A Night on the (Pan)tiles

There has been much comment recently about the demise of the pub trade, with some commentators even suggesting that the industry is in terminal decline. Well last night in Tunbridge Wells there was precious little evidence of any drop off in trade, in fact business could be said to be booming.

I met up with some of my friends from CAMRA, for an evening billed as "Jazz on the Pantiles". For those not in the know, the Pantiles is the oldest, (and some would say poshest) part of Tunbridge Wells. It is an area of raised colonnaded walks, with some characterful old buildings around the area where the "health-giving" waters, that gave the town its name, and which made its reputation, issue forth from the ground. Every Thursday evening, throughout the summer, a jazz band performs under the small bandstand halfway along the the Pantiles. Whilst I'm not a huge fan of jazz, live music, especially when its performed out of doors on a warm summer's evening, is an obvious attraction, especially where there's the possibility of a beer or two involved as well.

Half a dozen or so of us therefore met up outside a bar called the Ragged Trouseers, a pleasant, but fairly non-descript conversion of a former shop. When my friend Don and I arrived, having travelled over from Tonbridge, the rest of the party was already waiting for us and, more importantly, had saved us some seats, under the colonnade just along from the aforementioned bar. The place was already busy, right along the colonnade towards the bandstand, but as the Ragged Trousers was serving its beer in disposable plastic glasses, we followed our friend's advice and popped along to the Duke of York instead. Here we purchased our pints (Harvey's Best for me and Doombar for Don) in proper glass glasses, which we then hung onto for the rest of the evening.

The Duke of York is a fine old traditional pub that has thankfully reverted to its original name following a spell when it was somewhat incongruously known as "Chaplins". However, as it is sited a little way back from where the main action was occurring, we rather cheekily walked back along with our pints and joined our friends outside the Ragged Trousers. We then purchased subsequent pints here, transferring the contents from the awful plastic containers into proper glass ones. (We did all have the courtesy to return them to the Duke of York though at the end of the evening!).

As I said earlier, the entire area was getting busier and busier, in fact there were so many people present that the sound of the jazz band could barely be heard. The Ragged Trousers appears to be the "in place" for affluent Tunbridge Wells youth; most of whom seemed to be university students home for the long summer break. It was a job to get served at times in the "Trousers", with people three or four deep at the bar, but it was worth it, especially for the Hop Back Summer Lightning and Larkins Traditional. The attractive young barmaids, as well as many of the female clientele, also proved an added distraction whilst waiting to be served. With so many people taking their drinks outside, I could fully understand why the pub were using disposable plastic containers, even if I detest them.

The atmosphere outside was pleasant and good natured, with everyone having a good time, chatting to their friends and enjoying their drinks. There was not the slightest hint of any trouble; the crowd remaining good natured and friendly at all times. In fact it was the closest I have come yet to the atmosphere and ambiance of a German Beer Garden, although perhaps without the continental temperatures, and it reinforced my view that this concept could still work over here. (See my recent post on Beer Gardens).

This was my second experience this summer of drinking on the Pantiles, see Train now Standing, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately there is nowhere similar to this where I live in Tonbridge, but on the plus side, Tunbridge Wells is only a short train ride away. I will therefore probably be making a few more trips over to the "Wells" before the summer is out.

Summer 2010

Weather wise it's been a brilliant summer so far, in fact it's been the best I can recall for many a year, certainly down here in this small corner of the Kingdom. I've spent many a long evening out in my garden working on projects like extending my patio, moving my brick-built barbecue and, of course, erecting my new summer-house-cum-brewery.

Back in 2001 when my wife and I were going through the final stages of negotiating the lease on our off-licence, and were in the advanced stages of planning out our new business, I knew that the hardest thing to give up would be those long summer evenings spent pottering outdoors. I was right; running a retail business like an off-licence requires 100% commitment, and evenings are when booze shops do most of their trade. When we eventually sold the business, back in 2007, the garden was looking like a jungle, much of the house was in need of re-decoration and I was in need of a long overdue holiday. One makes these sacrifices, and looking back I would say they were worth it. We manged to sell the business for a reasonable profit, and I was able to go back to my old profession working as a Quality Controller in industry.

As you can imagine then, I appreciate my summer evenings out of doors even more these days, and although the weather's taken a bit of a nose dive over the last couple of days, there's still a fair bit of summer left. Sunny days, and long light summer evenings ought to make for good beer drinking. I haven't seen any figures yet, but I would like to hope that beer sales, especially those in pubs, are on the up. I've done my fair share of beer drinking over the past few months, most noticeably on holiday in Bamberg, but also in some delightful pubs whilst walking the Wealdway long-distance footpath back in June. There's also been quite a bit of activity on the local CAMRA front, what with the two beer festivals we've helped out at, plus my visit earlier this week to the Great British Beer Festival.

Ironically it's raining outside, not heavy rain, but enough to confine me indoors. I'm watching Gardeners World as I write, and they're showing off some stunning gardens. I've obviously got a lot more work to get mine looking anything remotely like the ones featured on the programme. Hopefully the summer will be back before long so I can continue to enjoy quite a few more long evenings outdoors before the nights start drawing in.

GBBF 2010

I spent a most enjoyable nine hours at the Great British Beer Festival yesterday (Tuesday). The place was heaving right from the start, but we managed to grab a table and based ourselves there. The range and diversity of beers on sale was absolutely staggering, but unlike my companions I went armed with a plan of sorts. (Actually the Beer List on the GBBF website proved extremely useful, as it allows the user to construct their own list. A scan through the GBG beforehand, saved a considerable amount of time trying to decide what to go for from the programme). The plan paid off not just in terms of time saved either, as all the beers I tried were good (although some were obviously better than others!). Contrast this to my friends' rather more haphazard approach, which resulted in the odd duff beer, and the benefits of forward planning become even more apparent. (I better stop crowing as I know at least one of my companions reads this blog!).

Although I bumped into quite a few people I know, there were just so many people in the hall that it was impossible to seek out everyone. Apologies to any beer bloggers who were there that I didn't manage to catch up with. Some of the bars were extremely busy as well, and at one point I gave up trying to get close to the Bier Sans Frontieres Bar, although I did managed a few beers on a return visit, later on in the proceedings.

As well as good beer, there was some good food on sale. The pasties from the Crusty Pie Company were tasty and filling, and good value too at £2.50. Full marks too to Pipers Crisps, which were excellent. I couldn't resist grabbing some of the tasty free samples they had on the front of their stand every time I walked by (which was quite frequently), but I did buy a few bags to take home as well. The Green Thai Curry I finished on, nearly finished me with its intense heat, and my companions watched with amusement as I broke out in a sweat whilst tucking into it. (I'll go for the Red one next time!)

As for the beers sampled top marks go to Thornbridge for their excellent Kipling described as a "South Pacific Ale", but absolutely wonderful. This was closely followed by Saltaire Cascade Pale, and Marble Manchester Bitter; both fine beers, and with the latter, you could really smell the hops in the glass. Elland Beyond the Pale also hit the spot. I didn't get to sample as many dark beers as I would have liked, although Lancaster Black and Woodlands Midnight Stout weren't bad.

I had mixed feelings about BSF as although they had some absolutely stunning beers on offer, somehow I think that half the pleasure in Beer Hunting is actually travelling to the places where the beers originate, and enjoying them in their native setting. Having said that I did try the 3.8% Bernard Svetle Pivo, which I missed during my trip to Prague last winter, and also the Josef Greif Anna Festbier from Franconia. (We missed Anna Fest by a couple of weeks during our recent visit to the region.)

Unfortunately, owing to work and family commitments, Tuesday will be my one and only visit to GBBF this year. This is a great shame, as not only are there dozens more beers that I would like to sample, but also just being there is such an integral part of the whole GBBF experience. I would also like to go back armed with a large rucksack and stock up on some of the many excellent and hard to obtain bottled beers that are on sale there, although I'm not sure my bank manager would agree that this is a good idea! Another reason why several visits are a good idea, is so not to waste all the important information gathered on the initial one. (Getting acclimatised to the layout, finding where everything is etc,, as by next year you will have forgotten where everything is, and the layout will probably have changed as well!)

For those of you who are still planning your trip there, all I can say that it is an absolutely stunning festival that just seems to get better each year. Enjoy yourselves; I wish I was going with you!!!

Three Beer Festivals

I've been back from Bamberg just over two weeks now and already I've attended two local beer festivals. On top of that I'm off to the Great British Beer Festival next week, so is it a case of beer festival fatigue?

Not at all, especially with regard to the two local events, both of which were good in their own ways. The first festival was that of SIBA South East, which was held at our local rugby club - Tonbridge Juddians. I was only able to make the Saturday evening session, where I was manning the CAMRA stand, but it turned out to be an excellent evening and I bumped into quite a few people I know.

This is the 4th SIBA Festival I have been involved with; the first two were held at the Hop Farm; a large complex near Paddock Wood that boasts one of the largest groups of oast houses anywhere. Until a couple of decades ago it was known as the Whitbread Hop Farm, and was where a large proportion of the company's hops were grown. Whitbread of course are no longer involved in brewing, and apart from a couple of "show fields", hops are no longer grown commercially at the farm. Staging large scale events, such as the War & Peace Show, or hosting big names from the world of show-biz such as Elton John and Bob Dylan, is what the Hop Farm is about these days, but despite its obvious connections with the brewing industry, somehow as a venue for a beer festival it didn't quite work out. (I could have told the organisers that, having been involved with two failed CAMRA Festivals there back in the early years of the new century, but that's a different story!). Lots of beer ended up being poured down the drain, but as the beers are all supplied by SIBA members, and at their own expense, the losses probably weren't too high.

Last year the event, which is a chance for all SIBA members in the south east to show off their wares, moved to a marquee housed behind Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club; an excellent venue overlooking Tonbridge Sports Ground and, of prime importance, centrally located. This year's event built on what had been achieved the year before, and was much better publicised. What's more, entry was free and that seemed to make all the difference. By the time I arrived on the Saturday the place was really buzzing, and some of the beers had already run out. The organisers from both SIBA and the rugby club seemed pleased with the way things had gone, so hopefully we'll all be back there next year. Just so people know what they missed, there were over 100 beers on sale, from around 30 breweries. Several of these, including Flack Manor, Old Dairy, Redemption, Tonbridge and Wantsum are real newcomers on the scene, but it was good to be able to sample their beers.

Yesterday I spent the evening at another rugby club and another beer festival! This time it was the turn of Sevenoaks Rugby Club to host an event organised by Sevenoaks Lions. The Lions had hosted a similar event the previous year in the town's Stag Theatre, so it was quite a bold step for them to relocate from the town centre to a venue a bit further out.

The beer range was nowhere near as extensive as SIBA's, but did include a few old favourites such as Nethergate Augustinian and RCH Pitchfork and Old Slug Porter. There were also four beers from Whitstable brewery there, which was a bonus so far as I was concerned. The club-house was a superb venue for a beer festival, with views out across the playing fields to the wooded countryside beyond. A game of cricket was taking place and that, combined with a fine summer's evening, gave it that quintessentially English feel. The downside was there seemed to be a heck of a lot of beer left over. There had been a steady footfall throughout the early part of the evening, but it really needed a lot more people to have turned up and help drink the place dry.

I hope next year the organisers will return to the rugby club. I'm sure given more publicity, the event will be a great success.

That brings me onto the final festival of the trio, and the grand-daddy of them all. I am talking, of course, about the Great British Beer Festival which starts on Tuesday at Earl's Court. GBBF needs no introduction except to say it is a "must attend " event for all serious beer drinkers. I'll be there on at least one of the days, and hope to bump into a few familiar faces. See you there!

Beer Gardens

Last year, Tandleman wrote an excellent piece about how civilised Franconian beer gardens were, and wondered whether they could ever work successfully here in the UK? At the time of his post, I had just returned from a trip to Munich, during which we visited a number of excellent beer gardens, ranging from small, almost intimate places such as Sankt Emmerams Muehle to massive establishments, such as Hirschgarten, the biggest beer garden in the world!

I commented at the time about just how good these places were, with people of all ages, both sexes and from all walks of life mixing happily, all enjoying good beer, good company and in a lot of cases some good food. I suppose good weather also helps, and this is perhaps more assured in central Europe than in the British Isles, where Atlantic weather fronts are inclined to make their influence felt on a much more regular basis. Leaving this consideration aside for one moment though, the one thing that really stands out, from a UK point of view, is the lack of drunkenness, anti-social or rowdy behaviour. In short, like Tandleman says, these places are not only civilised, but also very pleasant places to spend some time in.

This viewpoint was further reinforced during our recent trip to Bamberg where, although the number of actual beer gardens we visited was smaller, the same observations held true. Although quite large amounts of beer were being consumed, we witnessed no incidents of drunkenness or the sort of behaviour that is all too common back here in the UK. In fact on the first Friday we were there we walked back to our apartment alongside quite a large crowd of people who, like us, had just spent a very enjoyable evening at the Wilde-Rose Keller. The crowd was good natured and well-behaved and on that evening, as on all subsequent evenings we felt completely safe walking the streets.

Contrast this to back home when I often have to think twice about walking back along Tonbridge High Street on a Friday or Saturday night, and Tonbridge is quite a civilised place compared to some towns! Personally I believe it all boils down to cultural differences in relation to drinking. In Germany, for example, beer is still the universal drink for both young and old, male and female alike. Young people are not only generally a lot more respectful of the older generation, but what is also self evident is that they do not go out at the weekend with the sole intention of getting absolutely plastered! I don't ever recall seeing on sale such vile concoctions as WKD, Smirnoff Ice or any of the other alco-pops that seem so popular with young British drinkers, but this is possibly because when visiting the country we tend to restrict our drinking to beer gardens and the more traditional types of pubs.

Which brings us back to the question again, would beer gardens work over here? We have already worked out that the weather is probably against us, but then so is the behaviour that seems to have become the norm here over the last twenty or thirty years. However, if some brave entrepreneur were to open such an establishment, and restricted what was on offer to just good, locally produced traditional beer, with no mass-produced international fizz brands (although some decent, imported German or Czech draught beer would be ok.), no spirits and definitely no alco-ops, then perhaps they would be in with a chance. The place would have to offer good food of course, with plenty of attractive young waitresses to look after the tables; although they could also offer the self-service option that is available in Germany.

Whilst on the subject of service, over the course of the last few years I've visited a number of different European countries, and have dined in many pubs, beer halls and restaurants. I''ve never had to wait long for food in any of them, unlike here in the UK, where unfortunately poor service is all too common. To achieve an acceptable level of service though, it is necessary to employ sufficient staff to cope with demand. All too often the temptation in this country (and this applies to restaurants as well as pubs), is to manage and somehow "get-by" with the bare minimum number of people. It doesn't work, so anyone thinking of opening a beer garden here in Britain needs to take this on board. Provision for inclement weather would also be an important consideration, with a suitably equipped beer hall, offering the same facilities, attached to the beer garden.

So where should these British Beer Gardens be situated? The ideal answer is somewhere with an attractive outlook, and somewhere with a reasonable size population. Having said that, the concept could work in a more rural location, especially if it is well served by public transport. In urban areas, a spot on the edge of a park, or municipal garden springs to mind as a good starter, after all there are several excellent beer gardens in Munich's Englischer Garten. Locally I can think of a couple of locations that would be just perfect for such an establishment, but I am not going to let on where I have in mind until I have investigated the possibility of developing this idea further myself!!

Buttenheim

The only other trip out of our holiday was a train ride to the village of Buttenheim. It was a 30 minute walk across town from our holiday apartment to Bamberg railway station which may explain, in part, why we didn't make any similar trips, but anyway, Buttenheim was just three stops away by local RB train. Although the station is signed as Buttenheim, it is actually in the village of Altendorf. Buttenheim itself was a good twenty minute walk away which would have been fine under normal circumstances, but not a lot of fun in the thirty degree heat!

Never mind, the trek was well worth it, as Buttenheim is home to two reasonably sized breweries. What's more St Georgen Braeu and Loewenbraeu are right next door to each other! We couldn't miss them as we turned into Marktstr., but unfortunately noticed that the St Georgen Braeu tap was closed (Ruhetag). Loewenbraeu though, was certainly open for business. We settled ourselves at a table in front of the brewery, and were soon enjoying cool, foaming Krugs of the company's Ungespundetes Lagerbier, along with a lunchtime meal of roast chicken, potato dumpling (Kloss) and purred cabbage. I asked the waitress whether other Loewenbraeu beers were available, but she said Ungespundetes was the only they had on draught.

We were keen to sample St Georgen Braeu beers, and after having read in John Conen's excellent Bamberg and Franconia Guide, that both breweries had bierkellers on the edge of the village, we followed his directons and soon found ourselves seated in the shady St Georgen Bierkeller, overlooking the village. At the keller we were able to sample both the brewery's Helles and their Kellerbier. I had drank the latter previously, back in the UK when the beer had featured as part of one of Wetherspoons International Beer Festivals. As we sat, whiling away the afternoon in the cool shade of the bier-keller. We noticed that it was slowly starting to fill up. I can think of few better ways to spend a baking hot summer’s afternoon.

Despite having consumed several half litres of beer, under a hot sun that day, I was keen to try some of the other Loewenbraeu beers. Their keller is opposite that of St Georgen Braeu, but on approaching it, we noticed it was closed. I suppose it made sense, seeing as their brewery tap was open, whilst that of their neighbour closed, for the situation with the kellers to be reversed.

It was probably just as well the keller was closed, and as we made our way slowly back to the station, I couldn’t help thinking fancy living in a place with two breweries next to one another. Wouldn’t that be like living in paradise? Particularly as I forgot to mention that all the beers we enjoyed that day in Buttenheim retailed at just 1.80 Euros per half litre. Bliss!

Franconia

Our recent visit to Franconia, the northern part of Bavaria, barely scratched the surface Once a proud and independent state, Franconia was merged into Bavaria by Napoleon following his conquest and occupation of the area during the early part of the 19th Century. The inhabitants of this region however, still take their identity seriously, and Franconian flags and emblems were evident in many places during our travels.

The reason for barely scratching the surface was that we were based in the beautiful, world heritage city of Bamberg, and with nine breweries, and a host of unspoilt pubs within the town, there was precious little incentive to venture out into the surrounding countryside. (For more details of our experiences enjoying the products of Bambergs' breweries click here). The weather also played its part in keeping us within the city limits. With temperatures in the mid to high 30's, it was too hot to travel far, and all too often the temptation was to find a shady beer garden, and then sit down with a nice cool mug (or three), of the excellent Keller Bier sold in the majority of them.

We did venture out a couple of times though, and were impressed by what we saw. The first excursion was a short bus ride out to the village of Bischberg, just outside Bamberg. We called in at the unspoilt Zur Sonne pub, which brews its own beers. It was shortly before midday, and we sat outside, just across from a group of locals. The landlord brought our beers out to us; fresh Franconian beer at its best. It was priced at just 1.80 Euros for a half litre, and after enjoying the Helles we moved onto the Zwicklbier; both were good.

The idea in coming out to Bischberg, was to call in at Kaiserdom on the way back, but that plan was thwarted by the Gastatte being closed until early evening that day. Whilst waiting for the bus back though, I was reflecting on how can such enterprises at Zur Sonne survive? The pub itself looked up to date inside, although I gather it is of some considerable antiquity. There were a fair few locals enjoying the house-brewed beer, even at that time of the morning, but I couldn't help wonder how do such places keep going? As we stood at the bus stop, we saw the landlord go driving past on his forklift truck, with what looked like a metal bin full of spent grain on the forks. He waved in greeting to us, although he had only met him the once, and we naturally returned this courtesy. I don't know what the laws are in Germany regarding taking a fork-lift on the road, but I suspect they are less strict than they are here in the UK. Obviously mein host was taking one of the left over products of the brewing process to a local farm; it may have even have been his farm for all I know.

And there perhaps lies the answer. In this part of Germany, occupations such as farming and brewing, often go hand in hand, as they have done for centuries. Franconia is fortunate in still having many such breweries in operation, but, as with a lot of good things, their numbers are slowly declining. Back in the mid-90's, I bought a copy of Graham Lees's excellent Good Beer Guide to Munich and Bavaria. In a detailed introduction to the section on Franconia, Graham describes how villages of no more than a couple of thousand people, often have two or even three breweries. Many are little more than brew pubs, but alongside the brewery the family enterprise may well include a farm, a schnapps distillery, a butchers shop or even a slaughterhouse. He stated that whilst no single part of these family enterprises is profitable on its own, together they provide a reasonable income.

Even back then though, Graham was warning that many of the marvellous breweries he was describing were in danger of disappearing. Rising costs, changing habits and tastes, EU laws, and the inevitable march towards a more uniform and homogenised society had led to the closure of over 50 Franconian breweries. He stated that "one of them may have brewed your perfect pint" and bemoaned the fact that one such operation, now closed, had come close to brewing his perfect one. Unfortunately this closure process has gathered momentum. John Conen warned in the 2003 edition of his Bamberg & Franconia Guide that over 80 breweries had closed during the pre-ceding 15 years, and although he was hopeful that the closure rate had fallen off somewhat, I found whilst researching for our trip that quite a few of the breweries mentioned in Graham Lee's guide were no longer in production. The closure of the substantial Maisel Brewery in Bamberg, a couple of years ago, is a case in point

It is not all doom and gloom though. We spent our last night in Bamberg at the excellent Greifenklau Brauereigasthof. Whilst there I picked up an English language edition of a guide to what are known as Privateur Braugasthoefe, (privately-owned breweries that provide accommodation). This informative, and well illustrated publication lists 69 such establishments, primarily in Germany, but with a few in neighboring Austria and Denmark. Most are family run, and all pride themselves on producing good beer and serving it alongside good food.

Hopefully more breweries will join this worthwhile organisation, and the 2011 edition will feature more Franconian members. In the meantime I'm already planning my next trip to this beer lovers paradise.

Bamberg - An Introduction

We arrived home from our trip to Bamberg, in the early hours of Saturday morning. After temperatures in the mid-30's all week, England felt decidedly cold. Being a glutton for punishment I ended up helping out at the SIBA South East Beer Festival, held at our local rugby club the same evening - but that's a different story!

Bamberg certainly lived up to its expectations and I hope to post a more detailed account of our trip over the next week or so, Suffice to say we enjoyed some excellent beers at prices ranging from 1.80 Euros (out in some of the surrounding villages), to 2.30 - 2.50 Euros in Bamberg itself.

It's hard to single out any one beer, or any one pub. or bier keller, but Mahrs Brau Ungespundet, Spezial Rauchbier Lager and Ambrausianum Helles were all good, as was the incomparable Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen. Particular thanks should also go to Tandleman for recommending the excellent Spezial-Keller, but we also enjoyed the nearby Wilde Rose Brau Keller, plus the bier-garten behind Greifenklau's pub-cum-brewery.

All this combined with a beautiful and unspoilt city, friendly people and Mediterranean-like weather, made for an excellent holiday. I can't wait for a return visit!

The Train Now Standing at Platform One

I wrote in a previous post that it is often easy to over-look attractions on ones own doorstep, in favour of those from further afield. After this point was confirmed, during my recent walk along part of the Wealdway, it was further reinforced during last night's CAMRA social.

Our Social Secretary had arranged a trip for us on one of the Spa Valley Railway's Real Ale and Fish & Chip Special trains. For the uninitiated, the Spa Valley Railway operates part of the former Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge route. The railway plans to open right through to Eridge later this year, but for the time being trains terminate and turn round at Groombridge, on the Kent-Sussex border. The line originally connected with Tunbridge Well's other (and now only station, Tunbridge Wells Central), and closed comparatively recently, back in 1985. The closure was forced on a British Rail management that had been starved of cash by the Thatcher administration. For the sake of a paltry couple of million, this useful diversionary line was axed and the large station site at Tunbridge Wells West sold for re-development. A massive Sainsbury's supermarket now occupies the site.

A group of rail enthusiasts saw things differently though and slowly, and it must be added with some assistance from Sainsbury's, raised sufficient funds to purchase the trackbed, along with a former engine shed at the West station, which now forms their headquarters. Twenty-five years on and the Spa Valley Railway is now a major tourist attraction, and if all goes to plan will soon be linking back up with mainline services at Eridge, on the Uckfield Line.

We were therefore glad to join the railway on their Fish & Chip Special last night, which also had the added bonus of serving a drop of the real thing. Sixteen of us boarded the 18:45 service and after being directed to our comfortable, ex-BR mainline carriage, made our way to the buffet car, Kate, to sample the liquid refreshment that was on offer. The two beers available were Larkins Traditional, plus Best Bitter from the newly opened Royal Tunbridge Wells Brewery. Both of course were racked bright, and were probably slightly on the warm side, but at £2.70 a pint, coupled with a comfortable seat to watch the Kent and Sussex countryside pass by whilst enjoying the beers, this represented excellent value for money.

As we slowly steamed out of the West station, the train staff brought round our pre-ordered fish and chips, safely stored in polystyrene enclosed trays to minimise heat loss. We had just sufficient time to finish our meal when the train pulled in to Groombridge. The package gave the option of remaining on the train and enjoying two return trips back to Tunbridge Wells, or alighting at Groombridge and then waiting for the final return train at 20:25. This was the option our party went for as it allowed time to walk up to one of the best, and least spoilt pubs, in our branch area, the 16th Century Crown, that overlooks the village green.

En route we passed Groombridge's other remaining pub, the Junction Inn, which also looked a welcoming prospect, but unfortunately our itinerary didn't allow sufficient time to call in. Groombridge is unusual in that it straddles the Kent-Sussex border. The older part of the village is on a steep hill on the Medway Valley, overlooking the Green, whilst the slightly newer part is just across the river, in Sussex. The Crown is part of a row of attractive brick and tile-hung cottages that overlook the Green, with a well-worn brick path passing in front. It has a timeless feel to it that continues when one steps inside.

On a beautiful June evening though, most people were sitting on benches and tables outside, and after ordering our beer, we joined them. Harveys Best and Hepworths Pullman were the beers on offer. I stuck to the latter, which was in excellent form. Unfortunately there was only time for a couple of pints before we had to make our way back to the station where the train was waiting to transport us back to Tunbridge Wells. It is quite a stiff climb back up to the railway's terminus, forcing the steam locomotive to work hard as it pulled our train up the steep gradient.

The night was still quite young, so we made our way to the Pantiles, which is the oldest, and best known area of Tunbridge Wells. I am pleased to report that this part of town was buzzing, with crowds of people sitting out at tables outside the numerous cafes and bars along the famous Colonnade walk. We headed for a bar called the Ragged Trousers; a pleasant, single roomed establishment that, like the pavement outside, was absolutely heaving. The only drawback was that the staff had run out of glasses, so we had to settle for plastic ones (ugh!). The Larkins Traditional and Ringwood Boon Doggle though were both very good.

Our final port of call was the Sussex Arms. I have written about the Sussex in a previous post, so I won't repeat myself here. Although the pub is just round the corner from the main part of the Pantiles, tucked away down a side mews, it was quiet compared to where we had just come from. Although the Sussex is a Greene King pub, here were a couple of guest ales on, including Larkins Traditional (again) at £2.50 a pint from a cask perched up on the bar, and Bomber County, from Tom Wood. I opted for the later, which is a dark, full-bodied 4.8% bitter. Later I tried a pint of Greene Kings World Cup offering. I didn't bother making a note of the beer's name, but it was pleasant enough all the same. The bar staff seemed grateful for our patronage, especially as the pub was quiet. The beers we sampled in the Sussex were in fine fettle, so we were quite happy to linger there.

So ended a very pleasant evening that saw us visiting two of the top tourist attractions in Tunbridge Wells. As I said at the beginning of this post, it is all too easy to miss things on one's own doorstep, and once again last night's outing proved the folly of ignoring this observation.

Bamberg

We're off to Bamberg in just under a week. It's the place that's been on my beer-places-to-visit wish-list for as long as I can remember, but to date I've only managed a quick stop-off there whilst on a "Christmas Market" coach trip, a couple of years ago. As time was limited I only managed to visit Schlenkerla, which needless to say was superb.

Now we're finally going to be spending some time in Bamberg I'm eager to sample as many beers and visit as many pubs as possible.. I've read about other legendary breweries in the city, such as Faessla, Mahrs Brau, Klosterbraeu, Kaiserdom, Spezial etc., and am going armed with a copy of John Conen's Guide to Bamberg & Franconia. I've also downloaded some of Ron Pattison's highly informative pages, together with information from The Online Beer Guide to Bamberg & Franconia, so I've done a fair amount of groundwork.

What I'm particularly interested in though are personal recommendations from other beer enthusiasts, as to the best pubs, beer gardens and beers in Bamberg, as well as suggestions as to which are the best places to visit in the surrounding area. We are only staying a week in the city, and want to make the best use of our limited time there, so please get in touch.

Thanks.

Watering Holes on the Wealdway

I returned late on Saturday evening from four days walking along part of the Wealdway long-distance footpath. The path runs for 82 miles from Gravesend on the River Thames to Eastbourne on the south coast. After successfully completing the South Downs Way last year, my friend Eric and I decided to give the Wealdway a try this year, and after completing 50 miles of the trail have been very impressed by what we have found so far.

As the footpath runs roughly north to south it traverses several ranges of hills with subsequent changes of scenery. On our journey south we crossed the line of the North Downs, descended into the Vale of Holmesdale, climbed and descended the Greensand Ridge, hiked along the Medway Valley, before climbing once more, this time onto the High Weald, culminating with a walk across Ashdown Forest.

The Wealdway passes right through our home town of Tonbridge, and many of the places we visited are quite local to us. As is often the case though, there is a tendency to ignore what is virtually right on one's doorstep in favour of places further afield. The walk therefore afforded the opportunity to renew acquaintances with some familiar places as well as allowing us to discover a few new ones. The re-discovery of old favourites was no more evident than in the case of the pubs we visited en route.

Our first watering hole was the unspoilt Amazon and Tiger, in the small village of Harvel, high on the North Downs. We had started out from Gravesend earlier that day, and like all four days on this trek the weather had not only been fine and dry, but also extremely hot and humid. These conditions forced a relatively slow pace, and it was getting on for 2.30 in the afternoon that we finally turned the corner in to Harvel and found, to our relief, that the pub was still open. We needn't have worried as the pub was open all day, that Wednesday being the day of England's World Cup group match against Slovenia.

The pub was busy, but we managed to order ourselves a pint without any trouble. I selected the 4.3% Barnsley Gold from Acorn Brewery; the other choices being a 5% beer from Brew Dog, and a "badged beer" from Cottage Brewery. Eric went with my decision, and we were both pleased with our selection. The first pint hardly touched the sides, but subsequent pints revealed a deep golden coloured and extremely well-hopped ale, served nicely chilled and good value at only £2.80 a pint.

The Amazon and Tiger (named after two species of butterflies), is an un-assuming looking pub, that was deliberately built back in 1914, to look like a private house - so as not to offend worshipers attending services at the nearby village hall. It is divided into several different drinking areas and is the sort of pub I would like as my local. We watched the first half of the England game and stayed for the start of the second. However, we still had a fair distance to cover, so reluctantly we departed this excellent village pub and made our way towards Wrotham Heath, where we had booked accommodation for the night.

We were foot-sore and weary by the time we reached our destination, and after a shower and change of clothing set off in search of somewhere to eat and drink. I knew that there was a large Hall & Woodhouse pub in the village, but the B&B proprietor warned that it was the other side of the motorway, and therefore a fair trot. We settled instead for the Royal Oak, a large roadhouse and former motor-coach stop that is now a Beefeater Inn. Not expecting much, if anything, in the way of decent beer, we were pleasantly surprised to discover Old Hookey on tap, and what more it was in good condition and selling at £3.00 a pint. We opted for this, and settled down for a few pints and a well deserved meal.

Tonbridge was our destination the following day, and as our route took us through the tiny village of West Peckham, the Swan-on-the-Green, with its excellent home-brewed ales, was the natural choice for a lunchtime stop. We sat outside, limiting ourselves this time to just the two pints. I tried the 3.6% Fuggles, followed by the 4.0% Trumpeter; both were excellent.

It was a long and, at times, quite dull section of walking that eventually brought us back to Tonbridge shortly after 7 pm. The final 4 mile section along the Medway was an absolute killer, particularly on the feet, and by the time we arrived in the town we were just about ready to drop. We called in at the Humphrey Bean, our local JDW outlet, and were pleasantly surprise to bump into a couple of friends there. Later we were joined by a third mate, so we settled down to enjoy a few well-earned pints and to catch up on the local gossip. The beer range wasn't all that inspiring that evening, but the Everards Tiger was pleasant enough and certainly helped to assuage a king-sized thirst!

I met up with Eric the following morning, after a good night's sleep, in my own bed. We followed the course of the Wealdway from Tonbridge Castle, along the Medway, before turning off towards Hayesden. We then began a steep climb up to Bidborough Ridge, on what seemed like the hottest, and most humid, day of the year so far. Ignoring the Hare & Hounds in Bidborough Village and the George & Dragon in Speldhurst (to say nothing of the closed, and much missed Beehive on Southborough Common), we eventually reached the imposing Chafford Arms, in the small village of Fordcombe.

The Chafford is one of those pubs I keep meaning to visit more often, but never quite get round to doing so. Our late lunchtime stop showed me just what I had been missing. For a start the pub still has a traditional Public Bar, and dressed in our hiking gear this seemed the ideal choice. Harvey's Best and Larkins Traditional were the beers on offer; we both opted for the later which, although only 3.4% in strength, certainly hits the spot so far as taste is concerned. Three thirst-quenching pints later, and some interesting conversation with the landlady and her locals and we were on our way again. I forgot to take some photo's of this excellent village local, but check out the pub's website here.

Heading roughly south-west, through some very pleasant rolling countryside, we eventually dropped down towards the Sussex border. After passing under the Uckfield Railway line, we deviated slightly from the Wealdway and instead joined the Forest Way which follows the course of the former Tunbridge Wells to East Grinstead Railway line. Although the path was flat, it was very hard going on the feet, and we were glad when we finally turned off across the grassy meadows towards the tiny village of Withyham, our resting place for the night.

Withyham is home to one of my all-time favourite pubs, the unspoilt Dorset Arms, and on our arrival in the village we called into this tied Harveys house for a well deserved pint, and also to collect the key to our bed and breakfast accommodation opposite. Like the Chafford Arms earlier in the day, the Dorset Arms also sports a traditional public bar, alongside a large, comfortable restaurant. During the winter months the bar is heated by a large open fire, but in the fierce mid-summer heat the doors were wide open, a labrador lay stretched out on the floor, and the bar resounded to the sounds of easy going banter that is the hallmark of a good pub.

After a quick shower and change of clothing at the B & B opposite, we returned to the Dorset for several more pints of Harveys (the company's summer seasonal, Olympia, was in particularly fine form). We also enjoyed an excellent steak and ale pie; the steak being cooked to perfection and just melting in ones mouth. It is comforting to know there are still unspoilt, traditional pubs like the Dorset around, and although it is probably over 10 years since my last visit, I was relieved to find that nothing much had changed.

After a hearty breakfast the following morning, we left Withyham to complete the final stage of our walk. The weather was again hot and humid, so we were glad of the shelter provided by the trees of Five Hundred Acre Wood (of Winnie-the-Pooh fame!). Eventually though we emerged from the trees onto the wide open heathland of Ashdown Forest. Here there was precious little shade to protect us from the fierceness of the sun, but fortunately there was a cooling breeze blowing.

We passed Camp Hill, the highest point on the Forest, before starting the long descent on the other side. Passing through mixed heathland and woodland we found ourselves close to the village of Fairwarp. I knew there was a former King & Barnes pub there, but would it be open? A group of walkers we'd met going in the opposite direction, assured us it would be but after diverting off the Wealdway into Fairwarp and seeing the opening times posted outside, we discovered to our horror that the pub (the Forester's Arms), was closed for the afternoon. There were two women sat at a table outside, one of whom turned out to be the landlady. Having watched us struggle up the hill, with full rucksacks on our backs, she took pity on us and opened up for us to buy a quick pint. The Badger First Gold tasted especially delicious after that, and thirsts quenched we were soon on our way.

After getting lost in a wood, and having to make a slight detour, we eventually ended up in Five Ash Down, which is just outside Uckfield. We were debating whether to call in at the Pig & Butcher in the village when we spotted a Tunbridge Wells bound bus heading our way. We decided to leave the Pig & Butcher for another day, and after flagging the bus down were soon on our way back home.

Three quarters of an hour later we were ensconced in the Grove Tavern, enjoying some quality Timothy Taylor's Landlord in the company of a group of friends from CAMRA, in this most excellent Tunbridge Wells local. This proved to be a fitting end to what had been a good, but rather tiring walk, which had the added bonus of allowing me to re-visit some really choice pubs.

We still have another 32 miles left to follow the Wealdway to its finish at Eastbourne, but that's for another day!

Wealdway Walk

I won't be blogging for a few days (hooray I hear you all say!). I'm off early in the morning for a four day walk along part of the Wealdway long-distance footpath. My friend Eric and will be starting from Gravesend, and then heading due south.

Four days should see us the other side of Ashdown Forest, having traversed the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge. Needless to say there will be a few pub stops en route, and I'll keep you posted about how we get on when I return.

1648 Brewery

Last Saturday saw a small group of beer enthusiasts travelling down to darkest Sussex, in order to visit the 1648 Brewery. Originally set up back in 2003, in out-buildings attached to the King's Head pub in the small village of East Hoathly, the 1648 Brewery has since gone from strength to strength. Today, as well as supplying the adjacent pub, 1648 now supplies around 30 local pubs, and even sends its beer further afield via wholesalers such as Flying Firkin.

For most of us, it was our first visit to this attractive village, and although it involved a couple of changes of buses, it was surprisingly easy to get to. Our first port of call was the King's Head itself; a classic village local that dates back to the 17th Century. Three 1648 beers were on sale, alongside Dark Star Hophead and Harveys Best. Several of us opted for the 1648 Ruby Mild, a fine reddish-coloured mild, with an abv of 3.6%, before being invited to walk round to the brewery at the side of the pub.

We were met by brewer, Dave Seabrook, who took us inside the old stable buildings which house the neat and compact brewery. The plant was designed and built by Rob Jones of Dark Star Brewery, and is unusual in that it doesn't have a hot liquor tank. The brew length is unusual too, at 4.25 barrels (72 firkins). The old hay loft, above the brewery, acts as the malt and hop store and the way everything is shoe-horned into the available space is a marvel to behold. Dave brews four times a week during busy periods, turning out an impressive range of beers, which includes regular monthly specials.

After thanking Dave for his time, we returned to the pub where we were able to sample the other 1648 beers, as well as some excellent home-cooked pub food. I particularly enjoyed the 4.4% Signature, a very pale and well-hopped bitter, alongside the seasonal 4.6% Bee-Head, a golden coloured summer ale, brewed using local Sussex honey. The Cumberland sausage and mash I had for lunch was also extremely good.

We left the pub mid-afternoon, in order to catch the bus back home. Most of us though broke our journey at Crowborough and walked down to the Cooper's Arms; one of the best pubs in the area, and one that specialises in beers from Sussex breweries. Two Dark Star beers were on sale; Hophead and Best Bitter, alongside a beer called Red Ale, from Pitfield Brewery. A wide range of Pitfield's unusual bottled beers were also on sale at the pub, but as I didn't fancy having to carry them home, I made a mental note to return there another time. I have been to the Cooper's on a number of occasions, and its location down a quiet side road on the edge of Crowborough, and the stunning views from the garden at the rear make it the sort of pub I would like to have as my local.

All in all it was an excellent day out in the Sussex countryside, which saw us visiting a couple of really good pubs. A final word though about how the 1648 Brewery acquired its name. Quite simply, as previously stated, the brewery is attached to the King's Head pub. The monarch depicted on the crooked sign that hangs outside the pub is the unfortunate Charles the First. 1648 was the year in which Charles lost his head, so 1648 is the name of the brewery. So now you know!