most recently a Danish brew-house.
They have an initial four recipes planned:Undercurrent – a 4.5% pale ale with spicy,grassy aromas and a taste of grapefruit andapricot.Soundwave – a 5.6% west coast IPA, veryhoppy with grapefruit, peach and mangoflavours.Liquid Mistress – a 5.8% west coast brightred ale, with flavours of burnt raisin andcrackers balanced by citrus.Broken Dream – a 6.0% “breakfast stout”with a gentle touch of smoke, coffee andchocolate.
No, we haven't heard of breakfast stout,either. The brewery see a good market fortheir beers in London and the north, andthey plan to deliver via cask, keg and bottle,but we don't yet know how much of theproduction will be in cask. They have beenin discussion with Bath Ales about usingtheir bottling facilities.
ASCOTA new beer just launched is Rhino Rye. Thisis a new 5% American Rye Ale, brewedwith rye malts to give a slightly spicy noteand with a good, clean bitterness from theMagnum hops. It’s available now, along
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BREWERY NEWS CONTINUED
CONTINUED OVERLEAF
Mine’s a Pint10
61 High Street, Twyford RG10 9AJ Tel: 01189 340376
A TraditionalCountry
Pub
Warm Fires
Large CarPark
5 Real Ales availableFuller’s London Pride and Courage Best with
three ever-changing guests
Sunday Roasts 12 - 3pm by our chef Murdo Macsween
Crib Night Monday • Quiz Night Thursdays
‘Jive Live’ last Sunday of every month
MOTHERS DAY LUNCH2 courses £15.50 3 courses £20.00
FRIDAY NIGHT FISH & CHIPS2 meals plus a bottle of wine £20.00!Buy direct on 01672 541407
ramsburybrewery.com
with the March Single Hopbrew – Pacifica (4.6%). Thehop is from New Zealandand the beer has an orangey,marmalade aroma.
BINGHAMSA new brew is Total Eclipse, ablack IPA at 5%, which should be availablenow. Ciderniks cider is now stocked in thebrewery shop, with Combe Raider ondraught and in 500ml bottles, together withpure apple juice and cider vinegar, which israw and unpasteurised. Brewery tours areproving so popular they are now doing twotours per Saturday until the end of April.
Binghams is also goingtransatlantic, with twocasks of their beer offto the USA forNERAX - the NewEngland Real AleeXhibition. GingerDoodle Stout andCoffee Stout will be
competing in the contest to be held in lateMarch.
LODDONWhirlwind (4.4%) was the special forFebruary and more are planned for the com-ing year. We’re hoping for a mild for May. A special beer has been brewed to commem-orate the brewery’s 10-year anniversary.Only about 500 bottles will be produced,each individually numbered. More detailswill be available in due course but we’re promised something “unlike anything we’vebrewed before”. It should go on sale from 2ndJuly with reservations possible in advance.
WEST BERKSHIREThe first monthly beer this year was AuntyRuth's Kitchen Porter at 3.8%. It wasnamed as a tribute to a local cook inYattendon who died last year and whose
food was well appreciated at the brewery.The even more important point is that thebeer is rather tasty!
A lager has been brewed and is currentlyavailable in bottles, potentially going tokeg if successful. Also being added to therange is a bottled and cask stout. Dr.Hexter's Wedding Ale is being increased inABV to 4.3% and the hop rates upped,while Full Circle is planned to have a namechange (we don't yet know to what). WestBerkshire Brewery also have a new website,with an online shop coming very soon. Checkit out and look out for an announcement ofan exciting offer for all lovers of their beer tobe announced in the next few weeks.
WINDSOR AND ETONThree new double capacity fer-menters (36 brewers' barrelseach) should have been installedby the time you read this. Thecreation of Mandarin Christmasale using the unique Bavarianhop Mandarina was a great suc-cess, with their two brews beingsold out within a week of eachother. This ale will be repeatednext Christmas. Looking for-ward, the excellent Kohinoorwill be the next seasonal, expect-ed from March, and a mild isplanned for the month of May.
ZERO DEGREESSpring Bock has been brewed and now wehave to wait patiently until it's ready to go onsale. There's no exact date for availability butexpect some time around late March / April.
BEER SCORINGIf you record pub scores on the NationalBeer Scoring System, remember that zeroshould now only be used to show ‘no realale available’. If real ale is on sale, the low-est score that can be awarded is a half mark.
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BREWERY NEWS CONTINUED
PUBS IN THE MEDIAStrictly Come Dancing finalist Dani Harmer,quoted in Metro in December: “I'm notreally one for showbiz parties and dressingup. It's fun once in a while but I'd rather goto an old man's pub and hang out with myfriends in Bracknell.”
Various sources reported that archaeologistsin Cyprus had found the world's earliestpub and brewery, dating from 3,500 yearsago. Traces of malt and yeast wereunearthed, along with jugs, pots and grind-ing tools used to make beer. Next door wasa courtyard which was described as the “bararea”. Evidence suggests that the beer madethere would have been about 5% ABV andsweetened with figs and grapes. Dr LindyCrewe of Manchester University led theexcavation and said: “The people of theBronze Age, it seems, were well aware of therelaxing properties of alcohol”. “Beer wasmore nutritious than bread”, she added, and“alcoholic beverages were also used to oilthe wheels of business and pleasure in thesame way as today.”
CHAMPION WINTER BEER OFBRITAIN
Elland Brewery’s 1872 Porter,at 6.5% ABV, was crownedthe Supreme ChampionWinter Beer of Britain 2013by a panel of judges at theNational Winter Ales Festivalin Manchester. The winningbeer is a creamy, full
flavoured porter, with rich liquorice flavoursand more than hint of chocolate.
Nik Antona, CAMRA Director, praised theoutstanding quality of the champion. Hesaid, “Porters should not be regarded asendangered beers, they are beers for today’sdiscerning drinkers. And on a cold day, 1872Porter is a perfect winter warming beer.”
The West Yorkshire brewery first scoopedthe country’s top winter beer award in2010. Brewery owner Martin Ogley said hewas shocked to win the award again. “I amgobsmacked, as I never expected this. Thereare so many great beers at the festival that itis remarkable for the judges to choose usagain.”
The only local brewer represented in the topawards was Hogs Back of Tongham inSurrey, who won gold in the Barley Winescategory with A Over T (Aromas OverTongham).
1872 Porter will now enter into the final ofthe Champion Beer of Britain competition atthe Great British Beer Festival, Olympia,London, 13-17 August.
PUB COMPANY REFORMJanuary saw the culmination of years ofcampaigning by CAMRA when the govern-ment introduced a pub company reformpackage. It will introduce a statutory codeof practice for pubcos which, crucially, willinclude a fair dealing provision to ensurethat tied licensees are no worse off than freeof tie licensees. The proposals were passedunanimously by MPs from all parties. Thegovernment is also introducing an adjudica-tor with powers to investigate breaches of
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Small BeerA roundup of news and information...
the code and ensure pubcos stick to therules. A consultation on the proposals isexpected in the spring.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said, “Thereis some real hardship in the pubs sector, withmany pubs going to the wall as publicansstruggling to survive on tiny margins. Someof this is due to pubcos exploiting andsqueezing their publicans by unfair practicesand a focus on short-term profits. Four SelectCommittee reviews since 2004 have high-lighted these problems. Last year we gave thepubcos one last chance to change their behavior but it is clear that the self-regulatoryapproach was not enough and in October Iwrote to the industry to seek their views. Achange in the law is now needed to shiftbehavior. I hope these measures mean publi-cans are given a fairer chance at running theirpub, which in turn will help them grow theirbusinesses instead of losing them.”
LOCALE UPDATE
We’re in the process of accrediting our offi-cial LocAle outlets for 2013. This recognisespubs that serve real ale brewed within 30miles of King’s Meadow, Reading. The listwas still being finalised when we went topress but publicity material may be out inpubs by the time you read this, and a fulllist of accredited pubs will be published inthe next issue of Mine’s a Pint.
SCIENCEResearch from Norway suggests that “com-patible drinking” lessens the chances of acouple getting divorced. In a study of almost20,000 married couples, researchers found
that spouses who consume about the sameamount of alcohol as each other were lesslikely to divorce than pairs where one part-ner is a heavy drinker and the other is not.Norwegian Institute of Public Health direc-tor Ellinor F. Major suggested that the bestapproach might be for partners to strive formatching amounts of light or moderatedrinking.
Other research suggests that people drinkmore quickly from a curved glass than froma straight one. Bristol University researchersstudied 160 social drinkers aged 18-40 andcompared the speed that they consumed 12fl oz (just over half a pint) of lager from dif-ferent shaped glasses. The average timetaken to drink from a straight-sided glasswas 12 minutes, but this fell to just 7 min-utes when a curved glass was used. Theresearchers suggest the reason may be thatit's more difficult to accurately judge thehalfway point of curved glasses. As a result,people are less able to gauge how much theyhave drunk and can't pace themselves well.
CAMRA'S NATIONAL AGMIf you're quick, you can still pre-register forCAMRA's national AGM in Norwich. Ifyou miss the deadline of 22 March you canstill register on the day, but doing it inadvance saves time at the venue and lets youget into the Members' Bar faster! See theadvert in this issue for registration details.
BEER FESTIVALReading Lions plan to organise a beer festi-val at Reading Town Football Club. Datesare Friday 26 July (evening) and Saturday27 July (11am-10.30pm). They intend toraise money for the Duchess of Kent Househospice and other good causes. This is notan official CAMRA event but please give ityour support.
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Reading Beer and Cider Festival will bereturning to King’s Meadow from Thursday2nd to Sunday 5th May. Once again animpressive selection of real ales, ciders, perries, foreign beer and British wine will beshowcased for you to enjoy.
In order for us to continue providing yourBeer Festival, we have had to make somechanges this year.
ADVANCE TICKETSMany of you have complained in previousyears that the queue to get into the eventwas rather off-putting. Therefore one of thebiggest changes to be implemented will bethe introduction of advanced tickets. Theseare now available for purchase through ourwebsite www.readingbeerfestival.org.uk
PACKAGE DEALSTicket packages are priced at £15.90 forThursday, Friday lunchtime and Sunday ses-sions. For Friday evening and each Saturday
session the price is £18.90. Whilst this mayseem expensive compared to previous years,you will get a “package deal” for yourmoney. Prices include guaranteed entry(within the first three hours of openingtime), a complimentary festival glass, festivalprogramme and six half pint vouchersredeemable for real ale up to 6% abv, anycider or perry.
Card carrying CAMRA, EBCU and RURASmembers will also be entitled to an addition-al half pint voucher.
OPENING HOURSThursday: 4.30pm to 11pmFriday: 11am to 3.30pm and 5pm to 11pmSaturday: 11am to 4.30pm and 6pm to 11pmSunday: 12pm to 7pm
Due to the increasing numbers who visit theevent each year we have not been able tocater for everyone in good time resulting inthe long queue to enter the site. Sessions will
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19th Reading Beer andCider Festival 2013
allow us to get more people in to enjoy thebeer festival and should result in shorterqueues. This will hopefully mean no stand-ing around for hours waiting to get in!
For those that are planning to travel to thebeer festival from outside of the Readingarea, we are planning to help you make themost of your time during the hour and ahalf break during sessions. Information willbe provided about local pubs to visit, all ofwhich will sell an excellent selection of alesand ciders.
Large groups of 10 or more people will alsobe specially catered for, in addition toCAMRA branches proposing to hold asocial at the festival. Please contact us [email protected] to discuss arrange-ments.
As ever we will also require volunteers tohelp staff the event. If you are a CAMRAmember and are interested in helping at thebeer festival, please take a look at our website www.readingbeerfestival.org.uk ore-mail [email protected] further information.
We very much look forward to welcomingyou to the 19th Reading Beer and CiderFestival.
Mark Johnston
As the new Chairmanof Reading & Mid-Berks CAMRA I havebeen volunteered bythe editor to write anarticle introducingmyself. So here goes:
My first experiencewith real ale was justbefore I started
University, many moons ago, when one ofmy friends asked if I wanted “the usual”. I responded “no, can I have the unusual?”thinking myself very clever. I was somewhatsurprised to see a pint of ale brought to me(I usually drank cider). After the initial bittertaste I found myself really enjoying it andstuck on the ale for the rest of the night and,except for the odd foray into wine, havepretty much done so ever since!
CAMRA’s aims of promoting the variety ofreal ales available in Britain seemed to gohand-in-hand with my predilection for drinkingthem. So, despite being a poverty-strickenstudent, I joined a couple of years later.
I’ve been involved with the Reading branchof CAMRA since 2005 when I worked acouple of sessions at the Reading BeerFestival. I enjoyed it so much that I signedmyself up as deputy bar manager the follow-ing year and, after being Branch Contact andSecretary, have now reached the headyheights of Branch Chairman.
The role of Chairman has been prettystraightforward so far; making sure thateveryone is fulfilling their roles and reportingon local campaigning at Regional Meetings.There’s a bit of public speaking involved (or“meet and greet” as I prefer to call it). Forexample I recently welcomed CAMRA’sNational Executive and Regional Directorsto Reading, and I look forward to presenting
this year’s Pub of the Year winners with theircertificates, but the role mostly requiresdrinking and promoting real ale, and manag-ing discussions at branch meetings.
Looking at 2013, I’m hoping that despite thechanges that had to be made to both the AleTrail and Beer Festival, they will be success-ful and enjoyable for all. I’m also lookingforward to the socials that Antony hasorganised to the far flung boundaries of thebranch and beyond…
Now that you know who I am, perhaps we’llsee each other in the pub one evening. It so,do come over and say “hi”!
Dan Cane-HoneysettReading & Mid-Berks CAMRA Branch
Chairman
Meet the Chairman
Mine’s a Pint20
Serving London Pride permanentlywith weekly changing guest ales
Friday Fish Supper
only £7.50
Bar Food Served Monday - Friday noon until 2pm
Hog Roast SpecialistsRing for details
Regular Jazz Nights21st March, 11th April 13th May & 21st May
Marquee available for events
Arborfield Road,Shinfield,Reading,Berkshire,RG2 9EA
Tel: 0118 9884130
A UNIQUE, TRADITIONAL BAR
48 SURLEY ROW, EMMER GREEN Tel: 01189 481507
Recent major refurbishment Exciting new, great value menu.
Entertainment every night.
Fantastic range of drinks including a selection of Real Ales at brilliant prices.
If you fancy a night out with friends, a lunchwith the family or fancy your chances in ourquiz, come along to The Gardeners Arms.
Be part of the proper pub of Emmer Green!
Breakfast and Lunch 10am - 3pm
Dinner 6 - 9.30pmSunday Roast £6.95
(£5.00 seniors, NUS and CAMRA members)Available 12.30 -3pm
Home Cooked Traditional Pub Food
Beer GardenPool TableOpen Fire
Family Friendly
Almost 1 in 5 pints of real ale sold in theUK is sold in social clubs. For most pub-goers, clubs are easily overlooked eventhough there is lots of good quality beer tobe found in them. This article providesinformation on some of the many clubs inthe local area and the real ale available.
The winner of last year’s branch Club of theYear award, and the only branch club in thecurrent Good Beer Guide (GBG), isWargrave Snooker Club within WoodclyffeHostel on Church Street. It’s open 7-11pmMonday to Friday, and will permit entry toCAMRA members or any visitor with acopy of the GBG. There is one ever-chang-ing ale on the handpump, sourced from any-where in the UK, priced at £2.50 per pint.The club has a cosy bar area with bar bil-liards, crib, darts and chess. And of coursesnooker, in a separate room, with a £3 guestfee for non-members.
A recent visit to Pangbourne Working MensClub revealed West Berkshire Good Old Boyin good condition for £2.40 pp, alongsideBrains IPA (£2.00) and Courage Best(£2.40). This is a sizeable club with a sepa-rate function room and nice garden area,just a few minutes walk from the stationand the Thames. Club members and theirguests are welcome.
On the Oxford Road in Reading,the Curzon Club sells a regularly changingale from the Greene King guest list. At thelast visit this was £2.65 per pint. This is afriendly members’ club and the bar managerJimmy is enthusiastic about real ale andkeen to accommodate visitors.In Tilehurst, the Royal British Legion clubwas recently reported serving Brains IPA ingood condition at £2.10, with London Pridealso available.
Sonning and Hennerton Golf Clubs bothhave bars which are open to the public andserve real ale in pleasant settings, with Fullersand Rebellion beers available respectively.
Other clubs serving real ale include:Earley Home Guard Social Club, Pitts Lane,which served Courage Best at the last visitSonning Club (Greene King)Twyford Bowling Club (Brakspear)Caversham Working Mens Club (GreeneKing)Readingensians Rugby club (Courage Bestand a changing guest)Burghfield Community Sports Association(London Pride and a changing guest).
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Ourdata suggests there are well over 40 clubswithin the branch area. So why not lookinto your local area and try out some clubs?You could find a cosy club you never knewexisted, serving a tasty pint at a reasonableprice. We are always looking for the mostup to date information on the pubs andclubs in our area, so please let us knowwhat you find!
Joe Cuthbertson
Mine’s a Pint21
Real Ale in Social Clubs
Bar at the Pangbourne Working Men’s Club
In difficult financial times when pubs areclosing every week, when beer duty contin-ues to rise, and when developers are doingaway with well run community pubs againstthe wishes of local communities, wouldn’t itbe great to know that there is a group ofover 100 Parliamentarians fighting forlicensees, brewers and pub-goers? Well,there is! There are now 128 MPs and Lordsin the Save the Pub Group and, with eachnew member, there is a new voice champi-oning the cause of the nation’s ale- and pub-lovers.
The group believe that traditional Britishpubs, which provide an environment forsociable and controlled drinking, are hugelyimportant to their communities as a focusfor community, social, sporting and charita-ble activities. This is why the Group is pro-
foundly concerned that much loved and val-ued pubs across the country are beingclosed, for many different reasons, whenoften they don’t need to; and why theydemand greater Government support andbetter legislation.
The Save the Pub Group, with the supportof CAMRA, gives MPs help and guidance insupport of campaigns against pub closuresin their constituency, but mostly campaignon a number of key issues affecting pubsand beer. Currently, the group are callingfor:
• changes to planning law to properly recog-nise the importance of pubs to communities,and to better protect pubs faced with clo-sure and redevelopment;
Mine’s a Pint22
Taking the fight for the Gr e
Members of the Save The Pub Group at a
recent rally. Mike Benner of CAMRA is on the right of the front row.
• a change in the law to outlaw the practiceof restrictive covenants, whereby companiesare selling pubs on the basis that they areprevented from being a pub, thus denyingcommunities pubs simply to benefit thecommercial interests of the company;
• local communities to have the right to buypubs that are planned for closure, withimprovements to the Localism Act provi-sions, and to support the Pub is the Hubscheme.
• reform of the current ‘beer tie’ model, asoperated by some of the big pubcos, whichmakes it impossible for many licensees tomake a living, and which leaves many pubswhich could be successful if free of tie unvi-able. The Group held a high profile reformrally as well as a meeting with big pubcobosses to hold them to account;
• fairer levels of beer duty, scrapping theduty escalator and pushing for a lower dutyon all draught ale and/or real ale, lobbyingEurope to allow this;
• the Government and local authorities todo more to support community pubs includ-ing via taxation and rates, based on the
community value of such pubs and for lesscomplicated regulatory and licensing sys-tems and frameworks;
• the Government to look at supermarketbeer pricing, to stop below cost selling inthe off trade and create a more level playingfield between the on and off trade.
Mike Benner, Chief Executive of CAMRA,says that “the Group is invaluable in help-ing to build Parliamentary support forCAMRA's key campaigns to protect pubs. Ihope that CAMRA members up and downthe country will encourage their MP to jointhe Group, and support their importantwork in protecting the future of Britain’svalued community pubs.”
The Group ask you all to write to your localMP (who can be found at www.parliament.uk) and ask them to jointhe Group, to support its work, and to fightfor pubs, brewers and beer-lovers across thecountry. Beyond that, the Group asks you tokeep supporting your local CAMRA branch,and keep visiting the many wonderful realale pubs!
This article was written by representativesof the All-Party Parliamentary Save The PubGroup. Of our local MPs, Richard Benyon,MP for Newbury is the only one known tobe a member of the group.
Mine’s a Pint23
eat British pub t0 Parliament
“The group believe that traditional british pubs, whichprovide an environment forsociable and controlled drink-ing, are hugely important totheir communities...”
One of nature’s greatest bounties formankind is grain. It grows in a variety ofclimates around the earth and provides uswith food and sustenance. Arguably thegreatest benefit of grain is that it can beused as the main ingredient of beer, andwithout beer our existence on this Earthwould be much poorer. Of all the differentgrains, barley is the best one to use to createmost of the beers we love in the UK.
THE FARMERBarley makes Malt which is cooked to pro-duce what brewers call Wort. This is fer-mented to make beer. The first stage in thestory of John Barleycorn is the harvesting ofthe grains from the fields. These are separat-ed from the straw and the chaff to leave thepure seed. Each seed is busting full of nutri-ents that would normally support thegrowth of that seed into a mature plant.Adjuncts are non-barley grains used inbrewing. Small amounts of adjuncts in a
beer can enhance flavour and add foamingcharacteristics to the final beer but, if largeamounts such as rice are used, the beer canbe made much more cheaply. The German beerpurity law (Reinheitsgebot of 1516) decreedthat only four ingredients - barley, hops, waterand yeast could be used to make beer.
Barley is categorised by the number of rowsof seeds on each head of the plant, normallytwo or six; two row has generally less protein and enzyme but most brewers preferthe flavour of two row. Six row barley isgenerally grown in the USA; it allows theuse of a larger proportion of adjuncts andsaves the brewer money. There are a vastnumber of barleys available to choose fromand each has a different taste. Maris Otter isthe best known English barley; there arealso Halcyon and Pipkin. European varietiesinclude Triumph, Sissy, Krona, Steffi,Ferment, Alexis, Chariot and Hana.
The seeds or acrospires contain starches,enzymes and trace elements. The quantity ofthe various enzymes is called diastasis whichdefines the ability of the mixture to turnstarches into fermentable sugars. There is apremium price for organically produced bar-ley – which is understandable for a premiumbeer product – but organics can tend to begrown with less nitrogen fertiliser. Nitrogenis important as a nutrient for the yeast thatwill turn the sugars into alcohol.
THE MALTSTERYeast cells can only eat sugar, they cannotdigest the starches in the seed. Grapes andapples are already full of sugar so the wineand cider makers have it easy.
Mine’s a Pint24
Barley & MaltIn the second of an occasional series of articles, Russ Wood takes a look at theimportance of barley and malt in the brewing process.
The first part of theprocess involves foolingthe seeds into thinkingthat spring has come bysteeping them in water.This kicks the germina-
tion off and the seed starts to grow forabout 5 days. The seeds are regularly rakedto ensure that all the seeds develop at thesame rate and with the same moisture level.
The Maltster halts the germination abruptlyby kilning at about 55°C. Some of theenzymes (�-amylases) we need are present inthe original seed but the germination gener-ates more (�-amylase and proteases). At thisstage the seeds (malt) are relatively stableand can be stored until required for deliveryto the brewer. The Maltster determines thecolour of the malt by the temperature andtime of roast or kilning.
Malt isn’t only used for brewing beer; it isan essential ingredient of Horlicks and someother non-alcoholic drinks. Fermented maltliquid is also the basis for fine whiskies.Malts are divided into base malts for thebulk of the product and speciality malts toadd special flavours.
THE BREWERThe early-morning job of the brewer is tobreak the husk of the seed in the grist millso that all of the goodness can be extracted.
The liquor (water) will have been warmingup overnight to a temperature of around35°C and has to be carefully mixed with themilled grist so as not to absorb oxygen andalso prevent lumps.
Simple mashing involves raising the temper-ature of the mix to 65°C -71°C and letting itstand for the enzymes to work on the starchand turn it into fermentable sugars. Themore complex step-infusion halts the rise intemperature at various points which allowthe work of particular enzymes to be con-trolled. Different malt types need differentstopping points, and the brewer will deter-mine the best for his recipe.
Decoction involves removing a portion ofthe mash and boiling it to caramelise someof the sugars and liberate some of thestarches from the grist. The skill of thebrewer includes regulating the time spent ateach temperature so that not all of the gristis turned into fermentable sugars. These givebody and flavour to the resulting beer which
Mine’s a Pint25
Malt Use Colour / Lovibond
Crystal Adds body, flavour and colour 25 - 70
Pale Ale Malty flavour, colour 3 - 4
Chocolate Porters, Stouts and other dark beers 350
Pilsener Lagers 1.5 - 2
Temp Enzyme Digests
40 - 45°C B-Glucanase B-Glucan
50 - 54°C Protease Protein
62 - 67°C B-Amylase Starch
71 - 72°C A-Amylase Starch °C
CONTINUED OVERLEAF
Mine’s a Pint26
0118 9345190
Buratta’s is a comfortable & relaxed family run restaurant & bar, proud of itshigh standards of freshly prepared meals,fine wines, real ales & friendly service.
So, whether you fancy a sociable drink, abar snack, full a la carte meal or to buy
something unusual from ourantiques & collectables shop, pop in!
Buratta’s at The Royal OakRuscombe Lane, Ruscombe
Twyford, Berkshire RG10 9JNBuratta’s at The Royal Oak @Burattas
Award Winning Real Cidermade by hand with apples mainly from
within West Berkshire
Available in 275ml and 500ml bottles, 3, 5, 10and 20 litre bag in box, 5 gallon poly-barreland 9 gallon non-pressurized plastic barrel to
go on bar hand pump.
Fittings to attach a bag in box to a handpump line also available.
Tel: 0118 974 4649or 07836 [email protected]
We provide a choice of 3 to 4 excellentcask ales and ciders, including at leastone from a local brewery, and keep a fine selection of keg beers for your
quaffing pleasure.
We love to experiment with cocktails and longdrinks too, so there should always be
something available to keep you entertained.
For any drivers, we also have a fantastic coffee machine capable of outperforming any
tax avoiders you may care to think of.
Folk Night Our regular folk and acoustic slot plays on the3rd Wednesday of each month from 8.30pm.
Performers more than welcome, although thereis a resident host and regulars who provide
entertainment for players and non players alike.
Any questions? Please email:- [email protected]
Church Street, Theale RG7 5BTwww.thecrowntheale.co.uk
would be thin and unpalatable if everythingwas fermented. The brewer has to be carefulnot to allow off flavours to be generated,for example too much Diacetyl will taste ofbuttermilk. The balance usually ends upbeing a decision between cost and quality –fortunately most of the brewers we knowand love will choose quality.
The final part of the mashing process (apartfrom the cleaning) is mashing out - wherethe wort is heated to stop the enzyme con-version and sent to the copper for boilingwith the hops.
Lautering involves a false bottom with agrid of holes in it that are smaller than thesize of the remaining husks. The husks actas a filter to stop the bits getting into thewort. Lautering often involves passing thewort through the grist bed a few times untilit is properly clear. After most of the worthas been poured off, the grains are spargedwith warm liquour. This helps to extract themaximum sugar benefit from the grist. Thesparging arm is a sprinkler that rotates overthe mashing tun base to ensure even cover-age of the spray and is gentle to prevent disturbance of the filter bed.
The photo (bottom) shows the inside top ofthe mash tun at West Berks brewery. The grist is mixed with the liquour andenters the vessel at the top right. The sparg-ing arm is the diagonal bar; this photo istaken from the point of view of the wortwhich is drawn off from under the camera.
The second photo shows the base of the vessel which is a grid that allows the wort tobe drawn away leaving the grist to act as afilter. It is sectional to allow efficient clean-ing. Spent grains are often used as part ofanimal feed. The spent grains act as a filterbed to stop most of the bits getting into thecopper.
Special thanks to Warminster Maltings(http://www.warminster-malt.co.uk/) for theuse of some of the photos in this article.
Mine’s a Pint27
BARLEY AND MALT CONTINUED
Contact UsUseful contact details for this magazine,CAMRA and other important things…Mine's a Pint Circulation: 2,500.Outlets: Over 70 across the region.
Editor: Phil [email protected] 455 029381 Addison Road, Reading, RG1 8EG
For advertising enquiries please contact JaneMichelson or Chris Shilling:01778 420888 / [email protected]
Reading & Mid Berkshire CAMRAwww.readingcamra.org.uk
Branch contact: Katrina [email protected] 401 9437
Social Secretary: Antony [email protected] 389940
Magazine layout and advertising design by:Daniel Speed - Orchard House Media [email protected]
Local Trading StandardsReading Borough Council:www.reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3737
West Berkshire Council:www.westberks.gov.uk 01635 519930
Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead:www.rbwm.gov.uk 01628 683800
Wokingham Borough Council:www.wokingham.gov.uk 0118 974 6400
The next issue of Mine's a Pint will be published in June. Please feel free to submit copy or ideas by mid May.
The opinions expressed in Mine's a Pint are notnecessarily those of the editor or the Campaignfor Real Ale. © Campaign for Real Ale 2013.
Mine’s a Pint30
Banbury Beer Festival:Lucky Number 13
The thirteenth Banbury Beer Festival is againheld at the TA Centre, Oxford Road, Banbury onthe second weekend in May. This year it runsfrom Thursday 9th May until Saturday 11thMay and will stock 90 real ales and about 20ciders and perries, including three ciders fromlocal producers. The featured area this year isCumbria which has an abundance of great brew-ers to choose from and maybe even a cider!
As with previous years, entertainment is laid onThursday night and Saturday lunchtime. TheHeist have been confirmed for Saturday after-noon, a five piece blues band. On Saturdayevening, seeing us out in style, is the amazing PeteWatkins with his vast repertoire of songs – it willguarantee a foot stomping end to the festival.
New to the festival this year is a local beer andcheese tasting event. Running on Fridaylunchtime, there are four sessions to choose fromat 12:30, 13:10, 13:50 and 14:30. Priced at avery competitive £2.50, the sessions run for 30minutes and give the chance to try several beersand cheeses. Food will be available at all sessionswith, we are guaranteed, a vegetarian menu tooand soft drinks for the drivers.
If you are a CAMRA member and have a fewhours to spare then why not come along earlyand give our friendly team a hand behind the bar,working on the entrance or sorting glasses. Beeror food tokens are available to those who give uptheir time as well as our gratitude. More information is available at the website atwww.banburybeerfest.org.uk
Steve Lympany
