The Winter 2018 / 19 edtion of the Wolverhampton branch of Campaign for Real Ale's award winning magazine, Beerwolf.
BEERWOLF
Issue 35 | Winter 2018
The Year Turns
Welcome
Off the Chair
A catch up with the Branch
Chairman
Incoming
A look at local and
national pub & beer news
Brewery Update
A look at what’s going on at
local breweries
Pub Update
All the latest news on our
branch pubs
What’s On
Forthcoming events
Feature
A conversation with the
landlords of The Gunmakers
The Hungry Drinker’s
Snack Guide part 1
Event Recap
Social Side looks at recent
branch social events
Black Country Pubs Tour
Pics from our branch social
Cider City
Where can you get it?
4
5
7
9
12
14
18
20
22
24
Hello, welcome to Beerwolf #35.
Hello dark nights, hello dark beer. This
time of the year we have the opportunity
to seek out the best stouts. porters
and milds as brewers turn their hand to
producing rich dark beers to suit a
changing palate as the year turns. Constant
change is of course, part of life
and I hope you’ll be joining me and
Wolverhampton CAMRA members in getting out and
sampling some of the delicious elixirs that local brewers
in particular are cooking up.
This edition, we’re continuing our knowledge section,
this time looking at malt - the backbone of beer.
While hops could be compared to the celebrity in the
public eye, malt works away in the background, the
base from which a beer is built. Rob Taylor visited The
Gunmakers at Bradmore for a chat with long serving
landlords, Kevin & Debbie Benton, and we’ve included
a new feature, The Hungry Drinker’s Wolverhampton
Area Snack Guide.
We’ll also be bringing you all the local pub and brewery
news and a look at cider in our branch area.
Enjoy the magazine and have a great winter season.
Editor
Neil Hodgkiss
Email - beerwolf@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
LocAle
Up to date LocAle pubs list
Knowledge
Let’s get malty - what is
malt?
26
30
Disclaimer
Beerwolf is published by the
Wolverhampton branch of the
Campaign for Real Ale Ltd.
(CAMRA). The views or opinions
expressed are not necessarily
those of CAMRA or the editor.
Online
Want to access Wolverhampton CAMRA news
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BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
WolverhamptonCAMRA
@WolvesCAMRA
@WolverhamptonCAMRA
Cover image - A wintery Codsall (March 2018)
Royalty free snowflakes with thanks to www.kisspng.com
Off the Chair
A word from the branch chairman
The shock closure and boarding-up of the Newhampton Inn,
much loved by its regulars, shows that no pub is safe. Over the
years the New H has been a venue for many Wolverhampton
CAMRA branch meetings and socials and was a pick-up point
for our coach trips. The locals have started a petition to get the
pub reopened, we hope they are successful and that EI Group
find someone to run it soon.
We presented our 2018 Beer of the Festival award to the brewer, Simon Yates
of Banks’s Brewery. We were lucky enough to get one of the two casks brewed
of the 4.7% ABV Guavageddon for the Wolverhampton CAMRA Beer and Cider
Festival in June. This very interesting hoppy beer was deservedly voted beer of
the festival by the festival goers. Banks’s/Marston’s have always supported our
festival and it’s our pleasure to give them this award for the first time in the 43
years of the festival. We will shortly be starting the meetings to organise the
44 th festival which will be held on the 6 th -8 th June 2019. If you would like to get
involved in organising or working at the festival, please come along to one of
our meetings.
Branch Chairman
Andy Parton
Email - chairman@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Local and national pub & beer news
Incoming
Welcome to the city
New pubs opening in Wolverhampton this
past couple of months include The Starting
Gate in Pennfields, a micropub boasting
a selection of cask ale, gin, whiskey,
rum and lager from ABK and the long
awaited opening of The Parisian on
Queen Square / Exchange Street in the
building that was previously Slater’s. Also,
the former Numa Bar on North St / Blossoms
Fold has undergone renovation and is
opening in December as Blossoms - a
cocktail and food venue. We wish all venues
every success and encourage local
CAMRA members to give them a try.
Branch AGM complete
The Wolverhampton CAMRA branch AGM
took place in November at the ECC Club on
Showell Road. Election of officers took
place, without too many changes. Mick
Young stepped down as Good Beer Guide
entries Co-ordinator; he has been replaced
by Amanda Hignett. We welcome Christopher
Evans as he takes over from Karen
Williams as the Young Persons’ Coordinator.
Thank you to Mick and Karen for
all your hard work. Following the AGM, the
branch was treated to a Q&A session with
Newbridge Brewery brewer, James McCann.
Festival fun
If you’re a beer drinker, you’ll have had
difficulty avoiding one of the many beer
festivals in the city and beyond during the
last few months. Codsall Beer Festival
was a success as always in early October,
followed by festivals at the Lych Gate
Tavern and Cafe Metro between 25 - 28
October, the ECC Club which members
were lucky enough to try during the branch
AGM, and then the popular annual Great
War themed event at the Great Western
on Remembrance Weekend. If you were
thirsty for more, there was The Firs Club
Codsall’s Winter Ales Festival. We’d love to
hear about your experience of local beer
festivals - email us:
beerwolf@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
Slug & Lettuce arrives
Yates has been on the Wolverhampton
bar scene since the 90s - there aren’t
many chain venues that have lasted in
the city for that long, but it is no more
following closure in November, due to
reopen in December as Slug & Lettuce
Wolverhampton. Whether the bar will
have an increased real ale selection remains
to be seen, but CAMRA members
are looking forward to this latest change
to another city centre venue.
GBBF Winter is coming
The Great British Beer Festival
Winter will for the third and
final time be held in Norwich in
2019 - mark the dates in your
diary, 19 - 23 February 2019 at
The Halls in Norwich. Expect
lots of beer, cider and perry
and look out for fringe events
around the city.
winter.gbbf.org.uk
Mass Lobby Day
CAMRA’s Mass Lobby Day took
place in November with the
day declared a “huge success”
by national chairman Jackie
Parker for giving members the
opportunity to speak to their
MPs about tackling the causes
of pub closures and to look
forward towards reform to
ensure that pubs remain at the
heart of communities.
AGM heads to Dundee
CAMRA’s 2019 Members’ Weekend
and AGM heads north of the
border to Caird Hall in Dundee,
Scotland, between 5 - 7 April.
For all information and guidance
on venue, travel and
accommodation, visit:
agm.camra.org.uk
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Incoming
Cooler cask ale?
...local & national news continued
Marston’s estate expands
The 2018 / 2019 Cask
Report, launched in late
September during Cask
Ale Week, has unearthed research into
cask ale’s popularity, demographic and
future. Despite people loving the idea
of real ale, pubs are still closing at a
rate of 18 a week and sales of cask ale
are declining. The reasons for declining
sales are numerous, but a lack of interest
from younger drinkers is up
there—the report has discovered that
two thirds of 18 - 24 year olds have
never tried a cask ale. Another reason
could be that two thirds of pubs are
selling cask ale at 13ºC or above during
the summer - despite recommendatrions
that real ale should be served
at a cool 11 - 13 degrees. For this reason,
Cask Marque are to launch a Making
Cask Cool campaign, to increase
beer temperature awareness amongst
licensees and bar staff. Cask Report
research has highlighted that the majority
of cask ale drinkers prefer their
real ale at cooler temperatures.
Marston’s is continuing its expansion
and has opened 14 pub restaurants /
bars and 7 lodges in the past year,
with a further 10 pub restaurants and
5 lodges due in the new year. Additionally,
Marston’s has reached an
agreement with Aprirose, a property
investment company, to acquire 15
former Mitchell’s & Butlers’ pubs which
it lists as being well located community
pubs.
Save the Newhampton
Locals and regulars alike are banding
together to save the Newhampton Inn
on Riches Street, Whitmore Reans. The
closure of this Good Beer Guide regular
came as a shock to everyone and
pub users are starting a petition to
ensure that the much loved pub and
live music venue reopens.
The full report can be found online at:
cask-marque.co.uk/cask-reports/
Plan to save the pub
CAMRA launched a three point plan to
save the Great British pub at the Mass
Lobby Day in London in November, with
MPs encouraged to commit to:
1. Introducing a preferential rate of duty
for draught beer.
2. Reforming the business rates system to
address the unfair burden on pubs.
3. Conducting an urgent review of the
Pubs Code so that the Market Rent Only
option becomes a genuine choice for
tenants.
For more information, to get involved
or simply to air your concerns, please
contact the Wolverhampton branch
pub protection officer, Mark Hewitt at:
pubprotection@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
The Brewery at The Firs
Brewery update
Keep an eye out for beers from The Brewery At The Firs appearing
at The Firs Club in Codsall - most recently was Hopstar pale ale
(5.9% ABV) and Brown Porter (5.9% ABV) at the Winter Ales
Festival at the club, both going
down well. The Brewery has also
standardised its pump clip designs
somewhat.
The Firs Brewery can be found on
Instagram @thefirsbrewery
Marston’s Brewery / Banks’s
Keep an eye out for Banks’s guest ales, Blazin’ Fury, Brave
Old World and Park Life in addition to their core range.
Marston’s Year End Trading Update
in October has revealed that Marston’s
Beer Company has achieved
strong growth this year, in part
thanks to the acquisition of Charles
Wells brewery, good summer
weather and the World Cup. Marston’s
now distributes to one in four of the UK’s
46,000 pubs.
Wolverhampton CAMRA visited the brewery to
present the Beer of the Festival 2018 award for
Guavageddon on 16 November, followed by a brewery tour where a
new 6% ABV beer was previewed.
Keep up to date online at www.facebook.com/bankssbeer
Hurst View Cider
Hurst View’s Ginger & Chilli sold well at
Codsall Beer Festival in October, alongside
Cyser, an Apple Mead.
Hurst View cider has been sold recently at The
Coracle Micropub in Ironbridge and the Platform
Alehouse, Albrighton as well as its regular
appearances at Hail to the Ale in Claregate,
where Pyder was available in November and
The Harrows, Coven. Hurst View can also be found on the third
Saturday of every month at Penkridge Fine Food & Craft Market.
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Newbridge Brewery
Brewer James McCann held a talk at the
Wolverhampton CAMRA branch AGM at the
ECC club in November, explaining how he got
into brewing and his troubles attempting to
establish a Newbridge brewery micropub.
James has brewed a new 4% ABV pale ale,
Searchlight, that was seen recently at Hogshead
in Wolverhampton centre and intends to
expand his range of ales as demand grows.
Morton Brewery
A lucky few calling in at the Hail to the Ale
will have had the chance to try Pendeford
Port Stout, now brewed under the Ales of
Essington banner in what is one of Morton’s
rarest brews. Ginger Glory has
made a recent reappearance as has
Ale’derflower.
Gary and Angela report a constant demand for Irish
George following a recent petition from locals at the Hail -
the beer is now brewed on a more regular basis. Gary has
also brewed his third (and final?) music beer, Into The
Shadows for the band of the same name.
Punchline Brewery
Punchline beers are now available to buy from Tony’s Delicatessen
in Queen Square, Wolverhampton and the brewery
recently opened the doors on 17th November for their November
taproom event.
Punchline appeared at October’s Codsall Beer Festival,
with Loch Jaws, One’s A Little Otter and Why The
Long Face selling well. There has been good feedback on
the two Baboooom barrel aged specials, Baboooom Port
and Baboooom Whisky. Beers are now available at Lime
Tree Cafe in Tettenhall.
The next taproom day is 15 December from 1pm.
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Pub update
Our updated section on branch area pubs. We’ve seen pubs open and close, often
mirroring the national picture. If you have any news about your local pub, please
contact Mark Hewitt, pub preservation officer, or the editor (contact details on
page 31).
City Centre
The Parisian, Queen Square
Is open - a lot of
effort has gone into
getting the look and
feel just right.
There’s no cask ale,
but there is an extensive
cocktail
menu, food and La
Trappe Blond from
Bierbrouwerij De
Koningshoeven on
tap alongside a few
bottled beers.
The Bohemian, Lichfield Street
The Bohemian has established itself as
one of Wolverhampton’s busiest nightspots,
regularly filling up on a weekend.
There are several ciders and a
wide ranging selection of bottled and
canned beer. Recently, Tiny Rebel and
Salopian keykeg beers have been
available.
Lych Gate Tavern, Lich Gates
Has held a successful Armistice Beer
Festival in late October, with Great
War themed
beers, some of
which being
rare from the
likes of Cellar
Brewery and an
excellent Belgian
dubbel,
Menin Gate, from Brampton Brewery.
www.facebook.com/LychGateTavern
Blossoms, North Street
A little change from previous reports,
what was to be the Brass Giraffe is
now Blossoms (named after Blossoms
Fold which it sits on the corner of). At
the time of publication, Blossoms
should be open for business. Billed as
‘Liquor and Grind’, expect good food,
cocktails and a selection of beers.
www.facebook.com/
BlossomsWolverhampton
Hogshead, Stafford Street
Has had a recent refurbishment which
saw a bar extension to cater for larger
crowds and allow quicker service and
had a fresh flooring laid. A Siren Craft
Brew tap takeover was very popular at
the end of November.
West Wolverhampton
The Chindit, Merridale
Good cask beer and live music from
country band Trouble & Strife on 1st
December alongside weekly open mic
on a Sunday and ukulele on a Monday
night at The Chindit.
Starting Gate, Pennfields
Now open and stocking a good range
of cask ales
alongside spirits
and lager.
Good use of
space has
been made in
this former
bank on
Birches Barn
Road.
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Pub update
North Wolverhampton
Keg & Comfort Micropub,
Stafford Road, Three Tuns
Has an increased snack menu and is
holding regular open mic and acoustic
evenings. You’ll also find some great
artwork at the K&C to look at whilst
you enjoy your beer.
www.facebook.com/kegandcomfort
South Staffordshire
The Firs Club, Codsall
November’s Winter Ales Festival was a
success, with a good selection of ale
from varied breweries including Bewdley
Brewery, Boss Brewing and Welbeck
Abbey alongside two beers with
zero beer miles from The Brewery at
The Firs - brewed through the door
behind the festival bar!
South & East
Wolverhampton
Great Western, Corn Hill
Recently held its
popular World
War Rememberance
themed beer
festival with monies
raised going to
the Poppy Appeal.
Regular beers appearing
at the pub
include those
from Neepsend,
Bristol Beer Factory and Batham’s
Bitter.
The Fox at Shipley,
South Staffs
The Fox at Shipley was one of three
pubs selling a 5%
IPA, “The Pack is
Back”, a special
charity beer from
Three Tuns Brewery.
All proceeds from
this beer went to
Birmingham Children’s
Hospital.
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
11
What’s On
Branch Events
8 Dec Branch Christmas Trip - a visit to Shrewsbury by train. Meet at 10am at Wolverhampton
Railway Station.
12 Dec Branch Christmas Quiz - the annual Christmas quiz at Hail to the Ale, Claregate.
Arrive at 7:30pm for a prompt 8pm start.
5 Jan 2019 Jewellery Quarter visit, with calls in at Burning Soul and Rock & Roll Brewery
along with various bars and pubs. Meet at Wolverhampton St George’s Metro Station
at midday.
6 - 8 June 2019 44th Wolverhampton Beer & Cider Festival at the Newhampton Arts
Centre, Dunkley Street, WV1 4AN is booked for this date (subject to change).
Branch Meetings
Are you a CAMRA member? Why not attend a branch meeting? You’ll be made welcome
and there is no obligation to get involved - but it is the first place for all the latest pub,
club, ale, cider and perry news! We vary location, forthcoming meetings are as follows:
6 Dec @ 8pm - The Vine Inn, Wednesfield
3 Jan @ 8pm - The Ashmore, Wednesfield (TBC)
7 Feb @ 8pm - The Claregate, Codsall Rd (TBC)
Note - venues subject to change, see branch social media or contact us - page 30.
Other Events
5 - 7 April 2019 - CAMRA Members’ Weekend
and AGM, Caird Hall, City Square, Dundee, DD1
3BB
Get yourself booked up for 2019 and get all information
at agm.camra.org.uk
15 - 16 March 2019 - Coventry Beer Festival
Coventry Rugby Football Ground, Butts Park Arena, Butts Road, CV1 3GE
Open Friday and Saturday noon - 11pm with 75+ beers, ciders, perries and country
wines.
The Royal Oak
Compton Road
Wolverhampton
WV3 9PH
01902 422845
www.royaloakwolverhampton.co.uk
Well kept cask ales
Bar snacks
Heated patio area
Weekly live music
BEERWOLF | Autumn 2018
Feature
Local Legends
When the Wolverhampton branch of CAMRA heard that Kevin and Debbie Benton had
been in charge of the Gunmakers Arms, Bradmore for over 21 years we thought it
would be interesting to talk to them about their impressive tenure at the Marston’s pub.
It was then discovered that Kevin Benton had worked at the pub as a barman before that
and in all has been serving pints there for an incredible 33 years! Wolverhampton
CAMRA’s Rob Taylor popped in to try to discover the secret of Kevin and Debbie’s
longevity..
14
Rob Taylor (RT): When and how did you first get involved with the Gunmakers?
Kevin Benton (KB): I was between jobs in February 1985, I popped into the
Gunmakers for a quick drink and after a chat with the bloke behind the bar, he offered
me a job.
Debbie Benton (DB): We first met when I was working at the Roebuck (Penn Road)
as a barmaid and I had gone to the Gunmakers to see a friend who worked there.
When we later got married the licensees at the Roebuck and Gunmakers were like
proud parents.
RT: How did you become licensees of the Gunmakers?
KB & DB: We had shown an interest in having
our own pub and so Banks’s sent us on a manager
training course, we had been asked to pack
ready to move into a pub at the end of it, but
they wouldn’t tell us which one. When we returned
from the training course we were told that
they wanted us to manage the Gunmakers Arms.
It was all a big surprise. Banks’s originally told us
it would be for a maximum of 5 years . . .
that was in December 1996!
RT: How is it that you managed to stay here
beyond the planned 5 years?
KB & DB: After 2 years we started a family, we had history with the pub and liked the
people also we were local ourselves so we thought it was a good place to raise a family
rather than an unknown pub somewhere that may be far away from our families. Our
son and daughter both work at the pub now.
RT: Having been at the Gunmakers for such a long time you must have some good
stories, are there any that you would like to share with us?
KB: Many years ago a group of regulars started bringing unusual foods into the pub
and daring each other to eat them, but it got out of hand when one of them brought a
box of live crickets in. I said no way were they opening the box in the pub. Then we
heard that they had taken the crickets to another pub where lots of the insects had
escaped. The other pub had to be closed and fumigated as you could hear the insects
chirping everywhere.
RT: What have been the biggest changes to the pub industry during your time here
and what impact have they had on your business?
KB: The smoking ban initially had a big impact on us, especially in the colder months
when people would rather drink at home and have a smoke than stand out in the cold,
also the number of people who didn’t like the smokey atmosphere that started to come
to the pub was less than the number of smoking regulars we were losing.
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Another big change for us was the brewery deciding to convert us from metred
beer dispense and over sized lined pint glasses to free flow hand pulls and standard
sized pint glasses. Many of our regulars weren’t happy with this and they started
drinking at a club nearby which was still using the over sized glasses.
RT: What are the biggest difficulties with running a pub currently?
KB & DB: We struggle to compete with
other licensed premises that can chose
to sell a wider variety, as a managed
pub we have to buy our stock from the
brewery that we are tied to, so we are
more restricted on what we can offer
the customer. We have recently had to
throw beer away that has not sold and
therefore has gone past its best, this is
because of a reduction in turnover due
to the increase in local competition. We
refuse to sell beer past its best as our quality is important to us and our business.
RT: What advice would you give to an aspiring licensee?
DB: Don’t do it! But seriously it is a big commitment, it isn’t like a 9 to 5 job, it’s
more a way of life than simply a job. As a managed pub we are salaried by the
brewery and they also pay our staff but they give us a budget to spend on running
the business which can be a balancing act.
RT: A lot of pubs are closing for good across Britain, is there anything in particular
that CAMRA can do to help pubs in your opinion?
KB & DB: More and more people are drinking at home who in the past would have
been going to the pub, the supermarkets are able to sell alcohol a lot cheaper than
pubs as they treat it as a loss leader to attract shoppers in who also buy other
products that they make money on. It would help pubs if there was a more level
playing field and we could offer a competitive price for drinks. A combination of
minimum pricing in the supermarkets and less tax on the beer in pubs would help.
RT: The Gunmakers is CAMRA LocAle accredited (see page 26). How do you ensure
the consistent quality of your ale?
KB: First of all we order the casks a week in advance of when we intend to serve
them, this ensures that the ale has conditioned properly in our cellar, sometimes
ale comes from the breweries and it isn’t quite ready to be served straight away. If
a cask is moved in the cellar then it is left to settle for at least 24 hours before it is
served. I sample the ales to make sure they taste as they should and we keep
track of how long the casks have been on as ale should be drank within 4 to 5 days
of being tapped. Also we listen to our customers feedback.
RT: What is your favourite ale and what is your best-selling/most popular ale?
KB: I like Banks’s Amber Bitter myself and it is our best-selling ale. We alternate
Banks’s Sunbeam and Wainwright as guest beers which also sell very well. We are
one of the few pubs that still sell Banks’s Mild and we have many dedicated mild
drinkers. (RT: the Mild was in very good condition on my visit).
RT: What do you like to do when you aren’t working in the pub?
DB: On the rare occasions that we get some significant time off, I enjoy a trip to
the theatre and Kevin likes to go fishing.
KB: We do like to visit other pubs together and relax with a drink, a favourite of
ours is the Swan at Compton.
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018 15
1A
5
1B
1C
2A
6
2B
3
9
4
7
10
8 11
12
1 a,b,c - ECC Club, branch AGM (Nov ‘18)
2 a, b - Firs Club, Codsall (Nov ‘18)
3 - Union flag at The Wheatsheaf (Nov ‘18)
4 - Lych Gate Tavern beer festival (Oct ‘18)
5 - Great Western beer festival (Nov ‘18)
6 - Hooded Ram (Nov ‘18)
7 - Giffard Arms in the snow (early 2018)
8 - The Starting Gate micropub (Nov ‘18)
9 - Holden’s Codsall Station pub (Nov ‘18)
10 - The Bohemian (Nov ‘18)
11 - Combermere Arms (early 2018)
12 - The Parisian (Nov ‘18)
A
R
E
A
Branch member, Keeli-Mari Hodgkiss, looks at the snacks available in
our branch area pubs in the first part of a new feature.
Holden’s Codsall Station
The Station has a top selection of snacks available.
A longtime favourite at the pub, pork pies - lovely
crumbly pastry with a succulent meaty interior. If
you're anything like myself, pork pie must come with
English mustard, and you can have this in abundance
along with a serving of Branston Pickle.
The Station has a variety of cobs available on a daily
basis for a satisfying lunch. Tyrells crisps (sweet chilli
flavour wow!) and Walker’s crisps add a crunch alongside
your beverage of choice. Mini Cheddars - plain
and crinkly, are there if you want to stray away from
the norm of crisps.
And speaking of choice, they also have pork crunch,
scratchings, pretzels and peanuts (my personal favourite!)
to choose from. Also of course, Maltesers!
Hail to the Ale, Claregate
The Hail offers cheese and black pudding and cheese and red onion crusty
cobs. As if normal scratchings weren't delicious enough, they also have sweet
chilli, curry, bbq and fiery chilli. Heaven! That’s not to mention speciality
scratchings without salt or additives for our four legged friends.
Schnyders pretzel pieces are available too, you can choose
from the very mild honey mustard or mouth warming
jalapeño.
Gourmet sausage rolls and pork pies such as ploughman's
and game are just some of the varieties on the menu. There
are also scotch eggs with many filling twists
on the original - and of course the famous
‘chicken in a basket’ - it’s not what you think
it is - try pickled egg in a packet of crisps..
There are some tasty pickled onions too.
A wide range of speciality cheeses can be paired with the crackers
and chutneys provided.
Dips, guest crisps and a rotation of Pickled Onion, Roast Beef
and Flamin’ Hot Monster Munch (because we know they're for adults really!)
are there for the taking alongside Walkers Ready crisps.
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Lych Gate Tavern, City Centre
Along with a friendly, cosy atmosphere, the Lych
Gate provides a choice of freshly made cobs every
day.
Their sausage rolls, scotch eggs and pork pies are
always on hand if you want something a bit more
traditional.
If you are attending a beer festival or a tap takeover,
you will often find a selection of Polish sausage
on the bar for those who want to try.
The popular brand, Pipers Crisps are the crisp of the
day along with Schnyders pretzel pieces. There are also
scratchings and assorted nuts available. Keep a look out
for the Lych’s cider and cheese festivals - the cheese is
always delicious.
You can also bring your own food and they will provide
the cutlery to eat. If this isn't hospitality at its finest in Wolverhampton, then
I don't know what is.
Keg & Comfort, Three Tuns
I've had a few trips to this cosy establishment, and their sandwiches are definitely
competing with door slabs (we're talking real thick bread here - ideal for
mopping up a few choice beverages)!
Assorted flavoured scratchings and Walkers crisps, including
many flavours of snack size Pringles (try the Hot
& Spicy) and everybodies favourite - Quavers! Look out
for some delicious pork pies and sausage rolls too.
For the many of you with a sweet tooth, the Keg does a
mouth watering, tooth tingling range of muffins from
Food Connections.
All are a wonderful compliment to
the diverse range of ales, real ciders
and fruit wines in store.
2018 KEELI-MARI HODGKISS
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Event recap
No winter blues here..
What a busy summer we have had. The
branch has done a quiz against Bridgnorth
and Telford CAMRA, had a beer festival
thank you trip to Derby. A mini bus crawl
of South Staffs pubs, a vinyl night, a trip
to Shrewsbury beer festival, a visit to
Fixed Wheels August bank holiday festival,
joined in with the National cider trip to
Worcester and had a very successful pub
crawl round the Black Country pubs.
We will be hosting the Cheese and Jazz
night at the Trumpet, Bilston on Wed 21 st
November, 8.00pm Do come along, everyone
is welcome. Just bring a piece of
cheese, everything else is provided.
Friday 30 th November sees the branch
visit to Dudley Winter Ales Festival
(DWAF). Meet in The Posada at 7.00pm or
just turn up to the festival.
It is the branch Christmas trip on Saturday
8 th December We will be going to
Shrewsbury by train. Again all are welcome.
Meeting at 10.00am at Wolverhampton
train station.
Wednesday 12 th December is the annual
Christmas quiz at Hail to the Ale . Come
along for 7.30pm with prompt 8.00pm
start.
Branch Christmas social this year is at The
Great Western, Corn Hill / Sun Street.
Starts at 6.00pm Please bring a plate of
food . All welcome to come along .
First outing of the year will be Saturday
5 th January. Meet at metro station at midday
to go to The Jewellery Quarter, visiting
Burning Soul and Rock and Roll breweries
as well as Jewellery quarter pubs.
As social secretary I am always looking for
new ideas and places to go so if you have
any suggestions please get in touch with
me. social@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
Hope you have a great social winter
season,
Cheers
Amanda
Forthcoming:
8 Dec Branch Christmas Trip - a visit to
Shrewsbury by train. Meet at 10am at Wolverhampton
Railway Station.
12 Dec Branch Christmas Quiz - the annual
Christmas quiz at Hail to the Ale, Claregate.
Arrive at 7:30pm for a prompt 8pm start.
27 Dec Branch Christmas Social - 6pm at
the Great Western - all members welcome,
please bring a plate of food to add to the
buffet.
29 Dec West Midlands CAMRA Regional
Awards Extravaganza at The Bartons Arms,
Birmingham, B6 4UP.
5 Jan 2019 Jewellery Quarter visit, with
calls in at Burning Soul and Rock & Roll
Brewery along with various bars and pubs.
Meet at Wolverhampton St George’s Metro
Station at midday.
6 - 8 June 2019 44th Wolverhampton
Beer & Cider Festival at the Newhampton
Arts Centre, Dunkley Street, WV1 4AN is
booked for this date (subject to change).
Contact the below email for more
information:
social@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Catch the Nº.3
or Nº.4 bus from
the city centre
Have a smartphone, tablet or computer? Find us on the net. You can keep up to date with all
branch meetings, socials and other events,
as well as news & pictures.
Take a look at the below:
Facebook
www.facebook.com/WolverhamptonCAMRA
Twitter
@WolvesCAMRA
Instagram
@WolverhamptonCAMRA
Website
www.wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
JOIN US ONLINE
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
BLACK COUNTRY PUBS TOUR 2018
Sometimes, you haven't got to travel too far to find great pubs.
Branch members visited pubs in Gornal, Tividale, Rowley Regis, Causeway Green,
Blackheath and Netherton during an October social.
1
4
2
1. Tivi-Ale
2. Old Dispensary
3. Britt Pub & Brewery
4. Fixed Wheel
3
5
6
5. Shell-ter
Microbar
6. The Swan
7. Plough &
Harrow
8. The
Fountain
7 8
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BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Our handcrafted ciders and
perry are supplied in boxes,
kegs & bottles.
Cider City
If you’re looking for cider or perry in our branch area, you don’t need
to look far. Wolverhampton and the area of South Staffordshire we
cover is blessed with a large amount of landlords stocking both, with
an impressive selection travelling from the south of the country.
On a local level, we have a couple of
cider producers within branch. The most
well known, Hurst View, is based at
Wheaton Aston, South Staffordshire.
We also have a small producer within
the city, Oxley Orchards. Cider from
Oxley Orchards has been available recently
at Keg & Comfort and previously
at Hail to the Ale and Slater’s.
Hurst View can be found at Hail to the Ale, Keg
& Comfort and The Harrows on a regular basis.
It’s also regularly available just over the border
(5 minutes from Codsall by train) at the
Platform Ale House in Albrighton. Hurst View
also produces a perry and a cider perry blend
known as a ‘pyder’.
Oxley Orchard’s Ooh Missus
and Organic
Aside from local cider and perry, a large selection
of Lilley’s can be found at Hogshead and
the Royal London in Wolverhampton City Centre
and The Harrows at Coven is a veritable oasis
for lovers of the drink, where cider and perry
from Celtic Marches, Thistly Cross and
Gwynt y Ddraig regularly rub shoulders.
Branch Cider Officer, Dawn
Doughty awards Angela and
Gary Morton with the Wolverhampton
Cider Pub of
the Year award in August.
The extensive selection at
The Harrows in Coven
Real cider and perry can pop
up in all sorts of
places - the Golden Looking for real cider or
Lion, Fallings Park perry near you? Use
held a cider whatpub.com and look
festival in September for this symbol -
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Two pubs have recently been LocAle accredited by the Wolverhampton CAMRA branch.
These are the Duke of York, Princess Street, Wolverhampton and the Oakley Arms, Kiddemore
Green Road near Brewood in South Staffordshire. Read on for more information on
what this accreditation means and how it is attained.
What is CAMRA LocAle?
CAMRA LocAle is an initiative where a CAMRA branch encourages licensees in its area to
stock at least one locally brewed real ale (for details see Wolverhampton.camra.org.uk)
and awards them with free publicity and acknowledgement of their beer quality. The
scheme also builds on a growing consumer demand concerning the provenance of produce
and an increased awareness of 'green' environmental issues.
LocAle Accreditation
Due to the different geographical circumstances
of the 200+ CAMRA branches around
Britain, LocAle accreditation is at the sole
discretion of each individual branch, but is
always subject to the licensee understanding
and agreeing the following requirements:
That they will endeavour to ensure at least one locally
brewed real ale, as defined by the local branch, is on sale at all times.
Only real ale, as defined by CAMRA, can be promoted as a CAMRA LocAle.
Where the standard of real ale sold falls below an acceptable quality, accreditation
will be withdrawn.
That accreditation can be withdrawn at any time at the discretion of the local branch.
That should accreditation be withdrawn, or should the licensee withdraw from the scheme,
all LocAle publicity material must be removed from the pub and the licensee cease using
the CAMRA LocAle logo.
To be considered for LocAle accreditation the pub/club will first of all be nominated by a
CAMRA member, members of the branch will then visit the premises over a month or two
in order to assess its suitability for accreditation. A vote will then be held at one of the
subsequent monthly branch meetings to finally decide if it should be included in the
scheme. It is important that the branch is confident that the pub/club consistently serves
well-kept locally brewed beer before it will recommend it to the public.
If it is reported to the branch that a pub/club stops serving any beers that are considered
local by the branch, or the quality of the beer becomes regularly poor, then the branch
shall investigate over the course of a month or two and if the report is proven to be correct
then the branch reserves the right to cease promoting the pub as somewhere to find
LocAle. If a pub on the list changes hands then it shall be reassessed as beer choice and
quality may be affected.
How do I find a LocAle Pub?
If you would like to visit a LocAle accredited pub or club in the Wolverhampton CAMRA
branch area then these are listed here in Beerwolf, our quarterly branch magazine and on
the WhatPub.com website. On the website search for “Wolverhampton (CAMRA)” then use
the list of filters to display pubs that are “LocAle Accredited”.
Pubs and clubs which have been awarded LocAle accreditation by the Wolverhampton
CAMRA branch can display the LocAle sticker on their windows or doors. The stickers have
the year for which they have been accredited as LocAle by the branch. They may also
have posters up in the pub and there may be LocAle pump clip crowners displayed on the
pumps that are serving locally brewed beers.
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
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BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
BEERWOLF |
Let’s get malty
Just what is malt?
Image - Hans Linde, pixabay.com
Malt is underated. We wouldn’t have
beer without it, but it’s not seen as being
as fashionable as hops.
Malt, it’s just barley from a field?
Well yes, malt is germinated dried grain,
usually barley (wheat if you’re brewing
wheat beer). The process of soaking the
grain in water then halting midgermination
by use of hot air (usually
kiln drying) is called ‘malting’.
So why is this malt used in brewing?
To keep things simple, beer is made
using the sugars (primarily maltose)
produced during the malting process.
Malting releases sugars and amino acids
from the proteins and starch which,
when the malt is boiled reactivating the
germination process alongside hops and
fermented by yeast, makes beer.
Ooh, interesting. So no malt, no
beer?
That’s right. Without malt, you’re not
drinking a true beer (gluten-free usually
means millet, rice or sorghum malt replacing
barley). There are many malt
varieties and these affect colour, aroma,
flavour and body - so you can imagine
the fun brewers have combining malt
with varying hops, yeast strains and
water to create different beers. Varieties
of what brewers call ‘base malt’, grain
with enough of its own starch converting
enzyme includes pale, pilsener, Vienna
and Munich malts. ‘Speciality malt’ has
little of this diastatic power, but will provide
added colour, flavour and mouthfeel
to the beer when added. These include
caramel, crystal and chocolate
malts.
So malt has more than one use?
Yes. You need base malt, the backbone
of the beer. This is what is mashed to
release the starches that convert to sugars
and will feed the yeast. Temperatures
are important here, a warmer
mash results in a sweet beer, cooler will
give you a dry beer. Speciality malts can
be added to the mash to add characteristics
to the beer or can be steeped and
added to the wort if you are doing an
extract brew (ie not mashing).
Malt. I keep thinking of Horlicks and
Ovaltine..
Believe it or not, some home brewers
have attempted a brew with these
malted milk drinks. Yes, there’s powdered
malted barley, but the dried skim
milk, hydrogenated palm oil etc tend to
get in the way..
Right, I want to find out more about
malt.
Good! Visit the Malsters’ Association of
Great Britain for in depth information at
www.ukmalt.com
Also, you won’t go wrong by visiting the
CAMRA webpage about different styles
of real ale, including malt information:
www.camra.org.uk/different-styles
30
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
Branch Contacts
BEERWOLF
Consumer Information
Secretary / Branch Contact
John Nightingale
secretary@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
Chairman
Andy Parton
chairman@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
Vice Chairman
Rob Taylor
vicechairman@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
Membership Secretary
Paul Foxall
membership@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
Social Secretary
Amanda Hignett
social@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
Pub Preservation Officer
Mark Hewitt
pubprotection@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
Branch Treasurer
Sue Rostance
treasurer@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
Beerwolf Magazine Editor
Neil Hodgkiss
beerwolf@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
Cider Officer
Dawn Doughty
Young Persons’ Co-ordinator
Christopher Evans
If you have any complaints over matters
such as short measures etc, and have no
satisfaction from the pub in question, please
contact:
Wolverhampton Trading Standards
Initial advice directly from Citizens
Advice
Tel - 03454 04 05 06 (Monday -
Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm)
tradingstandards@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Staffordshire Trading Standards
Initial advice directly from Citizens
Advice
Tel - 03454 040506
www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/
tradingstandards/
Advertising Information
Beerwolf is funded entirely by advertisements.
Many thanks to everyone who has
contributed to this issue.
To advertise in the Spring 2019 edition,
please contact Neil by email -
beerwolf@wolverhampton.camra.org.uk
Prices are as follows, subject to
availability:
Quarter page £60
Half page £80
Full page £120
Inside front £130
Back cover £150
All images and content is copyright of the Wolverhampton
branch of Campaign for Real Ale unless stated otherwise.
Printed by - Warwick Printing Company Limited,
Caswell Road, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV31 1QD
BEERWOLF | Winter 2018
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