New brewery and visitor centre for Belvoir - Nottingham CAMRA

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Post Box Cold beer Sir, As the local Cask Marque Assessor I just have to reply to the comments about Cask Marque made by the Irritable Cellarman in Issue 83 of the Nottingham Drinker. He complains that pubs that have achieved the Cask Marque accreditation dispense their beers at too low a temperature. Well, it is true that a pub serving beers below 10 o C can achieve Cask Marque status, but they are very much the exception, rather than the rule. Cask Marque score four parameters during their inspections; temperature, appearance, aroma and flavour. Each parameter can be scored 5, 3, 2 or 0. Each and every beer must score a minimum of 16 / 20 for the account to pass. Two passes are required to gain accreditation. Within the temperature parameter a beer dispensed at 9.5 o C would score only 2 points. It must, therefore, score 5 points for each of the remaining parameters to achieve a 'pass' rating. This means that not only must it smell and taste perfectly acceptable, but it must not show any signs of chill haze, something that cask beers are increasingly likely to do at temperatures below 10 o C. I would agree with Irritable Cellarman that beers should not be 'warm', nor should they be 'room temperature' - which is usually about 20 o C - but they should, indeed, be served, as he asks for, at a 'good cellar temperature' - which is normally recommended to be 11 to 13 o C. A temperature of 10 to 14 o C scores the maximum 5 points on our inspections. If it is 14 to 15.5 o C it scores 3 points; above 15.5 o C - nil point! If Irritable Cellarman chooses to frequent pubs that do not have Cask Marque accreditation, preferring them to those which are accredited, then he will run the risk of getting beers served at wildly varying temperatures, from very cold to very warm. In 2006 we carried out an exercise whereby we checked the temperature of beers served at pubs adjacent to Cask Marque accredited pubs. I have just checked back on my score sheets and Plough Monday Sir, They were celebrating Plough Monday in some of the pubs near us in the vale of Belvoir on 7th January. Do you have any idea what this is about? Geoff Wallace, Hose. Sub- editor Steve Westby replies: References to Plough Monday date back to the late 15th century, it is the traditional start of the English agricultural year, marking the resumption of work after the Christmas period and falls on the first Monday after Twelfth Day (Epiphany), 6 January. In some areas, a plough was hauled from house to house in a procession, with the ploughmen, with blackened faces and wearing white shirts, knocking on doors and asking for money, food and drink. They were often accompanied by musicians, an old woman or a boy dressed as an old woman, called the "Bessy", and a man in the role of the "fool".. In medieval times it was common for ploughs to be blessed by the church the day before on Plough Sunday.Plough Monday plays were popular in parts of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands, they were similar to that of Christmas Mummers Plays in that they were performed by young men and included some of the same story elements, such as the death and resurrection of one of the characters. Does anyone have any further information on this historic custom? find that the lowest temperature I recorded was 14.0 o C and the highest was 23.9 o C. One of my colleagues in Margate even found one at 30 o C. I'm surprised that he wasn't offered milk & sugar with it! Beer served too cold does loose its flavour, but beer served too warm tends to enhance all the wrong flavours - harsh bitterness, yeastiness, excessive fruitiness, sulphury aromas and so on. If I was faced with having to accept a beer at 9 o C or one at 17 o C I know which I would take. A cold beer will warm up; a cold beer won't cool down - particularly on a hot summer's day. There's nothing better than a pint of a cool (not cold) cask beer whilst watching cricket on the village green. Roll on summer! Peter Tulloch, Cask Marque The Irritable Cellarman replies: In theory Cask Marque should be an excellent scheme and I would fully support it if it were not for this issue of allowing beer to be served too cold in some, I certainly did not suggest all, of their accredited pubs. When I first worked as a Cellarman the CAMRA Guide to Cellarmanship was my bible and this recommended that the cellar should be maintained at a constant temperature of 56 o F to 58 o F (13.3 o C to 14.4 o C). I duly set my cellar thermostat to 56 o F and I believe my cask beer was always spot on – I certainly sold enough of it! By the use of the Fahrenheit scale you can tell that this was a while ago and the CAMRA book was indeed dated 1981 although that does not make it any less relevant for that. CAMRA issued a more substantial guide in 1997 and this recommends that the cellar temperature should be 13 o C to 14 o C and the latest edition, dated 2005, recommends 13 o C. Under the Cask Marque criteria pubs are going to make sure that they receive maximum score on temperature, as with modern cellars this should not be difficult, and your rules say that 10 to 14 o C scores the maximum 5 points. Now I believe that 11 o C is far too cold a temperature to serve real ale (as for 10 o C let’s not even go there!) yet this is quite acceptable to Cask Marque. Whereas to serve beer at 14.1 o C it scores just 3 points (the missing two points can be crucial in retaining accreditation) even though this is within the narrow temperature range originally recommended by CAMRA and is at a level at which the beer would be more than palatable. As a result, I suspect that many Cask Marque pubs could well be nudging the thermostat down to avoid any chance of reaching the 14 o C barrier, meaning many pubs are setting their levels nearer 11 o C than the more desirable 13 o C. This would perhaps explain my belief that overly cold beer is more often encountered in Cask Marque pubs than elsewhere. The solution is simple – alter the rules so that 5 points are awarded for 12.2 o C to 14.4 o C (54 o F to 58 o F in proper money). By the way it is true, because I don’t like cold beer, that given a straight choice, in an area I am unfamiliar with, I do tend to opt for pubs that do not have Cask Marque accreditation, preferring them to those that are accredited, but only in the case of pubs with no accreditation that are in the Good Beer Guide or have been recommended to me. Yes I don't doubt there are some pubs out there that are serving warm beer, I haven't come across many at all, but I am sure they would not survive for long. Extract from a letter to Castle Rock Brewery I wish you all the best and hope that you continue to compete with the giant ego that is Greene King within the Nottinghamshire area and possibly beyond. Amusingly, in my current job I was required to contact Greene King accounts about a public house that was previously H&H, when I advised I was calling about a public house in Nottingham the young woman in the accounts office immediately replied "Oh, that will definitely be one of ours then". I felt the need to educate her! (Name and address withheld due to my job!) That certainly says it all! Ed Hopping mad in Notts Sir, I've been reading my December issue of What's Brewing, which contains an article about hops in the 'Beer' section. There was an interesting line in it: “... some brewers paid a premium for North Clay hops grown in Nottinghamshire, which were reckoned to be best for strong keeping beers.” I've never heard of this variety of hop, and I didn't realise that Notts was ever an important hop-growing region. Do you have any information? Chris Curtis, Tianjin, People's Republic of China. We mentioned in "Brewery Visit" in the last edition that Magpie is to brew a beer using hops grown in a Nottingham garden. However hops are certainly no longer grown in the county on a commercial basis. But a quick piece of research on the Internet reveals that a century ago hops were indeed grown in the area. We are grateful to the Nottinghamshire History web site www.nottshistory.org.uk for the following information: At the commencement of the nineteenth century hops were grown on the land between Retford and Tuxford and sold at annual Hop Fairs at these places. They were also grown around Southwell. The planta¬tions were situated chiefly in valleys and wet situations. These hops were known in the trade as "North Clay Hops" and were considered much stronger than Kentish hops. At that time an area of no less than 11,000 acres was devoted to this cultivation. In 1880 it had dwindled to 29 acres. Now they are not grown at all. 30 www.nottinghamcamra.org February/ March 08
Beer Festivals Jan 31 – Feb 02 (Thu – Sat) Magpie's Beer Festival, Meadow Club Meadow Lane. 50 + beers plus ciders. Open Thu evening, all day Fri, Sat 11 – 3 and 5 – 11 Feb 1 –2 (Fri – Sat) “The Black & Gold Beer Festival 2008”, The Clubhouse, 276 Loughborough Road, West Bridgford. Fri 4-11pm, Sat 12-11pm. More than 15 beers, all at £2 a pint, no entrance fee. NCT bus 10 to ASDA and walk up hill to fire station. Arriva bus 99 to door from Nottingham and Loughborough (further info on www.wbhockey.co.uk) Feb 1 –2 (Fri – Sat) Chesterfield Beer Festival, The Winding Wheel, Holywell St. (5 mins. walk from station). Fri 5-11pm (£5) Quiet drinkers' sess; Sat 11am-3pm (£5) quiet sess (games); Sat 6.30-11pm (£5) local rock covers band Firecracker. Food avail. at all sessions. Entrance incl Fest glass, programme + 1st pint at all sessions. CAMRA concessions avail on entry. 18+ only. Tickets from Pomegranate Theatre Box office (01246 345222. Advance Tickets recommended all sessions. Entry to eve sessions advance tickets only. www.chesterfieldbeerfestival.org.uk Feb 13-16 (Wed – Sat) Johnson Arms Winter Beer Festival, Abbey St. Dunkirk. Around 25 Cask Ales over 4 days including Castle Rock. Beer vouchers 4 pints for £9. Live music Thursday and Saturday. Homemade curry specials. For more info see www.johnsonarms.co.uk, email mail@johnsonarms.co.uk or call 0115 9786355. Feb 13-16 (Wed – Sat) Rotherham Oakwood Legendary Real Ale Festival + Yorkshire Championship Music Festival, Oakwood Technology College, Moorgate Rd. S60 2UH. Free bus to + from Fest with valid CAMRA memb. card/ Fest Ticket/ 07 Fest Glass with First South Yorkshire from anywhere in S. Yorkshire. Visitors to Rotherham, any bus from stop A6, Rotherham Interchange, goes past Fest. 200+ Real Ales, 25+ Fine Wines, Ciders, food, Foreign Bottled Beers, 4 entertainment areas, quiet bars, rock, blues, pop, folk, dance. (Note Wed/Thu for CAMRA membs + Fest invited guests only- does not incl CAMRA membs guests (those not membs of Campaign). Fest bars closed 5pm-6pm Sat, visitors can remain in warm non-drinking areas. £2 for non-returnable glass for CAMRA membs only Wed + Thu. CAMRA entry on door £3 all other times (incl non-returnable glass). Advance entry tickets not needed for CAMRA membs. Membership cards essential. Other entrants, all times £6 advance ticket, £9 on door. Reduced re-entry to Fest with 08 Fest Glass. Feb 18 - 23 (Mon - Sat) Six Nations Beer Festival, the Bell Inn, Market Square, Nottingham. 20 beers, all with sports themed names. Free admission. Free buffet Thu 21 for card carrying CAMRA members. Feb 29 - Mar 1 (Fri - Sat) Horse and Groom Winter Beers Festival, 462 Radford Road, Basford NG7 7EA. (7 minutes walk from NET stop Shipstone St) Up to 17 different beers including special guests from Highgate. Live music from No Fixed Abode. March 12 – 15 (Wed-Sat) Leicester Beer Festival, The Charotar Patidar Samaj, off St. Margaret's Way, Leicester, LE1 3AE. 200 Beers, incl some Fest Specials, 30 Ciders + Perries. New LocAle bar will feature 40 Beers brewed within 20 miles of Leicester City Centre. Also Wine from two local vineyards + quality apple juices. Authentic Indian Curries + English food, incl veggie choices avail all sessions. Card carrying CAMRA Membs free. Souvenir festival glass £2 refundable. Wed £2; Thu (after 4pm) £2; Fri (after 4pm) £3; Sat (all day) £2. www.camra.org.uk/leicester March 13 - 19 (Thu-Fri) St. Patrick’s Stout Festival, Bell Inn, Market Square, Nottingham. 17 Stouts from 17 breweries on the 17th! Mar 14 - 15 (Fri-Sat) Bingham Rugby Club Beer Festival, The Pavilion, Brendon Grove, Bingham NG13 8TN. Fri 7 - 11pm, Sat 12 - 11pm. 12 beers & ciders. Admission £2, 1st drink free. Mar 20-23 (Thu-Sat) Canal House Beer Festival, Canal St. Nottingham. Free admission, 20+ real ales. Mar 21-24 (Fri-Mon) Victoria Easter Beer Festival, Victoria Hotel, 85 Dovecote Lane, Beeston NG9 1JG (right next to railway station) Up to 60 beers with 30 available at any one time, traditional ciders and festival food. Free admission, music Sunday evening from Richie Muir, Jazz Monday evening. Mar 27-9 (Thu – Sat) 18th Doncaster Beer Festival. The Hub, Chappel Drive, DN1 2RF. 80+ Beers, Ciders & Foreign Bars. Details: Thu 5.30pm entry CAMRA membs (6pm rest) to 11pm; Fri + Sat 11am-11pm. Food avail until 9.30pm. Entertainment Fri night. CAMRA members free entry all times, only returnable glass hire fee payable. Mar 27-30 (Thu-Sun) Criterion Beer Festival, 44 Millstone Lane, Leicester LE1 5JN (10 minutes walk from station). The Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race Beer Fest. 24 beers from the 2 counties. Pizzas a house speciality. Live music Thursday night and Saturday afternoon. Free admission at all times. Beer Festivals /Trips and Socials Mar 28 - 29 (Fri – Sat) Burton-on-Trent and South Derbyshire Winter Festival, Burton Town Hall Approx 80 Real Ales + Ciders. Ales served directly from casks under cooling jackets. Drivers' Bar with soft drinks. Hot + cold food all sessions. Families welcome until 6pm. Two quiet rooms with seating. Live music both days: lunchtime Fri + Sat Martin Atterbury on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ; Fri Eve 8.30pm The Top Cats (local rock-a-billy band); Sat Eve 8.30pm The Mick Rutherford Band (local raw blues + covers). CAMRA members free all sessions. All sessions, all entrants £2 for fest glass. Trips and Socials The forthcoming mini bus survey trips are as follows, in February we visit East Bridgford and Shelford, March will take us to Linby & Papplewick and we will look at the Oxton area in April. I am running an evening trip to Lincoln on the first Saturday in March. See the diary dates for all the details. As always, your CAMRA membership card is required to obtain your discount. Quite a few people have taken me up on the reminder of up and coming trips and other events. The best way of contacting people is by e-mail, but due to the data protection act, you must give me your e-mail address. So I am producing a very short form, which you can use. If anyone wishes to “subscribe” to this new service, then please ask me when you see me or get in touch and we will sort out the necessary details. See the diary dates column for times and dates of all the trips, socials etc. As usual, don’t forget, that EVERYONE is welcome to any CAMRA meeting or outing, you do NOT have to be a member. I might present you with a membership form, but you can ignore it if you want, (most people usually do!) And as always I can be contacted electronically at: - raykirby@nottinghamcamra.org Quick Quiz Answers (page 13) 1. Chris Tarrant 2. Newcastle United 3. Capricorn 4. Gimme More 5. Collar bone 6. Lowestoft 7. Frederick Forsyth 8. North and South islands 9. Captain Ahab 10. Athens 11. Thursday 12. United States 13. Aston Martin DB5 14. Absent without leave 15. Gosling Canal Street, Tel. 0115 950 2419 A warm welcome from Bob & Carole Canal Street, Tel. 0115 9502 419 Traditional Beers Everards Tiger, 2 Castle Rock Beers plus 5 Guest Beers Guest Mild each week Quiz + Sticky 13s every Thursday Darts and Bar Billiards Open until midnight Friday & Saturday Continental Beers & Traditional Cider A great Malt Whisky selection Big screen sports A great local pub with a good atmosphere, close to Ice Arena and tram, rail & bus stations www.nottinghamcamra.org February/ March 08 31
Page 1 and 2: Issue 84 February/ March 08 FREE Pl
Page 3 and 4: Phil Troop is a firm believer in re
Page 5 and 6: Erewash Valley news Firstly, may I
Page 7 and 8: Milestone Brewery prides itself on
Page 9 and 10: Chairman stands down after 13 years
Page 11 and 12: Real ales and ciders galore Graham
Page 13 and 14: Win two bottles of real ale by answ
Page 15 and 16: Stout and Porter Stroll Nottingham
Page 17: Stout and Porter Stroll How to get
Page 20 and 21: In Praise of PUBlic Transport No. 5
Page 22 and 23: Ray’s Round A lot has been happen
Page 24 and 25: LocAle A New Year toast with a diff
Page 26: Across the Pond Andrew Ludlow takes
Page 29: Close to the Bourse, Falststaff, at

New brewery and visitor centre for Belvoir - Nottingham CAMRA

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