Author: Bob

by Steve Renshaw

“Where would we be without the local?” That’s the strapline for CAMRA’s community pubs campaign. And this month we’re asking, “Where would charities be without the local?”

According to figures from PubAid, 85% of pubs raise money for charity, totalling over £106 million in the last year. This means that each pub raised, on average, £2,742. And new research shows people would visit pubs more regularly if their local pubs organised more charity events.

It’s time pubs got the recognition for their amazing work in raising funds for numerous charities across Britain. They get unfairly blamed for anti-social behaviour but often the alcohol that has led to these problems has not been drunk in pubs. The industry has been struggling in these tough economic times but the research shows all parties win if pubs run charity events. The charities get important donations, pubs get busier and the locals get some fun events to attend.

One magnificent example of fundraising is The Ship Victory in Chester. Over 11 years, this cosy, city-centre pub has raised a staggering £105,000 for the Breast Care Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital. And JD Wetherspoon, who have a pub estate of over 850 pubs, have recently announced that they have raised £7 million over the years for CLIC Sargent.

Des O’Flanagan, one of the co-founders of PubAid, said, “What other industry can demonstrate such generosity and selflessness in this economic climate. These results should act as a reminder that pubs are very much part of the fabric of our community and make a meaningful contribution”.

I popped in to one of our top community pubs to talk about fundraising. Mal and Diane Gray have been running Bateman’s pubs for 14 years and have been at the Butcher and Beast in Heighington since 2009. In 2011, they were named Bateman’s Publicans of the Year, and last year they were highly commended for their cellar, food and flowers.

Heighington is fortunate to have two pubs. Both serve food, but whereas the Turk’s Head shows live sport on a big screen, the Butcher relies on lively conversations for entertainment. And it’s well supported by the villagers. Any pub that has six handpumps is clearly turning over plenty of ale.

The pub regularly raises funds for local and national charities. They also support charity events at the village hall next door. But when I asked Mal about it, I was struck by his matter-of-fact attitude. It was as though doing his bit for charity was one of those things that you do when you run a pub – like cleaning the beer lines.

And, of course, that’s the point. People don’t go to pubs just to drink. They go to spend time with friends and neighbours. And if they’re visitors, they go to join in with the local community. And when people get together, they start thinking about what they can do for those less fortunate than themselves.

So don’t spend all your social hours at home with cheap supermarket beer. Make the effort to get down to your local pub and be part of your community.

And what about the beer? With three Bateman’s ales and three guests on offer, it was a difficult choice. But I was drawn to American Pale Ale (5.4% ABV) from the Sonnet 43 Brew House, a new microbrewery in Durham. My pint was dark gold with a creamy head and beautifully clear. From the name, I expected a big burst of hops, but it turned out to be well-balanced with malt and spicy fruit flavour.

Follow us on Twitter @Lincoln_CAMRA for news on events at local pubs.

by Steve Renshaw

Earlier this year, we were in Norwich for CAMRA’s national annual general meeting. What a lovely city and so many great pubs!

In a newish-looking place called the Norwich Tap House, there were no pumps on the bar. Instead, there was a row of twenty taps protruding from the wall. On a blackboard to the side was a list of the beers.

I recognised some brewery names but, being a Yorkshireman, the main thing that struck me was the price. The cheapest pint was £3.70 and Thornbridge Jaipur was £4.90. I ordered a half at the lower end of the price range.

When I studied the beer list in more depth I noticed, towards the bottom, Guinness and Becks. It was only then that it struck me. This was all keg beer. Horror of horrors!

CAMRA was formed in 1971 by four journalists who were disillusioned by the domination of the UK beer market by a handful of companies producing bland keg beers. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the big brewers had moved away from producing traditional, flavoursome beers which continued to ferment in the cask from which they were served.

Instead, they were pushing beers that were chilled and filtered to remove all the yeast, pasteurised to make them sterile and then put in a sealed keg. The problem is that this removes a great deal of the taste and aroma. And, because there is no secondary fermentation occurring in a keg, there is no natural carbonation of the beer. So carbon dioxide has to be added to make the beer fizzy.

CAMRA has been so successful that the term “real ale” it coined forty years ago is now in the Oxford English Dictionary, and there are over 1,000 breweries producing cask-conditioned beer.

Until fairly recently, keg beer was the province of the global mega-brewers. However, there are now some small brewers producing “craft keg” beers. Some, like Brew Dog and Meantime, only produce keg and bottled/canned versions of their beers. Others, such as Thornbridge and Blue Monkey, have cask and keg versions of the same beers.

The new-style keg beers are fermented under pressure so the carbon dioxide occurs naturally from the initial fermentation. The beer is then filtered lightly, without any pasteurisation, before shipping. However, gas is still required to get the beer into the glass, unless you go for a bottled version.

Craft keg brewers claim that their beers need to be served cold. Certainly, many young people like drinking cold, fizzy beer, and craft keg has become trendy, particularly in London. That probably explains why they are charging so much for it.

There was lots of discussion about craft keg beer at our AGM. Many members see it as the beginning of the (next) end for real ale, while others feel that CAMRA should embrace it.

In the end, it was decided that we would continue as the Campaign FOR Real Ale, and not a campaign against any other type of beer. We’re in favour of choice and, if craft keg brings more drinkers into pubs, then that’s fine. And if it’s a good, real ale pub, we hope they’ll learn to appreciate the subtleties of flavour that you can only get from traditional, cask-conditioned beers.

And what about the beer? I chose London Fields Black Path Porter (4.2% ABV). Porter is a traditional, dark brew that often has hints of coffee or chocolate. The low temperature of my expensive half didn’t allow the flavours of the beer to come through. It seemed quite watery and I didn’t like the unnatural carbonation.

We hope you enjoyed the traditional real ales at the Lincoln Beer Festival.

by Steve Richardson

As I read about the build-up to the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters raid, I remembered seeing a plaque on a wall in the High Street. It commemorates the Saracen’s Head Hotel, “a favourite watering hole for thousands of RAF and allied airmen and women who served on Lincolnshire airfields in World War II”.

During the War, pubs played an important role in maintaining the morale of the civilian population and military personnel. Demand for beer was very high and, even though it was never rationed, there were shortages and reports of landlords holding back supplies for regulars.

The original Saracen’s Head dated back to the Middle Ages. In Tudor times, it was a rambling, timber-framed building and, at the start of the 19th century, a new facade was added. Behind the compact frontage on the High Street were stores, yards and stables. Part of the rear of the building and another entrance were on Saltergate, but the hotel site stretched behind other High Street buildings, down to a related pub, the Saracens Head Tap, on Waterside North.

Until the arrival of the railways, the Saracen’s Head was a main stop for coaches to and from London, Peterborough, Hull, Manchester, Leeds and York.

For many years, the hotel was the headquarters of the local Tory party. On the opposite side of the street was the Whig party stronghold at another inn, The Reindeer (long ago demolished to make way for a bank). On election nights, this area could often become the scene of drunken riots.

Around 1850, the American writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, stayed at the Saracens Head and recorded his impressions. “It received us hospitably, and looked comfortable enough, though like the hotels of most old English towns, it has a musty fragrance of antiquity.”

In December 1924, the old coaching inn was transformed into a “Hotel de Luxe” by new owner Mr H. H. Leven. The improvements were said to have cost between £15,000 and £20,000, a huge sum for the day. His intention was to give Lincoln “a hotel worthy of the city”.

In 1946, the Saracen’s Head Hotel is listed as being owned by Lincoln Hotels Ltd. Perhaps it had not been the pre-war success Mr Leven intended. The financial depression of the early 1930s, and then the disruption of the war years would have been very difficult.

It finally closed in 1959. Part of the building is now occupied by Waterstone’s, and if you study old images of the Saracen’s Head Hotel, it is remarkable how little has changed on the upper exterior of the building. Even the old balcony railing seems to have survived pretty much intact.

And what about the beer? Mild accounted for 70% of all beer sold until well after WW2. It was the cheapest draught beer available, the drink of the public bar and the working man. Delivered to the pub “bright”, it was intended for rapid sale within 2 or 3 days. Well-hopped, pale ales (bitter) had been around since the 1840s, and were the staple of the saloon bar. Such beer required cellar conditioning, and was more expensive. Bitter was associated with a wealthier class of drinker, and remained a minority drink until the 1950s. Bottled beers were commonly sold in all pubs at this time, whether drunk alone, or mixed

The premium beer style was “Burton”, a strong, dark, sweet ale, like a modern winter warmer. It’s said that “Gone for a burton”, the poignant euphemism used by aircrew to refer to fallen comrades, implied that they had just stepped out for a beer.

Read about Dambusters pubs in the new edition of the Lincoln CAMRA magazine, ImpAle.

by Steve Renshaw

A few weeks ago, I took part in a radio discussion. Apparently, there are now almost as many coffee shops in the city centre as pubs. The question was whether a coffee shop was now the place of choice to meet up with friends for a chinwag.

It was a fairly light-hearted exchange, but it did start me thinking. CAMRA is always banging on about the number of pubs closing but, actually, why do we bother going to pubs at all?

The price of a pint in many Lincoln pubs is now well over £3. So why don’t we all just sit at home with our cheap supermarket beer and let pubs go the way of high street record shops?

Well, for real ale drinkers, the answer is simple. We can’t get our favourite tipple anywhere else. However, not everyone who goes to the pub is a real ale enthusiast, so there must be other reasons.

Food – there’s one. Lots of pubs do excellent meals, and eating out remains popular, despite the recession. But there’s more to it than that. There are all the intangibles that contribute to the local community. There are the games’ teams hosted, the football teams sponsored, the meeting places provided for special interest groups, the charities benefitting from money raised, the village services provided, the local musicians showcased. And, of course, there’s the controlled environment in which to enjoy alcohol and, on occasions, a barmaid’s shoulder on which to cry.

That’s why, this April, CAMRA is celebrating Community Pubs Month again. We want to raise the profile of pub-going and increase the number of people using pubs regularly. It’s all about reaffirming the vital importance of local pubs, and the essential role they play in many people’s lives.

There are lots of locals I could have visited to illustrate my points, but I decided on the Dog and Bone on John Street. This little gem was voted Best Community Pub in Great Britain in 2009. That was under the previous landlady, so I went along to see how Sarah and Chris Sorrel are settling in.

As soon as I walked through the door, I could tell that the changeover had been seamless. The gentle background music was almost drowned out by the conversations of groups of drinkers at the tables clustered round the real fire. And it was clear that this traditional back-street pub has something to offer to all age groups.

Sarah and Chris had fallen in love with the pub as customers and were desperate to take it on when the tenancy came up. There are no major changes planned – why change a winning formula? But they’re not resting on their laurels. They have music events booked and a summer beer festival planned.

Sarah summed up their initial feelings, “On Sundays we look round to see groups of friends playing board games by the fire, enjoying the simple pleasures of good ale and good company. There really is a place for a traditional community pub where people can meet to form friendships and enjoy companionship.”

I’ll drink to that!

And what about the beer? Batemans introduced Yella Belly Gold (3.9% ABV) last year to tap into the popularity of golden ales and try to win over lager drinkers. I find XB and XXXB a bit too sweet, but Yella Belly Gold is much more to my taste. The Chinook hops give it a dry, citrus flavour initially, with the typical Batemans maltiness coming through.

Let’s all celebrate the great British pub this April.

by Steve Renshaw

Here’s a good way to start an argument amongst a group of CAMRA members. Ask them what they think of Wetherspoon’s pubs. Then sit back and watch the sparks fly.

JD Wetherspoon is known for cask ale, low prices, long opening hours, and no music. The chain is also famous for converting large premises such as cinemas, post offices and banks, into pubs. Tim Martin, founder and chairman, opened his first pub, Martin’s, in Muswell Hill in 1979. The company is now the UK’s largest managed pub chain, with over 860 pubs and bars.

Mr Martin is well known for his outspoken views on a wide range of topics. The JD Wetherspoon name comes from one of his teachers in New Zealand who said that Martin would never make it as a businessman.

The company plans to open 30 new pubs across the UK in 2013. In the early days, it was difficult to acquire ready-made, licensed premises. Hence, the classic ‘Spoons is a large pub in a converted bank or cinema. However, now that cash-strapped pubcos are looking to offload real estate, Wetherspoons are taking some of these sites on. One such is the New Angel Hotel on the harbour at Whitby, which is due to open at the end of March.

The price of a pint in a Wetherspoons is significantly less than that in most other pubs. This is the result of high-volume sales and tight margins. For most breweries, the company is a good customer. Whilst they do not pay the best prices, brewers’ invoices are paid on time. However, some breweries, for example Castle Rock in Nottingham, will not deal with Wetherspoons on principle.

So if they’re opening new pubs, serving cheap real ale and giving CAMRA members discount vouchers, why don’t we all love Wetherspoons? Well, some people are concerned about the market dominance of the company. They liken their impact on town centre pubs to that of supermarkets on local shops.

We have three Wetherspoons outlets in the city: the Forum, the Ritz and the Square Sail. Clearly, these impact on nearby pubs, but this need not be terminal. The competition has to work hard to provide the things that a Wetherspoons doesn’t, such as a homely atmosphere or live music. The Treaty of Commerce and the Jolly Brewer are examples of what can be done.

Of course, Wetherspoons are not just in competition with pubs. I’m guessing that some of the cafés in Whitby are very concerned about the cheap meals and coffee that the New Angel will be serving.

My personal view is that Wetherspoons has a very successful formula and a large and loyal customer base. Although their pubs inevitably impact on nearby businesses, good pubs can still prosper if they can offer an alternative. Having such a major chain supporting real ale and local microbreweries certainly keeps our traditional British tipple in the public eye.

So off I went to the Ritz for my beer tasting. This iconic city landmark is a good example of the company’s use of an unwanted building, with the interior celebrating its former glories.

And what about the beer? It was a cold day, so I chose Winter Warmth (4.6% ABV) from the Great Newsome Brewery in East Yorkshire. This ruby-coloured ale is a classic, seasonal brew with raisin and spice flavours and a bitter finish. Well, if my mum could drink a cup of tea in the summer to cool her down, I can have a beer to warm me up.

To find out more about the Campaign for Real Ale in Lincoln, visit www.lincolncamra.org.uk

by Steve Renshaw

Pubs in Lincoln are expensive and don’t support local microbreweries. These are common observations by visitors to the city. Clearly, they are generalisations and there are notable exceptions. But, based on my travels, I find it difficult to disagree. The reasons are complicated, but one of the major factors is the ownership of our pubs.

In the good old days, most pubs belonged to the local breweries. They were tied houses – they only sold their brewery’s beer. Independent pubs became known as free houses, and could buy their beer from any brewer,

Things changed after the second world war, when brewery mergers began. By the 1980s, the Big Six brewers owned more than half of the country’s pubs and produced 75% of its beer. Mrs Thatcher’s government was concerned about the lack of competition and, in 1989, issued the Beer Orders. Brewers were not allowed to own more than 2,000 pubs, and had to give landlords the option of selling at least one guest beer produced by a rival.

Because the big brewers weren’t prepared to open up their pubs to other brewers’ beers, they came up with something new – pub companies – to which they sold all their pubs. As these “pubcos” didn’t brew beer themselves, they were exempt from the legislation.

So, today, we have a situation where around half of pubs in the UK are owned by pubcos. These pubs have to buy their beer only from the pubco, at a price up to 50% more than a free-of-tie publican pays. Alongside this, pubco licensees often find themselves paying rents that are above the market rate.

Around Lincoln, we have very few free houses, so there isn’t the same level of competition as in many other towns. Hence the higher prices in our pubs. And, as the pubcos broker deals with the bigger brewers, microbreweries have found it difficult to get beer into their pubs.

For some years, CAMRA has campaigned against the unfair practices of pubcos. This came to fruition last month, when the government announced a new, statutory code to ensure fair practices for a number of issues, including rents and the prices publicans pay for beer. It will enshrine the fundamental principle that “a tied licensee should be no worse off than a free-of-tie licensee”.

The Code is expected to apply to all companies owning more than 500 tied leases. Regional family brewers, such as Batemans, who have used the beer tie for over a century to guarantee a market for their beer, will be exempt.

One development that has benefitted microbreweries is the Society of Independent Brewers’ Direct Delivery Scheme. A number of pubcos, including big boys Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns, allow some of their licensees to source beer brewed within 30 miles of the pub, via the scheme.

I visited The Strugglers Inn, a Punch pub on Westgate, to find out what can be achieved within the constraints of a pubco lease. Apart from snacks, there is no food on offer, so the pub stands or falls on the quality and diversity of its beers.

There are eight handpumps on the bar. By using Punch’s core and guest beer lists and direct delivery to the best advantage, landlady, Anna, managed to serve 386 different real ales during 2012. And the quality has been recognised with the award of CAMRA’s Lincolnshire Pub of the Year in 2010 and 2012.

And what about the beer? 8 Sail Brewery’s Victorian Porter (5% ABV) is produced in the shadow of Heckington’s famous windmill. It’s a full-bodied, beer dominated by dark malt flavours, but with hints of berry fruits and some bitterness at the end. Perfect after a winter’s walk.

Find out more about CAMRA’s campaigns at www.camra.org.uk/campaigns.