DID YOU GET A SIX-PACK FOR CHRISTMAS?
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DID YOU GET A SIX-PACK FOR CHRISTMAS?
Late last year three Yorkshire breweries worked online from www.yorkshireales.com. The RSP is
together to launch a unique mixed pack of craft £14.99 for six 500ml bottles in a gift box.
beer in time for the busy festive season. Of the gift pack, Andy Lloyd from Majestic
Believed to be the first time that different brew- said, “Majestic are pleased to be supporting this
eries have collaborated to create a gift pack, the unique collaboration between three Yorkshire
Yorkshire Six Pack features two beers from each micro-breweries and anticipate that sales will be
of Saltaire Brewery, Rudgate Brewery and Wold strong.” John Gill, Booths Buying Manager,
Top Brewery, and this represents the variety of added “It’s the ideal gift, not to mention the per-
beers brewed in Yorkshire. fect thing to take to a party”.
Saltaire’s contribution to the gift box is Blonde, Saltaire Brewery is famed for producing hand
4%, and Cascade Pale Ale, 4.8%, an American crafted ales with a contemporary twist from its
style pale ale that is characterised by its pine and brewery that is housed in a former Victorian
grapefruit aroma from the American Cascade power station.
hops. Rudgate Brewery was founded in 1992 in the
To complement Saltaire’s pale beers, the York- former ammunition building of RAF Marston
shire Six Pack includes Rudgate Brewery’s Bat- Moor Airfield, and takes its name from the Ro-
tleaxe Bitter, 4.8% and York Chocolate Stout, 5%. man road that runs through the airfield. It now
The full bodied stout is a deeply rich and satisfy- produces CAMRA championship beers from a
ing beer brewed using Columbian chocolate from modern brewery on the airfield.
York’s famous Cocoa House. Farm-based Wold Top Brewery brews tradi-
Tasting different again, owing to chalk filtered tional real ale from home and Wolds grown
water that comes from high on the Yorkshire malting barley, the finest hops and pure, chalk-
Wolds, Wold Gold, 4.8% and Angler’s Reward, filtered Wolds water.
4%, complete the pack. Angler’s Reward is a For more information about these three breweries,
golden pale ale with a fruity bitterness and a lin- please visit:
gering aftertaste. www.saltairebrewery.co.uk
The gift pack has proved popular with regional www.rudgatebrewery.co.uk
retailers and is available from Majestic’s York- www.woldtopbrewery.co.uk
shire stores, the majority of Booths stores, and
9
Good Beer Guide 2015 – Selections
Peter Down continues his series of explanations into the workings of our Campaign.
Believe it or not, we are getting to that time of lishment.
the year when selections for the Good Beer Guide Architecture.
2015 need to be considered (yes, already!). The Support for the community.
pressures of publishing timetables means this Pub garden.
needs to be undertaken well in advance to ensure Accommodation.
the required information is included in the new
guide. There is a limited allocation for entries for The principle selection criterion is, and should
each branch and, therefore, we are not able to always be, beer quality. The other factors should
submit all the pubs we may like to. only be an influencing factor if there is a related
A number of methods for making selections for impact to beer quality (for example, a change of
the Good Beer Guide (GBG) are detailed in landlord or cellar manager) or if further selection
CAMRA guidelines. As a result, the methods is required to meet the maximum permitted num-
used at different branches may vary. The follow- ber of submissions for the Good Beer Guide.
ing article outlines how selections are made
within the Bradford branch. Selection Process and Timetable
********** During the course of the year, a list of pubs con-
Selection Criteria sidered suitable for nomination is developed by
When reviewing the suitability of pubs and, the Bradford branch. This list is discussed at the
subsequently, making nominations for the GBG, branch meetings during the year and additions/
the following criteria are considered: deletions/amendments made accordingly. To be
added to the list, a pub must be nominated by a
Primary Criterion: branch member and this nomination then needs to
The pub should consistently serve ale of good be seconded by another member. Deletions are
quality and in excellent condition at all times. made if a pub closes. If there is a report of poor
This shall be taken to mean consistent beer quality beer quality, or a change occurs that is considered
over a full year. to have a detrimental effect on beer quality, then
Other CAMRA Criteria to be Considered: the pub is kept under observation. It may then be
The pub should comply with deleted from the list if the beer
the approved beer dispense quality is noted to be consis-
methods detailed in the tently poor.
CAMRA Internal Policy Docu- At the December branch
ment. meeting, the current list of pubs
Branches are to give prefer- is confirmed. After this meet-
ence to pubs using oversized, ing, the list of pubs is “frozen”.
lined glasses wherever pubs of Any pubs added to the list after
equal status are considered for this meeting will not be eligible
GBG entry. for nomination for the forth-
Branches may include outlets coming Good Beer Guide.
in the GBG that are not pubs. Branch members are then asked
Is the licensee likely to be to visit the pubs on the list and
still in the pub when that edi- start thinking about their nomi-
tion of the GBG is published? nations. Forms are issued so
Other Considerations: that selections can be made and
Real cider and perry. up to 20 pubs can be nominated
Welcome / friendliness of staff. by each person.
Presentation / cleanliness. The current survey details for
Food. the pubs are issued at the De-
History of the pub / estab- cember and January branch
10
meetings and branch members are asked to con- is undertaken from mid-March to the end of May.
firm or update these surveys as necessary. This During this time, a draft proof of the entries is
ensures the correct information can be entered produced by CAMRA’s editorial team and issued
into the Good Beer Guide should the pub be suc- for review. The Bradford branch has a two-week
cessfully selected. period in which to review the proofs for the pubs
The deadline for submitting completed nomina- in its area and submit any amendments that may
tion forms is the week before the February branch be required. There may be an opportunity to
meeting. The nominations that have been re- change any of the pubs listed to one of those on
ceived are collated, reviewed and counted. The the reserve list if, for example, a previously sub-
pubs with the most nominations, within the per- mitted pub no longer meets the requirements for
mitted total allocation, are selected for the Good entry. This is only undertaken if absolutely neces-
Beer Guide. A list of the selected pubs is pro- sary. The Good Beer Guide is then finalised from
duced for ratification at the branch meeting. A mid-June to the end of July ready for production
list of reserves is also prepared. in August.
At the February branch meeting, the list of pubs **********
selected for entry into the GBG is issued and dis- Point of Note
cussed. If there is an objection to any of these Selection of pubs for the Good Beer Guide is
pubs, the reasons for the objection are heard and dependent upon contributions from CAMRA
the matter considered. If a valid reason is given, members. The more members that contribute, the
the branch members vote on whether that pub more nominations are received and the fairer the
should be removed and, if successful, the pub is process is. If you believe one of the pubs you
replaced with one from the reserve list. The final- frequent, or are interested in, is being over-looked
ised list is then ratified at the meeting. then please take part in the nomination process
Following the branch meeting, the list of pubs to and/or persuade other CAMRA branch members
be submitted for the Good Beer Guide and the you may know to also participate. If you want to
associated survey details are finalised. These are know more about the pubs on the current list, this
then forwarded to the CAMRA Regional Director is provided at the branch meetings where you will
so that the submissions can be agreed and signed be given a warm welcome. Details of when and
off. The deadline for the signing-off process is where branch meetings are held are given in Tyke
mid-March. In the meantime, the Bradford Taverner and on the branch website
branch reviews its list of pubs considered suitable (www.bradfordcamra.org.uk).
for nomination and those that received no nomina-
tions may be removed from the list. The branch Peter D. Down
then re-commences the development of this list Campaigns Officer
ready for the following year’s Good Beer Guide. CAMRA – Bradford Branch
The first round of edits for the Good Beer Guide
HISTORY LESSON: BITS:
Leonard Hall has provided us with a list of pubs Daniel Thwaites is a Lancashire brewery with
on and off Leeds Road, Bradford. Sadly, only one some fine tradition, and some good ale. They are
remains. old-school in owning and running their own
Junction; Golden Lion; Garnet (Garnet St.); New pubs. However, worrying news is arriving that
Inn (Joseph St.); Flying Dutchman; New Ex- tenants are being forced to move on or pack it in
change; Adelphi; Waterloo; King’s Arms; Albion; because of rocketing rents.
Turk’s Head (Birksland St.); Oak; Cemetery; Please, Danny boy, don’t try to emulate the
Lemon Tree; Victoria; Ledger (Latimer St.); ways of the Big Nasties; it doesn’t suit you, and
Wheatsheaf; White Bear; Napier; Waggon & your good reputation will plummet. Now stop it.
Horses; High Flyer; Thornbury; Virginia (Rushton ********************
Rd.). The Old Glen House, at the top of Shipley
For those too young to remember, or so old so Glen, is another one to hit the buffers.
as to have forgotten, that list starts at the bottom. Yes, it’s shut. Another one.
11
So many then; so few now. When will it stop?
The Two Pints: Tapped? Nous? Plus Steve, eating in the dark and Brewdog, no!
Out on a midweek evening excursion, the Pints without travelling above 100 yards from the sta-
emerged from Leeds station and found their view tion.
arrested by a hoarding abutting British Home The Pints then headed for the newest addition to
Stores on Boar Lane, declaiming the December the Leeds Brewery roster, the Crowd of Favours -
opening of a new Tap. This follows the York, named after a quote from Pepys apparently - and
Sheffield and Euston Taps, beloved of rail travel- next to the well-known Duck and Drake, down
lers, and the same company’s Pivni Bar on Patrick Leeds' historic Kirkgate and then up a side street.
Pool, York. Regular Two Pint readers may recall We ate some good food, a touch expensive for a
our excursion to York, where the Pivni was ad- pub, but satisfying, albeit the same menu as the
judged an outstanding success, located as it is in a other Leeds Brewery pubs – White Swan, Brew-
fine 16th century building and stocking as it does a ery Tap, Midnight Bell etc. A suggestion of a
good range of draughts and bottles. chain in the identical menus, rather than the indi-
The Pints anticipate the opening of the Leeds viduality we crave. And no greens. Beers? Leeds’
Tap keenly, guessing that the location will ensure Gathering Storm 4.5%, and Little Valley’s Vanilla
a large throughput of thirsty visitors and a healthy Porter 4.5% were good, although the latter’s va-
turnover of interesting brews. nilla was a little too pronounced in the mix to
And, if that were not enough.. Bundobust, the satisfy completely. Beers, like music, often bene-
eagerly anticipated Sparrow/Prashad collabora- fit from a touch of counterpoint. We fell back on
tion, is slated to open in February, on Mill Hill an oddly disappointing Midnight Bell, normally
across the road from the new Tap and on the way the reassuring star amongst Leeds Brewery’s
to the Scarbrough. See Bundobust.com for more beers and first discovered by the Pints at the Ilkley
on this. So, a sterling evening to be had in Leeds Beer Festival some years ago after a bracing Feb-
ruary afternoon walk over the moor from Saltaire.
12
It was rather too dark in the CoF too. We do like favoured person, though Aviator has always ar- to see our food and be able to read the menu. We gued that pubs are not particularly successful as wonder how Tyke Taverners like their pub light- romantic venues. ing? Aviator, if supping alone, likes to combine Doctor is also annoyed by Brewdog's bottle his pleasures and read a book with his pint. labels, which lack individuality and thus memora- Thence to the Brewdog pub behind the Corn bility. Their marketing has been acclaimed as one Exchange, on which Aviator has already reported of their strengths, but we feel that the visual lack in these pages. The nice chap behind the bar con- of individuality fails to clearly lodge the character firmed what a quick glance at the taps had sug- of their bottled brews in the memory. gested – the disturbing fact that Brewdog doesn’t On the upside.. Brewdog may have shaken up do cask any more. the Scottish brew scene, they may produce decent This is not our only quarrel with Brewdog, beefs keg beer, the chap behind the bar was friendly and mainly pursued by Doctor, who went off on a matter-of-fact, and they sell thirds of a pint. How- right rant. Aviator’s previous mention of the ever their ambience is one of a good supermarket Leeds Brewdog in these pages was positive, espe- purveying packaged (keg) products, rather than a cially regarding the creative utilisation of an awk- friendly local retailer with homemade and home- ward space, but the Doctor felt it to be spartan and grown (cask) fresh produce. Keg may save the brutalist, and objected to having to sit on a low company money, but a lack of cask takes them squashy sofa. Readers with long memories will below the line and beyond the pale for Doctor. recall that our favoured seating is settles, or up- Enough. All this is the oxygen of publicity, and right chairs with arms; a certain puritan framing the company clearly don't need it. for the serious business of hedonism. Sofas relax Aviator would like to mention a nice pint of one too much, and remove one from the critical Batemans’ Hazelnut Brown, drunk at the Leeds rigour needed to maintain an open and alert mind station ‘Spoons, as well as more than one on a good night out. Fine for spooning with one’s pint of Liquorice Stout from the Riverhead 13
Brewery in Marsden, enjoyed at Fanny’s Ale- drink - the Black Horse in Giggleswick an honour-
house. We both relish a good stout and the latter able exception - and the Talbot used to be at the
was one of the best - richly textured and with desperate end of the spectrum, a cheerless barn of
nicely modulated flavours. A promising and en- a place with unpalatable beer. But how things
couragingly distinctive first experience from this have turned around in Settle.
previously unknown – to us – brewery. For example, the Harts Head - up the road in
We learn that Steve, once of Salts Sports and Giggleswick - is one of the most improved pubs in
Social Club in Saltaire, can now be found on sev- the district, selling a splendid range of good ales,
eral evenings behind the bar at The Fox, newly and a little place on Duke Street called Thirteen
opened on Briggate in Shipley. A quick tribute to Cafe Bar sells real ales in a narrow but convivial
Steve is deemed relevant. It was he who hosted the setting.
greatly appreciated monthly Beer Club at Salts However it is The Talbot itself that has been a
Sports and Social Club, wherein Saltaire Brewery revelation. Completely refurbished and now as
tested their new beers at a good price, not to men- warm and welcoming as it was previously bleak
tion the seemingly endless parade of excellent and charmless, on the day of Aviator's visit it had
Salamander stouts and porters – a revelation. beer from Dent, Ilkley, Lancaster, Taylors and
Steve and Salts Club also held some very inter- from Settle’s own Settle Brewing Company,
esting beer festivals. A deal of imagination and which references the well-known Settle to Carlisle
good choice went into these. For example there railway line by giving its beers rail-related names.
was the wonderful Yorkshire vs. Lancashire beer Aviator had an IPA called Signal Mainline which
clash of a couple of years ago, where eight brews was decent enough without being world-changing.
from each county were lined up against each other If readers are passing through to the Dales, the
and drinkers would vote for their top three in or- Talbot is well-worth a slight detour.
der. These events were on a more humane and A late report from Doctor and the Accomplice:
merciful scale than most beer festivals, giving one "In the Sparrow recently, and the cask Ilkley Fire-
the opportunity to try out nearly all the beers over side Porter 4.2% was perfect. They also had keg
a couple of days. We contrast this with the re- Bundobust, the beer to match their new cafe/bar
morseless beer festival pressure, where one has a collaboration of the same name. Bundobust is
tightly delimited session of a few hours to seek 4.7% and.. interesting, but not quite to my taste.
elixirs, like liquid needles in haystacks. Perhaps They describe it as a Coriander Pilsner, and the
too florid a metaphor, but too much choice can be Accomplice's youthfully keen palate also spotted
an oppressive tyrant. We wish Steve well in his lemon, which the Sparrow confirmed. This gives a
new role. slight perfumey taste/smell, not unpleasant."
Already the Fox in Shipley is establishing itself Talking of Ilkley Brewery, they are doing some
on the Pints’ regular itinerary. Some mighty other fine things – their Mayan Chocolate Chi-
brews featured include York Centurion’s Ghost, potle Stout 6.5% is very good indeed, whether in
Saltaire’s Hazelnut Coffee Porter and a truly im- bottle or on draught. A chipotle is apparently a
maculate Saltaire Triple Chocoholic. smoke-dried jalapeño pepper. So there.
From further afield, Aviator visited Settle and, Right, must dash – Editor Boothroyd is march-
amongst others, Keighley and Craven CAMRA’s ing up and down waving a plague and shouting
pub of the season, the Talbot. There was a time, 'Deadline!' and we fear for our health.
and it is in fairly recent memory, when Settle was Cheers! the2pints@gmail.com for all thoughts
not exactly blessed with places to get a decent and correspondence.
Late news: Steve Ball, mentioned above, is now running the local Conservative Club, and so continu-
ing to spread the word on good ale.
BITS: The Blue Boar, Thornton, is now in private hands. It currently offers two or three real ales.
Sounds good.
14
THE BIRD FINALLY FLIES
After more than 30 weeks of painstaking resto- pected challenges were faced during the build
ration work at a cost in excess of £200,000, programme. Working with architects and engi-
Wharfedale’s first BrewPub, the Flying Duck, neers effective solutions were found to protect the
finally opened its doors in Ilkley in mid- building’s character whilst delivering a superb
November. customer environment.
In late 2012, sixteen businessmen and women, It’s been an absolute privilege to have been in-
all with a close connection to the town, formed volved. I hope the investors get the returns they
two companies; (Flying Duck Enterprises Ltd and deserve and I am sure it will be a great success”.
Wharfedale Brewery Ltd), which acquired the The pub is serving nine rotating cask real ales
lease of the former Mallard Inn (more recently the (from Wharfedale and other microbreweries
Albert) on Church Street. throughout the UK), draught ciders, continental
The majority of the investors are past chairmen lagers, bottled beers from around the world, an
of Ilkley Round Table and founder members of extensive range of fine wines, whiskies and spir-
the highly successful Ilkley Beer Festival. They its, soft drinks, teas and coffees.
felt there was a niche in the market place to capi- The brewery, which predominately serves the
talise on the resurgence in the popularity of real pub and other carefully selected local hostelries,
ale, by producing and selling their own beer, in can be viewed from an impressive gallery via a
the kind of pub that they felt had been sadly lack- decked beer garden located between the two
ing in the Ilkley area for generations. buildings.
The property is Ilkley's oldest pub building, Jonathan Shepherd, one of the investors who
dating back to the early 1600s. The current Grade lives in Ben Rhydding said, “It’s been a long time
II listed structure was built as a farmhouse in 1709 coming and we’d like to thank the public for the
and retains many of its original features. This great interest they have shown and the support
provided an exact match with the investors’ plans they have given in what we have tried to achieve.
to create a Yorkshire Dales style real ale and fine More importantly we’d like to thank them for
wine venue, in a setting packed with character, being so patient.
which could also incorporate a microbrewery. The work that has been undertaken is first class
And thus, Wharfedale's first BrewPub was and a credit to everyone who has been involved.
born. The pub has been renamed the Flying Both the pub and the brewery look absolutely
Duck, in a nod to it’s most famous previous name, fantastic. It has taken a little longer than we had
and the third incarnation of Wharfedale Brewery hoped but I am certain that everyone will be enor-
has been established. mously impressed and agree that it has been well
Ilkley based, Paul Whitehead, the project’s worth the wait.
Chief Building Contractor commented; “As a We would like to think that it will be a venue
listed building, and indeed probably the oldest for everyone; men and women, young and old,
structure in central Ilkley, numerous unex- families, dogs, walkers, cyclists and so on.
16
Notes:
The shareholders: Julie Brett; Bill Dale; Peter Demaine; Wil-
liam Eddison; Anthony Elston; Peter Fisher; Neil Godden; Dar-
ren Martin; Robin Oldfield; James Pitt; Stewart Ross; David
Russell; Mark Selby; Jonathan Shepherd; Paul Smith and Tim
Usherwood.
The original Wharfedale Brewery was founded in Wetherby in
the 1840's and is believed to have closed in the late 1950's. The
name was resurrected in 2003 in Grassington by David
Aynesworth (owner of the Craven Arms in Appletreewick and
star of YTV's Yorkshire's Perfect Pint), before being dissolved
in 2007.
The pub was bought from Enterprise Inns in September 2010
by former Ilkley Grammar School pupils David Russell and
Jonathan Shepherd as an Investment property.
A New Author: A Debut Book - Man O’ The World
The book is set almost entirely around pub life In between, the social life of the pub is ex-
in a northern town plored, early doors crowd, after time drinking etc.,
which I think the read- until the decline and closures over the last few
ers will find they can decades is painfully realised.
connect with. Taking a He is basically a rogue/rough diamond, and as
twist on the old cliché of many a pub disciple, wishes to be seen in as
of 'man of the world' it many establishments as possible. There are many
follows the life of tales of his many ups and spiralling downs.
rogue Ray Taylor from **********
the early 1960's to the The book is available at Amazon UK books,
present day. Waterstones and other online bookstores, paper-
Ray Taylor (the main back and kindle versions.
character) gets hooked I myself am a retired fire-fighter and give Ray a
on pub life from the career in the fire service; however his discipline
day he starts work and does leave something to be desired. No it is not
has a few bob in his autobiographical but certain traits of many ac-
pocket till the end of the book. (Shouldn’t give quaintances are explored.
too much away, you may wish to read.) ISBN 978-0-9574346-3-9. price £7.99.
Graham Ashworth was born in Rochdale in 1959 but now lives in Rossen-
dale with wife Dawn. He has one son and one daughter and is now a proud
grandfather. He also has a stepdaughter.
He originally worked as an engineer before embarking on his thirty year
career as a fire-fighter with the Greater Manchester Fire Service. This, his
first novel, is based on years of observation of human nature and has enabled
him to show his talent for story-telling in this fast-paced, debut book.
BITS: The Hare & Hounds, Toller Lane, is now offer-
The Fisherman’s Arms, Dowley Gap, is closed. ing at least six real ales. So with the Delvers
Guess what? What looks on the surface a viable closed, it’s a lifeline for so many drinkers in that
pub is, actually, not that at all when the National part of Bradford. Use the Force, Ember Inns, and
Graspers want their massive (and fatal) cut. keep on in there.
17
CALDERDALE CAPERS with Rob Wilson
Bronte fans from all over the world are headingvisitors. I forget the exact figure but one Wether-
to the Jubilee Refreshment Rooms in Sowerby spoons ticker said this made it more than 600 of
Bridge. A blue plaque on an outside wall of the the chain's pubs he had visited. The Halifax and
pub celebrates the fact that Branwell Bronte Calderdale CAMRA branch was invited to a pre-
(brother of the more famous literary sisters) opening session to give the staff chance to hone
worked there for a while at the town's first rail-
their skills before the official opening. I sadly
way station. Bronte fanatics like to visit many missed the trip which included a free meal and
sites associated with the family and of course can
two free pints. I have still not visited the
take the opportunity to call into the JRR for a Commercial Inn to check out the beer range but I
refreshing pint of real ale at the same time. understand local ales from Slightly Foxed are
much in evidence. The CAMRA visitors
said they were very impressed with the
building, decor, ales and service they
received. I am looking forward to check-
ing the place out.
Eight branch members (including me)
made it to Stod Fold Brewery in Ogden,
Halifax for a very pleasant Monday after-
noon visit. The 10 barrel plant brewery
holds monthly open days for the trade
(normally the second Monday of the
month) so any landlords who want to
meet the staff and taste the fine ales can
ring the brewery to arrange a visit or just
call in. The brewery has a website. Their
first brew was May Day 2013 and the
brewery is keen to get their ales into lo-
Also in Sowerby Bridge the new Wetherspoons, cal
The Commercial Inn, is now open and attracting pubs and are also marketing to London pubs.
They use Bev-
erage Express
as distributors.
The staff are
Paul Harris
(brewer and
partner), An-
gus Wood
(partner) and
Samantha
Turner (sales).
Their beers are
Pils (4.8%),
Robust Porter
(4.8%), Amber
(4.5%), Blonde
(4.5%) and
Gold (3.8%).
Important question now: Is this a Wetherspoon’s pub or a car showroom?
18as the locals. An excellent array of
food was provided including stew
and dumplings. Thanks very much
to all the staff at the pub for mak-
ing us so welcome and making
such a great effort with the fabu-
lous food.
I am sure many of you will have
visited the excellent Cock o' the
North pub at Hipperholme to sam-
ple the fine Halifax Steam Brew-
ery beers. You will probably have
noticed that you can see the brew-
ing equipment in the other side of
the pub behind the bar. The Hali-
fax Steam ales are all still served
According to the sign, this new brewery might be called Slod Bold. but apparently the brewing equip-
But it isn’t. ment is no longer visible and has
moved. I am not quite sure where
All the CAMRA members on our visit were very but it is believed to be just a few yards away in the
impressed with the brewery set up, the enthusiasm nearby brick built building.
of the staff and the quality of the ales. One novel The Halifax Steam beers are some of my favour-
feature of the brewery is the wooden beer mats ites and I always make a point of taking CAMRA
they provide – something I had not seen before visitors from outside the area to the Cock o' the
and a memorable marketing feature. North and they are always impressed. In fact I
Our branch's Christmas party took place at the seem to remember I had a struggle getting some
Bristol CAMRA members out of the place! I will
try and visit before next issue to find out exactly
where the brewery has moved to. Little Valley
Brewery at Cragg Vale continues to do very well
and in 2014 plans to invest £200,000 in a new
bottling plant. The brewery actually sells more in
bottles that it does in casks and their ales are avail-
able in Booths, Sainsbury's and Waitrose as well
as numerous independent shops. The Tour de
France passes the brewery in 2014 and I think
somewhere near the brewery will be a fine moor-
land spot to watch the cyclists with a Little Valley
beer in hand of course.
Could I recommend calling into Bare Arts on
Rochdale Road next time you are in Todmorden,
or, better still, make a special trip. The place sells
CAMRA approved real ale in bottles and these
make a fine tipple to have at home. You can also
sample the beers on site. I called in briefly a cou-
Ale and stew: traditional Christmas fare. Why not? ple of weeks ago with visitors to Todmorden and
as we were only sampling one beer we chose a
Long Chimney in Sowerby Bridge. The pub had vintage ale. The 8.4% Strong Stout was fantastic
got two Stod Fold ales on for our visit as well as and a drink to be slowly savored and respected.
Doombar. The beers went down very well and the I was very impressed with a couple of
party proved popular with branch members as well ales I tried at the last Wetherspoons beer 19festival. The Batemans Hazelnut Brownie (6.3%) while and was very pleased I visited. The beer
was fantastic. I have mentioned before my liking festival was excellent and I called into Fernandes
for the special ales created by some of the national Brewery Tap for the first time in several years. I
breweries. Although as CAMRA members we was very pleased I did and two of our branch
often tend to steer clear of the usual offerings from members were so impressed with the pub they
Greene King I must say their Abbot's Confession went back specially a couple of weeks later and
(8.5%) was amazing. You could not ask for a bet- spent a full afternoon in the place.
ter array of warming flavours in an ale and it re- The Star Inn Winter Beer Festival was as good
minds us that the national brewers can still turn it as all their events always seem to be. How they
on when they set their minds to it. manage to serve so much tip top quality ale in a
It seems to have been a busy time for beer festi- marquee at the rear of the pub is a mystery to me.
vals recently with branch members singing the The reputation of the Star is well known and I
praises of the Winter Beer Festival at the Star Inn noticed several famous tickers were in attendance
in Huddersfield, Slaithwaite Moonraker Beer Fes- carrying out their strange practices with funnels
tival, and the Wakefield, Birmingham and Lon- and bottles.
don's Pig's Ear festivals. I was amazed how many Northern faces I recog-
The Slaithwaite festival is organised by the nised at the Pig's Ear festival in Hackney, London.
Colne Valley Lions Club who have raised over I had arranged to meet Southern friends at the
£250,000 for charity since they
formed in 1987. The fine festival had
over 30 ales and my favourite was
Maiden Voyage from Bosun's brew-
ery in Horbury. It was a fine chestnut
brown traditional ale.
Birmingham beer festival was well
organised and a good time was had by
all. This is one of the major CAMRA
festivals and ale quality was excep-
tional. I stuck to local ales and was
not disappointed by any of them. I did
find perhaps many tables and chairs
had been crammed together and mov- Pig’s Ear. With all that space for lasses and young ‘uns.
ing around them was sometimes rather
difficult. I had not been to Wakefield for quite a festival which takes place in the fine historic
Round Chapel and I was not
quite sure where the place was.
Coming out of the overground
station I noticed two bearded
men in brewery t-shirts and
overheard them discussing the
merits of cult TV show Blake's
Seven. I decided it was quite
likely they were heading to the
festival and I secretly followed
them. My decision proved
correct. The festival was excel-
lent although some of that
unpleasant key keg stuff was
in evidence and I did notice
some people complaining that
20 Uncle Gloom and two happy pals enjoy the Star’s festival. it was being served. I did try ahalf of something key keg and it proved to be ex-
pensive and dull! We were at the festival on a
Wednesday afternoon (perhaps the situation is
different in the evenings) and I did notice virtually
everyone attending was male and over the age of
50. It really did hit home that CAMRA must do all
it can to attract younger members and female
members.
Having come all this way to see the tiles, it seems
to have been worth it.
Lane, Spitalfields, had 11 ales on, all from London
breweries. The Ten Bells, Commercial Street,
Spitalfields, does not have a very good beer range
but it does have fantastic blue and white tiling
from the famous Victorian firm Simpsons. You
are in the heart of Jack the Ripper territory here
and a local told us he actually killed someone in
the cellar of the pub but I can't confirm that!
Finally I must mention a proper old fashioned
London boozer – the Pride of Spitalfields on Hen-
eage Street. Beer quality was great here and it has
a real EastEnders feel. The barmaid (she may have
been the landlady) was fantastic with a cheery
word for everyone in a proper 'Cor Blimey Gov'
accent. I was rather startled when she walked
round the pub and handed everyone two balloons
to blow up for the pub’s New Year's Eve party.
There was some netting arranged at ceiling
height to put the balloons in. She decided I did not
have to blow up balloons and as I was the tallest
person in the pub my job was to put all the bal-
loons in the netting. My lack of skill at throwing
No, you can’t get up to visit the twilight zone. them in amused the
locals for a good
We took the chance to visit a few London pubs five minutes. There
over the next couple of days. I can't praise the were a couple of
twice London pub of the year The Hope at Car- American tourists in
shalton enough. If I was to design my perfect pub the pub and they
this would be it. Friendly customers, enthusiastic were amazed by the
and efficient staff and a great selection of interest- whole show. Just
ing ales in perfect condition. And if you are lucky about the best part of
the pub cat will come and sit on your lap. their holiday they
I will try and visit The Hope on all my future said. Get down the
trips to London. pub and have a good
We managed to get to one or two other good time – you know it
pubs I had not been to before. Williams, Artillery makes sense. Yes, ma’am, an old 21
English tradition.Real Ale is Brewing Up a Storm in the North?
Some Academic Research into many beers as possible whilst staying sufficiently
Real Ale in ‘The North' sober and maintaining a sufficiently masculine
(with comment which could not be resisted – Ed.). appearance. (At a beer festival, this half pint
Provided by David Litten (20/11/13), who also drinking is probably true, but the fact that
suggests this YouTube like effort. CAMRA festivals have half pint markings on the
It’s probably not there now. pint glasses encourages this, while still allowing
http://www.youtube.com/watch? room for a full pint now and again. Surely we
v=xTAmeuMMs84 are over this masculine appearance nonsense?
And many women do the same thing, of course,
The real ale industry has the potential to thrive for exactly the same reason.)
as part of the tourist industry by focusing on en- All interviewees were proud of their local
gaging small, local breweries and community identity: with the working-class respondents com-
experiences such as festivals, pub walks and taste menting that local pride and the authentic drinks
-testings, researchers at Leeds Met have discov- made them feel connected to working-class iden-
ered. tity and traditions; and the middle-class respon-
The research team at the Carnegie Faculty at dents tending to be concerned that real ale's ex-
Leeds Met, made up of Professor Karl Spracklen, pensive price tag could put it out of reach of its
Jon Laurencic and Dr Alexandra Kenyon, set out 'authentic' working-class roots. (Just a minute –
to discover how well the real ale tourism trade is real ale is usually cheaper than that keg and
performing and how a sense of northern English lager stuff, so what’s going on here?)
community is established through this leisure Professor Spracklen continued: "We have
activity in their study, which has been published found that real ale tourism attracts two distinct
in Tourist Studies journal. groups of people: Firstly we see a group of older,
The study was based in the north of England white, working-class men who are serious about
through interviews and informal conversations their real ale and very knowledgeable. They ar-
with attendees of a real ale festival, interviews rive early to festivals to sample the rare beers
with senior members of staff at northern brewer- before they are sold out and they leave before
ies, and through the observations of one re- they are too drunk to get home. A second group
searcher who volunteered throughout the festival. of younger, less dedicated real ale drinkers, the
Real ale is beer that has not been treated to kill 'hipsters', arrive later, aim to get drunk with their
the process of fermentation: real ale has to be friends and are less concerned about trying par-
handled carefully in cellars by landlords, and only ticular beers. (No, no, this is silly. Who did these
has a number of days in which it is able to be people interview?)
enjoyed. Professor Spracklen commented: "What Many respondents were proud to feel part of a
we found from our research is that the taste of real ale community, travelling across the country
real ale, and its use of quality ingredients, are two to different festivals, as well as pub walks, taste-
of the most important reasons for people getting testings in local pubs and brewery visits, with one
involved in community events such as festivals even keeping a note book which he carried every-
but also that there is a real rise in interest in local where with him to note down the beers he had
products, including both food and drink, and that tried and his comments. (They only found one
there is a new interest emerging from a younger, ticker at a beer festival?)
more middle-class, 'hipster' audience." Professor Spracklen concluded: "Overall, real
The researchers noted that real ale fans pride ale fans are rejecting the mainstream and support-
themselves on being a friendly, welcoming com- ing good taste and distinction, becoming learned
munity rather than being rowdy and drunken. cultural travellers and bonding with like-minded
Drinking half-pints is the norm, but most men people."
would prefer to be seen drinking this measure (That sounds impressive, but what happens
from a full pint glass in order to sample as when real ale becomes “mainstream”?)
22PICTURE PERFECT. Well, almost...
Another Pub of the
Season presentation,
and this time it’s the
Salts Sports Associa-
tion. Why?
Well, young Steve
Ball, pictured below
(looking a little be-
mused, perhaps), has
been more than instru-
mental is setting up
their monthly Beer
Club - obviously with
the good will of and
assistance from the
committee.
Then there’s the an-
nual beer festival: a
splendid affair with just
enough beers to make
the challenge viable to
try them all.
In the centre, above, is Steve’s successor, Danny
Middleton. He knows what he has to follow, and is
up for the task. It’s a confident smile, anyway.
There’s good real ale on at all times at the Salts
Sports Association. It’s between canal and river in
Saltaire. Turn left at the bottom of Victoria Road
and keep going.
Both looking relaxed, and contemplating
either a game of darts or another jar of fine
ale. We believe the darts is set for February.
24Mr.Paul Chand runs the Cas-
EIGHTY EIGHT YEARS tle, Barry Street, Bradford. He
has run several pubs over
many years, and does seem to
do a good job of it. He needs
no introduction to many.
Traditional, acoustic, live
music is a feature at least
every Friday evening.
But, for a change, he hosted
an unusual event one Sunday
in December. It was in honour
of his parents, pictured left,
who were celebrating their
88th (yes, 88th) wedding anni-
versary. They are both cente-
narians, as might be expected.
Much was there singing,
with the usual crew of per-
formers in attendance, includ-
ing local Saltaire songer / sing-
writer, Eddie Lawler (below).
By the way, he gets his picture
in because he is a CAMRA
member. Look out for his gigs,
especially with that lass with
the harp.
Above (centre)
we see Paul him-
self entertaining
the troops, and
anyone else who
turned up, to some
real Indian music.
That drum is the
loudest unampli-
fied instrument
ever let loose
inside four walls,
without causing
them to fall down. 25A word from Salamander Brewing Company: of stouts and porters seemed to take off and now it
Return of the Copper-Coloured Ale appears to be the turn of copper-coloured ales.
(Not all Gentlemen prefer Blondes) If you’ve never tried it, Mudpuppy (4.2 %) is a
traditional best bitter with a bit of
Until recently, Mudpuppy, a a twist in the form of some exotic
bittersweet best bitter, has lived in hops, just enough to give it an
the shadow of our most popular interesting and complex hop char-
beer – Golden Salamander, a 4.5 acter.
% citrussy pale ale (Silver medal If your local pub does not serve
winner in the Great British Beer our beer, you can always come
Festival 2011). and sample some at the brewery.
However, we are wondering if We do tours/parties for 15 + peo-
this long-standing fashion for pale ple (with various options), so
hoppy beers isn’t waning, as in the check out our website and pay us
last year Mudpuppy sales have a visit. Alternatively, you could
been steadily growing, possibly buy a pin (36 pints) or a firkin (72
helped in part by some tweaks to pints) direct from the brewery and
the recipe. As the days have host your own party (or drink it all
grown shorter, sales have been yourself of course)!
booming. A few years ago, sales
FURTHER ANECDOTES from the leaving my beer on the bar. When I returned it
had disappeared, but a quick look round revealed
PUB CRAWLS of Philip Tordoff an elderly gentleman sitting in a corner supping
On my first visit to the (now closed) Craven
my half. I pointed this out to the landlady, who
Heifer at Fairweather Green, I ordered my half of
said, "Oh, he does that regular." She willingly
Websters before going through to the Gents and
pulled me another half.
In those dreadful days in the 1970s when Hud-
dersfield was a near beer desert, traditional Bass
Extra Light was something of a rarity. A friend
and myself asked for half of same at the Grey
Horse, Chapel Hill, whereupon the barmaid acci-
dentally caught the lever of the electric pump in
passing, delivering a third half into the drip tray,
despite frantic attempts to stop it. She did not
realise that these electric pumps delivered a half,
an exact half and nothing but a half. There was a
happy ending. The pub is now renamed the Rat
& Ratchet, with loads of handpumps, and ud-
dersfield has turned into something of a beer
lover's paradise.
The day I almost got shot was in the long, dry
summer of 1976. I was about to survey Meltham,
but before doing so, I opted for a short walk on
the moors, from where there are extensive views.
I heard a shout, followed by a shot from a gun as
a bullet whizzed past me. This was a warning
shot to indicate that I had strayed from the path.
Anyone dropping a cigarette end could have
started an extensive fire. The two men turned out
to be friendly after all.
27Russell Petcher’s Back and Reviewin’ regular basis in fact it was only the other year that
I took to the stage myself in a production of Evita
Bradford's Noise of the Valleys Volume Two. at the Grand Theatre in Leeds.
Carnaby Street is a new musical which features
This is an in depth study of local music history a wide range of classic songs from the sixties, it’s
between the years 1988 and 1998. It contains over by the same bloke who did Dreamboats And Petti-
a hundred 'rock family trees' naming more than coats and for some reason he must not have had
five thousand local musicians and over a thousand permission to use songs by The Rolling Stones or
bands, ranging from Zed to Tasmin Archer to The Kinks but that didn't matter as it was still a
Terrorvision. great show featuring not only some classic songs
It features individual profiles of hundreds of but also had some wonderful costumes that cap-
bands and artists and many local clubs and ven- tured the atmosphere of the sixties perfectly.
ues. Every page is packed with photos, articles, The live band onstage had the tough job of not
posters and images from the period and covers a only having to concentrate on what they were
massive range of musical styles from pop and playing but also they had to do a spot of acting
rock to folk and blues to indie and punk to hard- too.
core and doom metal to the dance scene. **********
Released as a companion to this book is a 6 CD Dale Earnhardt Jr.Jr
box set, The Music 1988-1998, containing more The Speed Of Things
than eight hours of music from over a hundred of Album Review
the local artists featured in this book. It can mean a lot of different things when
********** someone describes a band as being Beatle-esque
Carnaby Street The Musical because after all The Beatles covered a lot of mu-
The Alhambra (Bradford) sical genres in their short lived 8 years together
I'm quite partial to a good musical now and and so when I read that Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr was a
then and have enjoyed going to the theatre on a little bit Beatle-y I was obviously a tad sceptical.
The Speed Of Things is a great chill out album
and every time I listen to it I can hear something
new and I kind of get the whole Beatle-y thing
about it but to me this is more like The Beta
Band,who are also a great band.
The Speed Of Things is the sound of old meet-
ing new and that my friend is absolute genius.
**********
The Savoy
She Loves Me
Demo Review
This has to be the most adventurous piece of
work that I’ve ever heard The Savoy perform. It
has a few tricky time changes with drum rolls all
over the place and a bass line to die for.
Vocalist Brad Featherstone mentions the Eiffel
Tower in this song and girls in killer heels, he
certainly has a way with words and his voice still
demands your full attention when he sings.
You can clearly hear The Libertines influence in
Brads song-writing but he also brings something
new to the table and that is a touch of class.
It's been a while but it looks like The Savoy are
back on track and I look forward to hearing their
new E.P., which is out soon.
3031
Sean Garvey Against the World: the Ongoing Struggle
The Albion Twenty Fourteen battling axe. It felt wrong not holding it, as it has
(this article has a PG13 rating) been part of me for so long. But if trust was the
Down on both knees, grasping the two-metre only way to end this war I would give it. I turned
blade with both hands. My enemy towering over from my opponent, ready to walk into a new
me with glee as he was the one who thrust his day...
weapon into my back. I look across and up to- Only for him to take advantage of this moment
wards my partner. My true love. The woman who he had been waiting for, for seven years. With
has been fighting by my side for seven years. I clenched teeth and white froth dripping from his
stare at her face. I see what she expects of me. I evil grin, he thrust his sword deep into my back,
see what she expects from Sean Garvey. In that twisting it with all his might.
moment I reflect on the last seven years of battle. Now no longer smiling as I have turned to face
I was so young back then, so much to give. him once again. I move closer. Nose to nose. I
Then they came. The ones who wanted me to fail. look into his blood-shocked eyes. Kirsty places
I stood my ground and the battle began. Over the my trusty axe into my hand. I can feel the smile
years my opponent has changed forms so many grow and warm her face as I speak the words:
times. A shape shifter. But not once did he drop “Round two”.
his weapon. Not once did he weaken. The sound
of steel clashing for seven long years a constant The above is dedicated to all those who have
ringing in my head. Mortal combat, the Punch- been forced to fail.
ing, the head-butting, the biting, throwing each
other to the ground with a thud and ,before the Hi people, my name: Sean Garvey.
dust has settled ,we are both back on our feet But who is Sean Garvey? Born in July 1970
facing each other. (27th if anyone wants to buy me a pressy), I was
So many faces my enemy has. The ones with a bonny baby according to my Mum (Hi Mum).
horns, a burning red face, razor sharp teeth. Well As a teenager I held down two paper rounds and
you know you’ve got your hands full. helped the local milkman two mornings a week.
The more acceptable faces: they try to look like In 1987 I started working in construction. In 1999
us, they try and fit in. But there is always the
smell. The smell of deception. When you’re not
looking they stab you in the back. I feel the warm
blood soaking into my knees. My blood. I can see
my refection in the puddle of crimson liquid.
With rage in my eyes, sweat dripping from my
forehead, fear in my heart, I have to look at this
mirror image of myself and think. I’m better than
this.
I hear a voice “get up”. It’s Kirsty, now behind
me, the heel of her foot on my back, both hands
holding the handle of the two-metre blade, with
all her might she pulls the twisted sword from her
warrior. The sound as the blade clashes to the
ground echoing in my head. Kirstys words: “Get
up” echoing in my head. “Get up”. This time it’s
ME: my only thought is get up. I rise up onto my
feet. I remembered now only with the weapon
removed how it got there.
I was told by my enemy that trust was the only
way forward. I gave that trust. I dropped my
32I became a milkman. In 2004 I was awarded the “You changed your manager.”
accolade Britain’s best milkman. SG “Once again, nothing to do with beer, and
In 2005 I was voted citizen of the month by Tony runs Dirty Dick’s better than anyone before
West Yorkshire police. him ,and is so dedicated and keen to the ale side.”
In 2007 I bought the lease of The Albion,
Greengates, Bradford. “Your standards / interests dropped.”
I’ve always been a passionate man. I believe the SG “Bol**cks”.
pen is mightier than the sword. So I put my ex-
perience into words and send them to David “If a pub with one ale on gets one vote of 5-out-of
(Thanks David) who prints them in the CAMRA -5 and you got 80 mixed votes then they have
magazine you are reading. scored better than you.”
Am I a spokesman for the industry? No. What SG “Eh, what?”
gets printed is my experience and opinions, which
many fellow landlords / ladies agree with. Read- And worse of all: “I only give 3 or 4 out of 5 be-
ers who aren’t in the industry love the rants I put cause I haven’t found a pub which is worth 5.”
into words. So I would like to take this moment to SG “I rest my case.”
explain more to those who didn’t like my last
article based on Halifax’s voting system for the I hope this clears that matter up that I’m not
good beer guide 2014. bothered about getting into the Good Beer Guide
First of all, I am a member of CAMRA, so I (even though Ian Priddy wrote an article to the
have a say as much as anyone. Secondly, there Pub Paper - a fantastic publication for the ale
have been several conversations or arguments drinker in Halifax - on my quality and pricing,
with frustrated CAMRA members who think I and stated Dirty Dicks as being one of the best ale
was having a pop at them for Dirty Dick’s not houses in Halifax). You are right, Ian, it is a great
getting in to the good beer guide 2014. ale house.
So for those who didn’t read the last article I am bothered about the voting system.
properly, not getting into the good beer guide
only drew attention to the voting system. I still **********
haven’t been given an acceptable explanation to A note from the Editor for Sean and others:
why Dirty Dicks (a failed pub in 2010 turned Every branch of CAMRA runs its own method
around to selling over 1000 different cask ales a for determining entries onto the GBG. None is
year, stocking over 50 different bottled ales, two perfect, and all could probably be improved.
real ciders on at all times and most importantly Each branch's allocation is not its own deci-
lovely customers drinking ale constantly 11 hours sion, and a branch cannot change it.
a day from £2 a pint) was dropped but this is what There are recommendations about a branch
I have been told by Calderdale CAMRA mem- making sure, so far as they can, that the any pub
bers: being considered for the guide will be open and
dishing out good beer when the book is pub-
“Not enough allocated spaces in the guide.” lished. This does include consideration of
My response “This has nothing to do with good changes which are thought to be imminent.
beer and is not my problem. With so many pubs There should be reserve entries, which can be
closing / disappearing now is the time to push used right to the last minute prior to putting the
pubs more than ever, just put more pages in the book to bed, just in case something unfortunate
book”. does happen.
Much of this business can be personally sub-
“The pub was up for sale.” jective, which is why as many branch members
SG “This has nothing to do with beer. It isn’t for as possible take part in whatever system the lo-
sale now, but every pub is. It’s a business but cal branch is running. This irons out much po-
would have to carry on as Dirty Dick’s Ale tential nonsense.
house to continue being successful”. And that’s the last of this. Shall we move on?
**********
33On a more serious note. On 4/12/13 (a Wednes- know nothing about.
day night) I joined John and Ann with several In 2014 I’m running a boot camp called “I’m a
members for a farewell drink to the Pump Rooms, pain in the arse, get me out of here”. For 12
Halifax. A beautiful pub soon to be destroyed. months you get to experience what landlords /
Such a shame. I wish them all the success in their ladies do. Up at 7am, bed for 2am, every day of
future. the year. Lifting, rolling, preparing ale, always
I returned to a packed Dirty Dicks to find Tony greeting customers with a smile and “The usual
laughing and shaking his head. He informed me a John” (Hello John) 12 hours a day.
CAMRA member (not like you and me; one of the You also get the challenge of repairing anything
type who give CAMRA a bad name) ordered a which breaks or needs improving. If you can’t fix
pint of Bob’s Chardonnayle (a fantastic brew), got it, you get to pay someone who can. I give Mr top
a 5 mm head, complained it took too long to settle it up and smelling beer 25 minutes before he is
(crystal clear), asked for it to be topped up flat - reduced to crying like a baby. And “NO” you
which Tony did. Then he held his head over it don’t get paid for it; most landlords/ ladies aren’t
smelling it while regular customers looked on in even making minimum wages to serve you day in
shock. day out.
STOP DOING IT, you’re making CAMRA look Lastly, if you have enjoyed this article thank
bad. We need positive members for CAMRA to you for your time and I recommend re-reading it
survive and get new people interested. The Cam- as it gets more enjoyable every time. For those
paign for Real Ale is about campaigning about who didn’t enjoy reading it well you shouldn’t
real ale, not being a pain in the arse because you have.
want to be a critic about an environment you Haste la vista, baby.
Sean has been kind enough to share with us a picture of the New Inn’s newly completed extension. He
says, playfully: “Not a computer generated 3D artists impression like the George, Culling-
34Bradford CAMRA Pub of the Year pub with the highest overall score will be an-
...something else explained by Peter Down. nounced in April and declared the Bradford
Branch Pub of the Year. The pub will then also
We are now commencing the process to select be submitted for the Regional Pub of the Year
the Bradford Branch Pub of the Year 2014. All competition.
CAMRA branch members are invited to nominate Reviewing the results of last year’s Pub of the
up to 3 pubs for consideration from within the Year competition highlighted that the scores for
Bradford Branch area. The area boundary is the three short-listed pubs were quite close. The
given on the website successful pub did not gain the highest scores in
(www.bradfordcamra.org.uk) and includes Brad- all of the criteria. Similarly, there were some
ford, Bingley (and rural areas), Shipley and Ilk- notable differences in the scores given by each of
ley. The pubs that are nominated should be of a the judges for each of the pubs. Each of the short
standard that they could also be considered suit- -listed pubs gained the highest scores from par-
able for inclusion in the Good Beer Guide but do ticular members of the judging panel. This shows
not have to have appeared in it. that having a suitably sized judging panel is es-
The deadline for returning nominations is Satur- sential to gain a balance of opinions and scores.
day 22nd February 2014 – the last day of the It also indicates that pubs should always be look-
Bradford Beer Festival. You can nominate pubs ing to improve in order to gain a better chance of
by returning a completed form by post to David winning the Pub of the Year accolade.
Boothroyd – 26 Summerbridge Drive, Eccleshill, If you want your favourite pub to be considered
Bradford, BD10 0ER, by e-mail to for Pub of the Year, then please submit and com-
theboothroyds@btinternet.com, by submission at plete a nomination form. We look forward to
a branch meeting or by completing and submit- receiving them.
ting a nomination form at the Bradford Beer Fes-
tival (20-22 Feb 2014). Nomination forms will
be posted out to branch members and copies will
also be available at branch meetings and the
Bradford Beer Festival. Remember to include
your name and membership number to ensure
your nominations are counted.
Once the nominations have been received, the
three most popular pubs will be short-listed.
These will then be visited, unannounced, by a
panel of branch members and judged, according
to National CAMRA guidelines, based on the
following criteria:
Quality of beer/cider/perry;
Atmosphere/style/décor;
Service & welcome;
Community focus;
Sympathy with CAMRA aims;
Good value.
The various judges will visit each of the pubs
separately from each other and at different times
of the day and week. For each pub, scores will be
provided for each of the above criteria. The
scores are weighted with the primary focus being
on the quality of the beer served (and also cider
and perry if these are available). The weighted Indian landlord keeps alive a traditional
scores are then collated and counted. The English pub. Good beer guaranteed.
36You can also read
