Darlington Drinker 174

Darlington Drinker 174

Newsletter of the Darlington Campaign for Real Ale - Aug/Sep 2009

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Pub Sales of the Century

A COMBINATION of credit crunch, decline in beer sales and rationalisation of estates has led to an unprecedented number of British pubs being put up for open sale.

The nation’s two major pub-owning companies, Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns, are shedding hundreds, while smaller chains like Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises are flogging off dozens. Our area, for one, has never seen so many sales boards displayed above pub doors. In the past, pubs changed hands from company to company with little outward sign. Now, so desperate are some of the debt-laden chains to offload, it’s an open market for all comers.

Prices are dropping and some vendors are almost giving them away, pleading “all offers considered”. There are many pubs in our area which are on the market - many of which may surprise you. Hopefully, most will find caring new owners with deeper roots in their communities than the present, faceless corporate owners.

But some long-established pubs will not, not least because of the shabby tactic of pubcos like Enterprise which are slapping anti-competitive covenants on surplus stock which prevent them from trading as pubs again, whatever the wishes of their customers and wider communities.

Enterprise Out

ENTERPRISE INNS is the second largest pub group in the UK (after Punch Taverns), with an estate of some 7,000.

Having spent millions acquiring pubs since being founded in 1991 the company is now selling them off in large numbers - 277 in the last year alone. Its founder and chief executive, G.E. ‘Ted’ Tuppen, says the company’s pubs are largely being bought for conversion into cafes, shops or homes.

But that’s hardly surprising as Enterprise is not content just to sell its surplus pubs, it has an aggressive, and often rather secretive, policy of closing most of them down. Not temporarily but for ever, thanks to the use of restrictive legal covenants at the time of a sale. These bind a purchaser into agreeing never to use the property, or its site, as a public house again.

Giving evidence recently to the parliamentary Business Enterprise Select Committee Inquiry Mr Tuppen said his company would impose restrictive covenants on 70% of the pubs that it sold. The main exception would be if a pub was the last one in a village.

Mr Tuppen’s view is that “the UK remains over-pubbed”. But the truth seems to be that some localities simply have too many Enterprise-owned pubs - hardly a rare circumstance when the company owns one in seven of the nation’s pubs - and the company wants to direct all the custom into a single one, even if it means losing money on the sale of the premises.

Darlington has experienced some of these closures and more will take place unless such restrictive covenants - which brewing companies were once forbidden from applying - are outlawed. Darlington council has joined CAMRA in calling on the Government to ban them.

 Darlington Drinker

 .…Twenty-Five Years Ago

“THE uncertainty over the future of Camerons remains, with departures from top management posts and a continued freeze on spending on pub building and refurbishment.

There are renewed rumours that a ‘carve-up’ of the company could be on the way, with blocks of pubs being sold off ; the brewery would then become redundant.

Meanwhile Frederick and David Barclay, who failed to sell Camerons to Scottish & Newcastle, are taking legal action against CAMRA for allegedly libellous remarks made during the campaign. Darlington Drinker is apparently being cited.”

Darlington Drinker 27, August 1984

Death of the Pubs

AFTER acquiring parcels of pubs from different sources, Enterprise Inns found itself not long ago owning three pubs within just 200 yards in Darlington’s Northgate and High Northgate.

The imposing, redbrick Bridge Inn, purpose-built in 1898, was swiftly closed in 2005 and sold with a de-licensing covenant. It is now a café and guest house.

Then last year Enterprise placed the Caledonian on the market. The estate agent’s board merely said it was “for sale”. It was only by going to their website that the truth was revealed: the property was to be sold de-licensed. And somewhat desperately, “all offers considered”. It has finally, in the last few weeks, been sold and its 150 years as a pub have now ceased.

Lying between these two is the historic and excellent Railway Tavern, probably the first ‘railway’ pub in the world, built by the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1826-27. Thankfully, Enterprise seem fully committed to retaining this, but sadly at the expense of both its long-standing neighbours.

OVER AT Cockerton we guess that Enterprise own the fine Travellers Rest. They certainly own its only local competitor pub, the Brown Trout a hundred yards up the road. At least they do for the moment, as that is the next Darlington pub they want to close.

Not that you - or, perhaps more to the point, the Brown Trout’s regular customers - would know from the sale boards or even, initially, from the agents’ website which blandly offers the freehold and contents for £185,000. Enterprise’s sale board on the pub even misleadingly says “pub business to let”. Presumably meaning it’s to let until it can be sold.

We know of at least one experienced Darlington businessman who was keen to buy and run the pub until, almost as an afterthought, the sales rep at Fleurets’ Leeds office said “You do know don’t you, Mr W, that the Brown Trout is being sold de-licensed ?”

He was aghast and contacted Darlington CAMRA to express his dismay that such a practice is permitted. “Surely pub licences, and the quantity and distribution of them in an area, are something a local community should decide”, he quite reasonably reasoned.

Well, yes in theory, councils grant and control pub licences on behalf of their residents. But, for the moment at least, restrictive covenants that lead to the closure of long-established amenities like pubs are perfectly legal. Whatever the impact on customer choice and local communities.

*THE BROWN Trout was originally The Alma. It was run for many years until 1943 by Alf Common - famed as the world’s first £1,000 footballer when he transferred to Middlesbrough from Sunderland in 1905.

Community Effort

DARLINGTON COUNCIL is calling on the Government to bring in laws to help ‘community’ pubs in the face of the twin threats of anti-social restrictive covenants and irresponsible under-pricing.

It is doing so under the new Sustainable Communities Act, which allows communities to ask the Government to take action that they believe would improve the social, economic or environmental well-being of their areas. The ideas came from the Campaign for Real Ale and were taken up by Liberal Democrat councillors (and CAMRA members) Malcolm Dunstone and Fred Lawton.

After public consultation and committee scrutiny they won cross-party backing at the July meeting of the council. They will now be considered, along with others from across the country, by the Local Government Association in their role as ‘selector’. If selected, they will be forwarded to the Government who would be required under the Act to take action.

If they are not selected they can be put forward again in future years.

The proposals are that Government passes laws:

a) “to enable community pubs to trade on a level playing field by prohibiting irresponsible promotion of alcohol as a loss-leader”, and,

b) “to prohibit restrictive covenants that prevent any future use of a property as a local service.”

Local services are defined in the Act as including pubs as well as the likes of shops, banks, post offices and schools.

Councillor Dunstone told the council meeting: “The aim of both proposals is to protect the diversity of local service provision in a community.

“The practice of supermarkets and large pubs offering cheap drink promotions and bulk purchase offers is destroying the local pub.”

Richmond Hails

RICHMOND’S relaxed real ale festival will take place over the middle weekend of October (16th-18th) in the unique setting of the town’s multi-purpose market hall - squeezed between the cobbled market place and the formidable castle.

The opening sessions of the 8th annual event will be Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoon, the latter in conjunction with the Richmond Castle 10k race when drinkers will be rubbing shoulders (and draining casks) with thirsty club athletes.

Around 30 beers plus ciders will be available and entry is free. Details nearer the time on www.nwyorkscamra.co.uk or email camra_nwyorks@yahoo.co.uk.

Pubs Win Prizes

THE QUAKER HOUSE, hidden away in Darlington town centre’s Mechanics’ Yard, has been voted Darlington CAMRA Pub of the Year

Branch chairman Peter Everett presented Brian Dourish and Garry Hewitt with their framed award certificate in front of a packed pub, with many of the regulars already sporting celebratory new polo shirts. Garry thanked everyone who had helped him and Brian since they took over the lease of the Quaker from long time licensee Steve Metcalfe in February. Steve had set high standards by winning the award with the Quaker no fewer than five times.

Brian and Gary have continued to make available on the bar up to nine handpulled beers from across the country, including many brewed locally. They are also currently trying to buy the Quaker outright from Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprise.

Langdon Laps it Up

THE LANGDON BECK HOTEL at the top end of Teesdale - and as far from town as you can get and stay within the branch area - is Darlington CAMRA’s 2009 Country Pub of the Year.

Owner, landlady, chef and lovely lady Sue Matthews received her first-time award from branch members, who cunningly timed their visit to coincide with the inn’s beer festival. In front of a packed house, she thanked all her staff and customers - including the many walkers and cyclists who visit the remote, beautiful, North Pennines on a regular basis.

THE STANWICK INN at Aldbrough St John is Darlington CAMRA’s 2009 Pub of the Season for North Yorkshire (well, the branch’s chunk of it). Licensees Neil and Helen Maddison-Potts have been at the pub since last October and have steadily increased the number of cask brews to five. The beers are all ‘loc-ales’ from North Yorkshire and the North East: Jarrow Rivet Catcher, Black Sheep Best Bitter, a Daleside beer and two guests

Ales and Sales

SCOTTISH & NEWCASTLE Pub Enterprises, which became part of the Heineken group with the takeover of S&N brewery last year, has put 50 pubs onto the market with agents Fleurets.

They include some very well-known and well-loved pubs in our area, including CAMRA’s 2009 Darlington Pub of the Year, the Quaker House. The asking price is £225,000 and current lessees Brian Dourish and Garry Hewitt say they hope to stay and have put in an bid. Within hours of the sale board going up on the famed alehouse mischievous regulars had tweaked the wording !.

South of the Tees, two ancient North Yorkshire village pubs are offered: the Travellers Rest at Skeeby for £205,000, and the Bay Horse at Great Smeaton for £225,000. Tellingly, their prices have reduced by £20,000 and £25,000 since May.

The Travellers is picked out by Fleurets as a ‘star buy’ but both have been closed for many months following the departure of their tenants. One hard-working, enthusiastic landlord said he could not operate under the lease proposed by SNPE when they acquired his pub - and the other two - from Tadcaster Inns in a package of 30 just last year.

Meanwhile, Punch Taverns has the freeholds of the Slaters Arms in Bondgate and the Old Dunn Cow in Post House Wynd, both in Darlington, up for grabs, at £200,000 and £275,000 respectively. Punch spent £145,000 on restoring the 18th-century Slaters as recently as 2006. The agents are Colliers CRE.

In a hint of desperation, “final and best offers” for the centrally-located Old Dunn Cow were invited by a June deadline - but the board is still up and particulars still available as we go to press.

THE LORD NELSON at Appleton Wiske was said in DD173 to have no real ale. Well, that was duff information and we’re delighted to correct it - the pub serves Thwaites Original - rare for this area - and, landlord Iain Symes tells us, it has for some time. Sorry everyone !.

The Raby’s Return

THE HISTORIC, picture-pretty, Raby Hunt at Summerhouse is set for a fresh chapter in its 153 years, with new owners now in control.

A Mr and Mrs Close of Hamsterley have been granted listed building consent by Darlington council to carry out small scale changes.* Their application said they had recently purchased the grade II listed pub and were seeking to “upgrade and modernise” it “to serve high quality food whilst retaining the original bar areas”. The couple are also hoping to provide bed and breakfast accommodation on a limited basis.

The Raby closed last August when landlady Pam Askey decided she couldn’t continue after a lengthy bout of poor health. It was placed on the market with an initial guide price of £220,000, later reduced. Six years earlier the small old inn - originally built to serve the Duke of Cleveland’s fox-hunting parties from Raby Castle - had been saved from closure by the protests of villagers and Darlington CAMRA.

A legal agreement between the council and the previous owners, attached to the 2003 planning permission which allowed the latter to develop four new houses on the Raby’s previously-spacious plot, prevents the pub’s change to any other use.

*For example, alterations to the toilet and kitchen layout and infilling of the rear cellar entrance .

Shuttle Change

THE SHUTTLE & LOOM at Whinfield is selling real ale following its major refurbishment by Greene King.

That brewery’s Morland Old Speckled Hen is now a ‘permanent feature’, we’re told. The works to the suburban local - originally opened by Whitbread in 1980 - have turned it into one of GK’s Hungry Horse chain, with a large restaurant and sports bar. The chain focuses on “value for money, family atmosphere, pub games, big-screen televisions and massive portions of food”. Val and Ray Harker are the pub’s managers and opening times are weekdays 11-11 (midnight Fri & Sat) and 12-10.30 Sun.

Darling Hits Again

CHANCELLOR DARLING is at it again - hitting beer drinkers with another punitive tax rise.

From 1st January, Britain’s standard rate of VAT is returning to 17.5% after the temporary period at the current lower rate, meant to stimulate the economy, comes to an end. But Alastair - no darling of drinkers and barred from thousands of pubs after his discriminatory beer price hike of 2008 (right) - says he has no plans to drop back the excise duty on beer, which was increased when VAT was cut to ensure pubs didn’t drop the price of beer.

CAMRA’s Jonathan Mail predicts the price of a pint could go up by at least 8p: “It really is time the Chancellor gave pubs a break. By not cutting the duty rise he is foisting yet another tax increase on the pub-going public.”

A pint of beer sold in a pub typically carries 90p in tax, made up of duty, VAT and employment tax.

Europe to Help ?

MEANWHILE, an influential group of MPs is asking the Government to help win a change in European Union tax rules to slow the tide of pub closures.

The Parliamentary Beer Group wants a lower rate of duty for draught beer sold in pubs but the Government is not allowed to make such a differentiation in tax rates under current EU law. The European Commission has indicated, however, that it is willing to consider a review of the rules and Beer Group chairman John Grogan, Labour MP for Selby, has tabled a parliamentary motion calling on the UK Government to seek such a change.

The Campaign for Real Ale is urging MPs to back the motion. Like the group, it believes reduced duty in pubs would ease the problems that are leading to over six pub closures a day.

CAMRA’s Mike Benner said: “A lower rate in pubs would address the disparity between supermarket and pub prices, a problem directly associated with pub closures. It would encourage a shift in consumption back to the regulated environment of well-run pubs and help stem the loss of community pubs.”

Rock Ale

ROCKLIFFE HALL, the region’s newest five star hotel, spa and golf resort, down by the Tees at Hurworth, next to Middlesbrough FC’s training ground, is costing £50m to build and open. Its opulent clubhouse - due to open around now - is being provided with everything from a restaurant to a concierge service for golfers.

But players with a taste for cask beer are not being forgotten. Managing director Nick Holmes told the Northern Echo the clubhouse will include a ‘spikes bar’: “a kind of traditional real ale venue for golfers after they’ve just come off the green. We really do want Rockliffe Hall and all of its facilities to appeal to everyone.”

Fest Feast

DARLINGTON’S ‘SMALL’ annual beer festival, part of the Spring Thing, once again proved very popular, with all cask beers being drunk by 9.45pm on the Saturday. Mind you, that simply gave cask ale punters the excuse to try to drink dry the event’s remaining stock of classic imported bottled beers!

The first draught to sell out was Monty’s Sunshine from Powys in Wales, followed by 1488 Tullibardine’s Blonde and then Five Town’s Lover’s Leap. Sunshine was voted beer of the festival by customers. Runner-up was Swale from Richmond Brewery, based at that town’s skilfully-restored former station. The top-voted cider was Double Vision’s Impeared Vision from Kent.

Macmillan Cancer Support was the festival’s chosen charity and £225 was raised from drinkers who donated their ‘spare change’ beer cards: thanks one and all. Plans are now well-advanced for September’s ‘big’ beer festival, Rhythm ‘n’ Brews. Organised by the Arts Centre, its thriving R‘n’B club and, on the brews side, enthusiastic Campaign for Real Ale volunteers it is billed as ‘a celebration of live R’n’B music and real ale’.

Over fifty cask ales will be on sale, alongside farmhouse ciders, European bottles that offer very different tastes to British ale, commemorative glasses and that great music. To offer a choice of ambience, the bands will be performing outside the beer hall - with the exception of Saturday lunchtime drinkers’ regular favourite, Copperhead Still, invited back to accompany the ale for the umpteenth time!

Beer in Budapest

WHEN HUNGARY joined the EU in 2005 there was a dramatic rise in the number of ‘wedding parties’ visiting Budapest for the cheap beer, writes John Magson.

Today stag and hen parties have declined but thankfully the range and choice of beers has increased. Old style bars can be found full of men drinking and smoking but the trend now is for theme and Irish bars. Many café-bars and restaurants sell good draught and bottled beers and beer is fast overtaking wine as the Hungarian’s chosen drink.

The Dreher brewery in Budapest, owned by SABMiller, produces many styles of beer, the best-known being Dreher Classic and Arany Azok pilsner style beers but it also brews Kobanyai Vilagos, Dreher lager and Dreher Bak. The Borsod brewery, owned by Inbev, brews Borsodi Vilagos, Barna, Bivaly, Polo and, my favourite, Borostyan - a 5.2% amber ale. Brau Union Hungaria is a member of the Heineken group and has breweries in Sopron and Martfu. Its brands include Soproni and Gosser.

As for the city, it is full of palaces, historic buildings and churches and is easily accessible by metro, tram or bus. And if you have reached the age of 65 carry a copy of your passport as all transport is then free. But remember to validate your transport tickets for if you do not, as I found out, you stand the chance of a fine or arrest...

(Ed: anyone know of independent breweries in Hungary? Do let us know.)

Black Sheep Quiz

KEVIN McKENNA of Darlington won the DD173 quiz and an excellent Black Sheep T-shirt. Kevin’s correct answers were: the average price of real ale in Darlington in December was £2.43; Black Sheep’s handpumps are made by Angram; Darlington’s Winter Pub of the Season was the Blacksmiths Arms, Preston-le--Skerne. Thanks and commiserations to all of ‘ewe’ who took part in our series of DD quizzes but failed to win ‘black’.

Winter Ales Moving

THE NATIONAL Winter Ales Festival is on the move - but not too far.

The 2010 event is to be held at the Sheridan Suite in Manchester, also known as The Venue. Although not in the centre of the city, organisers say the Sheridan is within easy reach of Victoria Station and the famed Northern Quarter - where many of the best free houses are located.

“With a larger capacity, all beers on one level and easier access for the public this promises to be an excellent venue”, reckons CAMRA’s Graham Donning. The festival will run from Wednesday 20th to Saturday 23rd January, with the annual Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition being judged and announced on the first day.

The reigning champ is Attila, a 7.5% barley wine from Peterborough’s Oakham Brewery. Theakston’s Old Peculier from Masham also won a medal in its category last time out.

BREWS, NEWS AND VIEWS

THE STRATHMORE ARMS at Holwick welcomed new tenants in June, with Martin and Helen full of enthusiasm for their idyllic spot in upper Teesdale. Two real ales are currently available, Wells Bombardier and Tim Taylor’s Landlord, and there is talk of introducing real cider.

THE KIRK INN, overlooking the middle green at Romaldkirk a few miles downstream, is also serving up decent pints of Landlord. It has been taken off the market and guv’nor Paul Jackson has been busy refurbishing the cosy old local.

DARLINGTON SNOOKER CLUB - diagonally opposite the Odeon, ring the bell - is putting on a mini beer festival from Friday 31 July to Sunday 2 August. Eight beers are promised at all times, sourced from, amongst others, the admirable Yorkshire Dales, Captain Cook and Houston micro-breweries. 

DIARY DATES

  Fri 7 Aug: Rural coach crawl to mid-Teesdale area. Departs Feethams (opp. Town Hall) 7pm. Details/bookings: Pete Fenwick (01325) 374817; (07792) 093245.

 Sat 22 Aug: Games afternoon with NW Yorkshire CAMRA branch, Stanwick Inn, Aldbrough St John. Details: Pete as above.

    Fri 4 Sep: Rural coach crawl: Lower Teesdale. Departs Feethams (opp. Town Hall) 7pm. Details/bookings: Pete as above.

Wed 16 Sep: Darlington CAMRA Branch Meeting: Britannia, Archer Street. Darlington CAMRA branch meeting, 8pm.

Thu 17 -Sat 19 September: Darlington Rhythm ‘n’ Brews Festival 2009. 30th annual Darlington beer and music festival, Arts Centre, Vane Terrace. Details on page 5. CAMRA helpers needed, including for set-up/dismantle Mon 14th and Sun 20th: contact Ian on (01325) 243228.

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Darlington Drinker is published every two or three months by the Darlington branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. Circulation 3,500. 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 dd@idnet.com. Additional contributors this issue: Pete Fenwick, Ian Jackson, John Magson, John Penman. To advertise, contact Peter Everett (01325) 241388. Rates a snip at quarter-page £30, half page £50, full page £80; sixth consecutive insertion free. Branch website: www.darlocamra.org.uk. CAMRA HQ is at 230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts AL1 4LW; (01727) 867201; see www.camra.org.uk for all other real ale information.