Red Lion, Great Sampford Opening on the 24th August

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Tow Aut 13_Layout 1 21/08/2013 12:21 Page 2 Sa!ron Sa!ron Brewery Brewery (Henham) (Henham) Lt Ltd d T The he C Cartshed, artshed, P Parsonage arsonage F Farm, arm, H Henham, enham, Bishop s Bishop s Stortford, Stortford, H Herts, erts, C CM22 M22 6 6AN AN www.sa!ronbrewery.co.uk Tel: 01279 850923 www.sa!ronbrewery.co.uk Saffron Saffron Bre Brewery wery iiss tthe he trading trading name name of Saffron Saffron Brewery Brewery (Henham) (Henham) Ltd Ltd 2 Visit www.northwestessexcamra.org.uk for up to date details of events and socials

The Only Way Is Beer The Only Way is Beer is publshed by the North West Essex Branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale ( 2013) All rights reserved. Views or comments expressed in this publication may not necessarily be those of the editor or of CAMRA. Editor: Richard Williams Tel: 01799 550534 (h), 07717 470058 (m) Email: newsletter@northwestessexcamra.org.uk Deputy Editor: Chris Rouse Tel: 01799 531582 (h), 07824 726108 (m) Email: webmaster@northwestessexcamra.org.uk 10 Bartholomew Close, Great Chesterford, Saffron Walden, Essex. CB10 1QH. To Advertise To place an advert or enquire about our rates please contact: Neil Richards MBE: 01536 358670 n.richards@btinternet.com Printed by Portland Print. Tel: 01536 511555 Deadline for Winter 2013 issue (005) Article submissions is Friday 1 st November. Who To Contact Chairman: Peter Stanley contact@northwestessexcamra.org.uk Contact & Secretary: Tom Bogie contact@northwestessexcamra.org.uk Membership Secretary, Cider Rep & Webmaster: Chris Rouse (see above) Pubs Officer: Richard Williams (see above) for other contacts see www.northwestessexcamra.org.uk Essex Trading Standards: Tel: 08454 040506 Web: www.essex.gov.uk/business-partners/ Trading-Standards/Pages/aspx Email: trading.standards@essexcc.gov.uk Events & Socials Branch Meeting Monday 5 th August 2013 8:00pm, Plough, The Street, Birdbrook, Essex, CO9 4BJ. Tel: 01440 788066 Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) Tuesday 13 th - Saturday 17 th August 2013 Olympia, London. Web: www.gbbf.org.uk "Came and Meet Us" Social Tuesday 20 th August 2013 8:30pm, Rose & Crown, 31 Bentfield Green,Stansted Mountfitchet, CM24 8HX. Tel: 01279 812107 Branch Meeting Monday 2 nd September 2013 8:00pm Fleur de Lys, High Street, Widdington, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 3SG. Tel: 01799 543280 Web: thefleurdelys.co.uk "Come and Meet Us" Social Thursday 12 th September 2013 8:30pm, The Kings Head, The Street, Gosfield, Halstead, Essex, CO9 1TP. Tel: 01787 474016 Web: www.thekingsheadgosfield.co.uk Branch Meeting Monday 7 th October 2013 8:00pm, Victory Inn, The Green, Wickham St.Pauls, Essex, CO9 2PT. Tel: 01787 269364 Web: www.thevictoryinn.com Branch Meeting Monday 4 th November 2013 8:00pm, Cricketers, 22 Beaumont Hill, Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 2AP. Tel: 01371 873359 Web: www.cricketersgreatdunmow.co.uk Branch Meeting Monday 2 nd December 2013 8:00pm, Axe, 60 Ashdon Road, Saffron Walden, CB10 2AT. Tel: 01799 522235 Autumn 2013 The Only Way is Beer 004 3

Campaigning Round Up Braintree Real Ale Festival Over 1000 people attended and consumed approximately 3800 pints of real ale plus around 250 pints of cider and perry. Approximately half of the attendees retained their commemorative Lions/CAMRA festival glass. A record 55 barrels were sponsored by local businesses. Final figures are as yet unknown but the organisers hope to match figures achieved in previous years. Running beer and cider festivals is one of the ways CAMRA campaigns for Real Ale and Real Cider by bringing you a wider range of ales and cider than you would find in local pubs. Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) Our flagship beer festival will take place between 13 th 17 th August at London Olympia. With over 800 real ales, ciders, perries and foreign beers to choose from we are sure there will be plenty of choice to suit everybody s taste buds! It is not all about the beer though. There is also plenty of food, live music and pub games to enjoy. Tickets can be bought by calling 0844 412 4640 or visiting: www.gbbf.org.uk/tickets. Fair Deal in Sight for Britain's Pubs CAMRA has strongly welcomed Government plans to stop large pub companies damaging Britain's pubs by charging pub licensees high rents alongside inflated beer prices. A new powerful watchdog will prevent large pub companies from taking excessive profits from their pubs at the expense of licensees and pub goers. The Government is also consulting on introducing "Guest Beer" and "Market Rent Only" options. These would provide the opportunity for licensees to partially or fully opt out of tied arrangements combined with an independently assessed market rent. Pubcos Squeeze Life Out of Pubs CAMRA, has presented new evidence to MPs revealing that the majority of publicans tied to the big pub companies earn less than the minimum wage. These new statistics are released as pub campaigners visit Parliament to join a rally supporting Government plans to clamp down on big pub companies charging above market rents and inflated beer prices. A representative sample of over 600 licensees were interviewed by research firm CGA Strategy, with the results showing that licensees tied to the big pub companies are substantially worse off than free of tie lessees. A shocking 60% of licensees tied to the big pub companies earn less than 10,000 a year. This compares to only 25% of free of tie lessees who earn less than 10,000 a year. The other end of the earnings scale also shows a stark difference in earnings, with just one in a hundred tied pub licensees earning over 45,000, as opposed to one in five who run free of tie pubs. Please see http://www.camra.org.uk/article.php?group_id=1 0091 for more details. Chancellor Right to Scrap Beer Duty Escalator As new statistics show that the rate of pub closures rose during the last 6 months up to March this year compared to earlier in 2012, from 18 to 26 per week across the UK, meaning that the cut in beer duty and scrapping of the beer duty escalator in this year's budget could not have come at a more important time. Mike Benner, Chief Executive at CAMRA, said "We believe that the scrapping of the beer duty escalator and the extra 1p off beer duty announced in this year's budget could mark a turning point for pubs." British Pubs Raise Over 100 Million for Charity CAMRA, in association with PubAid, launched 'Pubs & Charity' month in July, and announced new research that shows British pubs raised more than 106 million in the last year for different charities. This is an average of 2,742 per pub. In a study conducted by CGA on behalf of CAMRA and PubAid, results showed that 85% of pubs were actively raising money for charity and despite tough economic times, funds raised annually by pubs had increased by nearly 5% since 2010. CAMRA's 'Pubs 4 Contact the Editor: newsletter@northwestessexcamra.org.uk, 01799 550534

Tow Aut 13_Layout 1 21/08/2013 12:21 Page 5 & Charity' campaign encouraged pubs to organise charity events throughout July and promote the amazing work they do to the media and their communities. Pubs sometimes get unfairly blamed for anti-social behaviour in villages, towns and cities and this campaign aims to help raise the profile of the British pub. In a separate independent survey commissioned for CAMRA and PubAid by TNS, research showed that more people would use their local pubs if more charity events were organised. 21% of all adults agreed with this statement but it was an amazing 32% of young adults aged 18-24 who said they would use their local more regularly if more events supported charities. CAMRA has issued around 7,000 free promotional packs to pubs to help them advertise what they have planned for July. This campaign has not only benefited charities but also encourages more people to support their community pubs, which is important at a time when 26 pubs are closing every week. Please see visit: www.communitypubscampaign.org.uk/greatcharity-pubs for more details. It's Better Down the Pub 'It's Better Down The Pub' is a new pub industry campaign, where CAMRA is a key player. It's supported by numerous pub, brewery and leisure companies all promoting the great things pubs have to offer. The campaign has been launched to the consumer and encourages pub-goers to share their great experiences of visiting the pub. Consumers can win fantastic prizes by sharing their best pub experiences through video, photography or short story. There are three ways pub-goers can take part: 1) Make a short film / video 2) Take a creative photograph 3) Write a short story / poem. 'It's Better Down The Pub' focuses on encouraging pub-goers to promote their favourite pubs. The idea is we will see more people visiting the pub if we all share our great pub-going experiences. Please see visit: www.itsbetterdownthepub.com for more details. Autumn 2013 The Only Way is Beer 004 5

New Brewers Views As an avid reader of the history of beer one realises that what is often marketed as new today can trace its roots firmly in the past. The best example of this is the recent trend towards hoppy pale ales which are, in most cases, rather weak copies of the heavily hopped and big alcohol IPA s brewed in Victorian times. Porter, Dark Mild and Stout are also back in fashion, confirmed by a quick scan of the beer list for this year s Great British Beer Festival where dark beers abound. The new metropolitan cool would have you believe that a small band of anarchic craft brewers have reinvented beer. Trendy new bars are popping up all over the urban landscape where hipsters sip wood aged sours and saisons flavoured with a variety of fruits and herbs. All of these beer styles can be easily traced back to their Belgian roots. I can think of only one new beer style which was concocted by a group of West Coast USA home brewers, who took the malt bill from a robust Porter and late hopped with a large dose of Cascade. Here was born what is technically called a Cascadian Dark Ale but is more commonly referred to by the oxymoron title Black IPA. A common misconception of the British beer drinker is that cold pale lager was a continental invention. It is true that the lager style originates from the cool, bottom fermented beers left to mature in cold store (from where the term Lager comes) but these beers were dark in colour. It was only when, in the 1870 s, the Germans copied the new British malting process that produced pale malt using new smoke-free kilning that the now familiar pale Pilsner style evolved. wonder what our brewing forefather would think of the re-introduction of everything they strived to eliminate through yeast cultivation and improved hygiene. However, I dislike many of the insipid brews that are more frequently provided in pubs where characterless beers are marketed behind pump clips that offer the exotic. I was very glad that none of my American brewing friends were present when I ordered an American Pale Ale brewed by one of the larger Northwest brewers. To say it was devoid of flavour would be an understatement and I, quite rightly, would have been ridiculed all evening. I was very disappointed to see that none of the new school of brewers were represented at The Great British Beer Festival. Surely it is a celebration of British beer and brewers such as Brewdog, Magic Rock, Summer Wine and Camden should have been present. CAMRA should acknowledge that great beer is great beer whether it is matured in cask or filtered and dispensed from keg. It should matter more how a beer is made rather than how it is dispensed but that will be the subject for another day. Julian Hales Indian Summer Brewery We all share a common beer heritage and I find the them and us approach of the Craft Beer and Real Ale fraternities tiresome. Personally, on an everyday basis, I prefer the easy drinking style of what is commonly referred to as Session Ale but equally, I enjoy big American Double IPA s bursting with new hop varieties and knee-melting ABV. I have yet to join the chorus of approval for sour beer and regard the intrusion of wild yeast and bacteria as a backward step rather than beer evolution. I 6 Visit www.northwestessexcamra.org.uk for up to date details of events and socials

CAMRA Beer Festivals in East Anglia Peterborough Beer Festival Tuesday 20 th - Saturday 24 th August 2013, Embankment, Peterborough Rochford Beer & Cider Festival Tuesday 19 th - Saturday 23 rd November 2013 Freight House, Rochford Clacton-on-Sea Real Ale and Cider Festival Wednesday 21 st - Saturday 24 th August 2013 St. James' Hall, Clacton-on-Sea Ipswich Beer Festival Thursday 22 nd - Monday 26 th August 2013 Ipswich Docks Chappel Beer Festival Tuesday 3 rd - Saturday 7 th September 2013 East Anglian Railway Museum, Chappel St Ives 'Booze on the Ouse' Beer Festival Thursday 5 th - Saturday 7 th September 2013 Burgess Hall, St Ivo Centre, St Ives St Albans Beer Festival Wednesday 25 th - Saturday 28 th September 2013 Arena, St Albans Witham Beer Festival Friday 27 th - Saturday 28 th September 2013 Witham Public Hall, Witham Bedford Beer & Cider Festival Wednesday 2 nd - Saturday 5 th October 2013 Corn Exchange, Bedford Chelmsford Cider Festival Thursday 3 rd - Saturday 5 th October 2013 Triangle Club, Chelmsford Cambridge Octoberfest Friday 18 th - Saturday 19 th October 2013 University Social Club, Cambridge Norwich Beer Festival Monday 28 th October - Saturday 2 nd November 2013 St. Andrew's & Blackfriars' Halls, Norwich South Woodham Ferrers Beer Festival Thursday 31 st October - Saturday 2 nd November 2013 Champions Manor Hall, South Woodham Ferrers Harwich & Dovercourt Bay Winter Ale Festival Wednesday 4 th - Saturday 7 th December 2013 Kingsway Hall, Dovercourt Colchester Winter Ale Festival Wednesday 22 nd - Saturday 25 th January 2014 Arts Centre, Colchester Chelmsford Winter Beer & Cider Festival Wednesday 19 th - Saturday 22 nd February 2014 King Edward V Grammar School (KEGS), Chelmsford Chappel Winter Festival Friday 28 th February - Saturday 1 st March 2014 East Anglian Railway Museum, Chappel Maldon Beer Festival Wednesday 23 rd - Saturday 26 th April 2014 Plume School, Maldon Cambridge Beer Festival Monday 19 th - Saturday 24 th May 2014 Jesus Green, Cambridge Colchester Real Ale and Cider Festival Tuesday 27 th - Saturday 31 st May 2014 Arts Centre, Colchester Thurrock Beer Festival Tuesday 3 rd - Saturday 7 th June 2014 Civic Hall, Thurrock Braintree Real Ale Festival Thursday 12 th - Saturday 14 th June 2014 The Institute, Braintree Beer In The Gibberd Garden Saturday 14 th - Sunday 15 th June 2014 Gibberd Garden, Harlow Bishop's Stortford Beer Festival Thursday 24 th - Saturday 26 th July 2014 British Legion Club, Bishops Stortford Autumn 2013 The Only Way is Beer 004 7

Pub News In June CAMRA North West Essex found its Pub of the Year the Bell Inn had closed. This is a big unprecedented disappointment to CAMRA, pub locals and the village of Wendens Ambo. Although the Bell Inn has been developed into an amazing active community local by Anne over the last Seven Years, it is now closed. Anne organised a large number of village activities involving cricket matches, Olympic events, quiz nights, world meal events, Christmas parties, Bonfire Nights, family fun days, beer festivals annual Bell Bashes and even managed to brew her own new beer Wenden Parva twice! This is, we hope, only a temporary closure of the Bell Inn as the owner may return to run his pub again. We also wish Anne good fortune with her future as we chose her pub as the best pub last year in this CAMRA branch with very good reason. The Red Lion in Great Sampford is likely to open again on Bank Holiday Saturday 24 th with a Hog Roast on the Monday. The pub is being completely renovated and will be an interesting newly restored delight to visit or rediscover. This ex-ridleys pub had not had much investment in many years and the attention it is receiving we hope will make it again the community centre of this village. Best wishes to Marcus and Fiona Garrett in restoring and running this pub. We look forward to drinking some interesting local beers there. The Prince of Wales in Brick End Broxted is looking stunning with its excellent floral display in this good summer this year. The pub is comfortable and serves five real ales mainly LocAles from Buntingford, Wibblers, Bishop Nick or other Essex Breweries It is very comfortable with many soft furnishings and has a good pub food menu. There is a garden and a restaurant or function room for events. A friendly pub close enough to the airport served by the local bus where you could wait to pick up passengers? The Three Horseshoes at Hazel End has applied for planning permission to extend the pub which will provide more drinking space for customers. The pub serves an excellent fish menu but when it is busy at the moment there is not much space for drinking. The Cock at Beazley End's owner is still trying to turn the pub into a house! He bought it as a pub and has previously applied and been turned down into converting it to residential. It was the last pub in the village and Braintree Council should be protecting it as a pub. Hopefully this will not continue to be a long battle and Beasley End will be able to get its pub back. The Plough at Radwinter's building work is still progressing. The family that own the renovated Rose and Crown at Ashdon also own this pub and they are hoping to open it before the end of this year. The Red Lion at Finchingfield is up for sale free of tie for 295,000 which in one of the most popular tourist villages in Essex at what appears to be a low price. At the moment the pub is being run by a caretaker manager who is tied to serving Greene King beers. Also the long standing building works at the Guildhall opposite have been completed so the road outside is no longer controlled by one-way traffic lights. The Railway in Saffron Walden has been closed for a short period but has now reopened selling again 8 Contact the Editor: newsletter@northwestessexcamra.org.uk, 01799 550534

Brewery News a range of beers some of which are LocAles. The tenancy has not yet changed but Charles Wells have been advertising locally for new tenants. A new Brewery to open in September at Three Horseshoes Helions Bumpstead. This has already tried brewing two different bitters and a mild which were all popular with tasters. The brewery is in the pub's garage. Beware that this pub is not open on Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays. Queens Head in Stansted Mounfitchet near to the station is now a Free House as it has been sold by Punch. Hopefully the new owners will increase the choice and availability of Real Ales. The Axe, 60 Ashdon Road, Saffron Walden, CB10 2AT Tel: 01799 523630 is having a festival this weekend 24 th August at 11:55 until 26 th August at 23:30 this includes live music and a variety of beers available. Saffron Brewery's new owners, a team of three Stuart Strickland, James and Edward Hoskins are being successful running the brewery and have settled upon the range of beers they will produce regularly. These range in order from Saffron IPA 3.6% to Slient Night 5.2%. There are ten in total and there may be special beers added occasionally. The full list includes Ramblers Tiple, Brewhouse Bell, Littlebury Lighthouse, Saffron Blonde, Squires Gamble, Flying Serent, Henham Honey and Tiddly Vicar. Growler Brewery in conjunction with the band Madness now produce a real ale that is almost a lager in flavour light in colour with lager hops called Gladness 4.2%. This became available in Nicholson's pubs first and is available to the general free trade. The brewery continues to produce its whole range of beers and is expanding its production capacity so more beer will be available. Shalford Brewery continues to produce its range of beers available in many branch pubs. The regular beers produced include the following :- Shalford 1319 Mild, Barnfield Pale Ale, Levelly Gold, Stoneley Bitter, Braintree Market Ale, Hyde Bitter, Levelly Black, Springfield, Rotten End. Indian Summer Brewery is extending its range of beers again. An interesting range starts with a Lite beer at 2.8%, Mild at 3.4%, Amber 3.8%, Porter 4.5%, Black IPA 4.4% Red 4%. Occasional experimental beers are brewed including an Australian Pale Ale at 6.5% and we are to expect a new interesting beer to appear to welcome in Halloween but this will be a surprise. Autumn 2013 The Only Way is Beer 004 9

Local Pub Events Linden House Bank Holiday Beer Festival Saturday 24 th - Monday 26 th August 2013, 1-3 Silver Street, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8HA Tel: 01279 813003 Web: www.lindenhousestansted.co.uk Beer Festival with Live entertainment 20 real ales and ciders Saturday 24 th - Monday 26 th August 2013 Three Horseshoes, Water Lane, Helions Bumpstead, CB9 7AL. Tel: 01440 730298 Web: www.3horseshoes.com Bank Holiday Soul & Mowtown Night Sunday 25 th August 2013 The Fox, The Green, Finchingfield, Braintree CM7 4JX Tel: 01371 810151 Web: www.thefoxinnfinchingfield.co.uk Kevin Fitzimmons, Leon Greening & Dominic Howles Thursday 29 th August 2013 The Fox, The Green, Finchingfield, Braintree CM7 4JX Tel: 01371 810151 Web: www.thefoxinnfinchingfield.co.uk Annie Taylor Thursday 12 th September 2013 The Fox, The Green, Finchingfield, Braintree CM7 4JX Tel: 01371 810151 Web: www.thefoxinnfinchingfield.co.uk Jazz Inc. play Friday 13 th September 2013 Three Horseshoes, Water Lane, Helions Bumpstead, Essex, CB9 7AL. Tel: 01440 730298 Web: www.3horseshoes.com Dave Harley's Rock & Roll Mexican Buffet & Steak Night Friday 20 th September 2013 Horse & Groom, Cornish Hall End, Braintree, Essex, CM7 4HF. Tel: 01799 586306 Web: www.thehorseandgroom.org Lee Gibson & Trio Thursday 26 th September 2013, Annie's Jazz Nights The Fox, The Green, Finchingfield, Braintree CM7 4JX Tel: 01371 810151 Web: www.thefoxinnfinchingfield.co.uk Charity Summer Ball Saturday 28 th September 2013 Horse & Groom, Cornish Hall End, Braintree, Essex, CM7 4HF. Tel: 01799 586306 Web: www.thehorseandgroom.org Hesh play Saturday 12 th October 2013 Three Horseshoes, Water Lane, Helions Bumpstead, Essex, CB9 7AL. Tel: 01440 730298 Web: www.3horseshoes.com Dave Howman after a Chinese Meal Night Friday 18 th October 2013. Eat as much as you like. Horse & Groom, Cornish Hall End, Braintree, Essex, CM7 4HF. Tel: 01799 586306 Web: www.thehorseandgroom.org Georgia Mancio Thursday 31 st October 2013 The Fox, The Green, Finchingfield, Braintree CM7 4JX Tel: 01371 810151, Web: www.thefoxinnfinchingfield.co.uk Ronnie Buckingham clairvoyant evening Wednesday 6 th & 7 th November 2013 Horse & Groom, Cornish Hall End, Braintree, Essex, CM7 4HF. Tel: 01799 586306 Web: www.thehorseandgroom.org Mickey Flynn singing Blues-Rock & Classics Friday 15 th November 2013 Horse & Groom, Cornish Hall End, Braintree, Essex, CM7 4HF. Tel: 01799 586306 Web: www.thehorseandgroom.org Robin Phillips Thursday 28 th November 2013 The Fox, The Green, Finchingfield, Braintree CM7 4JX Tel: 01371 810151 Web: www.thefoxinnfinchingfield.co.uk 10 Visit www.northwestessexcamra.org.uk for up to date details of events and socials

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