MARCH
Easter
Island, a seasonal special from the Captain Cook Brewery in Stokesley
won Beer of the Festival at the 2008 Spring Thing Beer Festival. For the
4 barrel brewery, based behind the rear of the White Swan in Stokesley,
North Yorkshire it was a special success especially for new brewer Ian
Jackson, as the 4.1% malty flavoured ale was the first beer he brewed
there after joining there in early March from Wear Valley Brewery.
As part of a Spring Thing Beer Festival Workers Trip to the Captain Cook Brewery, a presentation was made to Ian by Branch member Pete Fenwick, left in picture. The Beer of the Festival runner up was SS Darlington at 4.0%, brewed especially for the festival by Dark Tribe Brewery from North Lincolnshire while Slipway, also from the Captain Cook Brewery finished third in the voting making it a double success for the new man aboard the ship !.
In
the Community ...
At our January
Branch
Meeting at
Darlington Cricket Club,
we had the unenviable
task of looking
at pubs submitted by
branch members which had an
opportunity of winning
our Community Pub Awards for 2008, with
the award presentations
taking
place during CAMRA's
Community Pubs Week
which runs from 16th to 23rd February.
For
the Country Community Pub
Award category, last
year's winner the
Crown at Manfield was pipped by the
Red Lion purely for the reasons
submitted by landlord
Richard Robinson on
behalf of his regulars. These included use by
clubs of
the dining room in the pub during the week, and Richard himself selling
raffle tickets over the bar for various
events. A presentation was made to
the Red Lion in Cotherstone on Saturday 16th
February. The reasons
for winning were well in evidence on our arrival with
locals playing dominoes (top
picture),
and so
our very
own branch members
John Carling and Fred Lawton duly
joined
in the fun. Branch
member and Community Pubs Committee Organiser
Malcolm Dunstone presented landlord
Richard Robinson, right in picture,
with the Country
Community Pub
of the Year 2008 Award
in front of a pub packed
full of regulars.
Richard, one of the youngest licensees thanked his regulars for
making the pub what it is, described by one of
the locals as "a cracking village
boozer".
In
the Town Community Pub Award category there
were
4 entries, The Britannia, Hole in the Wall, The Quakerhouse and the
recently re-opened
White Horse in Harrowgate Hill. Again, after
the hearing the reasons
for submission, the Britannia was
declared the winner following up its success in the last year's
competition. Branch Chairman Peter Everett
presented landlady Sue Carr, right in
picture, with
the Town
Community Pub of the Year 2008 Award. Sue
thanked all her regulars and those who use the pub for their
community activities
such as the
Spraire Lads Football Club, The Folk Club and Rotary Club.
The pub itself organises events including the popular
annual "Britannia
Whitby Trip" which takes place in August
during
Whitby's Folk
Week and also
celebrates Burn's
Night, St Patrick's Day and St George's Day with traditional food dishes.
Sue and partner Terry will also be
celebrating
7 years at the Britannia
at the end of March.
Congratulations to both the Britannia and The Red Lion on their community awards.
Windie
wonderland ...
Branch members Pete Fenwick, Ian
Jackson, John Magson and former Branch Social Secretary Ian McAlpine
recently visited the Ayrshire area of south west Scotland to make a
presentation at the Failford Inn, Failford near Ayr pictured left.
Situated within the pub is the Windie Goat Brewery and their beer
Peden's Cove at 3.5% was the winner of Beer of the Festival at last
year's September's Rhythm 'n' Brews Beer Festival. The beer takes its
name from the area nearby where the Covenanter Alexander Peden was
rumoured to have preached in the
17th century.
The
presentation was made by Beer Festival Organiser Ian Jackson, left in
picture, in front of a packed pub to brewster Michelle Kesall, right in
picture. Michelle, who ironically was born in Darlington thanked the
branch for the award and all her regular customers. Also available on
the night from Windie Goat Brewery was Fisherman's Pride at 5% but this
unfortunately ran out and was replaced by Priest's Wheel, an amber ale
flavoured with American hops at 4.3%, named after a fishing pool on the
nearby river Ayr. The two Windie Goat beers were also supplemented by a
guest beer from Blackwater Brewery's Detox at 4.0% from "south of
the border" in Stourbridge, West Midlands.
After an excellent meal and a few more beers, the trip headed back to their base in Ayr checking out the Good Beer Guide listed pubs, including the highly recommended Geordie's Byre. Our thanks go to Michelle and all the staff and regulars at the Failford Inn for their hospitality, not to mention the excellent beer !.
Click here to visit Michelle's Windie Goat "brewery blog" for news, including our presentation.