23rd SUSSEX CAMRA BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL - Arun & Adur ...

Sussex Beer Festival 2013Hove, 28 February to 2 March 2013CV. Please get in touch to find out more.For those who wish to remain punters, ticketswill be available from 14 January to 22February at the Evening Star and the SirCharles Napier, Brighton; the Beer Essentials,Horsham; the Bell, Hove; theGardeners Arms, Lewes; the BuckinghamArms, Shoreham-by-Sea; and theSelden Arms, Worthing. Also selling ticketsagain is Brighton Centre Box Office(www.brightoncentre.co.uk) but pleaseremember that there is a booking fee whenbuying tickets through their website orphone line. No tickets are sold at HoveTown Hall, other than at the door duringthe festival itself.Finally, tickets can be ordered via mailorder from SCBCF Ticket Sales, 16 ConnellDrive, Woodingdean, Brighton, EastSussex, BN2 6RT. Please state which session(s)you require and enclose a 9x4 SAEwith your payment. Cheques or postal ordersshould be made payable to ‘SussexCAMRA Beer Festival’. For the first timewe will keep 100 tickets for each session,including Friday evening, for sale at thedoor. There will be also be a Trade Sessionon Thursday 3-5pm, where there willbe the opportunity to sample up to ten differentproducts and speak to producers andpurveyors. Traders who have not received aticket by 14 February 2013, and wish toattend, are asked to request one.For opening times and ticket prices pleasehave a look at the back cover of this issueor check our website. The ticket price includesa free souvenir glass and a programme.Card-carrying CAMRA memberswill receive beer tokens worth £2from the CAMRA membership stand.Holders of a valid NUS card get Saturdayevening tickets at half price when purchasingtickets in person at the Brighton BoxOffice or at the door. If you look as if youcould be under 25, please bring a photo IDto prove your age! Sorry, but there will beno admission for under 18s at the eveningsessions and there will be no access at anyother time for under 18s to any of the barareas. Bags may be inspected at all times.We look forward to seeing you all, oldfriends and new faces alike, at Hove.All enquiries:camrahove@btinternet.com or07450 656148www.sussexbeerfestival.co.ukIngrid SharpBeer of the Festival Awardt the 22nd Sussex Branches Beer& Cider Festival, held at HoveA earlier this year, Hop Back EntireStout was voted the Beer of the Festival.Pictured left is John Kirkland, the SussexBeer Festival Treasurer , presenting thecertificate to the brewery. What will winthe Beer of the Festival at Hove nextMarch, we wonder.Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012 5Contributors: Peter Adams, Allen Bartram, Bruce Bird, Pete Brown, Roger Coton, Iain Dalgleish, Stuart Elms, Richard Foster, Keith Milborrow,Keith Newell, Peter Page-Mitchell, Bill Turner, Philip Wildsmith, Jack Wilkinson and the Ed.While the Sussex Branches of CAMRA arepleased to acknowledge the following newsitems, the Scratchings section does not constitutean exclusive list of officially recommendedpubs, nor does it consist of criticalcustomer reviews. News of new developmentsand updates on the Sussex pub scenewill be gratefully received by the Editor forconsideration in Scratchings. The standarddisclaimer on p. 3 applies to all items.•AMBERLEYBy the River Arun, the Bridge Inn is apopular pub with walkers and other visitors.It has high standards of service, alwaysstocks a beer from WJ King in goodcondition and is therefore now LocAle accredited.•ARUNDELDark Star beers have been recently reportedat the Red Lion and the town’s festival.•BINSTEADIt has been reported that the Black Horsewill reopen Monday 12 November.•BOGNOR REGISAfter a long period of closure and refurbishmentthe Unicorn is now sellingSharp’s Doom Bar and Young’s Bitter.•BOREHAM STREETHarveys are to brew a special beer on theirmicrobrewery for the Bulls Head. It willnot be a rebadgeof anexisting beerbut a newbeer at 4.5%called, notsurprisingly,Bulls HeadBitter.6 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012•BOSHAMWe are delighted to report that the WhiteSwan reopened at last on 21 Septemberafter closure for fourteen weeks due toflood damage.•BRIGHTONDrinkInBrighton has opened its first brewpubon the site of the former Barfly, previouslythe Gloucester nightclub. Renamedthe North Laine, it currently offers a rangeof caskales fromSussexbreweries,includingLainesBest,which iscontract brewed until the new state-of-theartmicrobrewery shortly becomes operational.It is sad to report that Chris Beaumont andGill Perkins are to leave the Greys. Thiscompact pub has over the years been agreat venue for music to suit all tastes, providingexcellent cuisine and a great pint ofreal ale. Best wishes to Chris and Gill forthe future.•BYWORTHFlowerpots Bitter in superb condition canstill be found at the Black Horse. In Augustthis beer was placed joint third in theBitters categoryof theChampionBeer of Britainjudging atthe Great BritishBeer Festival.Sussex Pub Scratchings — continued•CHICHESTERPrevious reports of the loss of the Hope tothe Co-Op have proved premature. Havingbeen purchased by a private company, ithas reopened free-of-tie with Harveys Bestand Otter Amber available. It is intended tokeep these as regulars and install two morepumps for rotating ales. The pub will continueto trade until long-term plans aremade for its future.As part of the Original Pub Company, theOld Cross held a festival featuring ten caskales for the first fortnight in October. Onethirdpint measures were available plus10% discount for card-carrying CAMRAmembers.•EASTERGATECongratulations to the Wilkes Head, sincethe last issue elected both Sussex Branchesand Surrey & Sussex Regional POTY2012. The pub is to start selling bottledcraft beers, including BrewDog, SamuelAdams, Goose Island, Meantime andBrooklyn. They are 33cl or bigger, somequite strong, and the price will be £3.30 forall.•ERIDGEThe Nevill Crest & Gun held an Octoberfestfrom Friday 19 to Sunday 28 October,featuring a special sausage menu and alarge selection of German ales and beers,eight of were available at any one time.•FINDONNow offering four beers from the Marston’sportfolio, beer quality at the GunInn has been very good on two recent visitswith the likes of Ringwood Boondoggleand Marston’s Pedigree. There is also excellent,reasonably-priced food. Over thesummer bank holiday, their annual Gunfestof music, BBQ etc. also had Arundel Gold,Dark Star Sunburst and Hammerpot ShootingStar in a small beer tent.•HASTINGSAfter a change of landlord the DrippingWell now sells beers from the Hastingsbrewery.Remaining well worth a visit isthe Dolphin where a beer fromSouthDowns (since renamedDownlands) was available on arecent visit.The First In Last Out held a festival ofSussex autumnal ales from 11 to 14 October,featuring blues music on the Thursday.They will also be holding a winter beerfestival to coincide with the Hastings HerringFestival in November.•HORSHAMThe Anchor Hotel is under new managementandkeen to promotelocalales, with WJKing, HarveysandWelton’sforthcoming.Discounts of 10% will be allowed for pintsand halves of real ale for card-carryingCAMRA members. The hotel is again LocAleaccredited and now takes a real cider.•ICKLESHAMThe Queens Head recently had a very successfulmini beer-festival featuring Kentand Sussex beers. Drinkers can now get abeer loyalty card that can also be used atthe Royal Oak, Pett.•LEWESCongratulations to Tony and Dominic atthe Snowdrop Inn, a regional winner in arecord three categories in the Great BritishPub Awards, 2012. The inn was awardedBest Cask Beer Pub, Best Food Pub andBest Free House in the South East & LondonRegion. The awards are organised bythe leading pub industry magazine, thePublican’s Morning Advertiser.Harveys haveacquired Lincolns(previously theRainbow) in theHigh Street.Thought is beinggiven to whetherto change thename back to theRainbow or tosomething elsewith local associations.•NINFIELDThe Blacksmith’s Inn has reopened, servingreal ale.•OVINGA welcome return to the GBG for theGribble Inn: in addition to intended extensionsto the brewery, a planning applicationhas been made to “alter part of bar area tobe used as a Village Store and Tea/CoffeeRooms.” We wish Simon and Nikki well inthis provision of community facilities.•PARTRIDGE GREENThe Dark Star brewery tap, the Partridge,is on the Downs Link Trail and a new entryin the 2013 GBG. You should find Hophead,APA and Partridge Best, plus one ormore from the monthly and/or seasonallists.•PETWORTHA welcome return to the GBG for the Angel:this excellent hotel bar has a growingreputation for the quality of its increasingrange of LocAles.•PORTSLADEThe Stanley Arms website states that inaddition to the regular beer festivals at thepub, they will be holding mini beerfestivalsin their marquee starting in Novemberwith a fest of Scottish ales.•RODMELLThe Abergavenny Arms has recently beentaken over on a long-term lease by JonCleall (who has been manager for a coupleof years) and Lucie Sargent. Harveys isback and one or two other Sussex aleswill also be available.•RYEOnce a GBG-regular, theYpres Castle has new landlordswith choice and qualityof beers once more to the fore,making it a must to visit.Together with the excellentQueens Head, this town is improving forlovers of real ale.•SALEHURSTThe Halt continues to impress with an excellentrange ofbeers,recentlyjoined bythe tasteof mackerel,smoked in-house, as well as homemade scotch eggs –the landlord is always trying somethingnew.•SHIPLEYA welcome return to the GBG for the ruralpub, the Countryman: it has three beers,usually Harveys Best, Dark Star Hopheador Fuller’s London Pride, and a guest thatmay also be LocAle.•SHOREHAM-BY-SEASara - a popular and long-serving face behindthe bar at the Evening Star, Brighton -and her partner, Brodie, have from 1st Octobertaken over as ‘Mine Hosts’ at theDuke of Wellington. Future plans for theSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 78 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012

pub are outlined in the Spotlight on Breweriessection.•SOUTH CHAILEYCongratulations to the Horns Lodge, oneof the four national-finalists in this year’sCAMRA Cider and Perry Pub of the Yearcompetition. See also our p. 21 article.•ST LEONARDS-ON-SEAThe Silverhill Tavern is for sale and weunderstand it is to be turned into flats!After many years of being closed, the WarriorGate, London Rd, has reopened as theSt Leonard and is offering three everchangingreal ales and an excellent winelist: be aware that opening times are Wedto Sat 5-1pm, Sun 12-9pm.With the excellent Horse and Groomnearby, real ale choice in central St Leonardshas never been better in recent years.Once again the lease of the DrippingSpring is up for sale! Quality has, however,remained good.The Tower continues to attract real aledrinkers with many beers still at £2.30 andalways in good condition.The North Star remains well worth a visitwith five ales on and a loyalty card that canbe redeemed at the General Havelock,Hastings.•STEYNINGThe Chequer Inn has improved the beerrange;therearenowonlytworegularbeers,Harveys Best and Fuller’s Gale’s HSB. Ofthe two or three Sussex guest beers, one isSussex Pub Scratchings — continuedfrom Dark Star, while both Arundel andLong Man beers were seen recently.•THAKEHAMBecause the landlord of the White Lionwants tosupportonly independentbreweries,Sharp’sDoom Barhas beenremovedand replaced by Skinner’s Betty Stogs.This fine country pub always has an interestingguest beer, too.•WARTLINGThe Lamb Inn has reopened under newownership.This freehouse hasHarveysBest as apermanentplus HarveysOldas a seasonal and a third beer from a Sussexmicrobrewery.•WEST CHILTINGTONThe Roundabout Hotel now serves a localSussex guest beer; there is fine quality foodavailable here too with reasonably pricedlunches.•WEST ITCHENORDrinkers on a Bus to the Pub trip to theShip Inn enjoyed Arundel Castle and Ballard’sBest, both in excellent condition,while also available was WJ King BrightonBest and a guest, Hop Back Summer Lightning.It was heartening to see a good crowdof both drinkers and diners on a damp, miserableoff-season Wednesday lunchtime.Sussex Pub Scratchings — continued•WORTHINGThe Charles Dickens continues its policyof serving unusual, if not esoteric, guestales. Theakston Lightfoot (4.1%) and HookNorton Cotswold Lion (4.0%) were notedon a recent visit.The Selden Arms now offers wider LocAlechoices from the likes of Downlandsand Kissingateplus othernewerlocalbreweries,such asTurners,Baldy andBedlam, all of this in addition to interestingguests from further afield.Well worth avisit is theCastle Tavernwith Dark StarHophead, HarveysBest andHop BackSummerLightning plusa guest - all at£2.90. N.B.open eveningsonly, Mon to Fri from 5pm and Sat from6pm.An excellent recommendation is the NorthStar, Durrington: after many years absencethis former GBG regular returns to theGuide offering six or more beers includinga selection from the well-regarded EmberInns seasonal Cask Club range. Sampledrecently was Ilkley Mary Jane, quite superband for just £3.00; likewise Everards Sunchaser,at just £2.50.Reported Closures andChanges of UseCHICHESTER: Formerly a pub called theSwan, the restaurant known as No 12 (itsaddress is 12 Westgate) has ceased trading.It has been acquired by Vintage Inns andshould shortly reopen as one of their pubrestaurants.The new name is, as yet, unknown– Swan would be nice.Also closed is the Bush, which may reopenas an Indian restaurant:this change ofuse involves the lossof what might havebeen the last remainingwindowengraved Lambert & Norris (Eagle Brewery,Arundel, closed c. 1915).COOKSBRIDGE: The Pump House,which has been closed for years, has nowbeen demolished and the site is being redeveloped.HASTINGS: Besides the closure of theCrown it is understood that the Nelson hasalso closed; these pubs are in the Old Townand are owned by Punch Taverns and EnterpriseInns respectively.NEWHAVEN: The Harbourside(formerly the Sheffield Arms) is closed.WESTBOURNE: The Good Intent isclosed and in course of conversion to residentialuse.WORTHING: The Globe, Newlands Road,formerly a Brakspear pubco house, is nowclosed and the freehold is being marketedas a redevelopment opportunity with offersinvited in excess of £275k. Following along period of closure, the Clifton Arms,Clifton Road, is now under redevelopment.The Montague Arms remains closed, as ithas been for a couple of years, but still forsale.Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012 910Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012Bus to the PubISupport our Pubs & CountryBus Routes with ‘Bus to thePub’ around Sussexf you would enjoy visiting different pubs with fine ales in friendly convivial companywithout the constraints of the car, then our varied programme of regular daytime ‘Bus tothe Pub’ (BttP) socials may just appeal! With so many good pubs strugglingto survive in the current economic climate and County Council budgetcuts threatening the subsidised bus services that serve their local communities,it is now very much ‘use them or lose them’ time.Friday 16 November: ‘BttP’ East SussexExplorer to Boreham Street,Herstmonceux & Hailsham; 10.52 trainfrom Brighton to Polegate for 11.59 Stagecoach98 to Bulls Head (GBG) returningvia Brewers Arms (GBG) to King’s Head(GBG, opens 4.30pm).Monday 19 November: 'BttP' WesternSussex Explorer to Bosham & Chichester;either 11.03 train from B’ton (changeat Barnham for 12.03) to Bosham thenshort walk to White Swan (GBG), or directto pub by 11.48 Stagecoach 700 from Chi.Return by 700 to the Chichester (GBG) &Belle Isle (new)Friday 30 November: 'BttP' West SussexExplorer to West Chiltington, Nutbourne& Findon; 11.05 Stagecoach 1from Worthing South Street to the FiveBells, Smock Alley (GBG) then onto RisingSun, with a short walk to/from pub andback to Gun Inn, FindonThursday 6 December: 'BttP' MidSussex Explorer to Whitemans Green(Cuckfield) & Staplefield; meet B’tonChurchill Sq. for 10.48 Metrobus 271 tothe Ship (GBG) then onto Jolly Tannerswith possible return via CrawleyThursday 13 December: West SussexExplorer 'BttP' to Royal Oak, FridayStreet; either 11.00 Stagecoach 17 fromB’ton Churchill Sq., or 11.28 Metrobus 23from W’tg Pier, to meet Horsham Bus Stn.for 12.35 Compass 52 to Rusper then shortfootpath walk to pub. Return via Owl,Kingsfold (GBG)Wednesday 19 December: 'BttP' ExploringLewes to savour Harveys ChristmasAle; 10.45 B&H 29 from ChurchillSq. to meet at Brewers Arms (GBG) from11.15 then onwards from approx. NoonThursday 27 December: 'BttP' EastSussex Explorer to Rottingdean & KempTown; meet Dyke Road (stop K) opp ImperialArcade for 11.44 Compass 47 toQueen Victoria & Black Horse then returnto Hand in Hand & Royal Oak (GBG).Friday 4 January: 'BttP' Western SussexExplorer to Yapton, Barnham &Eastergate; Stagecoach 700 (for Southsea)at 10.05 from B’ton; or 11.05 from W’tgPier, to Yapton Sparks Cnr. for walk toMaypole (GBG) (or 12.07 Stagecoach 66from Barnham Stn. direct to MaypoleLane); then 13.37 S.66 to Murrell Arms &again the 66 at 15.11 to Wilkes Head(GBG).Wednesday 9 January: 'BttP' WestSussex Explorer to Sompting & Worthing;meet W’tg South Street for 11.45Compass 7a to Gardeners Arms (GBG)then return to Selden Arms (GBG) andSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 11 12 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012

Bus to the PubBru Newsonto Castle from 5pmThursday 17 January: 'BttP' Mid SussexExplorer to Hurstpierpoint; meetChurchill Sq, for 11.48 Metrobus 273 toWhite Horse brewpub then Poacher (GBG)Wednesday 23 January: 'BttP' EastSussex Explorer to East Dean & Seaford;meet Churchill Sq, for 10.50 B&H 12to Seaford for a quick pint then onwards toTiger Inn (GBG) and return to CinquePorts (GBG) & other Seaford pubsThursday 31 January: 'BttP' Adventureto the Tewkesbury Winter Ales Festival;by through train from Brighton andstaying at the Royal Hop Poles (GBG).Further info From StuartWednesday 6 February: 'BttP' MidSussex Explorer to Ringmer & Lewes;meet Churchill Sq, for 10.55 B&H 28 toAnchor (GBG) then return to Snowdrop(GBG)Friday 15 February: 'BttP' West SussexExplorer to Tillington, Petworth &Many publicans - in particularthose in remote rural areas - aregreatly appreciative of thelengths that the intrepid BttP group go toget to their pubs by bus, none more soVery Best HospitalityByworth; either meet W’tg South Streetfor 11.05 Stagecoach 1, or West St. Chi for10.45 Compass 99 with connection at Petworth,to Horseguards Inn (GBG); thenback to Angel Inn (GBG) and onto to BlackHorse (GBG)Wednesday 20 February: 'BttP' MidSussex Explorer to Isfield, Ringmer &Falmer; 10.45 B&H 29 to Laughing Fish(GBG) then Cock Inn (GBG) and back toSwan (GBG)Wednesday 27 February: 'BttP' WestSussex Explorer to Littlehampton; Stagecoach700 (for Arundel), at 10.15 fromB’ton, 11.17 from W’tg,, to RustingtonChurch for 12.12 Compass 12 to NorfolkRoad and the New Inn (GBG) then ontoNelson, Empress Bar & Crown (GBG)For more info or to join our mailing list:Email stuartelms@ntlworld.com or ringStuart on 07817 058 928The BttP programmes can also be found onthe Arun & Adur Branch website at:www.aaa-camra.org.ukthan Bill and Vicky Parke at the ShipInn, Whitemans Green, Cuckfield. Toovercome a glitch in our BttP planning,Bill and Vicky very kindly opened theirpub on what would normally have beentheir day off, Wednesday 15 August, andalso surprised us by providing our verylarge group with an excellent selection ofsandwiches with chips!Vicky is well known locally in her otherrole as the Mayor of Cuckfield and ourgroup picture shows her resplendent inher red ceremonial robes.Stuart ElmsInformation here is mostlysupplied by the Brewery LiaisonOfficers named at the endof each report. The BreweryLiaison Coordinator for Sussex,Kent and Surrey is PeterPage-Mitchell.1648 BREWING COThe Kings Head, East Hoathly,01825 840830.www.1648brewing.co.ukThe popular summer/autumnbrews, Britannia and LaughingFrog, were held over forlonger. The new winter brew,VSOA, has added rum! Thetraditional dark ales, RubyMild, Winter Warrant, GingerNo. 1, and Smoked Ale are allback. All brews are nowbrewed with only Sussex barley.David PlattADURSteyning, 01903 867614.www.adurvalleycoop.comThe Adur brewery co-operativecontinues to produce the originalrange of Adur beers, includingBlack William, andnow has a delivery van forwider distribution. There isgreat optimism among thethirty members as the brewerysets about commissioning athird fermenter and embarkson a series of improvements.The beers can be found locallyin farmer’s markets, pubs andother outlets such as the SussexProduce store, Steyning.Keep an eye out for morenews on the new websiteshortly to be launched.The QuafferANCHOR SPRINGSLittlehampton, 01903 719086The 4.0% IPA recipe has beenrevised to produce a darkerversion with extra EKG hops.The seasonal porter, BlackPearl (5.2%), will be on salefrom October to March, havingbeen conditioning at the brewerysince January. It is alsoavailable permanently as abottle-conditioned beer, as areLA Gold (3.7%); Riptide(4.1%); Hornblower (4.5%)and Old Mothers Ruin (6.0%).The QuafferARUNDELFord, nr Arundel, 01903733111.www.arundelbrewery.co.ukThis year’s unpredictableweather, together with theOlympics, seem to havedented the pub trade’s summerseason, but contracts fromthree major pubcos kept thebrewery very busy. A fourthsuch deal has just comethrough: collectively, theseagreements will extend considerablythe geographical reachof ‘Arundel Ales’. Heritage IPAat 4.5% has now joined thecore range of beers: it is anevolution of the popular ASB –still amber, but with more hops.The review of branding continues,with yellow lettering replacinggold on the SussexGold pump clips and labels,which now stand out far moreeffectively than before.Jeff VinterBALLARD’SNyewood, 01730 821362.www.ballardsbrewery.org.ukThe brewery has enjoyed abusy summer, is thriving, andthe new website is up andrunning. The bottling plant isable to bottle small batcheswith custom labels. Locals fromthe nearby Hampshire villageof Buriton recently enjoyed abrewery visit to brew their ownbeer. The standard range ofbeers continues to sell well, asdid Diamond Jubilee, bothdraught and bottled. Fran’sHot Hot Hot Chilli Beer wasalso popular at the recent bankholiday Chilli Festival at WestDean House. Ale At Amberleysaw three ‘specials’: EngineeriumMild and Polar Bear,both recognisable to Ballard’sregulars, and Fruit Blush, sospecial that even Fran did notrecognise it! Brewing On theHop was planned for 6-7 Septemberand early plans for theannual Old Bounder BeerWalk brew are being laid. Thewalk takes place on 2 December.Barry WoodwardBASELINESmall Dole, 01903 879111.www.baselinebrewing.co.ukA second fermenter has recentlybeen added. A newbrew soon to be available isHalycon Hop Haze, a 4.0%pale ale made with WarminsterMaris Otter pale malt and Chinookhops. Another brew in thepipeline is Flying Fortress, a9.0% Imperial IPA, whichSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 1314Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012Bru NewsBru News - continuedshould be available in 750 mlbottles with limited stocks incask. A planned open day anda licence for a brewery shopare still on-going.Hugh RobinsonBEACHY HEADEast Dean, 01323 733603.www.beachyhead.org.ukAfter a busy summer thingshave quietened down at thebrewery. Stocks are well upafter a few close calls duringthe last few months. All theales will be available at theEastbourne Beer Festival,including Christmas Ale. TheFamous Ale is available inpins & bottles and a secondbrew with a slightly higher ABVwill be released at the end ofNovember. The brewery’sbeers will be featured at thisyear’s Hanover Beer Festival,Brighton.Tony HarmanBEDLAMAlbourne, 07955 684041.www.bedlambrewery.co.ukBrewing is finally fully underwaywith two beers alreadybrewed, both variants of paleales, known as Brew One(4.8%) and Brew Two (4.2%).The latter is mostly beingbrewed to keep up with demandand has been availableat the Sportsman, GoddardsGreen; the Poachers, Hurstpierpoint;and the Half Moon,Plumpton. It was also on saleat the Hurst Festival Beer Experience,from where the breweryreceived very positive feedback.More beers are in thepipeline, new outlets are beingsought and promotional materialwill be available soon.Peter MitchellBLACK CATGroombridge, 07948 387718.The brewery is in steady production.There are no new puboutlets and Marcus has beentoo busy with his airline job toincrease output at the presenttime. He is about to brew agreen hop beer for the Kentevent of that name and alsohopes to do a winter beer lateron in the season.David MooreBRIGHTON BIER COThe Hand in Hand, Brighton,01273 699595.Beers will be available in theHand in Hand from October,with a full launch soon after.The first beer will be a MaplePorter to be followed by No.1in the ‘hopped up pale ale’series, entitled 50 Ways toLeave Your Lager. Alsoplanned in the run up to Christmasis a special event at theHand in Hand that will featurea range of new Brighton BierCo ales - watch this space!Jim HawkinsDARK STARPartridge Green, 01403713085.www.darkstarbrewing.co.ukAnother speciality beer, BelgianIPA, has been bottled.You may have been luckyenough to have spotted this incask as there was an overrunwhen the brewers (accidentallyon purpose!) brewed morethan was needed and that veryexclusive few casks found theirway onto a few bars. Beers tolook out for over the next fewmonths include GreenHopped IPA (also in bottle),brewed with the very first of theseason’s Simcoe hops freshfrom the bine; then for Novemberthere is the rather pretentioussounding Rock Star,which is really an opportunityfor Dark Star and Magic Rockbrewers working together touse some obscure specialistmalts with an overdose ofhops; and finally, to finish theyear, December brings a returnof Winter Solstice.Stuart ElmsDOWNLANDSUnit Z (2a), Mackley IndustrialEstate, Small Dole, West Sussex,BN5 9XE,01273 495596.www.downlandsbrewery.com /info@downlandsbrewery.comThe SouthDowns brewery haschanged its name toDownlands brewery with a newwebsite as above. All brewingis now taking place at SmallDole. An open day was heldthere at the end of Septemberto celebrate the move to theirown premises and to launchtheir fourth beer, Three Rings.Named after the three SussexRings - Chanctonbury, Cissburyand Lancing - this 5.2%pale ale is infused with fruityflavours. A limited run ofChristmas beer, strong anddark at 7.4%, is currently mellowingand will be availablefrom mid-December.Roger CotonFALLEN ANGELEast Hoathly, 07549 638021.www.fallenangelbrewery.comA reliable source informs usthat Fallen Angel is no longeroperational, that the new ownersno longer wish to keep thebrewery running and are to selloff the equipment. There hasbeen no response to answerphonemessages requestingupdates.BLO TBCFILOHastings, 01424 425079.www.filobrewing.co.ukTwo new special brews, PirateGold (5.6%, brewed for HastingsPirate Day) and BourneBlonde (4.0%, for the Seafoodand Wine Festival) have beenso well received that they areto be added to the brewery’sportfolio. Regular beers -Churches Pale Ale, Crofters,Gold and Old Town Tom -remain as popular as ever.Bill TurnerFRANKLIN’SBexhill, 01424 731066.www.franklinsbrewery.co.ukThere is a new partner/headbrewer, Steve Medniuk. Stevehas been a brewer for sometime and joins Franklin’s after acouple of years at Dark Star.There are plans to expand thebrewery in the not-too-distantfuture with a 10 or possibly a15 barrel plant. New pumpclips have been designed andlook rather splendid, resemblingbottle tops. New beersthat have appeared are EnglishGarden (3.8%), PuddingStout (4.2%) and Citra IPA(5.5%).Mac McCutcheonFULL MOONCatsfield, 07832 220745.www.fullmoonbrewery.co.ukIn addition to the regulars Hopdanceand Celestial Blonde,a new beer, Red Pacific isnow available. At 4.8% andbased on an American amberale, it is brewed with Germanred, crystal and Vienna maltsas well as Maris Otter to give ared ale with a malt taste withoutbeing overly rich. It is thenheavily hopped with a shedload of Australian hops andfermented with American yeastto give a beer that is dry andfruity. It is hoped to bring out adarker beer later in the year,perhaps a stout although detailsare still undecided. Salesare increasing slowly and thebrewery recently provided allthe ale at the Over the MoonFestival in East Sussex as wellas their two regular beers tothe Eastbourne Beer Festival.Peter HarrisonGRIBBLEThe Gribble Inn, Oving, nrChichester, 01243 786893.www.gribbleinn.co.ukThe bank holiday beer festivalwas a success offering fourciders and twelve cask ales,with a predominantly caninetheme. Beers such as BullmastiffSon of a Bitch and MarstonMoor Mongrel were complementedwith an extra Gribblebrew, Flint’s Ultimate FullGlory, a 6.0% special in honourof the brewery’s mutt. TenGribble ales in total contributedto the event. A planning applicationis under way to extendthe brewery to include additionalstorage and a bottlingplant, amongst other improvementsto the pub. We wishSimon and Nikki well with this.Chris WrightHAMMERPOTPoling, nr Arundel, 01903883338.www.hammerpot-brewery.co.ukThe big news out of the Vinerythis month is that the breweryhas concluded a deal for theirbeers to be distributed througha limited number of Asdastores - a clear improvement inthe average quality of Asdabeer but also the cue for franticbottling operations that areongoing! Otherwise thingsremain relatively routine; summerbusiness was somewhataffected by the Olympics andother distractions; but demandremains strong, the seasonalbeers are on their way and aprogressive updating of thebrewery kit is well underway aswell.Tim WalkerHARVEYSLewes, 01273 480209.www.harveys.org.ukPrince of Denmark wasnamed Supreme Champion atthe 2012 International BeerChallenge, London, where inthe final round it was upagainst nine other beers fromaround the world. Lewes Cas-tle Brown Ale won the GoldAward at the PeterboroughBeer Festival in the Porter/Stout/strong dark beer category.Harveys will be sponsoringthe Battersea Beer Festivalin February, where draughtPrince of Denmark will beavailable - a good reason toattend the festival if ever therewas one!Jack WilkinsonHASTINGSSt Leonards-on-Sea, 01424205437.www.hastingsbrewery.co.ukThe number of brews per weekis being increased due to demandand the brewery’s beersare appearing as far as Brighton(The Setting Sun), RoyalTunbridge Wells (The Bedford)and Carshalton (The Hope).Polypins are being sold onlineand beer also sold to the publicin 5-litre minicasks. All four ofthe standard beers were at theEastbourne Beer Festival:Best, Blonde, HPA and Porter.The latter is now sold allyear round and is proving verypopular.Peter Page-MitchellHEPWORTH & COHorsham, 01403 269696.www.thebeerstation.co.ukAndy is pleased that the companyis generally buoyant, withcask sales up 20% and bottledsales up 22%. He notes thatgenerally, through talking toother brewers in the trade, thesmaller, quality brewers arealso doing well. Launched inJune, the 2.5% Olympian Alesold very well. It is to continueas a regular part of the portfoliobut renamed - watch thisspace. Harvest Ale at 4.5% isthe autumn seasonal ale andwas launched at the end ofSeptember. Conqueror Stoutat 4.5% is currently on saleduring September and Octo-Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012 1516Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012

Bru News - continuedBru News - continuedber, to be followed by Old Alewhich, this year, is to belaunched at a function in theCarfax at Horsham. The popularChristmas Cracker Ale, a4.8% spiced version of OldAle, will again be availablethorough November to December.John KellerISFIELD BREWING COFramfield, 01825 750633 /07803 716758.enquiries@isfieldbrewing.co.ukSales of Imperial Pale Ale andStraw Blond have increasedthroughout August and September,especially of the latterbeer, which is particularlypopular at the Laughing Fish,Isfield, and the Cock Inn, Ringmeramong other outlets. Toadin the Ale, a 4.8% dark, premiumbitter was launched inearly October with the Toad inthe Hole fraternity in mind. Asham Food and Wine Festivalsaw the launch of Old, which isalso already available in bottles.The team’s bottled beerswon three gold awards at therecent annual Great Tasteawards and the brewery isagain a finalist in the SussexFood and Drinks Awards. Atlong last, Kings is availableagain in Horsham, with boththe Anchor (previously Bar Vin)and the Crown now selling it.Ian also continues to run regular‘Meet the Brewer’ evenings,including a recent one at Pubdu Vin, Brighton. Look out forOld Smokey, a new 5.1% beerfor the Bonfire Season usingmalt smoked in Arundel, andMerry Ale at Christmas.Mike HeadKISSINGATELower Beeding, 07909 975664.www.kissingate.co.ukIt was no surprise that Kissinseasonalbrew for Novemberor December will be Flapjack,a 5.3% oatmeal stout. Thewebsite given in the last issueis not yet up and running butother contact details are asabove.Peter AdamsKEMPTOWNThe Hand in Hand, Brighton,01273 699595.www.kemptownbrewery.comKemptown ales are availableexclusively at the Hand inHand brewpub where Gold(4.0%, pale ale) and Red(4.5%, amber) are currently ontap, with the new stout, Black,coming soon.Jim HawkinsWJ KING & COHorsham, 01403 272102.www.kingbeer.co.ukA well attended open day inSeptember as part of the Hor-gate’s first appearance at theGreat British Beer Festival waswith Black Cherry Mild. Fourkilderkins were quickly consumedat this year’s event.Gary explained that “it was afantastic week for us as newbies.Our presence there didmuch to promote our brewery”.Six Crows (6.6%) and Mary’sRuby Mild (6.5%) have alsomade it to the final of the BarleyWine/Strong Old Ale Categoryin the CAMRA London &South East ‘heat’ of the ChampionBeer of Britain Competition.New beers for the winterseason are Stout‘Extreme’ (6.0%) and ToffeeCog (5.0%). Sales of corebeers remain high within anever-increasing portfolio of freehouses. Kissingate also supplythe pubcos Wetherspoon,Indigo and DrinkinBrighton.The brewery itself continues toattract visitors from near andfar. Gary and Bunny haverecently invested in new fixturesand fittings and particularlyenjoy developing this sideof the business.Roy BrayKITCHEN GARDENSheffield Park, 01825 790775.www.kitchengardenbrewery.co.uk.Three new beers are availablefor this autumn: Hazel (4.5%)is an extra special bitterbrewed with Hazelnuts givingchocolaty undertones. This richale uses Brambling Cross andGoldings with some wheatadded. Vintner’s (4.7%) isbrewed with champagne yeastand New Zealand Nelson Sauvinhops - an incredible hopthat gives a cool-climate whitewinegooseberriness. Youngvine shoots are also added tothe boil. Bonfire (5.7%) is apowerful copper-coloured bitterwith a smoky, burnt aftertaste.It is brewed with a mixture ofVienna, Munich and Pilsnermalts with Tettnanger andSaaz hops, so is a sort of Octoberfest.Jason PhillipsLANGHAMLodsworth, Petworth, 01798860861.www.langhambrewery.co.ukSunday 7 October saw the sunshining on the 5th AnnualConker tournament at thebrewery. The stage was setwith five bands playing in theshadow of the fermenters,(named Fanny, Fatima, Fredaand Fiona - I kid you not!) andover sixty competitors battlingto be Senior and Junior Champion.Steam engine andsteamroller rides; hot food andbar; and a collection of ruralcraft stalls that had adultsweaving willow wands andchildren decorating cupcakes,all of which helped to raiseover £400 for Macmillan Charity!On the beers front, Autumn-aleis brewed with Horshamhops and fermented withhoney; there is the usualChristmas Cracker surprise(what will it be this year?) andXXX is the 4.4% winterwarmer. Flor-ale was awardedjoint winner of LocAle of thefestival at this year’s YaptonBeerex and the brewery islooking forward to welcomingWestern Sussex CAMRA toLodsworth in November tomake their presentation. Somefresh surprises for the springare being trialed on the newtest brew kit and a few experimentalrecipes are lined up …so watch this space.Peter LuffLONG MANLitlington, 07976 777992.www.longmanbrewery.cominfo@longmanbrewery.comA fourth fermenting vessel hasnow been installed to keep upwith demand. The beers arenow available in Cornwall andLincolnshire thanks to brewer-ies in those local areas. Twonew beers have been added tothe range: a seriously hoppedAmerican Pale Ale at 4.8%,and the old ale, Old Man, at4.3%.Scott O’RourkePIN UPUnit 2, Rocks Farm BusinessCentre, Burnt Oak Road, StoneCross, East Sussex, TN6 3SJ,01892 611411www.pinupbeers.com /info@pinupbeers.comThe following beers are beingbrewed: Pale Ale (5.1%), MilkStout (4.5%), Red Head(4.2%), Honey Brown (4.0%),The Brunette (4.0%), NaturalBlonde (3.8%). On the brewerywebsite can be viewed theaccounts where the beers areon sale. Cask versions arecurrently available at Drinkin-Brighton outlets, although notin all their pubs at all times(check out the situation atwww.drinkinbrighton.co.uk).Bottled beers are sold throughNicolas Wine Stores, London.BLO TBCRECTORYStreat, 01273 890570.Rector’s Light Relief (4.5%)brewed with Harveys’ yeastwas well received at the GreatBritish Beer Festival. Godfreysaid the second batch of theDiamond Jubilee Ale (6.0%)was brewed in readiness forhis birthday! Rector’s Revenge(5.0%) was available inSeptember and the Old Ale(5.0%) on sale in October.Bonfire Toffee Ale (5.0%) willbe making its usual appearancein November; Godfreytells me he has firm orders allready. Godfrey and Miles Jennerhosted joint tours of Harveys’brewery on 4 October inconjunction with the SnowdropInn Beer Festival.Paul FreeSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 1718Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012Bru News - continuedCider and PerryROTHER VALLEYNorthiam, 01797 252922.To satisfy demand, GoldenValley, a 4.2% wheat beer, isnow available all year round. Anew brew, Ruby Wheat Beer,dark at 4.5% and made withchallenger hops, has alsoproved popular and a secondbatch will be available in October.This year’s hops lookextremely good due to a dryharvest period.Dawn LincolnTURNERSRingmer, 07710 581042 /08456 892689.www.turnersbrewery.comdavidelford@turnersbrewery.comSteady progress is being madein having the brewery fullyinstalled and operational atHighfield Farm on The Broylein Ringmer. A few minor inconvenienceswith National Powerhave caused a slight delay, butit is expected to be fully opera-tional by the time you read this.The successful Summer Ale isnow replaced by East SussexBitter, 3.9% and available inPins and Firkins. Also nowavailable for order is the newRuby Mild, 4.6% with asmooth chocolaty finish. Completingthe four beers currentlyavailable are Golden Ale,3.5%, and Best, 4.1%. Pleasecontact David Elford (details asabove) to order any of thesefantastic four from the brewery.Ruth AndersonWELTON’SHorsham, 01403 242901.www.weltonsbeer.co.uk.Welton’s continue their busyperiod with an order to brew23,000 pints for the WetherspoonAutumn Beer Festival atthe end of October, including aspecial beer called AutumnShades. Pride ‘n’ Joy is nowat the Queens Head, BarnsGreen while the Sir RogerTichborne, Alford Bars, likes tohave the darker Welton’sbeers. The new brewer mayleave the brewery if his rockband gets a recording deal butif not, look out for HeadlessHorseman in November andDreadnought to follow. Therewill be fifteen Christmas beersthis year including the followingfive: Deep & Crisp & Even; St.Stephen; a German StilleNacht wheat beer with corianderflavours; a version of theever popular Horsham Oldwith nutmeg; and also ImperialFestive at 9.0%, which will beavailable in bottles.Nigel BullenCIDER HOUSE NOTESell, here’s a fine to do! No bigapple crops this year, in fact aW very sorry state in our orchardsnationally due to the poor summer (!?)weather, which doesn’t bode well for ciderdrinkers in the next couple of years. Somecider makers release their cider as soon asit has stopped fermenting, as early asMarch-April following the harvest; butothers only release it after a couple ofyears, which is what JB of Maplehurst does– hence we won’t have much cider fromhim in about 2015. So start storing somecider for the future! Mind you - that is easierwhen it’s the bottled stuff, as otherwisethe precious juice doesn’t keep very well.And JB’s cider is now available in bottles,through the Horsham brewery of Ray Welton,and it tastes beautiful! Proper bottleconditionedstuff, too, so approved of byCAMRA.I hope you have been enjoying any beerand cider festivals around you over the lastfew months, as there was a profusion ofsmall festivals due to the Royal Wedding,Royal Jubilee, and the Olympics. I managedin August to get along to the DewDrop and Eagle Joint Cider Festival atEastbourne, which had a very reasonableselection on between the two pubs; abouttwelve ciders and perries if I remembercorrectly (hic!). And then there were theregular Beer and Cider Festivals of Ardingly(7-8 July), Amberley (30 Aug-1Sept), and Horsham (15-16 Sept), withEastbourne (4-6 Oct) and Worthing (19-20Oct) still to happen as I write.October is CAMRA’s Cider and Perrymonth, so I organised a couple of events,which will also have happened by the timeyou read this – my traditional Lewes CiderCrawl (pictured) on 14 October, and a tripto pick apples at JB’s on 28 October(though, as mentioned earlier, there won’tbe much of a crop to pick up!). Here’s hopingthat you enjoy any events that you discoveraround you.Of course,the nextevent tolook forwardto inthe cidercalendar isthe Wassail– traditionallythe evening of 5 January(Twelfth Night), which is when BroadwoodMorris men will be wassailing JB’s orchard,though nowadays it can happen atany time throughout January. Look out foryour local ones and try it out for yourself –any opportunity to savour one of our favouritenational drinks should be grabbed!WassailJackie JohnsonSurrey and Sussex RegionalCider CoordinatorSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 1920Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012

Congratulations to Mike and LindaLethem at the Horns Lodge, SouthChailey!They won through to the final round ofonly four pubs in this year’s National CiderPub of the Year Competition. For a pubthat serves one cider all year round, with anadditional perry or cider in summer, this isall the more a tremendous achievementwhen being judged against pubs whichserve a wide range of ciders and perries.But it is, of course, the quality of the product- and the service, welcome, and knowledgeof the staff – that is of paramount importance.Cider and PerryHorns Lodge: National CiderPub of the Year FinalistAs mentioned in the last issue, the HornsLodge has also been voted the Brightonand South Downs Branch Country Pub ofthe Year and received the Runner-Up certificatein that same branch’s overall POTYcompetition. So this makes it a hat-trick ofawards this year!Mike and Linda were presented on Saturday6 October with their finalist certificateby Jackie Johnson, Regional Cider Coordinatorfor Surrey and Sussex. They wereoverwhelmed by their success and enormouslypleased to receive the award.Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012 2122 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012Pub of the YearSUSSEXPUB OF THE YEAROur last issue featured all five of our localPubs of the Year for 2012 in Sussexas voted for by their respective CAMRAbranches. The Western Sussex branchchoice, the Wilkes Head, Eastergate, hassince won both the overall SussexBranches Pub of the Year and the Surrey& Sussex Regional POTY awards. Photographshown landlord Trevor Brown(centre) holding the Sussex BranchesPOTY certificate at the presentation onSaturday 25 August. Trevor is flanked byPeter Page-Mitchell, Sussex Area Organiser,and Philip Wildsmith, Western SussexBranch Chair (left and right in paleblue) along with a contingent of otherbranch members. We will have anotherphotograph for you in the next issue becausethe Regional POTY presentation isto take place at the Wilkes Head on Saturday24 November; please note the11am pub opening on that date.Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012 2324 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012

Diary DatesBEER FESTIVALS AND OTHER DELIGHTSCAMRA EVENTS IN BOLD. For FREE inclusion in this column, contact the Editor; forPAID advertisements contact Neil Richards. Copy-by date and contact details on p. 3.Nov 20 South East Sussex CAMRACOTY Presentation to Albatross R.A.F.A.Club, 15 Marine Parade, Bexhill-on-Sea,01424 212916, please note 8pm timeNov 23-25 Constitutional Club 3rd OpenAnnual Beer Festival, 139 High Street,Lewes, 01273 473076,www.lewesconclub.comNov 24 CAMRA Regional Surrey &Sussex POTY Presentation to WilkesHead, Church Lane, Eastergate, 01243543380, please note 11am opening on thatdayDec 2 Ballard’s Walk; meet 10am at thebrewery, the Old Sawmill, Nywood; forcoach details please contact Pete Brown on01243 552908 (H), 07790 627378 (M), orby email at peteb@custardtowers.plus.com.Jan 12 Sussex Branches Liaison Meeting,Bull Inn, 4-5 Market Road, Chichester,01243 792432Jan 25-27 12th Selden Arms Winter BeerFestival, 41 Lyndhurst Road, WorthingFeb 8-10 33rd Stanley Arms Beer Festival,47 Wolseley Road, Portslade, 01273430234, www.thestanley.comFeb 28-Mar 2 23rd SUSSEXBRANCHES BEER & CIDER FESTI-VAL, Hove Centre, Norton Road, Hove(see inside feature and back page advert)BALLARD’S BEER WALKAcharitywalk isheldfrom Ballard’sBrewery on thefirst Sunday ofeach December(this year, Sunday2 December) to launch the new beer in theOld Bounder series. The brewery is openfrom 10am to 12noon; all our beers andmerchandise are on sale and a third of theproceeds are donated to a local charity.The route through the West Sussex lanesand footpaths can vary according tochoice from two and a half to approxseven miles, taking in up to four localpubs. There will be a Mummers play per-formed at the brewery and some of thepubs. All comers are welcome but wearsuitable footwear!Courtesy of Chris Pearce, the WesternSussex branch will again be running a busto-and-from the walk, calling at Worthing,Littlehampton, Yapton, Barnhamand Chichester, also visiting a couple ofpubs on the way back. Tickets for thecoach are now on sale at £10 per seat.Please contact Pete Brown on 01243552908 (H), 07790 627378 (M), or byemail at peteb@custardtowers.plus.com.Philip Wildsmith and Pete BrownWestern Sussex BranchSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 2526 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012Spotlight on BreweriesLOCALE ACCREDITATIONS, 2012LocAle - the local branch initiative thatbecame a national campaign – has its ownsymbol in the GBG 2013. Ask your localpublican to source any of the superb range ofbeers available within 30 miles of their pubfrom the Sussex breweries listed in Bru News.Pubs closer to the Sussex border will naturallybe able to source beers from any of thequalifying breweries in east Hants, southSurrey or west Kent as appropriate to gainLocAle accreditation.North Sussex BranchBarns Green: Queens Head; Bolney: EightBells; Broadbridge Heath: BroadbridgeHeath Village Club; Colmans Hatch: HatchInn; Cowfold: Coach House, Hare & Hounds;Crawley: Brewery Shades, Frogshole Farm,Swan; Danehill: Coach & Horses; DragonsGreen: George & Dragon; East Grinstead:Sportsman; Handcross: Red Lion, RoyalOak; Hartfield: Anchor Inn; Horsham: AnchorHotel, Beer Essentials, Black Jug, MaltShovel, Piries Bar; Kingsfold: Owl; LambsGreen: Lamb Inn; Maplehurst: White Horse;Nuthurst: Black Horse; Rowfant: RowfantHouse; Rowhook: Chequers Inn;Sharpthorne: Vinols Cross; Southwater:Cock Inn, Hen & Chicken; Staplefield: JollyTanners; Warnham: Sussex Oak;Warninglid: Half Moon; Withyham: DorsetArmsArun & Adur BranchAmberley: Sportsman; Houghton(Amberley): Bridge; Angmering: SpottedCow; Ashurst: Fountain; Byworth: BlackHorse; Dial Post: Crown; Duncton:Cricketers; East Preston: Clockhouse;Findon: Snooty Fox; Littlehampton: Crown,New Inn, Nelson; Partridge Green: Partridge;Petworth: Angel; Shipley: Countryman;Sompting: Gardeners; Steyning: Chequer;Stopham: White Hart; Thakeham: WhiteLion; West Chiltington: Five Bells;Worthing: Castle Tavern, Cricketers,Parsonage Bar & Restaurant, Selden Arms,Spy Glass, SwanSouth East Sussex BranchBerwick: Cricketers’ Arms; Bexhill-on-Sea:Albatross R.A.F.A. Club; Boreham Street:Bulls Head; Cade Street: Half Moon;Crowborough: Coopers Arms, Wheatsheaf;Eastbourne: Counting House, Crown, Eagle,Ship, Victoria; East Dean: Tiger Inn; EastHoathly: Kings Head; Hadlow Down: NewInn; Hailsham: King’s Head; Hastings: Firstin Last Out, White Rock Hotel;Herstmonceux: Brewers Arms; Icklesham:Robin Hood; Littlington: Plough and Harrow;Lower Willingdon: Wheatsheaf; MaynardsGreen: Runt in Tun; Milton Street: SussexOx; Robertsbridge: George; Rye: Queen’sHead, Ship; Salehurst: Halt; St Leonards-on-Sea: Dripping Spring, Silverhill TavernBrighton and South Downs BranchBarcombe: Royal Oak; Brighton: Battle ofTrafalgar, Colonnade Bar, Evening Star,Greys, Hand in Hand, Mitre Tavern, PumpHouse, Royal Oak, Victory Inn; Burgess Hill:Quench Bar; Cuckfield (Whitemans Green):Ship; Falmer: Swan Inn; Five Ash Down: Pig& Butcher; Hove: Cliftonville, Neptune;Hurstpierpoint: Poacher; Isfield: LaughingFish; Lewes: Brewers Arms, ConstitutionalClub, Elephant & Castle, Gardener’s Arms,John Harvey Tavern, Snowdrop Inn;Plumpton: Half Moon; Ringmer: Anchor,Cock Inn; Rottingdean: Olde Black Horse;Queen Victoria; Scaynes Hill: Sloop;Seaford: Cinque Ports, Old Plough,Wellington Hotel; Shoreham-by-Sea: Duke ofWellington; South Chailey: Horns Lodge;Uckfield: Alma; Wivelsfield Green: CockInn.Western Sussex BranchBosham: White Swan; Chichester: Bull Inn,Chichester Inn, Four Chesnuts; Compton:Coach and Horses; East Ashling: Horse andGroom; Eastergate: Wilkes Head; Halnaker:Anglesey Arms; Henley: Duke of CumberlandArms; Midhurst: Swan Inn; Milland: BlackFox; Oving: Gribble Inn; Rogate: WhiteHorse; Selsey: Seal Hotel; Stoughton: Hareand Hounds; Westbourne: Stag’s Head;Yapton: MaypoleStar Awards and AttractionsWhile Team GB athletes were taking goldmedals at the Olympics, Dark Star brewerywas taking gold awards at Olympia in theChampion Beer of Britain Competition.American Pale Ale (APA) won Gold in theGolden Ale category, while Festival didlikewise in the Strong Bitter category. Andjust to add to this already magnificentachievement, APA also won bronze in theoverall CBOB judging. At the London &South East Regional stage of the 2011/12CBOB competition leading up to theseOlympia awards, Dark Star were awardedGold for APA, Festival and Bottled ImperialStout; and Bronze for Hophead, Saisonand cask Imperial Stout, all in their respectivecategories. Also secured was overallRegional Winner,whichKevin Travers,RegionalCBOB Coordinator,is pictured(left) presentingto headbrewer Mark Tranter with Brewery LiaisonOfficer Stuart Elms on the right.Dark Star is now the proud owner of a bus,which had its first outing during the recentHopfest. Prompted by their accountantNigel Hartley - himself an enthusiast – thebrewery purchased an ex-Southdown Bris-tol VRT, fleet no. 638 of 1978 vintage.Now repaintedin traditionalleaf green andcream, withadded breweryadverts, thebus will bebased at theAmberley Museum. The 638 is picturedwith a nonchalant Nigel Hartley.The three-day Hopfest event saw well overa thousand people visit the brewery to enjoytastingsessions,musicand a fewwords from Mark Tranter. Visitors weretreated to the launch of the 6.5% 2012Green Hopped IPA as well as samplingAmerican Pale Ale, Partridge Best, Festival,Dark Star Original and of course, Hophead.Festivities were spread between thebrewery and the Brewery Tap, the Partridge,where live music kept the drinkers’toes tapping. Others ventured out on thebrewery’s vintage bus for a tour to Hepworthbrewery in Horsham and then on tosee Ross at Surrey Hills brewery beforereturning to the Partridge. It was great tosee such a large number and sheer range ofpeople attending and Dark Star hope thatSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 2728 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012

Spotlight on BreweriesSpotlight on Breweries - continuednext year’s Hopfest will be even bigger andbetter.Dark Star has always enjoyed being at thecentre of rumours and they have been flatteredof late by the concern that they areselling their Shoreham-by-Sea pub, theDuke of Wellington. The truth is far moreinteresting. With a strong feeling of historyrepeatingitself, RobJones willbe takingover thepub with aplan tobuild amicrobrewery in the cellar. For any readerthat is too young to remember the historyof Dark Star, it was Rob that started thewhole thing with a tiny brewery in the cellarof the Evening Star, Brighton. Rob wasresponsible for developing the aromatic,hoppy Dark Star style, and probably responsiblefor enlightening many beer loversto the extreme variety of ales possible.Rob remains very careful not to give anyindication of when we can expect the firstbrew but he is warning everyone not toexpect anything soon.The Great Taste of WJ KingCongratulations to WJ King whose HorshamBest, Red River and Brighton Blondeall took gold at the coveted Great Taste2012 awards after being judged by a panelof 350 of the nation’s most discerning foodand drink experts over forty-five days.Judges this year included Pete Brown - ‘thebeer drinker’s Bill Bryson’; Charles Campion- restaurant critic and Masterchefjudge; and over 300 food buyers from leadingfood halls, delicatessens and farmshops, including Harrods, Selfridges andFortnum & Mason.To achieve Gold in Great Taste is a significantachievement for any food or drinkproducer and results are always eagerlyawaited. The scheme, run by the Guild ofFine Food, has been described as the epicureanequivalent of the Booker Prize and in2012 a total of 8,807 different food anddrink products were entered. ‘This means alot to us here at WJ King”, said Ian Burgess,Head Brewer. “It is the first time thatwe have entered any of our beers into theseawards and are thrilled to have won goldstars for Horsham Best and Red River, twoof the old favourites that have been with usfor over ten years, and for BrightonBlonde, the latest beer to be added to ourcabinet of some of the finest real ales inSussex.’Baldy MovementsThings are moving on well for our recentlyestablished BaldyBrewery. The Aleat Amberley festivalwent splendidlyfor themand the Horsham Beer Festival gave owner-brewer Keith Donoghue some very goodreviews. The brewery has now moveddown from Southwater into a small barn onParham House Estate. By the time you readthis, a new stainless kit will have arrivedand production restarted. Some upcomingopen days and events are planned, so keepan eye on the brewery website:www.thebaldybrewery.co.ukStanley Craft AlesA new venture from the award-winningpub, the Stanley Arms, Portslade, brewingis presentlytaking placeat the RectoryAlessite. The firstbeer, BarbsBelter(4.0%), waslaunched to great acclaim in June at theSouth Downs Beer and Cider Festival,Lewes. The Belter has proved very popularand is a regular on the hand pumps at theStanley alongside their second beer,Brenchley Best (4.3%). Named after theirtrainee brewer Sam, this is slightly darker,slightly sweeter, a tad maltier and goingdown very well. Owner Steve Bennett isplanning further brews and is hoping tofind his own premises and equipment.Seasons Greetings!Make your Christmas party an extra specialoccasion with a barrel of Langham Ale fromyour local brewery !!!!For all your Christmas needs-from a firkin to apint to put in your Christmas pudding and festivebeer boxes with 3 of your favourite ales inbottles-the perfect Christmas gift!!01798 860 861 • 07789112559 • 07786215908•07795233480The Old Granary, Langham Lane, Lodsworth,West Sussex GU27 9BUGoldmarkLong-term home brewer and trained biochemistMark Lehmannintends have anew 10-barrel breweryfully operationalin the Littlehampton/Rustington area bynext spring. GoldmarkCraft Beers areinfluenced both bythe finest British alesand the best of whatthe rest of the worldhas to offer. Plans are to have the range ofbeers finalised by the end of the year.Mark’s own recipes are currently beingcontract-brewed and his 4.0% GoldmarksLiquid Gold debuted at the Worthing BeerFestival in October.Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012 2930 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012fter a week of strong winds andheavy rain, Saturday 29 SeptemberA dawned as a beautifully calm andsunny autumn day. What better to do thanvisit a brewery? We set off over the Downsfor a brisk two-hour walk, passing DevilsDyke and the Shepherd & Dog pub in Fulking(alas no time to stop) before crossingsome fields and through a very muddywood to reach the Mackley Industrial Estatein Small Dole.Lurking amongst the drab buildings of theestate we found the Downlands Brewery.What, you may ask, yet another new Sussexbrewery? Well, yes and no. Downlandsis the new name of the former SouthDownsBrewery, run by brewer widdi, and todaywas their official opening day.We were greeted by the sight of a temporaryscaffolding stillage loaded with thebrewery’s wares.Downlands Brewery Open DayDownlands BreweryOpen Daypubs.One further item completed the display –an anonymous unmarked 10-litre beerbox.Enquiries of the bar staff revealed this to bean early sample of their, as yet unnamed,Christmas beer. Expected to come out at7.4%, this was an inky black full-bodiedbeer with tastes of coffee, chocolate, maltand spice. With a further two months tospend in the conditioning tank this wasimmature, but the potential was alreadyobvious – I can’t wait for December!Downlands Brewery Open Dayfor Downlands Brewery. If you run a freehouse in Sussex expect him to be visitingyou soon!Behind the stillage was something not usuallyseen in a brewery – crates of apples.Off to one side, Geoff, owner of the Shepherd& Dog, was feeding apples into anoversized garden shredder and the resultingmush into a water-powered press. The applejuice will be left to ferment at the brew-ery over the winter and should produce acider next spring. Look out for it at the pubsometime next year.After a pleasant afternoon sampling thebeers and chatting topeople, we realised wewere the last visitorsleft and it was time tomake our way home. Agentle stroll over fieldsand along the banks ofthe River Adur took usto Upper Beeding. Bynow it was getting darkand a full moon was just peeping over thehorizon. The welcome sight of the lights ofa Brighton bus appeared along the road andsoon conveyed us home to Hangleton - theend of a perfect day out.Roger Coton and Jackie JohnsonBrighton and South Downs BranchFour of the beers we already knew –Ruskin’s Ram; Truleigh Gold; Devils DykePorter and its honey variant. But there werealso new beers to sample. Devils DykeCamp & Spicy (5.0%) another, lightlyspiced version of the Porter; Green Hops(4.4%) a one-off special for the opening,brewed with this season’s hops collected inFulking village; and Three Rings (5.2%) astrong pale ale, a new addition to the beerlist and which should be soon appearing inLooking amongst the assembled visitors Isaw a familiar face – Phil Ayling, the HarveysBrewery Rep. What was he doing hereand sporting a smart new DownlandsBrewery t-shirt? It turns out that aftertwenty years at Harveys he has decided totry pastures anew and will soon be the repSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 3132 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012

WCAMRA TASTING PANELSith so many new breweries inSussex it is helpful if theirbeers are officially tasted sothat they can be placed in the correct categoryand good, accurate tasting notes areavailable. Forsome time therehas not been anofficial tasting inSussex so theseissues have notbeen addressed. Amember of SouthEast SussexBranch, ScottO'Rourke, hasagreed to chair theEast Sussex TastingPanel. Following a good session inEastbourne recently, Scott is planninganother session, this time in Hastings atthe White Rock Hotel on 7 November.Once members have undertaken the sessionthey will be encouraged to take tastingcards, fill in a card where and wheneverthey find locally-produced real ale,and return the completed card to Scott.Attendance at further meetings is optionaland there is no time limit for filling in thecards. After several tastings of the samebeer have been recorded, a true idea ofstyle and character will be established.Peter Page-MitchellSouth East Sussex Branch and SussexArea OrganiserCat & Canary PubUpper Station Road, Henfield, BN5 9PJComing soon tothe Cat andCanary...The Alice Band22nd December from 8pmNew Years Eve Disco31st December from 8pmAnd Many Other Bands ToFollow In The New Year!01273 429509catandcanary@hotmail.co.ukSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 33Inn FocusStanding at thebar in the RedLion, TurnersHill, surrounded bythe chatter of moderndayconversation, youcould be forgiven fornot knowing that thebuilding has a historystretching back almost200 years. 1818 wasonly three years afterthe Battle of Waterloo,and, of course,the very year that thegreat revolutionarythinker, Karl Marxwas born.Records show that theRed Lion opened itsdoors for the first timein March of that year, owned by one WilliamGardner. The house was to changehands more than a dozen times in the nexthundred years, until around the time of theFirst World War when it was owned byAlice Smith, in whose family it remainedfor some time. In the various Deeds andDocuments available, there is curiouslyvery little reference to the actual pub.What seemed of more importance was the“half an acre of land more or less” onwhich it stood. A grudging acknowledgementwas eventually found in those earlyrecords to the public house “known by theSign of the Red Lion.” Thankfully Harveyswere a good deal less grudging in 1929when they purchased the pub from theSmith family for the princely sum of£1,500.No account of the Red Lion would be completewithout mention of its links toCAMRA. The pub was under the tenancyof Les Shrimpton, a keen supporter of34 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012Known By the Signof the Red Lion‘working beer’, when the local branch ofCAMRA was formed here on Friday 29March 1974 and Turners Hill resident JohnRoberts became its first Chairman.At the time, and for the next six months,North Sussex Branch was the first and onlyCAMRA branch in Sussex.The Red Lion cantherefore reasonably claimto be the birthplace ofCAMRA activity in thecounty. It is worth rememberingthat at thistime, in the mid-1970s, ofthe three pubs in the village,only the Harveys-owned Red Lionsold cask-conditioned beer; the other twohouses promoted keg products.Another connection between CAMRA andthe Red Lion is Bill O’Hagan, a very earlyand active CAMRA member and a regulardrinker at the pub in those pioneering days.Bill would later find fame as the colourfulfounder of the O’Hagan Sausage Company,now based at Sidlesham, Chichester, andwhose excellent speciality sausages continueto grace the menu of many a goodpub throughout Sussex and beyond.The present-day Red Lion is in many waysthe archetypal British village pub, smalland cosy with plenty of oak beams. It hasthat ‘lived-in’ feel which only comes withthe passing of years. The single bar is splitlevel.Harveys Sussex Bitter is the residentale with their Mild, Hadlow, Armada andTom Paine also in attendance on a recentvisit.Graham and Lorna Martyn arrived in April2012 with a good pedigree, having beeninvolved with the Lamb, Lambs Green, theWhite Hart, Ardingly, and, more recently,the Gate, Ifield. Graham and Lorna broughtwith them some new ideas. With their encouragementHarveys repainted the outsideof the pub and refurbished the old stables,installing stillage suitable for beer festivals.Accordingly, the first-ever Red Lion beerfestival took place from 2-9 September thisyear, featuring thirty ales from many differentbreweries. One further idea suggestedby Graham is the creation of a ‘servery’area at the rear of the pub, large enough tohold meetings. At the time of writing Harveysare considering this idea. Grahamdoes not, however, wish to create a restaurant.He is mindful of the fact that the RedLion is wet-sales-led, so although food issold seven days a week, it is good traditionalpub-fare in keeping with the natureof the house.The Red Lion has always been the smallerof the two surviving pubs in the village.Being hidden away down Lion Lane hasmeant that it perhaps has been more inclinedto attract the ‘locals’ who knew ofits whereabouts; it is to this day very muchat the centre of local village life.Posters at the bar advertise the annual SummerJazz barbeque, the annual marblescompetition between the Red Lion and theGreyhound, Tinsley Green, and, of course,this year’s annual beer festival. The pub isalso home to the village football team andthe badminton club. Events at the pub haveraised much money for local charities overthe years.It is not surprising with a pub as integral tovillage life as the Red Lion that Grahamshould wish to write a detailed account ofthe pub’s past, subject of course to his havingthe time. The Red Lion has a fascinatinghistory and, with Graham and Lorna atInn Focusits helm, an equally promising future isguaranteed.As for me, I am also looking forward - tothe bi-centenary celebrations in 2018.The Red Lion, Lion Lane, Turners Hill,West Sussex, RH10 4NU; tel. 01342715416John KellerNorth Sussex Branch(External pub photo credit, John Law)ObituaryIt is with deep regret that we have toannounce the sudden death of PeterThompson, long time CAMRA stalwartand Worthing Beer Festival Co-Organiser.Peter was a CAMRA member from thevery beginning and was at the inauguralmeeting of the original Brighton branch atthe Royal Pavilion Shades bar in 1974.Later, he was very much involved in theformation of an Arun & Adur sub-branchin the late 1980s and was, we believe, thefirst branch secretary and one of the organisersof the first beer festival held in Worthing,in a small upstairs room in the, then,Central pub. He continued in that role in1992 when Arun & Adur became a fullyfledgedbranch.Peter remained as secretary until 1998,when he took on the role of Brewery LiaisonOfficer for the now-defunct Breweryon Sea, Lancing. He also held the post ofPub Preservation Officer and was instrumentalin fighting - together with the FindonSociety - Whitbread’s proposed closureand redevelopment of the Gun Inn,Findon: a hard-earned victory from whichhe took great pride and satisfaction.A bar manager at both the Sussex and Worthingbeer festivals, where he was instantlyrecognisable by his trademark hand-knittedPETERTHOMPSONturquoise CAMRA jumper, his passion forbeer made him almost indispensable. Hehad a thorough understanding of the workingsof the brewing industry and wasacutely aware of the machinations of thebig brewers and pubcos.Thoughtful, laconic, very much a traditionalist,always willing to help and to advise,Peter was a real gentle giant of a man andwill be sorely missed.Our condolences go out to his wife Linda,daughter Kathy and sons Glenn and Martin.Roy Bond and Stuart ElmsOn behalf of the Arun & Adur BranchSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 3536 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012

Save Your PubSaving the BlackHorse, AmberleyHistory and HeritageThe LindfieldBreweryNot another pub closure? Sadly, yes.As many, no doubt, will be alreadyaware, the Black Horse, Amberley,closed in March following its sale byAdmiral Taverns. Within weeks the newowner had submitted a planning applicationfor change of use - an all too familiar story- hoping to convert the 200-year-old pubinto two houses. Sitting at the heart of thepicturesque village described as the ‘pearlof Sussex’, the Black Horse was a popularwatering hole for walkers, cyclists andmountain bikers using the South DownsWay, and for the many tourists who visitAmberley, which is now part of the newlyformedSouth Downs National Park,For many years the pub was the home ofthe Amberley Folk Club, which attractedmusicians and singers from far and wide.Its closure has come as a bitter disappointmentto residents and visitors alike. Havingthe only licensed function room in the villageit also providedthe venue for weddingreceptions,wakes, parties, meetingsand other gatherings.The BlackHorse was also hometo a rare collection ofsheep bells, donatedto the pub by the last shepherd on the SouthDowns above Amberley. Their future isalso a matter for concern.After an energetic campaign, the applica-tion for change of use was turned down byHorsham District Council, with almost 200objections having been registered. The newowner can appeal against the decision but itis hoped he might be persuaded to lease thepub to someone who is prepared to step inand rebuild the business to the flourishingestablishment it once was. There can belittle doubt about the potential. Do youknow of anyone who is looking for such achallenge? If so, please get in touch on thecontact details below.Mike Toynbeemiketoynbee@btconnect.com01798 831114As a paean to the Stand Up Inn,Lindfield, which ceased trading asa Dark Star pub on Sunday 29April 2012, we trace back its first associationwith a brewery. Customers of the pubmay recall the name Fanny Sara Durrant (b.1845, d. 1922) etched on the old signboardnext to her photograph above the barcounter.It was her husband, Edward Durrant (b.1821, d. 1902) who by the 1880s had builtthe Stand Up as a beerhouse. Edward wasthe proprietor of the Lindfield Brewery,located just to the rear of the passagewaythat connected the Stand Up to his otherbusiness, a drapery, grocery and glasswareshop.The name of the pub arose from its lack ofchairs and tables, for Edward wanted hisworkforce to return promptly to their dutiesand not sit lingering over their drinks. “Let‘em stand up and drink up!” he was reputedto have said.There were, it seems, two breweries inLindfield for a period during the 19th century.The other extended from the BentArms to Malling Priory, an early-Georgianhouse on the east side of the High Street.The Brewery, as it was simply referred toin some records, was from c.1784 to 1885in the sometime ownership of the Wichelosand the Bent families, whereas Durrant’sLindfield Brewery on the west side of thestreet may have been established by 1814by a Richard Buckley Stone.What is certain is that the Lindfield Brewerywas acquired in July 1820 by commonbrewers Thomas Wileman and WilliamDurrant. William, father of Edward, wasprominent in the village church and islisted as sole brewer from 1828 to 1839.Edward had taken over by 1845.Upon the death of Edward, Fanny SaraSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 3738 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012History and Heritagewas eventually sold with its four-pub estateon 29 September 1909 to Ballard & Co. ofLewes.The only Durrant’s Ale that anyone mayrecall today is the one brewed by Dark Starto commemorate the centenary of the July1906 closing of the Lindfield brewery. InEdward’s time there was a Harvest Beer attwo pennies per quart, disparagingly knownas ‘Apron Washings’.A London Porter and Double Porter werealso reported to have been brewed, whilelocally advertised at one shilling per gallonwas a Family Bitter Ale. The remainingbrewery buildings have recently been convertedto residential use while the opensided horse gin has been restored and reerectedin the garden of the Red Lion pubin the village.The QuafferDurrant had owned and run the Stand Upfor four years with son Bartley acting as thebrewer until he emigrated. The breweryLocal ales, guest ales (four in total).Good selection of single malt whiskyand locally sourced produce for ourextensive menuFood midday-9pm every dayFree WIFI spot. Surf the web whilehaving a drink.45 High Street, Arundel, BN18 9AGTel 01903 882214www.redlionarundel.comSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 3940 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012

SUSSEX OAK PRESENTATIONCongratulations to Peter and AngelaNottage of the Sussex Oak, Warnham,who have just celebrated tenconsecutive years in the CAMRA GoodBeer Guide. On Saturday 8 September,North Sussex Branch Chair, Allen Bartram(pictured above in red) presentedPeter with a commemorative mirror tomark the event.Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012 4142 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012have been an Ale Trailersince the 1990s when thereI were only twenty pubs on it.Since then it has been veryapparent that we now have agreater choice of beers thanever before. With microbreweriesspringing up everywhere,times are very interesting. On the downside,prices are not always fair and sometimes we donot get value for money. We are able to combatthis by down marking some Ale Trail pubs thatare not all that they should be.This year I decided to make my Ale Trail moreinteresting by sampling forty different beers inforty pubs. I felt that this would be challenging,particularly as there were six Harveys pubsincluded. Several people predicted that thismight be my downfall. I felt that by spreadingthese pubs out I might just do it. An early mistakecame when I chose Timothy Taylor Landlordin the Elephant & Castle, Lewes. I reckonedthat the Greys, Brighton, with only HarveysBest and Timothy Taylor Landlord mightthen prove difficult.Ale TrailPETER GUY’S ALE TRAILCHALLENGE 2012By late July I had thirty pubs completed includingonly two of Harveys. I had been ignoringHarveys Best and keeping it as a backup. Ofthe next Harveys pubs, the Royal Oak, Barcombehad Dark Mild and then it was off to theAlma, Uckfield. I nearly came a cropper at thePig & Butcher, Five Ash Down with only twobeers on, but which luckily included the excellentLewes Castle Brown Ale. In the Alma Isampled a pint of Bloomsbury Brown.I then decided to leave the six remaining AleTrail pubs till September. The Stanley Armsbeer festival was followed by the Mitre, Brightonwhere I sampled one of my favourites, HarveysArmada - brilliant! The three Shorehampubs were then followed by the fortieth of theAle Trail, which was the Greys, and finally mypint of Harveys Best.For me this Ale Trail has been the most rewardingand I wonder if others will try this feat nextyear.Peter GuySussex Drinker: Winter 2012 43 44 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012

Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012 45 46 Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012150+ Real Ales from60+ Real Ales in the Su40+ Real CidersSelected bottled beeSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 47Thursday 5 pm – 11 pm £ 5.Friday 11 am – 3 pm £ 4.005 pm – 11 pm £ 8.00