Mine's a Pint - Autumn 2019

THE MAGAZINE FOR READING AND
MID BERKSHIRE BRANCH OF THE
CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
IN THIS ISSUE...
PUB & BREWERY NEWS
MARTIN HOARE
SMALL BEER
FESTIVAL REFLECTIONS
THE PROMOTION
OF LAGER IN THE UK
& MORE...
FREE
Time for
a Cider!
ISSUE FIFTY ONE AUTUMN 2019

Branch Diary
All meetings and social events are relaxed and friendly. Nonmembers
are welcome to all events except branch meetings.
Please check the website before setting out in case of any
last-minute changes.
SEPTEMBER
Thursday 5th: (20:00) First Thursday of the Month Social.
Crown Inn, 2 Church Street, Theale, RG7 5BT. We will
move on c20:45 to visit 2 more Theale pubs.
Tuesday 10th: (20:00) Branch meeting. Castle Tap, 120
Castle Street, Reading, RG1 7RJ. CAMRA members only,
please.
Saturday 14th: (c12:00) Regional Meeting in the upstairs
room of The Griffin, 10/12 Church Road, Caversham, RG4
7AD. CAMRA members only, please.
Wednesday 18th: (20:00) Gala Awards Night, at Castle
Tap, 120 Castle Street, Reading, RG1 7RJ.
Friday 20th: (19:00) Southall Curry Night. Southall
Conservative Club followed by (20:30) curry at Al-Sultan
(formerly Nagina Karahi/Lahori 786). Trains ex-Reading
at 18:07, Maidenhead 18:21 & Slough 18:29. Return at
22:04 or 22:42. Journey time 40-45 mins to/from Reading.
Contact: pauldabrowski0159@gmail.com
Wednesday 25th: (20:00) New Members Night, Tutored
Beer tasting for new CAMRA members. Nags Head, 5
Russell Street, Reading, RG1 7XD.
OCTOBER
Thursday 3rd: (20:00) First Thursday of the Month Social.
Alehouse, 2 Broad Street, Reading, RG1 2BH. Cider night!
Tuesday 8th: (20:00) Branch meeting. Queens Head, back
room, 54 Christchurch Road, Reading, RG2 7AZ. CAMRA
members only, please.
NOVEMBER
Saturday 16th: (14:00) Branch AGM in the upstairs room
of The Griffin, 10/12 Church Road, Caversham, RG4 7AD.
Followed by a tour of local pubs. CAMRA members only,
please. ALL DETAILS TBC – any changes will be shown on
website.
This is a guide only and Reading & Mid Berkshire CAMRA
cannot be held responsible for any loss due to the alteration
or cancellation of any of these events.
See www.readingcamra.org.uk for more details of events.
Mine’s A Pint
3
Contact Us
Useful contact details for this magazine,
CAMRA and other important things…
Mine’s a Pint Circulation: 3,000.
Outlets: Over 70 across the region.
Editor: Phil Gill
editor@readingcamra.org.uk
0771 455 0293
81 Addison Road, Reading, RG1 8EG
Magazine published on behalf of
Reading and Mid Berkshire CAMRA
by: Neil Richards MBE at Matelot
Marketing
01536 358670 / 07710 281381
n.richards@btinternet.com
Printed by CKN Print Ltd, 2 North
Portway Close, Round Spinney,
Northampton, NN3 8RQ
01604 645555
Reading & Mid Berkshire CAMRA
www.readingcamra.org.uk
Social Secretary: Chris Hinton
social@readingcamra.org.uk
Contact for all other branch matters:
Katrina Fletcher
contact@readingcamra.org.uk
0779 401 9437
Local Trading Standards
From time to time, drinkers receiving
poor standards of service or poor
quality products may wish to raise the
matter with Trading Standards. You
now need to do this through Citizens
Advice, an organisation which provides
free, confidential and impartial advice
on consumer issues.
To contact Citizens Advice Consumer
Service call 03454 04 05 06 or visit
www.citizensadvice.org.uk and click on
Consumer.
The next issue of Mine’s a Pint will be
published in early December. Please
feel free to submit any copy or ideas by
1 st November and you could see your
name in print!
The opinions expressed in Mine’s a Pint
are not necessarily those of the editor or
the Campaign for Real Ale. © Campaign
for Real Ale 2019.

REAL-ALE AND CIDER FESTIVAL
9 –20 OCTOBER
THE BACK OF BEYOND
104–108 KINGS ROAD, READING, RG1 3BY
THE HOPE TAP
99–105 FRIAR STREET, READING, RG1 1EP
GREAT RANGE OF QUALITY REAL ALES AVAILABLE
Featuring ales such as
4.0% ABV
Various ABVs
5.0% ABV
Subject to local licensing restrictions and availability at participating free houses. Photography is for guidance only. J D Wetherspoon plc reserves the right to
withdraw/change offers (without notice), at any time. See main menu for additional details of our terms and conditions.
323ADVERT19A5A

From the Editor
Welcome to the latest issue of Mine’s a Pint.
This month we celebrate CAMRA’s Cider
Month by taking a look at real cider – what it
is, where it comes from and how it’s made. If
you normally only drink beer when you go to
the pub, it’s a great time to “branch” out and
explore a new range of tastes.
Also in this issue we have some reflections on
the Reading Beer and Cider Festival. Now that
a few months have passed it’s right to take stock
and reflect on what went well and what can be
improved. Planning is already in full swing for
next year’s festival. In fact it’s fair to say that
it’s pretty much an all year round activity, and
if you’d like to get involved the organising team
will be very happy to have you on board.
Finally it’s my sad task to report the death of
our CAMRA branch Vice Chairman, Martin
Hoare. Martin had been unwell for some time
but still attended CAMRA events including the
beer festival. We were all shocked when we
heard he had passed away after complications
arising from surgery. Martin will be greatly
missed and it’s only fair that we celebrate his
life in this issue. Wherever you are, why not
raise your next glass to Martin?
Phil Gill
Editor, Mine’s a Pint
editor@readingcamra.org.uk
Contents
Branch Diary & Contacts: 3
From the Editor: 5
Pub News: 6, 7 & 8
Martin Hoare: 9
Brewery News: 10 & 11
Small Beer: 12 - 16
Festival Reflections: 18 - 20
Cider Month: 22 & 23
The Promotion of
Lager in the UK: 24 - 27
Join CAMRA: 28 & 29
Mine’s A Pint
5

Pub News
Caversham
The PRINCE OF WALES in Caversham has
closed for refurbishment and will open under
new management towards the end of the year.
The pub, which first opened in 1896, and was
previously owned by Brakspear, has been taken
over by the Dodo pub company. The brand own
pubs, mainly in Oxford but also Cheltenham,
with unusual names such as the Rusty Bicycle
and The Rickety Press. They are to rename
the premises The Last Crumb. Leo Johnson, a
founding member of the company, said that the
pub’s name was a nod to Reading’s old biscuit
industry. Although their pubs are known to
be on the quirky side they want to make The
Last Crumb a place that has a cafe culture for
families as well as provide food all day.
Playhatch
THE FLOWING SPRING in Playhatch have
plenty planned for the upcoming months,
and are even arranging events well in to next
year. Landlord and lady, Nick and Hazel are
especially looking forward to celebrating
their 10 year anniversary at the pub and have
a series of events planned for the Autumn of
2020. On 12 September next year a band are
booked to play their outside stage that are at
present not being named but are sure to have
“mass appeal”. The ever popular mini one day
festival, Springstock, will also be returning on
6 June 2020.
Returning to this year, there is a Cockney
themed night on 16 November, which includes
a menu of traditional East End food such as
salt beef, seafood, Chinese, curries, fruit pies,
crumbles and of course pie, mash and liquor.
There will also be fancy dress, a sing a long, a
special guest and a “somewhat familiar London
premium ale.” Well known John Otway is
playing on 5 October, but by the time this
goes to print, it will most likely be sold out.
On Saturday 21 September Sing-Along-A-Nick
is making a comeback and is promised to be
a fun evening. Some other dates for the diary
are Classic Cars and Bikes on 8 September
and 13 October from 9:30 – 11:30am and an
unplugged night on Tuesday 1 October.
Reading
The ELDON ARMS on Eldon Terrace, which
has been closed since April, will reopen on
12 September under the management of local
brewery, Wild Weather. It is reported that there
will be a mix of cask and key keg available and
it will be renamed The Weather Station.
THE MARKET HOUSE in Market Square is
a newly opened premises owned by City Pub
Company, which advertises “rooms, events,
eat, drink”. It has opened in the old Lloyds
bank building and they boast some of the old
features. They have changed the bank vault
into a secret garden with a sliding glass roof,
which can be hired for private functions. They
also have a rooftop terrace. They have three
kitchens, one of which is focused on ever
changing pop up market food, paying homage
to their position and the history of the town.
They also have a separate gin and cocktail
bar and a keg wall. On a recent visit the cask
Mine’s A Pint
6

eers available were Adnams’ Lighthouse and
Southwold Bitter, Tiny Rebel Stay Puft and
Siren Craft Brew Yulu. There is also a large
selection of craft cans and bottles. They are dog
friendly and have 24 contemporary rooms.
The closed BATTLE INN in Oxford Road
could be replaced with flats. Developer JR
Properties wants to build six flats in its place.
The council have turned down the application,
however the plans could still go ahead if the
developers submit an appeal. The pub changed
its name to become the Gospoda Polish pub,
before being renamed The Royal until it closed
in 2015. Councillor Tony Page, lead member
for planning, said at the Planning Committee
meeting: “It was the Battle Inn for many years,
serving a very respectable pint. Unlike many
pubs in the area, this was a genuine loss.”
On a recent visit THE ALLIED ARMS in St
Mary’s Butts had a good range of beer and
cider on. The beers included Bingham’s Vanilla
Stout, Kazbek Cascade, Rooster’s Brewing
Scrambler, Loddon N.O.T.U.S, Otter Amber
and Clear Water Mariners. The ciders available
were Rosie’s Pig, Old Rosie, Orchard Explorer,
Big Apple and Friel’s Vintage Cider. The pub
runs a quiz night every other Wednesday.
Although one of the main attractions of THE
MODERATION on Caversham Road is their
Thai food, they also have a lot more on offer.
As well as running a quiz night every Sunday,
they hold regular live music at the weekend
and poker nights on the first Monday of the
month. There are daily offers with two for
one main meals on Mondays and curries at £6
each on Tuesday. On Wednesday they provide
Indonesian taster plates at £10 per person, then
on Thursday it is two courses for £12. Prosecco
is £15 a bottle on Friday and on Sunday
brunches and roasts are on offer. Their lunch
deal is two courses for £10 and 3 courses for
£13 Monday to Friday 12-3pm. Loyalty cards
for food are available as well as pizza and BBQ
in the garden for bookings and parties. They
have four real ale pumps.
Mine’s A Pint
7
THE CASTLE TAP on Castle Street hosts its
Autumn Beer Festival on 19-22 September,
featuring live music from Rosedale on Friday,
DJs on Sunday and more.
THE JOLLY ANGLERS on Kennet Side, which
reopened in Spring this year, runs happy hour
on Wednesday between 3pm and 9pm where a
pint of ale is £2.95 or £1.50 a half. The pub is
open all day everyday and serves food between
12 and 9pm.
The former WARWICK in Kings Road has now
reopened as the Cardamom Indian Restaurant,
after having an unsuccessful stint as The Biscuit
& Barrel pub. The food in the restaurant was
excellent on a recent visit and there’s also a
branch in Pangbourne.
The RISING SUN on Forbury Road that closed
its doors permanently in January 2015 was sold
several months ago, but nothing has happened
to the building. The pub which dates back to
1877 was due to be demolished in 2017, but is
still standing.
Planning permission has been given for a new
development in the old pound shop in Broad
Street Mall, which will include an indoor
market, restaurant and bar. The opening hours
will be between 9am and 11pm Monday to
Friday and until 11.30pm on Fridays and
Saturdays.
Admiral Taverns are seeking a new tenant for
THE PHEASANT on Southampton Street.
There are no details on the public house
operator’s website yet but the sign board has
a phone number that you can ring: 01244
502555.
THE TROOPER POTTS in Whitley has been
refurbished and reopened with a new name,
THE VICTORIA CROSS. The Greene King
owned Hungry Horse pub first opened in
March 2016 as The Trooper Potts, named after
a First World War soldier from Reading. The
new name will reflect the soldier’s heroism,
winning a VC for rescuing an injured colleague
under fire. Amongst the refurbishment is an
improved sports viewing area and a larger

garden. There are deals throughout the week
including steaks from £5 on a Monday, curry
and a drink for £5.50 on a Wednesday and buy
one get one free on burgers on a Friday. Greene
King IPA is £2.99 all day every day.
Shinfield
THE BELL AND BOTTLE by School Green
has been taken over by John and Sue who used
to run the Bramshill Hunt and the Arborfield
RBL Club. The beer quality is said to be a
prime objective for the new managers and on a
recent visit the Flying Monk was found to be in
very good condition.
PUB QUALITY
BEER
Pub News compiled by Evelyn Harrison-Bullock
...AT HOME
Drink Rebellion cask ale
at home, fresh from the
brewery shop
Fresh beer, ready to drink
1 litre bottles up to 72 pint barrels
including 10% OFF beer
Fresh cider
Local produce
Over 300 worldwide wines
Free glass hire
Call 01628 476594
Shop opening hours:
Mon-Sat 8am-7pm
Or visit our website:
www.rebellionbeer.co.uk
@RebellionBeer
RebellionBeerCo
Rebellion Beer Co. Ltd. Bencombe Farm, Marlow Bottom, SL7 3LT
AWARD WINNING BEERS BREWED IN HERTFORDSHIRE
For 2019 our Monthly
Specials will be
raising funds and
awareness for
Gaddesden Row Riding
for the Disabled.
WEEKLY DELIVERIES IN YOUR AREA
Dunsley Farm, London Rd, Tring HP23 6HA
N 01442 890721 D www.tringbrewery.co.uk
Mine’s A Pint
8

Martin Hoare 1952 - 2019
provided and operated the PA system, which he
used to good effect to run the pub quiz.
Martin loved attending science fiction
conventions, where he provided sound systems
and ran the real
ale bar. He also
loved Belgium and
Belgian beer and
visited Ostend a
few times a year.
There he had a
group of good
friends and was
involved in De
Oostendse Bierjutters, a local beer supporters
club.
Born in Newport, Martin studied Physics at
Brasenose College, Oxford. Later in life he took
a Law Degree with the Open University, one
module of this being Welsh in remembrance
of his roots. He then proceeded to take on the
taxman in court, representing himself, and won!
He was frequently found propping up the bar
in the Alehouse, particularly when Wales were
playing rugby, and had been doing so since it
became the Hobgoblin. He was involved in
the local CAMRA group and, at the time of
his death, held the position of Vice Chairman.
His involvement with the Reading Beer and
Cider Festival dates back to the very beginning,
working as Finance Steward. In later years he
held other stewarding roles, was a valuable
member of the Foreign Beer Bar team and
Mine’s A Pint
9
Martin was authorised to give firework displays,
and did so until fairly recently with a group of
loyal friends. They would all meet up in the pub
afterwards and greet each other with the shout
“ten”, holding up their hands to prove they still
had all their fingers. Yet another of Martin’s
talents was pickling onions with the help of his
glove puppet Doris Panda, and he entered these
into the Retreat’s annual pickled onion contest.
Martin was a real character who knew an
extraordinarily large number of people, all of
whom will miss him greatly. He died twenty
years to the day after his beloved wife Jean.
Sue Thirlaway

Binghams
The Tap Room at Emma’s Kitchen is
unfortunately no longer open, but there is
now a Tap Yard in front of the brewery on
Saturdays throughout the Summer from 11:30
to 16:30 so you can sit and enjoy a pint or two
of Binghams beer in the sunshine. Wine is also
available. If you want to continue your session
at home, then takeaways are available from the
brewery shop in sizes from 1 to 20 litres. Cover
will be provided if the weather is not good.
Currently there is no food available on site,
but you are welcome to bring your own and
if the idea proves popular then they will invite
food stalls. Updates will be provided on their
Facebook page.
Viennese Whirl, a 5% ABV
Viennese Pale Ale brewed with
a blend of Citra, Centennial
and Chinook hops, proved so
popular earlier in the year that
it has now become part of the
permanent range.
The overall winners of the Champion Beer of
Britain competition for 2019 were announced
at the Great British Beer Festival on 6 August.
In the London and South East Area round,
Binghams Vanilla Stout was judged Gold in
the Speciality Category, and Doodle Stout
won Silver in the
Stout Category.
Vanilla Stout then
went on to be the
overall winner of the
Speciality Category!
In 2016 Vanilla
Stout was judged
Supreme Champion
Beer of Britain.
Loddon
The fifth new beer
produced this year by
the new head brewer
Jake (see the last edition
of Mine’s a Pint for our
interview with him) is
‘This is New England’, a
5.8% ABV New England IPA.
Aggressively double dry-hopped
with Ekuanot, Mosaic and Lemondrop, and
fermented for two weeks with New England
yeast, this beer is packed with citrussy, tropical,
green tea and lemon flavours and aromas. It is
naturally hazy, unfined and suitable for vegans.
New Wharf
Word has reached us that Maidenhead-based
brewery New Wharf have ceased production.
Rebellion
August’s monthly beer is Sonic Boom which is a
pale amber ale with a stone fruit hop character.
They are using a newly developed hop called
Callista from Germany. They’ve wanted to use
it for a while but only now been able to secure
enough for a run of monthlies. A hop very low
in bitterness but with strong aromatic qualities.
This creates a thirst-quenching beer with notes
of peach and nectarine.
Mine’s A Pint
10

Siren Craft
Following successful crowdfunding, Siren are
now producing canned beer, with their 6.5%
ABV Fruit Smoothie IPA, Ten Dollar Shake
being available in a can. To coincide with
launching cans, Siren have also updated their
branding – look out for their new pentagonal
pumpclips in a pub new you!
West Berkshire
The latest cask offering
from West Berkshire is
‘No Worries’, a 3.6% ABV
Australian Pale Ale.
Congratulations are also in
order as Maggs Mild took
home Bronze in the Mild category at the Great
British Beer Festival!
Wild Weather
One of the more interesting unique
recent beer offerings from Wild
Weather is ‘Sprucie Bonus’, a
4.5% ABV Spruce Tip Red Ale.
A Red IPA brewed with locally
foraged spruce tips and dry
hopped with Ahtanum, it is deep
red with malt flavours of oatmeal raisin cookie,
and cherry character from the Spruce.
Brewery News compiled by James Moore
Mine’s A Pint
11

Small Beer
A round up of news and information
Gala Awards Evening
All are welcome to attend and help celebrate
the great beer and cider community that we
have in Reading. Let’s all raise a glass to that!
Stonegate to Buy Ei Pub Group
The array of awards at last year’s event
One of the highlights of the local CAMRA
year is our Gala Awards Evening. The name is
ambitious, the purpose more down to earth – to
celebrate and mark the wonderful selection of
great local pubs, a multitude of local breweries
and cider makers supplying them and a great
array of people making, serving and drinking
their produce.
It’s a public event, open to all. This year it will
be held on Wednesday 18 September at the
Castle Tap on Castle Street in Reading, starting
at 8pm.
You don’t have to wear black tie or a ball gown.
In fact if you do you’ll look out of place as our
focus is on the awards and the people winning
them, rather than the image. Beer festival T
shirts are more the standard outfit.
The regular awards for branch Pub of the Year,
Cider Pub of the Year and Club of the Year
will be there of course, along with the winners
of competitions held at the Reading Beer and
Cider Festival. Alongside those, this year’s
highlights include a special award to Seona
MacKenzie of the Clifton Arms for 35 years of
service as a licensee in the Reading area, along
with presentations to various local CAMRA
members who have made a real difference with
their service to the branch over a number of
years.
Mine’s A Pint
12
Stonegate Pub Company has agreed a £3 billion
deal to buy Ei, Britain’s largest pub owner. Ei,
better known by its old name of Enterprise
Inns, owns more than 4,000 pubs. When added
to Stonegate’s 772, it will take the combined
company to nearly 5,000 pubs, the largest in
the country.
Stonegate runs a number of brands including
Slug and Lettuce, Walkabout and Yates’s, and
offered a 38% premium over the previous
value of Ei shares, valuing the business at £1.3
billion. Including debt, the deal is worth £3
billion. Stonegate has promised to invest in its
new estate; we’ll see whether that’s true.
The Competition and Markets Authority
is sure to take a close look at the deal and
could have the power to force pubs to be sold
to competitors in areas where there would
otherwise be a local monopoly.
So what will it mean for drinkers? Given Ei’s
poor reputation, especially in the way that it
treats its tenants, it could be welcome news.
CAMRA has given a cautious welcome to
the takeover and Ben Wilkinson, CAMRA’s
National Director, said: “For many Ei Group
has become a byword for unfair business

practices and disregard for the social value
of pubs. Its custodianship of thousands of
community pubs has not been a happy period
and it’s clear many will welcome this news.
However, such a significant change will create
anxiety and we call on Stonegate to be clear and
open about their plans as early as possible.”
“This deal will make Stonegate the largest
pub owner in the UK, and that brings a huge
responsibility both to consumers and to
their tenants. We hope Stonegate seizes this
opportunity to make a firm commitment to
adhere to the spirit and letter of the Pubs Code
and spearhead a new, more positive era in the
industry by setting a gold standard for thriving
pubs based on fair and equitable business
practices.”
In contrast, City analyst Douglas Jack pointed
out that: “The combined estate should provide
a substantial pool of pubs to either convert
(from leased to managed) or sell. This could
trigger a lot of follow-on corporate activity in
the sector.”
One immediate benefit for CAMRA members
is that their new discount vouchers should be
valid in more places!
CAMRA Discount Vouchers
There are many reasons why you might have
decided to join CAMRA. You might simply love
a good pint, or perhaps wanted to get involved
in a campaign to save a local pub from closure.
Maybe you wanted to learn more about beer
and brewing.
pubs and breweries, which makes it feel all the
better when somebody offers it of their own
free will.
For many years CAMRA has operated
a discount scheme in association with
Wetherspoons, giving £20 of vouchers a year.
Some loved it, some hated it. Now, as of 1 July
this year, anybody joining or renewing their
CAMRA membership will find a different set
of vouchers in the mail: £30 of vouchers (60
x 50p) redeemable in over 1,400 pubs across
the country.
A significant difference is that this new scheme
is promoted by CAMRA itself so it’s not
locked to any particular pub chain. Alongside
Wetherspoons, Brains and some Stonegate pubs
have joined up, with more to follow. Existing
Wetherspoons vouchers will continue to be
valid for the 12 month transition period, and
any discounts offered by individual pubs off
their own back (like the Greyfriar in Reading)
are separate to this scheme and so will be
unaffected.
Reading pubs taking part in the new scheme
include Pavlov’s Dog, the Monks Retreat, the
Hope Tap, Yates’s and the Back of Beyond in
the town centre, plus the Seven Red Roses in
Lower Earley.
Champion Beer of Britain
And don’t forget the discounts that you can
get as a CAMRA member. In the last issue
we focussed on the external organisations
that offer a special rate to members. Now it’s
time to think about the new CAMRA Voucher
Scheme, which offers member discounts at over
1,400 pubs nationwide.
Importantly, all these discounts are freely-given.
CAMRA policy actually prohibits members
from expecting or demanding a discount from
Image from GBBF CAMRA Twitter: @gbbf
Mine’s A Pint
13

ESTABLISHED 2006
SERVING OVER 1,500
CLIENTS NATIONWIDE
PUBLICANS AND
BAR MANAGERS,
TRY OUR FULLY MANAGED
REGULAR BEER LINE
CLEANING SERVICE
FREE INITIAL
CLEAN
NO COMMITMENT
NO CONTRACT
SEVERAL OF OUR
CUSTOMERS ARE
FEATURED IN THE
2019 CAMRA
GOOD BEER GUIDE
CONTACT SIMON GRIST TODAY
FOR YOUR
FREE FIRST CLEAN
CALL: 07817 950853 OR 0800 7810 577
EMAIL: SIMONGRIST@CLEARBREW.CO.UK
WEB: WWW.CLEARBREW.CO.UK
Mine’s A Pint
14

The newly-crowned Champion Beer of Britain
for 2019 is Shere Drop from Surrey Hills
Brewery. Announced at the Great British Beer
Festival trade session on 6 August, this is great
news for the Dorking-based brewery. Shere
Drop is a 4.2% ABV pale beer with hints of
lemon and grapefruit in the aroma, and a hop
bitterness complemented by a balanced malt
flavour. It’s a hard to find beer so if you see it,
try it.
More locally, Binghams followed up their 2016
supreme champion win with a gold award in
the Speciality category for Vanilla Stout, and
Maggs Mild from West Berkshire picked up a
bronze award in the Mild category. Well done
to all involved!
The results in full…
MILD
Gold: Church End, Gravediggers
Silver: Fernandes, Malt Shovel Mild
Bronze: West Berkshire, Maggs Mild
BITTER
Gold: Dancing Duck, Ay Up
Silver: Rhymney, Hobby Horse
Joint Bronze: Wolf, Edith Cavell and Ulverston,
Laughing Gravy
BEST BITTER
Gold: Surrey Hills, Shere Drop
Silver: Green Jack, Trawler Boys
Joint Bronze: Castle Rock, Preservation Fine
Ale and Salopian, Darwin’s Origin
GOLDEN ALES
Gold: Oakham, Citra
Silver: Five Points, Pale
Joint Bronze: Big Lamp, Prince Bishop Ale and
Vocation, Heart & Soul
STRONG BITTER
Gold: Greytrees, Afghan Pride
Silver: Irving, Iron Duke
Bronze: Church End, Fallen Angel
SPECIALITY
Gold: Binghams, Vanilla Stout
Silver: Blue Monkey, Chocolate Guerrilla
Bronze: Colchester, Brazilian Coffee & Vanilla
Porter
WINTER ALE WINNERS
(judged elsewhere but entered in CBOB)
Strong Milds/Old Ales: Tintagel, Excalibur
Porters: Calverley’s Porter
Stouts: Plain Ales, Inncognito
Barley Wines/Strong Old Ales: Lacon’s Audit Ale
OVERALL RESULTS
Gold: Surrey Hills, Shere Drop
Silver: Greytrees, Afghan Pride
Bronze: Oakham, Citra
Good Beer Guide 2020
The UK’s best-selling
beer and pub guide
is published on 12
September. With a new
design and a personal
foreword by Professor
Brian Cox as well as
contributions from Roger
Protz, Emma Inch, and
Tim Hampson, the 47th
edition of CAMRA’s
Good Beer Guide still
lives up to the description
of being the definitive guide to the best real ale
pubs, bars and breweries in the UK.
With 4,500 pubs, bars and clubs selected by
CAMRA members across the UK, the Good
Beer Guide is the only guide you will need for
finding the best pubs that serve real ale. What
makes it unique against other pub guides is
the Breweries section that lists all UK real ale
breweries – that’s over 1,800 of them! – and
their regular beers, along with hundreds of
CAMRA tasting notes.
Go to shop1.camra.org.uk to secure your copy.
CAMRA members get £2 off the cover price,
with a further £2 discount if pre-ordered before
12 September. Do it now!
Mine’s A Pint
15

Beer Festivals
Local beer festivals – some CAMRA and some
not – that are well worth a visit.
ASCOT BEER FESTIVAL
4th - 5th October 2019
Ascot Racecourse, High Street, Ascot, SL5 7JX.
SHERFIELD ON LODDON
BEER FESTIVAL
7th September 2019
Sherfield Village Hall,
Reading Road, Sherfield
on Loddon, Hook,
Hampshire, RG27 0EZ.
Open 11.30am – 11pm.
Featuring 40+ real
ales and ciders, plus
Prosecco, craft lager and soft drinks. Hot food
and snack food available, with face painting
and live bands Green Embers, Runaway Train,
Blacksmith Band, Jungle Brew and Rosedale
Bandand. Free minibus in the evening to
Bramley station. Tickets £4 in advance from
The Shop, the Four Horseshoes and the White
Hart, or £5 on the day – includes tasting notes
and a pint glass while stocks last.
sherfieldbeerfestival.org.uk
NEWBURY REAL ALE FESTIVAL
14th September 2019
Northcroft Fields,
Northcroft Lane,
Newbury, RG14 1RS.
A family-friendly
event in the centre of
town, which includes
a wide range of ale
and cider and some top-notch music. Over 300
different ales and ciders alongside a wide range
of gin. This year’s theme is drinks from the
local area: West Berks, North Hants and South
Oxon. Hog roast, bratwurst and vegetarian
food available. Music comes from Toploader –
the actual ones! – and a selection of other local
and tribute acts. Tickets £10 in advance from
the website (includes a free glass and 3 drink
tokens) or £12 on the door (includes a free glass
and 2 drink tokens).
newburyrealale.co.uk
Mine’s A Pint
16
A festival organised each autumn by the
Berkshire South East branch of CAMRA at the
prestigious racecourse. Around 200 different
real ales and over
30 real ciders
and perries on
offer. As well as a
fabulous selection
of drinks, the
festival will also offer some top class flat racing
and the chance to have a flutter if you like,
plus live music. Entrance gates and bars open
at 11am on both days, with racing starting at
approximately 2pm. Bars will close 30 minutes
after the last race (expected to be approximately
6pm). No dress code, but the racecourse
encourage customers to dress smartly. All
normal race-day facilities will be available
including hot and cold food and soft drinks.
Tickets available via a link on the website.
“Queen Anne Enclosure” is the cheapest
option to gain access to the festival at £19 and
CAMRA members can quote “CAMRA 2019”
code to get over a 40% discount on on-the-day
prices.
ascotbeerfest.org.uk
OXFORD BEER FESTIVAL
24th - 26th October 2019
Town Hall, St Aldates, Oxford, OX1 1BX.
130 real ales and 50 ciders and perries on
Thursday (5pm – 11pm) and Friday (11am –
11pm) and 40 different ales on Saturday (open
11am, closes 8pm or when the beer runs out)
with the main hall cleared and some chairs and
tables. Food available, some seating in the Old
Library. Entry £5 which includes a souvenir
glass. £3 to CAMRA members with their card.
oxfordbeerfestival.camra.org.uk

Get in touch: 01628 638478 or getbeer@newwharfbrewing.co.uk

Festival Reflections
It felt like there was a bit of a sea change when
it came to the annual Reading Beer Festival this
year, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on why
this was.
I volunteered through the Thursday trade and
evening session, followed by a jolly good knees
up with my friends on the Friday. I realised
that the sea change was a plethora of little
developments that had all come together at
once, and for the better. All of them were a step
in the right direction.
In 2018, the team that ran the Reading Beer
Festival Games really started to drive social
media. They were all over Instagram and
building engagement in a way I haven’t seen
CAMRA in Reading and Mid-Berks do before.
They utilised Instagram Stories, which love or
loathe, made it pretty clear what was happening
on site. They can be found on Instagram under
‘rbfgames’.
Crucially, they didn’t stop after the beer festival
of 2018. They continued to post content and
photos all year which acted as a small reminder
that the beer festival was coming. And, they are
still drip-feeding photos onto their Instagram
feed right now, using all the right hashtags to
be found by the local communities of the area
who like beer and using Instagram. In the long
term, CAMRA need to embrace this approach
to engagement of a younger audience.
As we got nearer to show time in May, the
output from ‘rbfgames’ crescendoed. The
presence on social
media from
Reading and Mid
Berks proper,
also stepped
up, particularly
on Facebook.
There is a big
opportunity with
Twitter. Culturevulture
Reading
folk are big on
the twitter side
of things. The
account is there but it isn’t used enough to
share what’s happening pub and beer wise in
the area in my opinion, which is an opportunity
for the year ahead.
Then there was card payment. Hurrah! One
of the bar managers told me that the festival
had acquired CAMRA’s entire collection of
Mine’s A Pint
18

handheld PDQ machines and said “we haven’t
gone out there and massively pushed that we
can take card this year because we need to
stress test it.” Now we know it works, and can
work in Christchurch Meadows without signal
issues etc, pushing this next year as part of the
marketing materials has to be key. For many
customers, it removes another barrier.
Finally, the beer. There was a shift towards
brand ownership for our more local breweries
this year. This is something I have seen
elsewhere, thanks to other events such as Craft
Theory, BCBF in Bristol and many others.
Allocating a separate area within the tent for
Siren, West Berkshire, Elusive, New Wharf and
Double Barrelled made perfect sense. It was
the right thing
to do, to allow
these growing
and developing
breweries to be
in a position to
own what they
do and how they
do it. It allows
them scope to
engage beer
lovers, tell the
stories behind
the brews,
mingle, give support and encouragement to the
countless home brewers out there who want to
be in that very spot that the forever cheerful
Andy Parker is stood. They did need a few
more volunteers with them at points and I’m
not sure whether that expectation fell to them
or to CAMRA but it’s worth bearing in mind
for 2020.
When you’re stood there looking at these very
local and very community driven breweries
it makes you feel incredibly proud to be
from Berkshire. These businesses give back,
and they engage and welcome customers to
their tap rooms. The fact that we now have
several great quality tap rooms in our branch
is great progress to celebrate. Moreover, these
businesses pay it forward by often welcoming
local food traders on site too. I worked my way
through these local breweries in a methodical
manner, trying almost everything that was put
on up until Friday night. Elusive’s ‘Time and
Magik’ was one of my favourites, followed
by another Elusive brew which was ‘Punch
Out Round 1: Citra and Nelson’ - my friends
and I came back several times for this. Double
Barrelled introduced me to other favourites:
‘Hierarchy of Needs’ and the ‘Summer Session:
Pineapple’ which is one I await for Luci and
Mike to put into can form.
I had loved working the key-keg stand in 2018
but it felt like a huge responsibility to look after
these more sensitive brews, and ensure we were
doing them justice at pour. I worked key-keg
again this year and what CAMRA did right,
was bring volunteers into that area who had
worked it previously and were passionate about
it. My favourite beers from key-keg this year
were Simcoe Simon by Beer Hut Brewing Co,
the Organic Cucumber and Grape Gose by All
Day Brewing Company, Hazy Shade of Winter
by Padstow Brewing Company and Skoda War,
a Belgium quad by Brew York which blew my
socks off.
On the foreign beers this year, there were some
subtle changes too. Some excellent breweries
were added to the line up. Two of significant
note were De Kromme Herring and Der Molen.
Both of these breweries have been stocked
regularly by the Grumpy Goat. De Kromme
came to Reading last year as part of the 2018
Craft Theory, and Der Molen were there and
Mine’s A Pint
19

present this year. I’m always impressed with the
ordering of the foreign beer. It’s no mean feat to
pick and curate a selection that can attract such
a diverse audience, but I think they nailed it this
year. There were some staple classics which are
crucial for beer lovers on their journey and tick
box exercise of trying those signature brews,
but it was fantastic to see the likes of Alvinne
Brewery be stocked with several lines this year.
from the beer woodwork. Some of these faces
I only ever see at the festival, and some of
those volunteers are like those good friends
you have but you seldom see. You find you can
pick your conversation straight back up from
where you left off, giggling along the way. I’m
grateful and thankful to every organiser and
CAMRA member and volunteer behind the
scenes making things happen, putting in their
own time to keep the wheel spinning. And,
I’m grateful for every member who pushes for
change: small changes that when stacked up
make a big change. ‘Continuous improvement
is better than delayed perfection’ - that was
Mark Twain, but I felt a sense of change this
year, for the better.
Onto cask, the backbone of CAMRA. I’m
always ready for a great recommendation, and
this year I was not disappointed. The standout
(and the one beer I keep thinking about, even
now) is Old Chimneys Brewery whose ‘Good
King Henry’, a Russian imperial stout, was
incredible. I’m not a stout person by nature
but perhaps my foray into coffee this past
twelve month served me well. I went back
several times for Good King Henry and it was
gone by midday Friday which says it all. The
‘Plymouth Plum Mild’ by Cullercoats Brewery
was a lovely tipple too, as was (another stout)
‘Flapjack Marmalade’ by Hop Kettle Brewing
Co. One of my finishers for the Friday evening
was the Turning Point Brewery’s ‘Trapped
Under A Cow’ - I had highlighted this one on
my list and it didn’t let me down.
A final note and piece of gratitude. The team
that pull the beer lists together: I know that this
is no small task and yet every year I absolutely
love going through those lists and deciding
what I’ll try. I’ve been known to export them
and print them out and colour code them with
an array of highlighter pens. Oh yes. However,
I didn’t need to do that this year because local
beer blogger Quaffable Reading took the pain
out of the excel spreadsheet and created a
mobile friendly version which he shared with
many of us online. It was great.
I’m always in awe at how smoothly the beer
festival runs when you recognise how many
people it must take to organise it. On a
personal note, it’s genuinely my Christmas
each year. I love it and I kind of live for it. I
love working behind the bar and never fail to
enjoy seeing so many familiar faces appearing
Mine’s A Pint
20
That was another piece of innovation which
made the user experience better than it was
before. I’m pretty sure that having a good
experience is what we all want, and what
CAMRA would aspire to. All of the above
made 2019 a stellar year. Bring on 2020.
Zoë Andrews

great beers from
oxfordshire since 2003

Cider Month
CAMRA’s real cider and perry months are in
October and May. May is more focused on
getting people to try new or a wider range of
ciders, whereas October is directed at getting
people in to the pubs in the first place.
from Turkey were growing wild in England
in Neolithic times. The first written mention
of cider was in 1204AD, when it was used as
payment. However the Celts made crab apple
cider before this. The Romans continued to
make cider, engineering equipment to press
the apples. The Normans began to introduce
a wider range of apples. Throughout the 17th
Century the number of orchards increased and
cider became a more popular tipple. In the
18th century cider was used to pay the farm
workers. The 19th century saw development of
the importance of the quality of cider.
Apples – the raw material for cider making
CAMRA’s definition of real cider requires it to be
“made from the freshly pressed juice of apples,
not syrup, and not to have been pasteurised or
artificially carbonated.” Although there are a
lot of ‘ciders’ that do not meet this criteria, real
cider has become far more readily available in
pubs.
Although many pubs are tied to what beers and
ciders they can stock, bag in box real ciders are
widely available. It might be worth asking in
your local if they have access to bag in boxes.
They can keep for over one month once opened,
unlike a barrel of beer that needs to be drunk
within a few days.
Look out for our Cider Pub of the Year judging
next year. All the information is on the Reading
CAMRA website but the main things to note are
the quality and condition of the cider or perry,
the promotion and knowledge of the product
from the staff as well as the welcome and
service, the atmosphere of the pub, the focus on
community, the sympathy with CAMRA aims
and the value for money.
Real cider is a traditional drink with a long
history in Britain and pre-dates pubs by a
long way. Apples that probably originated
An example of a cider press
Traditionally cider making has not changed
much in all these years. First apples are washed
and then pulped and pressed. The extracted
juice is then left to ferment. Yeast does not
need to be added to trigger fermentation as it
is naturally present on the skin of the apple.
After the cider has fermented, it is quite often
blended with the previous year’s product to
finalise the process.
There are now more than 600 types of apple
grown in the UK. It is estimated that about 450
of these are cider varieties. These apples have
been developed to have special strains which
gives different ciders their unique taste. Apples
fall into four categories; Bittersweets which
have a low acidity but high tannins, Sweets
which have low acidity and low tannin, Sharps
which have a high acidity and low tannin and
finally Bittersharps which have a high acidity
and high tannin. Most apple varieties contain
Mine’s A Pint
22

a combination of all four. Tannins give the
cider the colour and the dryness. Most cider
makers tend to avoid bittersharp apples as
the consumer taste today seems to favour the
sweeter less acidic flavours.
Different types of ciders can be made by
carefully selecting a combination of apples. The
making of a cider starts with the planning of
the orchard. They are designed with different
varieties planted at the same time so they can be
harvested together and be used simultaneously
to create different characteristics in the cider.
Although apples taste sweet, cider apples
are unlike the ones we eat. They are usually
smaller, harder and would be too dry to
eat. Unsweetened cider is naturally dry and
this is because all the sugar is used up in the
fermentation process. Cider can later be
sweetened using unfermented apple juice or
artificial sweeteners.
Cider is a very important and historical part of
our British heritage and it is definitely making
a big come back.
Cider and perry judging at a previous
Reading Beer and Cider Festival
Evelyn Harrison-Bullock
Mine’s A Pint
23

The Promotion
of Lager in the UK
PART 2
Paul Dabrowski continues his series about
lager advertising, including some very familiar
catchphrases.
Following experiments in lager brewing as early
as 1915, with the post-World War I market –
minus Austrian and German imports – in mind,
the branding of Barclay’s new products at their
1922 launch as ‘London Lager’ perpetuated
the tradition established by most UK-brewed
lagers to date in not adopting an inappropriate
pseudo-continental name as a deliberate ploy to
maximise sales at a time when patriotic fervour
was still rampant.
With anti-German prejudice in the UK
somehow proving less resilient after 1945,
the iconic 1958 film Ice Cold in Alex, starring
John Mills, Anthony Quayle and Sylvia Syms,
probably did as much for the rehabilitation of
the notion of the ‘good German’ amongst the
viewing public as did the most memorable,
penultimate, scene – where the protagonists
down several glasses of Carlsberg – in reestablishing
foreign lager (but, unfortunately,
reinforcing the misconceived ‘benefits’ of cold
beer generally) in the consciousness of that
same audience. This blatant product placement
had followed earlier post-WWII export success
in the UK using the somewhat cryptic, ‘In
Danish we say “he 1st en hof”’, tag-line.
Back in 1935, the Welsh Felinfoel brewery
had been the first to successfully can its beers
(although a lager was not amongst them) but
it was the purchase of a bulk beer pasteuriser
from Germany by Watney, Combe, Reid &
Co. Ltd. six years previously that had presaged
their development of the kegging process for a
beer launched, for low turnover club use only,
soon afterwards. The advent of the Second
World War ultimately provided an incentive,
during the mid- to late-1940s when American
servicemen were being stationed in Britain, for
the techniques to become increasingly linked.
However, their particular association with lager
was, oddly perhaps, initially eclipsed by the
artificial gassing process being associated more
with their application to (and replacements for)
traditional cask ales and the creation of canned
products such as Watney’s Party Four and
Party Seven. What is not widely appreciated
is that the carbon dioxide given off naturally
but trapped in sealed fermenters, invariably
now being used for bulk lager production, was
reused at the brewing plant to engender some
effervescence back into the finished products
to not only disguise the lack of any on-site
maturation but also to counter the deleterious
effects of pasteurisation (principally, halting all
fermentation). Reintroduced just prior to the
packaging stage, this practice, theoretically,
enabled immediate despatch to retailers
without the need for any brewery conditioning
and the storage costs involved.
The high-profile promotion of the resultant
inferior substitutes, both in cans and via gaudy
keg fonts established onto bar tops whilst
handpulls were being dismantled, inevitably
created such adverse public reaction that it led
Mine’s A Pint
24

to a consumer pressure group – the Campaign
for the Revitalisation of Ale – being formed in
1971.
It was the additional, artificial, carbonation of
the latter, in particular, using cylinders of CO 2
to propel the keg beers and lagers to the bar
that invariably caused excessive ‘fizz’ which
attracted their especial opprobrium. And, it
should not be forgotten that, just as the hot
summer of 1959 seemed to mark a turningpoint
in the establishment in the UK of keg beer
over cask, the long, hot summers of 1975 and,
particularly, 1976 did the same for ersatz lagers
over keg brews in public awareness!
The Campaign for Real Ale – as it soon became
once the cumbersome ‘Revitalisation of Ale’
acronym interpretation was dropped – had
undoubtedly provided more than just a catalyst
that aided an eventual volte-face by the ‘Big
Six’ brewing combines of the time as regards
cask beer brewing was concerned, particularly
whilst reliable cooling methodology for real
ale was finally being perfected. But almost
all UK-brewed lager, however, was to remain
inextricably wedded to kegging and canning
techniques well into the 21st century.
In October 1972, a German-themed beer festival
had taken place at Alexandra Palace, predating
the CAMRA-inspired Great British Beer
Festivals at the same venue later that decade. In
fact, a first-and-last jointly-held protest against
the lagers being promoted, involving both the
Society for the Preservation of Beers from the
Wood and the nascent CAMRA, was held to
coincide with the event. Reputedly, the barrelrolling
of real ale casks uphill formed part of
the demonstration – though, if full, probably
not for immediate consumption! The SPBW
was, and still is, a 1963 forerunner to CAMRA
though far less effective through missing the
main picture!
the 1960s onwards, as in Liverpool (Rigsby’s),
with Hull, Leeds and Sheffield spawning a
Hofbräuhaus each and, amongst those opened
in some of the capital’s suburbs (complementing
those extant in the city centre), there was even a
Löwenbräu Keller in Croydon.
A Bristol Bierkeller accompanied several in
Manchester, too, with an ‘Austrian’ biergarten
in Lytham St. Annes from the summer of
1966, and, around 4-5 years later, Blackpool
gained three outlets, the Talbot Bierkeller, a
Hofbräuhaus and, opposite the Central Pier,
a Jager Keller. Then, the vast Harte & Garter
Hotel, Windsor, installed its own bierkeller,
with Southend, Pwllheli in Wales and Peel on
the Isle of Man each gaining one in 1972, 1974
and 1977 respectively. By the end of the 1970s,
Butlins had created a staggering 25 amongst its
seaside holiday camps.
During the penultimate decade of the 20th
century, however, the bars had generally become
seedier, accompanying accoutrements such as
food, music, chasers and even the lager itself,
less authentic as the bigger players had begun
to dominate this lucrative market. The Talbot
and Jager outlets in Blackpool, for instance,
had actually been opened by Bass Charrington
and the Forte Hotel Group respectively.
Nonetheless, German-style beer festivals with
Bavarian oompah bands and cuisine continued
to be established subsequently in places such
as Norwich and Solihull, supplementing the
resurgence of semi-permanent bierkellers from
Mine’s A Pint
25

Whilst lager, as a beer style, had had a reputation
in the 1960s of classy sophistication, by less than
a generation later, it had become increasingly
associated with football hooliganism and the
risqué advertising that Fosters and Castlemaine
XXXX – latterday Australian interlopers
– particularly exemplified (in contrast with
the wry and offbeat publicity the former had
previously been associated with). Other, moreestablished
brands felt coerced into dumbingdown
their publicity on television, billboards
and periodicals in order to maintain their
market share.
Amongst the almost saturation promotional
material that ensued in the 1970s, 1980s and
1990s, particularly memorable advertising
catchphrases were devised, just as many for
various keg beers had done likewise a decade
or two before. Examples included, ‘I bet he
drinks.....’ (Carling Black Label), ‘Probably
the best lager in the world’ (Carlsberg),
‘Australians wouldn’t give a XXXX for
anything else’ (Castlemaine), ‘Australian for
beer’ (Fosters), ‘Refreshes the parts other beers
cannot reach’ (Heineken), and, ‘For great
lager – follow the bear’ (Hofmeister), the lastmentioned
invariably featuring a life-size ursine
character called George wearing a pork pie hat
and a gold bomber jacket interacting with lads
and ladettes in various pub and club situations.
Harp Lager, which was originally concocted in
Ireland by Guinness in 1960, ‘Stays sharp to the
bottom of the glass’ apparently, whereas Sköl
purported to be ‘Horribly good lager’, using
animations based on the ‘Hagar the Horrible’
cartoon strip from The Sun.
By contrast, against the trend but true to its
reputation, the 5% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
Stella Artois (originating from Belgium) tried to
maintain that it was, ‘Reassuringly expensive’
despite being dubbed ‘wifebeater’ in popular
parlance! Oranjeboom, was, reputedly, an even
stronger lager from Holland that had been
imported into the UK, like Carlsberg, from
as early as the 1940s but under its original
‘Golden Tree’ branding.
Renowned for its high, even excessive, strength,
Oranjeboom had, actually, been available both
on its home turf and exported in various 5%
ABV versions, as well as in 7.5% premium,
8.5% extra, 12% super, 14% ultra, 16% mega
and even 18% extreme strength varieties. As an
example of how adulterated such beers become
once production is franchised elsewhere, it is,
today, still brewed by Shepherd Neame but as
a diluted beverage with an ABV of only 3.9%!
Conversely, Carlsberg’s canned super-strength,
‘Special Brew’, that had established a particular
niche in the UK market ever since it was first
produced in 1950, was reduced from 9% to
8% earlier this decade over concerns regarding
its high strength.
Tennent’s Lager was first brewed in 1885 and,
eight years later, it won the highest award at
the Chicago World’s Fair. J & R Tennent is also
notable for having produced the first canned
lager in 1935 and the first keg lager in 1963.
One of the brand’s high strength variants,
Tennent’s Super (9% ABV), is no longer
produced in Scotland by the Wellpark brewery
(nowadays made in Luton by Inbev), but the
Glasgow site still produces an 1885 Lager
(5% ABV) which, amongst many other brews,
is flanked by both a weaker Lager (4% ABV)
and a stronger Extra (9.3% ABV). Tennent’s
Lager was once famous for the design of its
cans which, until 1989, featured photos of
various female models printed onto the side
who became affectionately known as “The
Mine’s A Pint
26

Lager Lovelies”. Authentic, original, cans with
such advertising thereon are much sought after
by collectors even today despite being viewed
as sexist by some. Nonetheless, in 2017, the
brewery partnered with one of Scotland’s bestloved
sitcoms, Still Game, to add two more
well-known faces to the list of Tennent’s “Lager
Lovelies” – characters, Jack Jarvis and Victor
McDade, played by Ford Keirnon and Greg
Hemphill!
Paul Dabrowski
With acknowledgements to Boak & Bailey and
various CAMRA publications.
CAMAL (The Campaign for Authentic Lager)
may be of interest. Please visit camal.org.uk for
more details.
Mine’s A Pint
27

Join up, join in,
join the campaign
From
as little as
£26.50 *
a year. That’s less
than a pint a
month!
Includes
£30
Real Ale
Cider & Perry
Vouchers
Discover
why we joined.
camra.org.uk/
10reasons
Join us, and together we can protect the traditions of great
British pubs and everything that goes with them.
Become part of the CAMRA community today – enjoy
discounted entry to beer festivals and exclusive member
offers. Learn about brewing and beer and join like-minded
people supporting our campaigns to save pubs, clubs,
your pint and more.
Join the campaign today at
www.camra.org.uk/joinup
*Price for paying by Direct Debit and correct at April 2019. Concessionary rates available.
Please visit camra.org.uk/membership-rates

1
CAMPAIGN
for great beer, cider and perry 2
3
Enjoy CAMRA
BEER FESTIVALS
in front of or behind the bar
4
Save
5 YOUR LOCAL 6
7
Get
9
Enjoy
great
VALUE FOR
MONEY
great
HEALTH BENEFITS
What’s yours?
great reasons
to join CAMRA
8
10
(really!)
10
Discover your reason
and join the campaign today:
www.camra.org.uk/10reasons
Become a
BEER EXPERT
GET INVOLVED
and make new friends
Find the
BEST PUBS
IN BRITAIN
DISCOVER
pub heritage and the
great outdoors
HAVE YOUR SAY

As our farmers
know all too well:
no pain, no grain.
They say nothing worth having comes
easy. Unfortunately for our farmers
that’s true of the barley we use to brew
our beers. We use a classic variety
called Golden Promise, grown to our
own unique specification. The biscuity,
golden malt it produces is the perfect
partner to our natural spring water,
and is vital to Landlord’s depth and
delicate balance of flavour. It’s also a type
of barley that’s notoriously hard to
grow, and our exacting specification
makes it even more difficult. Which
makes it a costly ingredient and a
real challenge even for experienced
farmers. Luckily we can offer some
liquid therapy.
All for that taste of Taylor’s
Mine’s A Pint
30

- EVENTS
- TOURS
- REAL ALE
- CRAFT BEER
- SHOP
- TAPROOM
- KITCHEN
OPENING HOURS
TUES - SUN | 10AM-11PM
MON | 10AM-6PM (Kitchen Closed)
SHOP OPEN DAILY 10AM-6PM
01635 767090 TAPROOMANDKITCHEN@WBBREW.CO.UK
WEST BERKSHIRE BREWERY | THE OLD DAIRY | YATTENDON | RG18 OXT

AUTUMN RACING WEEKEND
& ASCOT BEER FESTIVAL
Friday 4 th & Saturday 5 th October
Enjoy top class Flat racing on the track, then toast the unmissable occasion at the Beer
Festival in association with CAMRA with a choice of over 200 real ales, perries and ciders.
CAMRA Member Discount of over 40%
Friday 4th October – Tickets £10.50 per person (standard price £19)
Saturday 5th October – Tickets £14.00 per person (standard price £26)
Book at ascot.co.uk and quote CAMRA2019
(max. 4 tickets per person, valid for Queen Anne Enclosure tickets only, must be booked in advance)