Darlington Drinker 159

 Darlington Drinker 159

Newsletter of the Darlington Campaign for Real Ale Feb/March 2006

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Fuller’s Blow Away Gale’s

THE ALARMING capitulation of Britain’s long-established regional brewing dynasties has continued, with the decision by the Hampshire brewery Gale’s to ‘sell the family silver’ to Fuller’s of London.

The move follows the surrender in 2005 alone of Ridleys of Essex and Belhaven in Scotland to Greene King and Jennings of Cumbria to Wolverhampton and Dudley.

And more will surely follow. Young’s, who kept alive the tradition of real ale brewing in London in the 1970s almost single-handedly, face a threat of the compulsory purchase of their site - the oldest continuously-used for brewing in Britain - by Wandsworth council. One option is relocation: another is the complete cessation of brewing. A spokesman said “We are willing to look at everything.”

Fuller’s have delayed an announcement on the future of Gale’s 159 year-old brewery in Horndean, saying only that that many of their “well-respected brands” will be kept. No doubt some will, as they will widen the portfolio that Fuller’s can offer landlords in the valuable guest beer market. But undoubtedly the main reason for spending £92m was to acquire Gale’s 111 pubs to add to its own 240.

Fuller’s are in the process of expanding their Chiswick brewery, not 80 miles from Horndean. There can be little doubt that Gale’s will swiftly be closed: 31 redundancies in administrative departments have already been announced.

Prices on the Up

IT’S A REGULAR refrain from anti-alcohol campaigners that beer prices should be increased faster than the rate of inflation. We’ve got news for them: it’s been happening for ages!

Darlington CAMRA has been monitoring the price of real ale in this area since the 1980s. Virtually every year beer prices have risen ahead of the norm. The latest survey, in December, showed that the average price of a standard-strength pint (up to 4.5% abv) in this area now stands at 209p - up 7p, or 3.5%, in the year. The general inflation rate was 2%.

As ever, the Government was partly responsible, adding a penny on session-strength beers in the March Budget. Brewers and pub owners were responsible for the rest.

The survey found that village pubs generally charge a good bit more than town pubs: a standard-strength pint of real ale in Darlington town cost an average 203p - but one in a country hostelry 214p.

Looking at the town over a 5-year period, we can reveal that the average price of a pint would be 18p less - 185p - if beer had risen at the general inflation rate of 8.6%. Instead prices rose by 19.5%.

Other findings:

*The average price of stronger beers - that is, more than 4.5% alcohol by volume - is 218p a pint.

*’Guest’ beers cost more than regularly-stocked ‘house’ beers: standard-strength guests cost 211p against 209p for a regular brew. Stronger guests fetched a heftier premium: the average was 226p against 214p for a regular ale.

*All told, there were 51 different handpulled beers on sale in the 32 pubs surveyed. The most common were Black Sheep Best Bitter (in twelve pubs, average price 214p), John Smith's Magnet (in nine pubs, 203p) and John Smith's Bitter (in six pubs, 210p).

 Darlington Drinker… Twenty Years Ago

“AS TAKEOVER fever spreads to academic proportions the name of Vaux is again being bandied about as a potential victim.

The price of Vaux shares rose as first the Imperial group then Ladbroke’s were rumoured to be ready to pounce. The next predators to be mentioned were a casino and hotels firm by the name of Pleasurama.

Vaux chairman Paul Nicholson has always said that his company will fight to remain independent. But he and his fellow directors own only 8¹/₂% of the shares. Britannic Assurance are the second largest shareholder with around 6%.”

Darlington Drinker 42, February 1986

The New Ewe

BLACK SHEEP, newly-named as Brewery of the Year by the Good Pub Guide, made an equally top choice of venue for a double beer launch the other week - Yorkshire’s Pub of the Year, the Crown at Manfield.

Actor Chris Chittel - ‘Eric Pollard’ in the ITV soap Emmerdale - pulled the official first pints of Black Sheep’s re-vamped premium brews, the appropriately-named Emmerdale, and Black Sheep Ale for appreciative customers.

The silky, pale Emmerdale has been reduced in gravity to 4.2% (from a previous 5%) in order to widen its appeal and claim a share of the increasingly-important golden ale cask beer market.

The second, more traditionally-bitter beer unveiled at the Crown is unchanged in recipe but has had a tweak of name.

Black Sheep Special (4.4%) was one of the first two beers produced when the brewery was founded in Masham in 1992 by Paul Theakston. In bottles it has always been sold as Black Sheep Ale: the names have now been brought into line with the re-branding of the cask version.

Paul Theakston said “It’s not very often that we launch a new beer brand, and two in one night is unheard of !”

HAMBLETON Brewery’s Nightmare stout has been named Champion Beer in the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) northern competition. It beat 106 other beers from 87 brewers from Berwick to Sheffield.

Nightmare (5% alcohol-by-volume) won the porter, stout and mild category before being judged with six other category winners for the top award. The decision was unanimous. 

Nick Stafford, founder of Hambleton,  said: “We are honoured to receive this accolade. To be judged by your peers in such a definitive fashion is high praise.”

Nightmare is better know as ‘Yorkshire Stout’ at Darlington’s Number Twenty-2 and the Crown at Manfield.

Bottling Display

DURHAM BREWERY are upgrading their bottling facility, following the success of Evensong - named ‘Champion Real Ale in a Bottle’ at last year’s Great British Beer Festival.

Steve Gibbs, who founded the brewery twelve years ago with his wife Christine, says a mezzanine is to be installed at the brewhouse in Bowburn for new conditioning tanks and, ultimately, an automatic bottling machine.

He explains that much of the recent growth in the beer market generally has been in speciality bottles, part of a process he calls ‘premiumisation’.

“Our bottles have gone so well over the year and we were experiencing an increase in demand even before Evensong’s achievement. Although production is small we have seen our beers travel all over the world including to Italy, New Zealand and Australia. There is also interest from Japan.”

But Steve is happy to reassure draught drinkers they have no intention of neglecting their cask beers: “There have been additions to the portfolio, including Durham Ruby Mild, White Centennial - featuring centennial hops - and Definitive, the ultimate pale hoppy bitter.”

THE NEXT edition of DD will contain an enlarged and improved free guide to Real Ale in and around Darlington & Teesdale, with details of about 130 pubs, clubs, hotels, restaurants and off licences. Copies of last year’s prototype are still available from the Editor. We would be grateful for details of any changes from that edition. Our contact details are on page 20.

Russian Beauty

THIS DD has a bit of a Scottish flavour (think of it as a travel supplement with beer tips). Sheila Dunstone gets us underway with a ‘Bute’ recommendation from herself and Malcolm.

THE PORT ROYAL Hotel, Port Bannatyne, is the only entry in the Good Beer Guide for the Isle of Bute so we had to make a visit.

We were welcomed by Doug Crawford, who has been here for five years after moving from the Isle of Wight. It is also called the Russian Tavern and the barrels were lined up on the bar - Kelburn Goldihops (3.8%), Cart Blanche (5%), Arran Dark (4.3%) and Russian Kvas (3.3^o), an acquired taste.

Doug also stocks Polish and Russian beers, stouts and ciders. The ‘0% list’ was also quite encouraging: sarsaparilla, dandelion & burdock, ginger beer, Victorian lemonade and orange jigger (? Ed).

Port Bannatyne is worth a visit - easy ferry crossings and a marina in the process of construction will surely make this a popular destination soon. Doug and his Russian wife and excellent fresh food all contribute to a warm welcome. They have five rooms for those wishing to stay.

In 2004 it was voted Pub of the Year for west Scotland - it is now CAMRA Pub of the Year for the whole of Scotland, which says it all !.

Hoegaarden Axed

THE BELGIAN brewing conglomerate InBev has generated a storm in its homeland by announcing the closure of the Hoegaarden brewery in the village of the same name. Production of the renowned ‘white beer’ is to be shifted to a lager plant in Jupille.

InBev - formerly known as Interbrew - is the world’s biggest brewing company. It entered the UK in a big way in 2000 when it bought the brewing interests of Whitbread and Bass. Belgian beer lovers warned at the time of what was in store.

Fons Minne, a leading member of the Belgian equivalent of CAMRA (OBP, now Zythos) and a frequent visitor to Darlington told readers of DD: “We are concerned about your real ales, and we’ve seen what happened in Belgium.

“Interbrew started buying Belgian breweries with no other intention than to close them down. Interbrew is not interested in real ale. The only thing that counts is making profit by mass-production, and that may include closing down local breweries because producing in one central place is cheaper.”

Sure enough, Interbrew went on to close Boddington’s in Manchester and nowadays brews no real ale itself - its few remaining cask brands are contracted out to smaller breweries. The company focus is on heavily promoted global lagers like Stella Artois.

Interbrew acquired Hoegaarden almost by stealth in 1985, helping the owner Pierre Celis to rebuild the brewery after a fire. Interbrew soon introduced shortcuts in the production process, such as high gravity brewing - brewing a strong beer then adding water - which reduced its quality, but the beer retained its fame and the people of Hoegaarden remained not only proud of, but reliant on, the brewery.

Fons Minne said recently: “Closing the Hoegaarden brewery would be a catastrophe, not only for the people who work there, but for the entire village. The tens of thousands of visitors and tourists have enabled the village to live for, and on, its brewery and its rich history. This brewery must not disappear.”

Got Younger ?

THE DISTINCTIVE George Younger’s logo is one of a pair set into the side elevation of the Red Lion in Priestgate. Alert drinkers can see the back of the ‘Y’ from inside the snug.

Painted, rather than stained, they are fading but should be around for a while yet as they are protected by the listed status of the building. They have already survived a few changes of ownership since Alloa Ales went from the pub more than half a century ago.

George Younger started brewing in Alloa in 1745. By the late 19th century, not content with running the largest brewery in Scotland outside Edinburgh his successors looked to North East England. In 1898 they took over the brewery and pubs of R Fenwick & Co of Sunderland. Fenwick’s had properties in Darlington so this likely to be when Younger’s came to acquire the Red Lion.

Younger’s kept the Fenwick brewery in operation but clearly also wanted to sell their Scotch ales in England. At least until 1952 when they sold the Sunderland brewery and its pubs, including 72 in Co. Durham, to JW Green of Luton.

Green’s was renamed Flower’s in 1954 and then taken over by Whitbread in 1961. The Red Lion was a Whitbread house until 2004 when it was bought by the present owners, the fast-expanding Greene King brewery of Suffolk.

We think the Younger’s windows probably date from the 1930s. They are certainly not as old as the fine stained glass windows at the front of the pub which were installed in 1903. Drop DD a line if you know anything about the Younger’s windows - or even remember these Alloa Ales themselves.

Interested in the history of breweries and pubs? Try the Brewery History Society membership £15 (£12 unwaged); includes four journals and four newsletters p.a. Contact Jeff Sechiari, Manor Side East, Mill Lane, Byfleet, Surrey KT14 7RS; breweryhistory.com. And the Pub History Society founded in 2001 to celebrate and commemorate a unique heritage. Publish a newsletter several times a year via email. To get on the mailing list contact Steve Williams, 15 Hawthorn Rd, Peterborough PE1 4PA; www.pubhistory.freeserve.co.uk.  

Horse Wrangling

HARROWGATE HILL residents are putting up a mighty last-ditch battle to save their local pub, the White Horse Hotel.

A rare parish referendum, which proved overwhelming opposition to the owner’s plans to redevelop the site for 55 apartments, is being followed by a challenge in the High Court to Darlington Council’s decision to grant planning permission.

Darlington CAMRA think they have a case - and warned councillors of that fact on the eve of the planning committee meeting last September.

CAMRA branch chairman Ian Jackson told the councillors in a special letter that the officers’ reports did not properly set out policies which gave the Council the power to refuse the loss of the pub.

Ian Jackson said: “Members of the committee are being incorrectly advised. In our opinion the omission of these policy references in themselves make the officers’ recommendations unsound and vulnerable to legal challenge. The case for the retention of the White Horse is anything but ‘weak’. It is strong and supported not only by the local community but by up-to-date planning policies.”

*DARLINGTON Council also granted planning permission for the redevelopment of the Forge Tavern, at Albert Hill, for housing, despite objections from CAMRA and 90 regulars. It recently went to auction.

THE MANAGEMENT of the White Horse has apparently barred local people who objected to the redevelopment plans, including the vice-chairman of Whessoe parish council, Malcolm Guy. Surely not the same management that keeps saying that the best way to rescue the pub is to use it ?.

Highland Fling

ONE WET and windy December Friday the adventure began. The trip to present the Darlington Rhythm ‘n’ Brews beer of the festival award to the Cairngorm Brewery.

The intrepid explorers were myself, Chairman Ian Jackson, Beer Festival Organiser Alan Holmes and his brother Colin.

Once around Edinburgh we pulled in at the Moulin Inn brewpub, near Pitlochry. The inn dates back to the mid-18th century and was welcoming, with roaring fires. The beers were Moulin Light, Braveheart, Ale of Atholl (my favourite) and Old Remedial. After a couple of pints our abstemious driver Alan dragged us away, vowing to return on the way back.

In Inverness we went straight to Kemps Guest House (64 Telford St; I can recommend it) to freshen up and then out for a brisk walk to, what I would say, is the best pub in town, the Clachnaharry. This lovely 17th century coaching inn had eight beers on, including Isle of Skye Blaven from the wood and Clachnaharry Village Ale, Hebridean Moo Coo Brew and Highland Brewing Co Scapa Special - the best by far. We had a great welcome from landlord, George, who was so kind he gave us a miniature of whisky each and at 1:20am a lift back to our B&B.

Next morning we headed to Aviemore and the Cairngorm Brewery. Sean the head brewer (a Pontefract lad) welcomed us with Tradewinds on handpull - thought I’d gone to heaven. He gave us a tour, a pint of our festival winner Black Gold and a new brew, Blessed Thistle, which uses powdered thistle for bittering.

After presenting the award and another pint we headed to the Anderson, Fortrose. A roaring fire, comfy sofas and two ales suited us fine. I plumped for Black Isle Red Kite. Then back to Inverness to the Snowgoose: Deuchars and Bass.

After dark we headed to the Good Beer Guide-listed Blackfriars: four beers on. I went for Cairngorm Black Gold. Onto the Hootananny (owned by Black Isle) which is a packed local music/food bar with long tables. There we had Black Isle Heather Honey and Blonde. Next we had a great surprise at No.27, an ultra-modern wine bar. They had Deuchars and the best pint of the night - Black Isle Yellowhammer. So good we stayed for two pints.

We finished the night off at the Phoenix which had Bass, Deuchars, 80/- and a lovely pint of Orkney Dark Island.

Next morning we headed back via Loch Ness and the Moulin. A great weekend - and every drop of beer that crossed my lips was Made in Scotland.  Pete Fenwick

Dresser Instead ?

WETHERSPOON’S much-delayed second Darlington pub is finally on its way.

The £1.2m conversion of the former Firstfreeze shop in Crown Street has begun, with completion due in July, three years after permissions were first granted.

The bar will differ from Wetherspoon’s Tanners Hall in Skinnergate in that it will operate under the Lloyd’s No.1 brand, with all-day music.

The company has had a couple of changes of mind about the pub’s name. It was originally to have been the Printworks. The new licensing application names it as the William Dresser, after the noted Darlington stationer who housed the printing side of his business here in the 1890s. However, another proposal had been to call it the William Stead after a campaigning Victorian editor of the nearby Northern Echo. A staunch teetotaller, he went down on the Titanic.

Was it his strict puritan views that made Wetherspoon bosses think again? Probably. But it’s tempting to think it was really to avoid the morbidly-ironic, but entirely-possible, prospect of one day a guest beer from the Titanic brewery of Stoke  being sunk in the William Stead.

*WILLIAM DRESSER will not be alone in Crown Street as the Darlington pub chain Hogan’s Leisure is converting the empty shop next door also into a pub.

WETHERSPOONS scrapping of their policy of ‘no TVs in our traditional pubs’ is probably in anticipation of this summer’s World Cup, when rivals could have cashed in at their expense. The company say the new screens in pubs like the Tanners will only be used for news and sport.

My Local

READER Martin Kirk kicks off a new DD feature which involves nothing more nor less than shamelessly trumpeting the virtues of your local real ale pub. If you think yours deserves a plug, drop us a line: priority will go to those which haven’t featured too much in DD recently.

I AM A CAMRA member who lives in Great Smeaton. We are fortunate to have two pubs still thriving.

The Black Bull serving John Smith’s Cask and a very tasty pint of Deuchars IPA but, the reason I write is the Bay Horse, under new management of about a year, now serves five cask ales.

Last night the choice was York Guzzler, Theakston's XB, John Smith's Cask, Black Sheep and a superb Copper Dragon Golden Pippin. 

The landlord and landlady, Dave and Julie Mash, are dedicated to real ale and have taken advice and sought out Yorkshire ales in the main.

The food they serve is majestic - I think I've only used that word about food or drink once before and that was about Daleside Blonde !!. Anyway, visit the Bay Horse they deserve support.

THE CALEDONIAN Brewing Co has bought the fellow-Scottish Harviestoun Brewery in a surprise agreed takeover. Unusually for such a move, the predator’s main interest may be the brewery itself rather than its brands. Harviestoun has a state-of-the-art plant near Stirling whilst Caley are mere tenants of Scottish & Newcastle in Edinburgh. Caley said: “We will keep the excellent Alva Brewery in full production and in due course we plan to expand.” Harviestoun’s beers will continue to be produced.

THE CANADIAN ambassador for Her Britannic Majesty popped into the Archer Street palace for his annual real ale-refill and bear hug with royalty recently. Gavin Murphy from Ottawa has been paying visits to the Britannia in Darlington since 1998 and still can’t resist lending his favourite landlady Sue Carr a hand behind the bar.

Winter Champions

A Over T from Hogs Back Brewery, Surrey has been named Supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2006 by judges at CAMRA's national winter celebration of beer.

A Over T, which stand for Aromas Over Tongham, is a strong, tawny-coloured barley wine, described as “complex and powerful yet well balanced”.

Steve Prescott, organiser of the National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester congratulated Hogs Back on their victory: "A Over T is a fantastic barley wine. I hope this will encourage more beer drinkers to try this style of beer. It is also excellent news that Gale’s Festival Mild won the Silver award. We hope this recognition will encourage Fuller’s to continue brewing this excellent brew at Horndean in Hampshire.”

Tony Stanton Marketing Manager for Hogs Back Brewery said, "A over T is our flagship strong ale at 9% abv - our king of ales. We have always been proud of our range of winter dark ales and winning the national title is amazing”.

The Bronze award went to Goff’s Black Knight from Gloucestershire. A panel of CAMRA members and beer writers judged the competition. Drinkers at the festival sampled over 200 old ales, milds, stouts, porters, barley wines and bitters.

Category winners:

*Old Ales & Strong Milds: 1st, Gales Festival Mild (Horndean); 2nd, Goff’s Black Knight (Cheltenham); 3rd, Orkney Dark Island (Stromness).

*Stouts & Porters: 1st, Bazen’s Knoll Street Porter (Salford); 2nd, Fullers London Porter (Chiswick); 3rd, Bath Festivity (Bristol).

*Barley Wines: 1st, Hog’s Back AOT (Tongham, Surrey); 2nd: Isle of Skye Cuillen Beast (Uig); 3rd, Robinson’s Old Tom (Stockport).

Ale Mail

I REGULARLY pick up Darlington Drinker. Re. DD158, p3, Full Pint Points, I always think that if I ordered a pint of real ale and didn’t receive a pint I am sure if I gave the landlord 1p or 2 pence short of the asking price I would be ‘lifted’ by the local constabulary. Strange isn’t it?

How about a regular joke/cartoon connected with beer/pubs, and a slot for the ladies who enjoy beer?

I remember my first pint (Newcastle Exhibition) when my dad took me to the Wheatsheaf on Yarm Road in the early ’70s. A frothy head and strong! I now enjoy a pint of Black Sheep!

“When you have lost your inns drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England” - Hilaire Belloc.

MIKE NOBLE, Darlington

BREWS NEWS AND VIEWS

THIS YEAR’S Darlington Spring Thing has been cancelled, as we explained in DD158, because of a major refurbishment of the Arts Centre. But the centre management has agreed that the town’s real big beer and music festival - the autumn Rhythm ‘n’ Brews - must go ahead, even if work is still going on in the building.

Lynda Winstanley of the Arts Centre said: “We intend to ask the builders to work around the festival and we will need to be a bit flexible.”

As ever, Darlington CAMRA will organise the beer side of things (around 45-50 real ales) whilst the Arts Centre Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Club will arrange the bands.

The event will take place at Vane Terrace from 14-16 September and be followed by the now-traditional free Sunday afternoon R‘n’B concert in the Market Place and surrounding pubs on the 17th.

DARLINGTON CAMRA DIARY DATES

Darlington Drinker is published approximately two-monthly (with the odd beer break) by the Darlington branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. Circulation 3,000. News, articles and letters welcome. All items © Darlington CAMRA but may be reproduced if source acknowledged. Editor: Brendan Boyle, 6 Clareville Road, Darlington DL3 8NG; 01325 362092; email brendan@bjboyle.freeserve.co.uk. To advertise contact Fred Lawton 07710 493514, RedFred4@aol.com. Rates quarter-page £30, half-page £50, page £80; sixth insertion free. CAMRA HQ is at 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts AL1 4LW; ( 01727 867201; website www.camra.org.uk.