Shifnal shines through - despite the rain!

I survived yesterday’s encounter with the “Real Pub Men,” and thoroughly enjoyed my tour around the pubs of Shifnal, Shropshire. This was my first trip to the county since a canal boat holiday, back in the mid-1980’s, so a return visit was long over-due.

Looking at the map, Shifnal is not that far inside Shropshire, and just a short train ride away from Wolverhampton and the West Midlands conurbation, but to me it was somewhere different, somewhere I hadn’t been to before and the chance to enjoy beers which we rarely, if ever, see in this corner of the country. It was also the opportunity to visit a few “proper” pubs, in the company of a group of like-minded individuals.

I don’t intend to write a piece about all eight pubs we visited, as I expect either Pub Curmudgeon or Retired Martin will do that. Possibly they both will in their own inimitable way, so what I want to do, certainly in this introductory post, is to list out a few highlights.

First on the list is the Codsall Station Bar. This is situated at Codsall station, a few stops back down the line towards Wolverhampton, and that was our official meeting point. It was also the location of my first beer of the day, although I later learned that several of the group had started drinking earlier, and had visited a couple of other nearby establishments.

This unique pub is situated right on the platform occupies the original station building. The latter is a handsome, brick-built Victorian building, with several interconnecting rooms. There is also a conservatory, right at the far end, where customers can sit and watch the trains arriving and departing.

The pub is owned by Holden’s Brewery, and offers a selection of their own fine, Black Country Ales, plus the odd  guest beer. Holden’s are a family-owned brewery, based in Dudley, West Midlands and have been brewing for 104 years. They own around 20 pubs, most of which are located fairly close to the brewery.

Our meet-up at Codsall Station provided me with the perfect opportunity to renew my acquaintance with Holden’s beers, and am pleased to confirm majority were in fine fettle. I particularly enjoyed the Black Country Mild, along with the equally named Black Country Bitter, although the Special left a little to be desired.

I found the roaring open fire, in the main room – opposite the bar, very welcoming, along with the stack of pre-prepared rolls, known locally as "cobs," stacked by the side of the bar, under a protective hood.

Although tempted, I managed to resist, knowing we’d be stopping for lunch at one of the pubs in Shifnal, so after finishing our beers, we walked round to the platform, ready to board the 12.42 train to Shifnal. Unfortunately the rain had set in by the time we arrived, and as the day progressed, the damp conditions steadily got worse. We visited seven pubs in the town, and the following ones stand out for a variety of reasons. One though, is worthy of a mention, if only for the wrong ones! First the good ones.

The Plough was the second pub on our Shifnal itinerary and also our intended lunchtime stop. Its half-timbered frontage is appropriate to its heritage, as according to WhatPub, the Plough’s origins date back to the 17^th Century. The pub is longer than it is wide, and prides itself on keeping up to eight cask ales on tap. This is possibly too many, and certainly during the duration of our visit, there seemed far more pints of San Miguel being ordered than pints of cask.

Having said that, my pint of Hobson’s Champion Mild was on top form and worthy of 3.5 NBSS. Also on top form was the fish & chips, which four of us chose from the menu board. Even if this dish hadn’t been on offer at two for £15, it would have represented excellent value, with a good size piece of battered cod, chunky chips and mushy peas. What really sold it to me was the accompanying slice of bread and butter; talk about real comfort food!

The Wheatsheaf is on the opposite side of the road, and was the fourth pub we called in at. It’s a lengthy, three room pub with a welcoming fire, blazing away; a feature which was very welcome yesterday, given the damp and rather cold conditions outside.

The Wheatsheaf is listed on CAMRA’s National Inventory as a historic pub, with an interior of some regional importance. There are certainly plenty of old beams to support this, and along with the flagstone floors and the intricately patterned 1930s fireplace, in the public bar, it came across as the most genuinely historic pub of the whole trip.

The beers were from the Marston’s/Banks stable, noticeably Banks Mild and Bitter, but also Wainwright (now a Marston’s brand), plus Courage Director’s. The latter was a surprise find, but most of us opted for one of the two Banks beers.

The next pub was a disappointment, particularly as the potential was there for it to be excellent. The Crown has recently been refurbished by Wood's Brewery, who  appear to have been spent a significant amount of money on it. Strangely, the pub isn’t listed on Wood’s website, as belonging to the brewery.

The interior has a very contemporary feel to it, with a central bar surrounded by four rooms. When we first entered we thought a band was performing, such was the level and the quality of

the sound emanating from within, but we soon realised that this was just a sound system with the volume set way too high. The system was obviously of high spec, such was the quality of the sound reproduction, but played at such a level as to intrude into every part of the pub.

As it was, we made our way to the room behind the bar, where the sound levels were fractionally lower, but they were still excessive – certainly for a practically empty pub. And there lie the rub, as apart from our party of five, there were only three other customers. Two of these were sat drinking at the bar, laughing and joking with the barman, and we had the impression they were the people responsible for the appalling choice of music IMO, and for the excessive volume it was being played at.

The sad thing was the beers were all in excellent  condition, despite being a little expensive for the area, so what is it that drives pub managers to act in a way guaranteed to drive away custom?
 

This aside, the other six Shifnal  pubs we visited were all good in their own way, and apart from the Crown, were all trading quite nicely, with a wide age range and mix  of customers; certainly for a cold and damp, late November afternoon.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable day, sharing the experiences outlined above, with the excellent company of the “Real Pub Men” and look forward to participating in future, “Proper Days Out.”

Footnote: I have changed the title to something more appropriate. "Shifty" wasn't the correct adjective to be using when writing about the town.

All set for a "Proper Day Out"

I’ve an early start in the morning, so just a short post. I’m off to Shifnal, in Shropshire – a town I’d never heard of until a few weeks ago, but it’s the chosen destination for the next Beer & Pubs Forum’s “Proper Day Out.”

I’ll be joining up with the “Real Pub Men” as they attempt to visit seven different  pubs in this small, Shropshire market town, and as you can imagine I’m really looking forward to this trip.

I’ve booked an Advance Return Ticket, which should see me meeting up with the bulk of the group at 11.30 tomorrow in the Codsall Station Bar. We’ll be able to enjoy some Holden’s beers there, before boarding the train for a ten minute ride to Shifnal.

There’s a good selection of different ales in the pubs that are on the itinerary, offering beers from the likes of Black Country Ales, Hobson’s, Salopian, Woods and Wye Valley - all of which are hard to come by in West Kent.  There’s also a lunch stop, at one of the pubs, in order to partake of something more solid, which will help soak up the beer.

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I’ve met two of the participants, and know quite a bit about a third. From my point of view it will be interesting to see who else turns up, but one of my main reasons for joining the B&P Forum, and taking part in one of these outings, is the opportunity to visit somewhere a bit different in this fair isle of ours, and to do so in the company of some seasoned pub-goers.

Some might be referred to as "connoisseurs of real pubs," so it will be a privilege to be guided round a few of Shropshire’s finest pubs tomorrow. Like a child eagerly awaiting a much longed for holiday, I can hardly wait!!

Style over substance?

An 11% abv Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, described as the UK’s most expensive beer, was launched last week, selling for a staggering £1,000 per 330ml bottle. The brewery behind the beer, are Leeds-based Northern Monk Brewery.

What makes the beer unusual, if not unique, is the fact it was brewed at the summit of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain. Somewhat unimaginatively,  the beer is called “Ben Nevis,” and Northern Monk believe it qualifies for the title of “highest altitude brew” in British history.

Few would argue with that claim, but I’m sure many would ask why did four members of Northern Monk’s staff, including founder, Russell Bisset, hike all the way to the summit of  the 4,000ft peak, carrying the 90 Kg of equipment and ingredients necessary for this unique brew? The initial brewing stages of mashing and boiling were presumably performed at high altitude, and the brew was then carried back down from the mountain, to undergo primary fermentation.

The beer then underwent two months ageing in a whisky barrel, donated by the Ben Nevis Distillery in Fort William. As if all this was not enough, the beer includes ingredients foraged from the mountain, such as blaeberries (also known as bilberries) and "Dew of Ben Nevis" water, which is also used in the production of Ben Nevis Whisky.

Although there are only 50 bottles of this heavily hyped beer available, are there sufficient people,  prepared to fork out a grand each, for a small bottle of beer -  BA Imperial Stout or not? Given the hype and all-round, one-upmanship surrounding much of the craft-beer industry, there probably are enough people with more money than sense beer connoisseurs, who will snap up this limited edition brew; even at such a ludicrously inflated price! 

None of this sells the beer for me, (certainly not at that price!), and where does this glorified PR stunt leave the ordinary drinker?  Northern Monk brew a wide range of excellent beers, which are generally well-received by an increasingly discerning audience, so what were they trying to prove with this one?

The short answer is they were raising money for a charitable foundation, so as well as the opportunity of owning a unique and limited edition beer, there is an added incentive for anyone looking to make a purchase. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to the “For the North Foundation,” a grant scheme created by Northern Monk back in September, in support of projects that are “designed to benefit the North, its people and its communities.”

The first bottles of Ben Nevis beer were auctioned off earlier this month, at an event held at  Northern Monk's  Manchester outlet. In keeping with their monastic theme, the brewery refer to this taproom as the "Refractory,"  and have a similar establishment in Leeds.  More than £7,000 was raised on the night ensuring funding for the first project.

Northern Monk Founder, Russell Bisset, said: “This has been a groundbreaking project to be a part of. "When we launched the For the North Foundation, our intention was to create pieces of high-impact activity that will raise awareness and encourage donations. Brewing the UK’s highest altitude beer at the summit of Ben Nevis seemed like a pretty good place to start!”

Make of this, what you will. Is this altruism of the highest order, is it just an over-blown publicity stunt, or is it something in between?  One thing's for certain, even if I'd just won the lottery, I wouldn't be buying a bottle!

The "Friendly Light"

There’s something warm and welcoming about the friendly light shining out from a pub window, on a dark winter’s night. I was reminded of this the other evening, whilst driving home from work. My route takes me to the edge of the “estate village” village of Leigh, before turning off, towards Hayesden  and Tonbridge, via Ensfield Bridge.

It’s quite easy to miss the turning, which is between a row of houses and the Fleur de Lis pub; although the welcoming light shining out from the pub, does make things somewhat easier. The pub itself is an attractive mid 19^th Century building sited a short distance from the village centre, on the junction of the road which leads down to the station.

Like much of Leigh the Fleur is built in a particular style, and this is due to the influence of two wealthy families who constructed many of the distinctive buildings present today. The stately pile of Hall Place, is the best known, but there are others including Forge Square and the School Master's House.

When I first became acquainted with the village, the Fleur was a Courage pub, but today it is owned by Greene King. Since the closure of the nearby Bat & Ball, several years ago, the Fleur De Lis is now the only pub in Leigh itself; although the Plough Inn, located to the east of the village in Powder Mill Lane,is still trading.

I’m pretty sure the Fleur must have changed its opening hours, as in previous years I only recall the light shining out on a Friday evening. This year, its welcoming glow has been shining out every day of the week, signifying a 5pm (or earlier), opening.

I only noticed the light from the pub, a couple of weeks ago, after the clocks were put back an hour, due to the change from British summer time, as during the hours of daylight it would be nowhere near as visible.  During the winter months, my homeward commute changes from a pleasant drive, through some attractive countryside, to something a little more challenging.

The road twists and turn, as it descends towards the crossing over the River Medway, before rising sharply, as it skirts the outlying flanks of Bidborough Ridge, and it is on some of the bends and ridges that one inevitably ends up being dazzled by oncoming drivers, who are too lazy to dip their increasingly powerful headlights. So whilst my commute is a joy in summer, and is also fine on a crisp winter’s morning, it is nowhere near as much fun on a dark winter’s evening.

It is therefore good to see the light shining out from the Fleur, guiding me to the turning. As I slow down to make the sharp right-hand turn, I can see right into the pub, and the illuminated interior looks particularly appealing. So much so that there is almost a compelling reason to stop and call in for a quick drink.

The “Friendly Light” was the logo and trademark of the long defunct brewery of Thompson and Son Ltd, who were based at Walmer, on the Kent coast. The brewery sign depicted a lighthouse atop the nearby White Cliffs, guiding sailors away from the treacherous water below.

For copyright reasons, I am unable to display the old, “Friendly Light”  poster on this page, but you can find a copy on the Brewery History Society website. My photo, which is purely for illustrative purposes, is one I took of the old lighthouse at Dungeness. If you look carefully, you can also see the new lighthouse, in the background, to the right.

Grolsch bows out

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1723636

In what is seen as yet another shake-up of the global beer market, the iconic lager brand Grolsch is set to be discontinued in the UK after 35 years on supermarket shelves. This follows reports in recent weeks, that Grolsch had been de-listed in both Tesco and Asda supermarkets. 

Industry insiders had been saying that supplies of the lager had dried up, and now the reasons behind this have become clear. The brand's owners, Asahi of Japan, have ended their joint venture agreement with Molson Coors,  meaning the brand will no longer be available in the UK or Ireland. 

Molson Coors brewed Grolsch at their Burton-on-Trent plant, but the brand has been passed from pillar to post in recent years, following various takeover and mergers within the industry. Grolsch became a part of the SABMiller group in March 2008, but following their merger with Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2016, the brand was spun-off to Asahi, along with other former SABMiller beer brands such as Peroni and Pilsner Urquell.

By Ccyyrree - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org

The reasons for the decision to drop the brand are unclear, but Grolsch , has experienced a decline in popularity in recent years with sales in supermarkets and shops falling 22 percent in the last year alone. It is not known how much of this fall is due to completion from cheaper rivals, or to the rise in popularity of lower alcohol alternatives. Some commentators have even suggested the increased interest in craft beer may also have been a contributing factor, although personally I am rather sceptical about this.

The Grolsch Brewery was founded in 1615 in the Dutch town of Groenlo, which at the time was known as Grolle. The name Grolsch, means “of Grolle.” At the time of its takeover in 2006, Grolsch was the second largest brewer in the Netherlands (after Heineken), with an annual production of 320 million litres. 

Today, Grolsch is best known for its 5% abv pale lager, Grolsch Premium Pilsner and for its characteristic chunky green bottles, with their swing-top lids. The latter eliminates the need for an opener. The bottles are very robust, and the flip-top cap means they can easily be sealed by hand without the expense of new crown caps. This has made them very popular with home-brewers. 

To me, Grolsch always seemed one of those “other brands,”  a second-division sort of beer, if you like; although to be fair I always found it pleasant enough to drink.  When my wife and I had our off-licence, Grolsch was never a big seller, but it did attract a small band of devotees. 

I am sorry in a way to see it go, but reading between the lines it has been elbowed off the shelf by larger and more “powerful” brands, backed up by the power of mass-advertising. 

I expect home-brewers too, will be sorry to see it go, as will people like me who use the bottle for other purposes. The 1.5 litre bottle in the photo, is my 20p jar, which holds around £300 worth of coins, when full. It is now heading towards its second full load. I acquired it as a novelty, during my time at the off-licence.

Blackburn Skyline - with apologies to a certain Mr Dylan

Like virtually everyone who owns a Smartphone, I get news-feeds popping up on my screen from time to time and, thanks to Google, which has already made a careful note of my preferences, likes and dislikes, quite a few of these news stories are beer related. (I receive quite a few music-related ones as well, but that’s a different story).

One item which caught my eye the other morning, was footage taken from a drone flight, over the centre of Blackburn, Lancashire – the town with the 4,000 holes, according to the Beatles’ song, “A Day in the Life.” The footage captured the demolition work being carried out on the former Thwaites Brewery which, until recently, dominated the local skyline.

The decision to demolish the nine storey building tower, was made last year after Thwaites brought to an end 211 years of brewing in Blackburn. This followed a downsizing of the company’s brewing activities and the sale of a number of key brands to Marston’s (Wainwright's and Lancaster Bomber); a move that saw brewing transferred to a new, purpose-built plant at Mellor Brook in August 2018.

I am writing about this because Thwaites was one of the first breweries I visited. It wasn’t actually my first brewery tour, as that honour went to Marston’s of Burton-on-Trent; somewhat ironically, in view of what is written above. Instead the trip I made to Thwaites’ Blackburn plant was the first of many such tours I have organised over the years, initially for a university society, but then on behalf of my local CAMRA branch.

That trip would have taken place sometime in late 1974, when I was in my second year as a student at Salford University. What struck me at the time, especially after having visited Marston’s the previous year, was just how modern Thwaite’s brewery was. The nine storey structure, topped with its illuminated sign, dominated the town and made quite an impression on a 19 year old youth who was just starting out on his drinking career.

We were told that the brewery had been completely re-built, on the same site, during the mid-1960’s, and was constructed as a traditional tower brewery, whereby the process starts at the top, and then gradually flows downwards, using gravity to do the work. I don’t remember much about that visit, although I do recall being taken into a nearby pub, by the tour guide, for a few complimentary pints. I also recall, measured, cylindrical electric pumps being the order of the day.

With this in mind, I found it sad to see footage of this impressive structure being pulled to the ground. The end of an era and the result of changing tastes within the beer market and the pub trade.

A quick word about Thwaites, with particular reference to the four years I spent living in the Greater Manchester area. The company produced three cask ales at the time, a light, but well-hopped bitter, which was very quaffable, plus two milds. The ordinary mild was dark and creamy, whereas the Best Mild was much paler in colour.

The majority of Thwaites pubs were situated in the north of the region, with a large concentration in and around the town of Bury, which lies to the north of Manchester. I understand this followed the takeover, by Thwaites, of the local brewery several decades previously.

Bury was quite easy to travel to, either by bus, from Salford, or by means of the train from Manchester Victoria. For the train buffs out there, that particular line was unusual in having a third electric “juice” rail, similar to that in use on the old Southern Region of British Rail.

During the early 1990’s, the line was converted into a tramway, using the original track-bed and stations, but now powered by an overhead electric system. It forms part of the Manchester Metrolink, and incorporates another former rail line which runs from the city centre, to Altrincham.

For Salford University students, it wasn’t always necessary to journey to Bury for a pint of Thwaites, because toward the end of my second year, the brewery obtained the contract to supply the Student Union Bar. The beer was tank, rather than cask, but still streets ahead of the Tartan and Tetley fizz stocked previously.

Returning to the main story, for a minute or so,  I suspect the good people of Blackburn must be sad that the brewery which looked down on them for all these years, and which was such a familiar sight, is alas no more. But if you are fortunate to come across a pub selling Thwaites, and in particular, their dark mild, treat yourself to a glass and raise it in memory of a vanished piece of our heritage.

Photos - Wikipedia and Lancashire Telegraph

November - the sombre month

As I wrote a couple of years ago, November is probably my least favourite month of the year. It’s something of a “nothing” month, and whilst some would say it’s the herald of Christmas, and as such gives people something to look forward to, it’s much too early for all that. No doubt we’ll still have to suffer the over-blown wave of commercialism, which kicked off as soon as the schools returned from their summer break.

Although the weather’s been relatively benign this past week - unless you live in those parts of the country that have experienced torrential rain and flooding, there’s still something about November which makes people want to curl up in front of a nice warm fire and hibernate. 

Following our short “mini-cruise,” last weekend, I returned to work at the beginning of the week to find that orders have virtually dried up. So after months of working flat out, we’re now scratching around looking for things to do.

The reason for this fall off in orders is the majority of our customers panicked at the thought of not one, but two potential “no deal” Brexits. Not wishing to run out of product, they understandably overstocked, and are now sitting on sufficient goods to see them through, well into the New Year.

The upside to this has been a chance to catch up with certain tasks, which has been put to one side in the rush to meet these artificial deadlines, as well as having a good clearout. Ironically, we’re embarking on a major expansion project, having just taken on an adjacent unit, so interesting times lie ahead.

The quietness at work has been mirrored on the beer front. I unfortunately missed last Sunday’s visit to Westerham Brewery,  organised by my local CAMRA branch, as Mrs PBT’s and I were travelling back from Southampton at the time. But on the plus side, I gather that Harvey’s Old Ale has been spotted in a number of local pubs, so I must get out and track down some of this delectable dark ale.

That’s about it for the time being, apart from slowly replenishing my stocks of both bottled and canned beer for home consumption. I’d deliberately allowed stocks to run down over the summer months, and with foreign trips few and far between this year, there’s been little coming in from overseas.

Canned beer seems very much in vogue at the moment, and I picked up a couple of real bargains earlier today at our nearest Tesco store. First and foremost amongst these have been 4-can packs of Life & Death IPA from Vocation Brewery.  This feisty US style IPA slips down rather too well for a 6.5% ABV beer, but is proving itself as one of the most enjoyable beers I have found in recent years. It is also unfiltered and un-pasteurised and, according to the can, may contain sediment.

I’m not sure if this complies with CAMRA’s increasingly stretched definition of “Real Ale” or not, but frankly I couldn’t care less. I do wonder though whether by discounting some of their excellent beers in this fashion, this Hebden Bridge based brewery might be exposing themselves to cash flow problems, whilst at the same time turning themselves into just another commodity brewer.

The same applies to the other beer I purchased this morning. Six-pack 330ml cans of Pilsner Urquell, costing just £5 a pack at the supermarket giant, also cheapens the brand. As a consumer, I’m not complaining, and I’m certain that brand owner Asahi, can afford to discount in this manner, from time to time.

Perhaps it’s time though for a major re-think of the whole beer marketing game?