Darlington CAMRA - Darlington Drinker 160

MPs AND CAMRA are calling on the Government to extend tax relief to more of Britain’s smaller brewers.

Chancellor Gordon Brown took a huge first step to help the very smallest in 2002 when he introduced small breweries’ relief, whereby brewers producing less than 60,000 hectolitres a year pay reduced tax.

The result - a boom in craft brewing, with 570 independent brewers in the UK now compared to 440 four years ago. Good news for business, jobs, local pride and above all consumers, with more choice than ever before.

But not all deserving breweries have been helped: those just above the threshold have had to decide whether to grow - or to downsize to get the tax advantages.

Leeds Lib-Dem MP Greg Mulholland, who is championing the cause of the likes of Black Sheep and Camerons by tabling a parliamentary motion, calls it “a perverse disincentive to be successful”.

He said: “It is time they were given the same support to allow all small breweries to flourish. We should not be holding independent brewers back in this way.”

MPs from all parties are calling for parity with 13 other EU nations, including Germany and Belgium, whose governments provide tax relief up to 200,000hl.

CAMRA’s Mike Benner said: “This relief is crucial to help small and regional brewers compete against the huge economic muscle of the global brewers.”

DD159 carried this small item, based on facts in an article in the Darlington & Stockton Times:

“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?”

“Having now suffered more than 12 months of the local press printing whatever bits of gossip than can find, regardless of the truth - here we are again having to correct more.

The reason for Malcolm Guy being asked to find somewhere else to drink had absolutely nothing to do with his objecting to the planned development of the site. I would be interested to know who told you it did. Why you couldn't have made a simple 'phone call to ascertain the truth' before printing this rubbish I don't know.

We're also pretty fed up of people having a go at the management and staff here - we're the ones working harder than anyone to keep the hotel open and of course, save our jobs. I trust you will be printing a retraction in your next issue.”

Naturally, we contacted Mr Guy and showed him Ms Bennett’s comments. He was clearly upset by the ever-more bitter ‘battle for the White Horse’, a pub he used to visit regularly with friends - up to 15 of them, drawn from three families.

Mr Guy’s parish council, countless local residents and Darlington CAMRA all objected to applications by the owner, a Mr Patel of Leeds, to develop the White Horse site for housing. Darlington Council nevertheless passed the plans. If they had been rejected there would clearly have been a greater chance of the jobs of Ms Bennett and her staff being saved. Quite how they can succeed in the face of the overwhelming economics favouring housing development is incomprehensible to us. But we - and undoubtedly the other objectors - wish them luck and offer them our support.

Mr Guy says he received verbal abuse from some the staff, for which he received a written apology. Despite all that has gone - and is still going - on he wants to return to his local while it remains open (which could be for two years according to reports). He has phoned Mr Patel a number of times to ask permission but his calls have not been returned.

Mr Guy told us: “Whatever else Sue Bennett says, it all stems from the development proposals.” And that’s good enough for us: Darlington Drinker is not retracting the item.

Darlington Drinker… Twenty Years Ago

“THE MULTI-MILLION pound battle for two of Britain’s biggest brewers continues unabated.

The liveliest scrap is for our fifth biggest combine, the imperial group, who own John Smith's and Courage. Two non-brewers are hunting them. Hanson Trust have raised their offer to £2.3 billion and now have 21% of Imperial’s shares. United Biscuits have put in a bid of £2.5bn. But they have only managed to buy 15% of the shares so far.

Meanwhile Britain’s No.2 brewers Allied-Lyons (Tetleys, Ansells, Ind Coope) are under siege from the Australian firm Elders.”

Darlington Drinker 43, March 1986

FOND MEMORIES have been stirred by particulars for a desirable residence midway between Barnard Castle and Bishop Auckland.

No ordinary house this, because it - and especially its annexe - was for a short time in very recent years the vibrant epicentre of brewing in south Durham.

Over to the agents, Sandersons (01833 690390), to describe the place: “You get two for the price of one with The Old School House in Lynsesack. For the property includes a family home in addition to the former school building which has more recently been used as a brewery.”

Ringing the old school bell yet ? It should do, because for eight years until its demise (due to over-ambitious expansion) in 1998 this was the home of the Butterknowle Brewery, run by John Constable and his wife Sue.

The old national school had been long disused when John, on the hunt for just such a characterful building, snapped it up. Much of the brewing equipment came from the former New Forest Brewery. It needed a lot of work to get it ready - and so did the brewhouse.

Enter Darlington CAMRA. Members, led by chairman Terry Sutton responded to a call for help and set about scrubbing, scraping and painting.

Butterknowle Brewery was opened with a flourish by local resident and real ale fan, the TV botanist Dr David Bellamy on 21 August 1990. Within two years Banner Bitter and the flagship Conciliation Ale were winning silver medals at the Great British Beer Festival at Olympia and 140 pubs were taking the beers. Ah, for a taste of those memories…

THE QUAKER House in Mechanics’ Yard has been voted overall Darlington Pub of the Year by members of the local branch of the Campaign for Real Ale. It is the fifth time in seven years that the tiny freehouse, which is owned by the Tadcaster Pub Company and stocks up to ten handpulled beers, has taken the award.

Managers Steve Metcalfe and Lynda Harland have come through a hard year but retained the loyalty of their regular customers, many of whom who backed them in the bid to regain top spot. Steve said after hearing the result: “Normal service has been resumed”. A presentation will be made at the pub, off High Row, on Sunday 4th June (2pm). All welcome.

The winner of the Country Pub of the Year title, for no less than the fifth year running, is the Crown Inn at Manfield, the reigning Yorkshire Pub of the Year. A presentation will be made to tenants Peter and Karen Hynes at a date to be announced.

Runner-up in the country pub voting was the Langdon Beck Hotel at the top of Teesdale with the Locomotion One at Heighington Station in third place. Runner-up in the town pub voting was last year’s category winner the Britannia, followed by Number Twenty-2. Congratulations to all involved.

THE CAMPAIGN for Real Ale has published the new edition of Good Pub Food by Susan Nowak and Jill Adam - the definitive guide to fine cuisine and excellent beer.

Good Pub Food emphasises the unique relationship between “real food and real ale”, a perfect partnership which many in the pub industry are converting to and promoting in their businesses.

Author Susan Nowak said: “There are 600 entries UK-wide featuring the pubs serving excellent food and, equally important, excellent real ale within this guide. Apart from food, the emphasis is on beer rather than wine, and this is still the only guide where a pub qualifies for the quality of its ale as well as its food.”

This is the sixth edition of Good Pub Food and it has been seven years since the last edition. Susan Nowak says pub food has gone through an incredible revolution in that time.

Some of the topics that are included are the rise of the gastro pub and celebrity chefs, pubs using local produce, cooking with beer and pairing beer with food and the unfortunate occurrence of poor food for children in pubs.

Susan said: “The very best news since Good Pub Food last appeared is the explosion of pubs now sourcing fine local produce – the publicans who go that extra mile to cut food miles.

“So many beer recipes were donated by publicans for this guide that we can’t fit them all in. Try them, you’ll find them much more inventive than the standard steak and ale casserole.”

JUST BECAUSE their catchment is populated more by sheep than by people is no reason to stop the most remote pub in our area from holding a beer festival.

The Langdon Beck Hotel, at the top end of Teesdale, will be hosting its second annual such event from 27th-29th May, and over 20 real ales will be on tap, including brews from Jarrow, Black Sheep, probably Darwin, Allendale and much further afield.

The festival will be “open all day”, say the licensees Glen and Sue. And with a 24 hour licence available at their discretion that could mean a bit longer than at most other festivals. Food will be available from 12-4pm and 7-9pm. Service buses run from Middleton-in-Teesdale on Saturday but if you fancy staying for a bit longer B&B is offered from £27.50. Tel. 01833 622267, www.langdonbeckhotel.com.

THE MULTIPLE award winning Ship Inn at Middlestone Village, near Bishop Auckland, has changed hands.

Five years ago, Graham and Liz Snaith rescued the pub from closure by Vaux Breweries and turned it into one of the best real ale pubs in the region. It has been voted Wear Valley Pub of the Year five times, North East Pub of the Year in 2004 and was runner-up in the CAMRA national pub of the year competition.

Tony Langdale and Jane Rocher took over in March and set off on the right foot by reintroducing the Spring Beer Festival, from 18th to 21st May. Along with 18 real ales and ciders, Tony and Jane are introducing wine to the festival at the request of female customers.

In the 66 months since the Ship was rescued, 976 different real ales have been on sale. Tony and Jane are looking for a special beer to celebrate the 1,000th beer - and aim to reach 2000 by June 2007.

NEARER DARLO, the Baydale Beck are erecting a beer tent for their bank holiday festival of real ales and ciders on 26th-29th May. Families welcome

Walking Tall

BLACK SHEEP has been picked for the second year ‘running’ by members of the Ramblers Association as their favourite beer.

Over 140,000 were invited to vote in the awards survey conducted by Walk, the official magazine of the association. They were asked to nominate their favourite kit, from boots to backpacks, their favourite destinations and their favourite real ale. Chris Townsend of Walk said: “No change here and no argument from me.”

Paul Theakston, managing director of Black Sheep, was thrilled. “As a small independent brewery based in the Yorkshire Dales, we sell our beers to many hundreds of traditional village pubs throughout the national parks of northern England.”

TO BEGIN with, we were a group of nine thirsty travellers on the 7pm minibus from Feethams heading for the Baydale Beck. Some youngsters were driven from the lounge bar as we sunk Magnet (£2.20), Black Sheep (£2.35) and Old Speckled Hen (£2.50). Mark and Brendan were already there so were now eleven.

Next stop was High Coniscliffe and the Spotted Dog, where the Greene King IPA and Taylor’s Landlord were £2.48; we thought we were in London. Peter our pubs officer kept us straight and we walked to the Duke of Wellington (the most popular name of a pub named after a person). This was more reasonable at £2.26 for Theakston Best Bitter (just £2.15 for the superb Strongarm - Ed).

It had started to hoy it down and we were wetted on our dash to the bus. Next port of call was the George in Piercebridge, where our presence increased the customers by about 1,000%. Some of us stayed there drinking the Theakston Black Bull (£2.30). Others chose the Carlbury Arms where Ian increased our numbers further.

We went on to the Raby Hunt at Summerhouse to enjoy some Daleside, at £2.15, in a cordial atmosphere. Next to the Black Horse at Ingleton. Jennings Cockerhoop was very tasty here, at £2.28 I thinks (good Fullers and Black Sheep Ale too - Ed). We discovered here that one of our number, Peter the Snooker, who is also a quality chef, learned that trade from a young lady named Oie Shaw, originally from Thailand., who is now chefing at the Black Horse. There was a fond reunion after 17 years. Malcolm

MAY IS the month of the year when CAMRA, nationally, gives a promotional boost to one of Britain’s declining traditional beer styles, mild ale. Usually in this area we don’t have much of it to promote, as outside occasional appearances at beer festivals we have never found a regular outlet for it.

But this year we have one outlet for one brew. Step forward the Greyhound in Darlington’s Parkgate with its Tetley’s Dark Mild !.

Jerry and Eileen have installed half-a-dozen handpumps in the very traditional bar and one is supplying this well-balanced, mid-brown 3.3% ale. Go on, give it a go!

THE NEXT phase of the development of Hambleton Brewery’s new facilities is underway.

Hambleton moved from their cramped brewhouse at Holme-on-Swale to a temporary home at Melmerby, near Ripon a few months ago. Building of a bespoke new brewery has now started and owner Nick Stafford hopes to commission it in early 2007.

He said: “Over the past two years we have doubled our brewing capacity and this year a new bottling line will allow us to serve the take-home trade by up to a further 1,000%! Our commitment to cask ale, however, has never been stronger and, due to exceptionally good sales during the last six months, plans are under way to accommodate new fermenters in the new building”.

Showing a commitment to developing their in-house skills as well as their hardware, two of Hambleton’s current team have just graduated to brewer status, under the tutelage of master brewer Peter Wesley.

*Hambleton have announced their new line-up of monthly specials: Marvellous (May), Good Luck (June), Prancing Palomino (July), Anvil Ale (August) and Stirrup (September). All are 4% alcohol-by-volume but Nick Stafford insists that, unlike with some breweries, they are genuinely different brews, “stretching the normal brewing boundaries a little to create exciting and stimulating flavours.

NORTH YORKSHIRE has another micro-brewery, following the establishment of the Yorkshire Dales Brewing Co. at Askrigg in Wensleydale. Its founder Rob Wiltshire started brewing commercially from home in November 2005 and now produces four regular handcrafted ales using traditional methods and the finest barley and whole hops: Herriot Country Ale (4%), Gunnerside Gold (4.4%), Nappa Scar (4.8%) and Whernside ESB (5.2%) plus seasonal and special beers. Further information on (01969) 622027 or (07818) 035592.

* A few miles lower down Wensleydale, the second Black Sheep Music Festival will take place in Masham over the weekend of 16-18 June. An ‘eclectic’ programme of concerts, pub sessions, street entertainment and instrument workshops is promised. Details from Helen Allison on 01765 680102 or www.blacksheepbrewery.com/musicfestival.

The Final Curtain

THE CIRCUS bar and restaurant in Darlington’s Market Place closed suddenly in early March. It had been offered for sale for a few months but staff were apparently only given 30 minutes notice not to come to work, some by text message.

The annual celebration of R‘n’B music and real ale will focus on Darlington Arts Centre from 14th-16th September. CAMRA members will be providing a selection of more than 45 cask-conditioned beers from small independent British brewers, together with farmhouse ciders and perry and a range of classic imported brews from Europe and the US.

The brews will be accompanied - at a short distance - on the Thursday evening by sounds from the North East blues/soul band, Rivers. Admission £3, or just £2 for CAMRA members and other concessions.

On Friday 15th, the beer hall will be open and music-free at lunchtime, reopening in the evening when Smokehouse Blues will return, following their great reception last year (£4.50/£3.50).

Saturday will see Copperhead playing their now-customary relaxed lunchtime session in the beer hall: what tremendous value - no charge for admission !.

Bringing events at Vane Terrace to a close on the evening will be the Sean Webster Band, playing contemporary blues/rock at its best (£3/£2).

Tickets for the evening sessions are already on sale from the Arts Centre in person and by phone (486555) and from the regular ticket agents in the region. They usually sell out so don’t delay.

*SUNDAY 17th will see attention shift to the Market Place for the traditional conclusion of the festival. Top bands - including the legendary Yardbirds - will perform on stages at either end of the square between 1pm and 5pm, while local groups will do their stuff in the Pennyweight, the Hole in the Wall and the Quaker House. And all for free. Make a date.

MY LOCAL real ale house is at the end of the street - the Surtees Arms, Ferryhill Station.

The landlord and landlady, Dave and Sue, have two real ales always on tap, Shepherd Neame Spitfire and Bateman’s Triple XB. In addition there are no less than three rotating guest ales. Recently Thwaites Good Elf, Mordue Headmasters, Jarrow Brown Ale and York Stocking Thriller, among others, have been available. The guest ales change often so there’s usually something different each week.

As well as real ale the Surtees Arms sells an interesting range of Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky. There is also a cider, Westons Old Rosie - at 7.3% one to savour.

THE RICHMOND Swale Valley Community Initiative has published a small illustrated map of the Historic Pubs of Richmond, locating the 35 pubs and hotels which existed in 1724, alongside the 15 which trade today. The map has been sponsored by Darwin Brewery, the makers of Richmond Ale, which is brewed with local yeast. Laminated copies are available at £2.50 from the town’s tourist information centre (unlaminated £1.85). Further information from Colin Grant, Richmond Town Manager on (01748) or rsvci@aol.com.

THE GREAT British Beer Festival is to be held at London’s Earls Court for the first time this year, having shifted to the larger venue from nearby Olympia.

The event, from 1st to 5th August (from noon daily), aims to be the biggest and best, with over 450 real ales available to sample.

It will play host to an incredible range of British cask-conditioned beers as well as lagers and ales from around the world. Organisers describe it as “The perfect place if you want to find out more about real ale or if you have some favourite beers that you want to rediscover.”

Further information and tickets from CAMRA on (01727) 867201 or www.gbbf.org.uk. Purchase tickets by 21st July to receive £1 off the normal ticket prices of £5-£7.

A MAJOR national survey of the price of a pint has put charges in our area in a wider context.

Darlington Drinker revealed last time out (DD159) that the price of a standard-strength pint of real ale around here rose by 3.5% during 2005, to an average of 209p. Stronger beer averaged 218p.

The Campaign for Real Ale has now published the results of a survey of 1,121 pubs across the UK which put the national average for real ale at 224p a pint, an increase of nine pence or 4.3% over the twelve months to February 2006. If you think that sounds bad - the lager cost an average of 245p.

Regionally, a pint of real ale in the North (excluding the North West - read on) stood at 206p this February, and a pint of lager at 235p.

The cheapest region was the North West, where a pint of real ale cost 197p, and the dearest was London and the South East where cask beer averaged 242p.

The results led CAMRA to call on the Chancellor to freeze beer duty in this year’s Budget. Instead he froze it on wine, and spirits cider but stuck another penny on beer. Inevitably this has triggered further increases by brewers, pub owners and licensees such that some pubs have now added yet another 10p on a pint.

So it may not be long before we look back fondly on the Darlington pint that cost ‘just’ 209p.

*ONLY two of 25 countries in western Europe have higher levels of tax on beer that the UK, and they (Ireland and Finland) are only just above our 36.7p (based on a pint at 5% abv). Germany’s is one-tenth of the UK’s, and Belgium’s less than a quarter.

A record 80,000 people have officially joined up to the Campaign for Real Ale - the highest number of members since the consumer organisation began in 1971.

This year CAMRA celebrates its 35th anniversary and is overjoyed to announce that its aims and objectives have never been as widely supported as now.

Chief Executive Mike Benner said: “CAMRA has gone from strength to strength and achieved some incredible successes in the last three and a half decades thanks to the hard work and dedication of all those involved.

“CAMRA volunteers work tirelessly throughout the year to promote real ale, cider and the traditional pub and ensure they have the healthy future they deserve.

“We still would like more people to join us to make sure consumers of real ale will always have a powerful voice to speak on their behalf.”

THE COMET, Hurworth Place looks set for major changes after the taking over of the lease by Paul Nixon, who already runs the nearby Station. Paul, who has transformed the Station into what he calls “Hurworth’s most modern pub”, wants to remove the long-standing division between the existing bar and lounge from the listed building to create one large room. He also plans an outdoor eating area to the rear.

THE ANCIENT UNICORN at Bowes is due to change hands in mid-May. The Jennings’ pub will become the rapidly-growing Tadcaster Pub Company’s 60th pub, but there will still be familiar faces behind the bar as the current bar manager and a regular bar lady are due to take over from the departing Tony Leete and Linda Birkett.

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.