It had almost escaped my attention that Wetherspoon’s annual Spring Beer Festival is already into its second week, with not so much as a whimper about it anywhere in the blogosphere. I haven’t seen any of my CAMRA chums for a few weeks, so I’ve not had any feedback from them, but when I spoke to my old drinking buddy and walking partner on the phone the other day, he was very dismissive of the event saying, "It’s full of beers with strange flavours or with twigs floating in them!"
Now my friend is a die hard real ale drinker; even though he’s not a CAMRA member, so I sort of expected a comment like that, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I looked at the festival website to see what is on offer this year.
Before discussing the list further, it’s worth pausing to reflect that there was a time when the Spoon’s festival really was an event to look forward to and to even get excited about, so what has gone wrong? The short answer is probably nothing, although I suspect that many writers and beer lovers, and I include myself here, have become blasé or complacent even about an event which showcases 50 different beers.
I must admit I was starting to think along the same lines as my friend, that the brewers were just adding things like orange peel or cinnamon to some of their bog-standard beers, just to pass them off as something special for the festival. Being exposed to the goings on in the world of craft beer hasn’t helped discourage the cynic in me, especially when I read about barrel-aged beers, Saisons, Double Imperial IPA’s, Gose and, heaven forbid the oxymoron which is Black IPA!
I’m sure that some of these beer extremes have started to filter down into the real pub world of boring brown bitter and cooking lager, if not physically then at least in name, so I can’t see your average Wetherspoon's John Smiths Smooth drinker being particularly enamoured by what is on offer. Most CAMRA members I know are a little different, and certainly a lot more discerning; discerning enough to give the majority of the festival beers a closer inspection.
As I say, I’ve been out of the loop for a few weeks, but the chit-chat which would normally be taking place amongst our WhatsApp group, just hasn’t happened this time round. I suspect that certain key individuals have their heads down due to work commitments; I have had a very busy few months at work, and things don’t look like easing up any time soon, but surely everyone’s not in the same boat? Have other Bloggers run out of things to say about the Spoon’s festival? Is it just so old hat these days that no-one bothers?
Moving on to the festival itself; there are 50 beers available which include 11 medal-winning brews, from last years CAMRA Great British Beer Festival. As the website says, there is something to suit everyone, from best bitter to port stout, from wheat beer to cask lager. The company have also continued their practice of inviting a handful of overseas brewers over to brew a version of one of their own beers at a UK brewery.
The overseas beers have been sourced from brewers in Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, the Republic of Ireland and the USA. They all look interesting and I’ll certainly be looking out for the Dutch and Italian offerings. On the home front the Vienna Lager from Hawkshead, the limited edition, strong version of Trooper from Robinsons plus the seldom seen Revelation from Dark Star. In addition, amongst the GBBF winners is West Yorkshire-based Saltaire Brewery’s speciality stout Saltaire Triple Chocoholic; definitely a worthy winner in its class at last year’s festival.
All in all then a pretty good line up, and certainly not one to be sniffed at. I probably won’t be making a special trip down to my local Spoon’s, but I’ll definitely call in if I’m passing. You can get full details by clicking on the Wetherspoon’s website here.
Beer-related travel, at home and abroad, exploring and indulging my passion for beer.
Sunday 20 March 2016
Friday 18 March 2016
The Chiddingstones - Part Two
Part Two - Chiddingstone Village
In the first of what will be three posts about “The Chiddingstones”, I wrote about the small village of Chiddingstone Causeway; home to the company I have worked for these past 10 years. As I mentioned in that article the village is a relatively modern one which sprung up around Penshurst station, on the Tonbridge to Redhill railway line. It takes the first part of its name from the nearby village of Chiddingstone; a much older settlement which dates back at least to Anglo-Saxon times, and possibly before. It is Chiddingstone village that we are going to look at in this article.
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Chiddingstone lies in the Weald; the ancient forest between the North and South Downs. During mediaeval times the Weald was the centre of the English iron industry, but Chiddingstone’s history predates this period by several centuries. Legend has it that the name of the village is derived from the Chiding Stone; an ancient and mysterious-looking large sandstone rock formation, situated on the edge of the village. Rumour has it the stone was once used by ancient druids as an altar or place where judgments were made; or where offenders were punished.
These stories persisted in medieval times where folklore has it that nagging wives, wrongdoers and witches were brought to the stone to be chided as punishment by an assembly of villagers. This is where the most recent name for the stone comes from and with it possibly the name The Chiding Stone still holds a sense of mystery and has become an attraction that still draws interest to the village.
It is more likely though that the stone was used as a boundary marker by the local Saxons, and that Chiddingstone means "the stone or homestead of Cidda's family" - Cidda being a local Saxon leader. The name of the village was recorded as Cidingstane in the 12th century and has now changed to Chiddingstone.
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The village grew slowly over the years, until the middle of the 16th century when the history of Chiddingstone became intimately connected with the Streatfeild family, who were major landowners in the area. The first Richard Streatfeild made his fortune as an Elizabethan ironmaster and his descendants were squires and patrons of the village for over 450 years. The curious square stone building in the churchyard, with a pyramidal roof and a wooden door, is the entrance to the Streatfeild family burial vault.
The church of St. Mary also contains some handsome memorials to the Streatfeild family, and has a fine tower with a peal of bells. After a fire in 1624 much of the church was rebuilt, with the roof of the nave replaced at a lower level - the original higher roof level is still visible.
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Chiddingstone Castle (not a real castle!) |
In 1584 the Streatfeilds, purchased a dwelling in the High Street which was later to become Chiddingstone Castle. In the early 1800s Henry Streatfeild changed the face of the village forever. The old Manor House on the High Street was demolished and Chiddingstone Castle was built in its place. He then blocked the High Street at the Castle Inn and diverted the road around the Castle Lake and garden to prevent any villagers from gaining access to his land. During the 1930s the whole estate was sold off, and the house was occupied by the Army during the Second World War II.
After a period as a school, the house was purchased in 1955 by Denys Eyre Bower, a passionate collector, as a home for his collections of Egyptian and Japanese antiquities. The house and collections are now owned by a trust and open to the public. The gardens include a park with woodland areas, the ruined Orangery, and the octagonal Gothic Tower of the old well-house.
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Castle Inn |
The National Trust has owned Chiddingstone Village almost in its entirety (excluding the school, the castle and the church) since 1939. It is described as the best example of a Tudor village left in the country, and its perfectly preserved buildings have been used in several period television programmes and films.
With all the history attached to the village, it comes as no surprise that Chiddingstone has an equally ancient pub in the form of the Castle Inn. The building dates back to 1420, but it didn’t become an inn until three centuries later. Like many of the buildings in this impossibly attractive village, the Castle is constructed in typical Kentish style, with half-timbered sides, gables and a red, tile-hung frontage and roof.
In common with the local tearooms, the village shop and post office the pub is owned by the National Trust who, as previously stated, bought these properties in 1939; along with other nearby houses, as "an almost perfect example of a Tudor one-street village". The Trust leases these properties out as businesses to suitable tenants, and after many years under one such leaseholder, the Castle changed hands a few years ago, and seems to be doing equally well under its new management.
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Castle Inn - Public Bar |
It is a place where the world gets put to right and where the cares of everyday life can be forgotten for a while over a well-kept pint of Larkin’s beer, brewed just a few hundred yards down the road. Larkin’s owner, Bob Dockerty, numbers amongst the locals here, but not normally until the day’s work at the brewery is finished.
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Local beer at the Castle Inn |
Still, you get what you pay for, and what you are getting at the Castle are the genuine attractions of a centuries old village inn, combined with modern standards of first class food and drink. The other attraction is that during the winter months, the Castle is one pub where the chances of obtaining a pint of Larkin’s Porter are practically guaranteed.
It is therefore well worth making the detour to Chiddingstone, and its unspoilt street of original Tudor houses plus, of course, the equally unspoilt Castle Inn. It will be a detour though, as Chiddingstone is well off the beaten track and some way from the nearest B road; let alone a major road. Perhaps it is this isolated setting which has helped keep the village in the condition it was centuries ago.
Monday 14 March 2016
BBF Brewers Pack - Barcelona Beer Festival
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I received an invite from festival organiser Joan-Villar-i-Marti to attend the BBF Brewers Pack session on the Friday evening. This involved presentations from each of the four local brewers responsible for the four, limited-edition beers produced specially for the festival. Each beer was brewed to represent one of the four main ingredients used to produce beer; namely water, malt, hops and yeast, allowing people to appreciate the importance of each individual ingredient, and its place in the overall picture. As well as listening to the presentations, we had the opportunity to taste the individual beers, and to make thing really interesting, each brewer also brought another of their beers along for us to try.
The presentations were made in the local Catalan language, and whilst some of the brewers spoke English, we relied on Joan to translate quite a bit of what was said. Therefore, if what I write makes even less sense than normal, let’s just say “things got lost in translation”. I ought to add that I have written about the breweries in the same order as the presentations; it was one of those occasions where the audience was split into four smaller groups, and the brewers moved around, from group to group.
First up was Edge Brewing who were established in Barcelona in 2013 by two Americans. Combining finely engineered American brewing equipment, the best ingredients available and many years of brewing experience, they are now making fresh, genuine, American craft beer for the local market. The brewery is situated in the Poble Nou district of Barcelona. Have a look at the company’s excellent English language website here.
The person giving the presentation was an amiable, ex-pat Englishman. I thought he’d given me his business card, but if he did I appear to have lost it, so unfortunately I can’t tell you his name. We tasted two beers; a 5.0% Bavarian-style Hefeweizen and a 4.5% American IPA. The Hefeweizen represented “yeast”, and had a touch of lemon juice added to counteract the phenolic banana and clove notes normally associated with Bavarian Wheat Beers. The IPA had been hopped with Cascade hops throughout the brewing process, and had also been dry-hopped.
Next up was Quer; a micro-brewery producing small batch beers in the town of Berguedà, which is about 100 km north west of Barcelona. Their contribution to the BBF Brewers Pack, was a 6.0% Smoke Beer, representing “malt”. This dark, copper-coloured beer was brewed using Rauchmalz from the world-famous Weyermann maltings in Bamberg. It certainly reminded me of one of the Rauchbiers produced in that city.
Quer certainly like to push the envelope, and to give local drinkers in Berguedà, most of whom are used to typical golden lager-style beers, something to talk about. This experimentation was evident in the other beer they brought along; a 9.5% Russian Imperial Stout called St. Berian Black. Presented in a wax-sealed bottle, this thick dark beer has a bitterness level of 60 ibu’s, which performed well against the strong, roast malt base.
The third brewery to give a presentation was Cerveses La Pirata. I came across this brewery, and its beers, on my previous visit to Barcelona, in November 2014. The company had a presence at the Biercab gastro-pub, which was close to our hotel. After sampling a few beers there I popped next door, to the adjacent beer-shop, where I bought a few of their beers, plus a rather impressive T-shirt, which I wish I’d worn now to the presentation. What I didn’t know was that at the time of that visit, La Pirata were a “gypsy brewery”, and had been so for over two years; but last year they finally bit the bullet and invested in their own brewery, which opened in September 2015.
The company are based in the town of Súria, which is to the north of Barcelona. The beer they produced for the festival represented “water”; arguably one of the most important ingredients used in the brewing of beer. This was presented in the form of a Gose; a top-fermented beer that originated in the German town of Goslar. The style migrated to the city of Leipzig, where it was something of a local speciality. Gose’s popularity waned during the 20th Century and by the end of the Second World War it had nearly died out.
In recent years the style has seen something of a revival. Gose is brewed from a grist containing a minimum of 50% wheat and belongs to the same family of sour wheat beers which were once brewed across Northern Germany and the Low Countries. The beer is characterised by a lemon tartness, plus a pronounced herbal character. This is because coriander is used alongside hops, to provide flavour. Gose has a strong saltiness; the result of either local water sources or added salt, and acquires its characteristic sourness through inoculation with lactobacillus bacteria after the boil.
La Pirata’s Gose, was the first example of this once, almost extinct style I have tried. At 4.5% ABV, it proved a refreshing drink. Salt is added during the boil, and additionally prior to bottling. I didn’t manage to discover whether coriander was used in the beer, but going on the taste, I would say no. The company also brought along some bottles of their 7.8% Super Oatmeal Stout for us to try. They described this as a “dessert beer”, but by this time, not only were my taste buds becoming a little confused, but the alcohol from all these strong beers, on top of those I had already consumed at the festival itself, was starting to kick in.
We ended up sampling the last beers of the session, courtesy of AS Cervesa Artesana (AS for short). AS are another Catalan brewery, based at Montornés del Vallés, near Barcelona. Their website is in Catalan only, so there is little point in including a link to it, but the nice young couple doing the presentation, were enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. They brought along a rather nice 7.8% Double IPA, which represented “hops”. Orange in colour and with citrus aromas, this was a well-balanced and very enjoyable IPA. We were told that American Chinook hops were used for bitterness, with Simcoe for flavour and aroma. The beer is continuously hopped throughout the boil, and then dry-hopped additional Simcoes, during maturation. For some reason the beer is fermented using an Australian yeast.
The second beer from AS, and the last of the session, was a 9.0% Imperial Stout, called Ace of Clubs. My notes were getting rather sparse at this stage, and all I have written down is “Really strong aroma”, “Simcoe hops again.”, and “Italian liquid yeast”. Make of this what you will.
Although a lot was crammed into this session, for me it
provided a valuable insight into the craft beer scene in Catalonia.
I liked the informal presentation style of the breweries concerned, and whilst
there were obvious language differences, the appreciation of good beer
transcends national boundaries and beer speaks its own language. I am really
glad therefore, that I attended this presentation.
I was joined at the BBF Brewers Pack session by fellow blogger, Martin Voigt. Martin is originally from Frankfurt, but now lives and works in Vienna where he produces the excellent proBIER site. Described as “Der Bierblog aus Österreich” (the beer blog of Austria), Martin’s blog is a professional site, with informative and in-depth write-ups, plus some excellent high quality photos. Take a look here at his report on the Barcelona Beer Festival, and you will see what I mean.
Whilst on the subject of photos, I didn’t manage to take any decent ones at the presentation so, where appropriate, I have lifted a few from the websites of the breweries involved. I’m sure they won’t mind, given the free publicity they’ll be getting, but if they do, then I’ll take them down.
A couple of final points: Martin and I were due at another session on the Saturday evening, where we would have an opportunity to meet the legendary Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, the man behind Danish Mikkeller Brewery. Unfortunately we both received an email early on Saturday morning from Joan, informing us that Mikkel was unable to travel to Barcelona, due to the illness of a member of his family, so the session had been cancelled. It was perhaps just as well then, that I didn’t take my copy of Mikkeller's Book of Beer with me, for him to sign.
The four special edition Festival Beers were available in a commemorative presentation bottle pack. It was pointless me buying one though, as I was travelling with cabin baggage only.
Saturday 12 March 2016
Hop Back Summer Lightning
Just over a fortnight ago I was sitting in the Angel at Swanton Morley, trying to read the local paper in the light of the dimly lit bar. It was cold outside and I was sitting as close as comfortably possible to the warmth emanating from the logs burning brightly in the grate of the large open fireplace.
I was in this Norfolk village because the family bungalow is situated there and, whilst dad is no longer living there, it makes a convenient base for me and other family members to stay whilst visiting him. The bungalow will have to be sold before too long; properties start to take on an unloved air when left empty for long periods, and there is also the issue of funding dad’s residential care home fees, but for the time being at least it serves the purpose outlined above.
I had driven up to Norfolk through the Friday afternoon traffic, and although I had taken a diversionary route in order to visit the CAMRA National Inventory-listed Cock at Brent Eleigh, I was feeling rather tired after my drive. I was also rather hungry, so my plan was to walk the short distance to the Angel for a bite to eat and a few pints.
Unfortunately I fell asleep in front of the tele, whilst watching the news and it was around 7.15pm that I walked into the pub. I ordered a pint of the guest ale (Oldershaw’s Mosaic Blonde), and as the barmaid was pulling my pint I asked her what food was available that evening. To my horror she replied that the kitchen closes at 7pm. Had I been paying attention, I would have seen the times when food is available clearly displayed on a board outside, but this left me in a dilemma.
If I hadn’t just ordered a pint I could have walked down to Darby’s; the pub at the other end of Swanton Morley, where I knew from past experience I could get a meal. It was a twenty-five minute walk away, and the alternative would have been to have nipped back to the bungalow and picked up the car. I didn’t want to do that, as my intention was to have a few pints, but as I was paying for my beer, the pleasant young girl behind the bar must have noticed my disappointment and taken pity on me. She offered to rustle me up a sandwich, which would at least assuage my immediate hunger, save me a long, cold walk and allow me to enjoy a few pints without putting myself and other road users at risk.
I accepted her kind offer and ordered a ham and cheese sandwich. So whilst sitting close to the warm glow of the fire, I started paying attention to what the other customers in the pub were drinking. There were about half a dozen or so; some of whom kept nipping off to the backroom for a game of pool.
I had noticed on previous visits to the Angel that Hop Back Summer Lightning seemed a permanent fixture on the bar, and after seeing several pints of it being pulled, I decided that would be my next beer. I was glad I went for it, as it was every bit as good as I remembered. Described by the brewery as the “Original Summer Ale”, and a “Trendsetter in the brewing industry”, this pleasantly bitter, straw coloured beer is brewed all year round. At 5.0% ABV and with a lovely fresh, hoppy aroma, combined with an intense bitterness, Summer Lightning is an old favourite of mine.
I say old favourite, but it’s not a beer I see around much these days, and this leads me to ask why? Hop Back Brewery are quite right to describe this beer as a “trendsetter” for whilst it was not quite the first “Golden Ale” on the scene, Summer Lightning was the first such beer to take the brewing world by storm and introduce a new style of pale, well-hopped and quenching beer in an attempt to entice younger drinkers away from heavily-promoted lager brands. I seem to recall it was enormously popular during the 1990’s, and was a “must stock” brand in many pubs, so why is the beer not as widely available today?
I believe that Summer Lightning was eclipsed by other paler and even more intensely hopped beers (Dark Star, Roosters etc), and this, coupled with the advent of beers brewed using North American hop varieties, with their intense citrus notes (think Thornbridge, Brew Dog, Magic Rock et al), knocked Summer Lightning off its perch and led to it almost being sidelined.
This is great pity, as it is still the classic English Summer Ale, despite being brewed all year round. It was certainly very good in the Angel a fortnight ago; so much so that I had to have a second pint! The fact that this 5.0% beer is a permanent fixture at this GBG-listed, CAMRA-friendly pub, speaks volumes for its quality and character.
It may not have the intense citrus aromas of an American Pale Ale, but as a fine example of a beer brewed using classic English hop varieties, such as East Kent Goldings and Challenger, it more than holds its own. Do therefore give it a try if you come across it on your travels.
I was in this Norfolk village because the family bungalow is situated there and, whilst dad is no longer living there, it makes a convenient base for me and other family members to stay whilst visiting him. The bungalow will have to be sold before too long; properties start to take on an unloved air when left empty for long periods, and there is also the issue of funding dad’s residential care home fees, but for the time being at least it serves the purpose outlined above.
I had driven up to Norfolk through the Friday afternoon traffic, and although I had taken a diversionary route in order to visit the CAMRA National Inventory-listed Cock at Brent Eleigh, I was feeling rather tired after my drive. I was also rather hungry, so my plan was to walk the short distance to the Angel for a bite to eat and a few pints.
The Angel, Swanton Morley |
If I hadn’t just ordered a pint I could have walked down to Darby’s; the pub at the other end of Swanton Morley, where I knew from past experience I could get a meal. It was a twenty-five minute walk away, and the alternative would have been to have nipped back to the bungalow and picked up the car. I didn’t want to do that, as my intention was to have a few pints, but as I was paying for my beer, the pleasant young girl behind the bar must have noticed my disappointment and taken pity on me. She offered to rustle me up a sandwich, which would at least assuage my immediate hunger, save me a long, cold walk and allow me to enjoy a few pints without putting myself and other road users at risk.
I accepted her kind offer and ordered a ham and cheese sandwich. So whilst sitting close to the warm glow of the fire, I started paying attention to what the other customers in the pub were drinking. There were about half a dozen or so; some of whom kept nipping off to the backroom for a game of pool.
I had noticed on previous visits to the Angel that Hop Back Summer Lightning seemed a permanent fixture on the bar, and after seeing several pints of it being pulled, I decided that would be my next beer. I was glad I went for it, as it was every bit as good as I remembered. Described by the brewery as the “Original Summer Ale”, and a “Trendsetter in the brewing industry”, this pleasantly bitter, straw coloured beer is brewed all year round. At 5.0% ABV and with a lovely fresh, hoppy aroma, combined with an intense bitterness, Summer Lightning is an old favourite of mine.
I believe that Summer Lightning was eclipsed by other paler and even more intensely hopped beers (Dark Star, Roosters etc), and this, coupled with the advent of beers brewed using North American hop varieties, with their intense citrus notes (think Thornbridge, Brew Dog, Magic Rock et al), knocked Summer Lightning off its perch and led to it almost being sidelined.
This is great pity, as it is still the classic English Summer Ale, despite being brewed all year round. It was certainly very good in the Angel a fortnight ago; so much so that I had to have a second pint! The fact that this 5.0% beer is a permanent fixture at this GBG-listed, CAMRA-friendly pub, speaks volumes for its quality and character.
It may not have the intense citrus aromas of an American Pale Ale, but as a fine example of a beer brewed using classic English hop varieties, such as East Kent Goldings and Challenger, it more than holds its own. Do therefore give it a try if you come across it on your travels.
Wednesday 9 March 2016
Barcelona Beer Festival 2016
I arrived home at lunchtime on Monday, after a really
enjoyable weekend in Barcelona. The
primary objective of my visit was the Barcelona Beer Festival (BBF); an event
which is now in its fifth year, and which is growing in both popularity and
size with each passing festival.
Enjoying the Spring sunshine |
The home of the BBF for the past few years has been the Barcelona
Maritime Museum,
a magnificent building which formerly housed the Royal Shipyards. Appropriately
the museum is situated on the city’s seafront, at the foot of the Montjuic
Mountain. It proved an ideal venue,
being close to the city centre, and with sufficient space to house such an
event, together with an auditorium for presentations and professional tastings,
it is easy to see why the organisers chose the Maritime
Museum. There was also an outside
area, which was a perfect space for enjoying a spot of al fresco drinking
whilst enjoying the early spring sunshine.
Key Kegs behind the bar |
The Barcelona Beer Festival was my first experience of a
true “craft beer” festival. This might sound surprising but my festival going
in the UK has
been confined to CAMRA-run, or CAMRA-inspired beers festivals in which cask ale
is the main, and often the only feature. I have yet to experience the delights
of home-grown, “craft” events, such as IndyManBeerCon, Craft Beer Rising,
Birmingham Beer Bash or the London Craft Beer Festival; although I aim to
rectify this situation later this year.
As for foreign beer festivals, again my experiences are
confined to two traditional-type festivals held in southern Germany;
namely Annafest and Fränkisches Bierfest. The former is an annual folk-festival,
held in the small Franconian town of Forchheim, in which beer is the main
attraction, whilst the latter takes place in Nuremberg.
Fränkisches Bierfest is probably the nearest thing Germany
has to a British CAMRA festival, as it features beers from around 40 local
breweries, but like Annafest, the beers are almost exclusively traditional
styles and varieties.
Given this almost total inexperience of a craft-beer
festival, it would be wrong for me to attempt to look for common ground between
the BBF and our own GBBF, but it is still worth making the following
observations.
Interior Barcelona Maritime Museum |
The average age of attendees at BBF was a lot younger than
that at your typical CAMRA bash, and I would estimate that around 90% of those
present were in the 20-40 year age group; with probably 75% of those being
under 30. There were also a much higher proportion of women at BBF; most of whom
were in the above age groups. Here I would estimate that around 40% of
attendees were female.
Craft beer is obviously a relatively new phenomenon in
Spain, as it is in many parts of the world; Britain included, but it was good
to see so much enthusiasm for the best long drink in the world, amongst the
younger age group. It was particularly nice to see so many attractive young
ladies enjoying and appreciating the different beers, and I don’t mean to sound
patronising or sexist with this observation.
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The Beer List |
There were around 350 beers on the list, but with just 70 taps
available, only a percentage were available at any one time. This meant the range
was constantly changing, so in order to keep people informed a large
chalkboard, at the far end of the hall, was used to display which beers were on
sale and at which particular tap. There were a couple of people positioned on a
gantry in front of the chalkboard, whose mission was to keep the list up to
date, and also to deafen anyone in earshot by ringing a loud bell, every time a
new or different beer came on line!
The majority of the beers were Spanish, with many sourced
locally from Catalonia. There
were quite a number of Italian beers as well. Other countries represented,
included the USA,
Belgium, the UK
and the Quebec region of Canada,
where the local brewers association have a reciprocal agreement with the
organisers of BBF. (Fellow would be separatists?).
Busy pouring |
The festival was tokens only; large plastic discs, each
worth one Euro. There were holes at conveniently spaced intervals along the bar
tops, for staff to drop the tokens into, after each beer purchase, making them
conveniently out of reach of other punters but easy to retrieve for re-use by
the festival staff. The latter, most of whom were female, all wore T-shirts
with the legend BBF Crew emblazoned across the front and back.
Beers were dispensed only into specially commissioned
festival 25 cl glasses, with beers priced at either two or three tokens a pour
(horrible American expression). There seemed little correlation between
strength and price, as there were some strong Imperial Russian Stouts (9% ABV),
selling for just two tokens, whilst other much weaker beers were costing three
tokens.
Get your tokens here |
There were a number of interesting innovations which caught
my eye, including some machines which dispensed tokens plus, CAMRA festival
organisers take note, a glass rinsing station. This was a commercially
available “hired in” piece of equipment, so it would be worth CAMRA taking a
closer look at this. The token machines were designed to beat the queues, and
spued out the appropriate number of tokens in exchange for €5, €10 or €20 notes
The only criticisms I would make were the low number of food
stands, with just three “boutique” type stalls selling a mixture of posh beef
or pork burgers, Asian food plus Asturian cheeses from Spain's northern coastal province. The queues were lengthy, and
prices slightly on the high side, so a few more basic food stalls would not
have gone amiss.
CAMRA take note- a portable glass-rinsing station |
The other criticism was the large number of overly loud,
young Americans present at the festival. Does the USA
specially train its citizens, from an early age, to talk so much louder than
any other nation on earth; and why are they totally unaware of this irritating
trait? As for the word “awesome”; surely the most over-used and least properly
understood piece of vocabulary in the entire English-American lexicon?
I attended on all three days of the Festival preferring the
Sunday afternoon session above the others, as this was the least beast and the
least crowded of them all. In contrast, when I left late on Saturday afternoon,
the queue of people waiting to get in stretched right round the building.
Queuing to get in on Saturday afternoon |
I enjoyed the festival and found it very professional and
well-organised. Because of the rotating nature of the beers, my sampling was
completely random; although I did follow the tried and tested approach of
starting each session with something
light and refreshing, before working my way up through the gravities to the
Imperial Stouts.
Were any of the beers awesome? Probably, but you know by now
that’s not a word I would entertain using! Would I go next year? Probably, but a
year is a long time, and we’ll have to wait and see what happens between now
and then.
Finally, it seemed a shame not to spend a portion of my time
in Barcelona enjoying a few of the city’s other attractions; not least of which
was a pre-booked tour of Antoni Gaudi’s magnificent, and still unfinished,
basilica, the Sagrada Familia.
Outside the Black Lab Brew Pub |
I also had a wander around the harbour on the Sunday
morning, followed by a stroll along the beach. Fourteen degrees may have been
cold, so far as the locals were concerned, but it was fine with me and double
the temperature back home! With wall to wall sunshine, it was the perfect
prelude to the final session of the festival, and was made all the better by a
decent lunch, and some equally decent beers at the Black Lab Brew Pub, in the Palau de Mar, right by the harbour.
I received my invitation to attend the festival via fellow
blogger, Joan Villar-i-Martí, who I met at both the 2014 and 2015 European Beer
Bloggers Conferences. Joan hosts his own site Blog Birraire, and has also co-authored
the first Catalonia Beer Guide. You can check out his blog here.
I bumped into Joan a couple of times during the festival,
but he was being kept very busy, being interviewed by the local media whilst at
the same time juggling with the logistics of such a large event.
Joan also acted as host, and translator, for the BBF Brewers Presentation, which I attended on the Friday evening. More on that later.
Thursday 3 March 2016
The Viper - Mill Green
It wasn’t quite a spur of the moment decision to stop there, but having enjoyed my visit to the Cock at Brent Eleigh on the outward journey, I really fancied stopping off somewhere on the trip home. I always think it best to put the bulk of the journey behind oneself when planning such a stop; as that way there is far less driving to undertake afterwards. In addition after a couple of hours in the saddle, one is in need of a break, if only to answer the call of nature; something which seems to get more frequent as one becomes older!
I had a copy of the 2013 Good Beer Guide in the car, and was looking for a pub down towards the bottom half of Essex, close to the M25. I saw the National Inventory listed Viper, at Mill Green on the map, and noticed that it was just off the A12 and close to London’s Orbital Motorway, but the only problem was my road atlas wasn’t exactly the most detailed of maps. I had been staying at dad’s bungalow, where there is no Wi-Fi, plus mobile reception is at best sporadic, and was cursing the fact that I probably had a much larger scale OS Map of the area sitting on the bookshelf at home.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iibm5zLwvhzZgxI_jgKEhQoAMlSqkdZXWGmBBNcE9RPijCQNbu13qYt3X4VdRikwkGyEyHqanScNcyh6gw652_bKYQTYGeUwuaYYbBRMzF-Tp2ms9UYuDeKonPkXR-2NmiN3BiX4kcw/s200/Romany+Rye.jpg)
Fortunately, on the Saturday, I decided to call in for breakfast at the Romany Rye; the Wetherspoon’s outlet in nearby Dereham, and so was able to reconnect with civilisation, as well as doing a spot of research. After my rather satisfying breakfast, I was clicking between WhatPub and Google Maps on my phone in order to map out the best route to Mill Green. By zooming in, I was able to get road names and all the information I required. I wrote the directions down, by which time I was on my third cup of the chain’s strong filter coffee, but I had what I needed, and when on the following day the time came to put the instructions into practice, they worked a treat.
I have reached the conclusion though that a Sat-Nav would make life a lot easier, even though I have always shied away from the idea of electronic navigation aids. However, it’s not a good idea trying to read directions whilst driving along; let alone trying to navigate off a map! Such a device would also come into its own when I’ve got the family with me, as none of them seem capable of reading a map
I thought I had missed the Viper at at first, because I noticed another fine looking pub, called the Cricketers, on my right as I drove into Mill Green. On the return journey I saw that the Cricketers belonged to Gray & Sons of Chelmsford; a family firm who stopped brewing in 1974, just as CAMRA was starting to get going. Grays are still independent, but for the past 40 years have operated as a pub-owning company, buying in their beers from a variety of other family brewers.
I digress. The Viper is situated on the edge of a wood. It is a white-painted building, which appears to be a pair of 19th Century cottages knocked into one. Extensions added to the left-and-right mean the Viper is now a four-room pub, but given the fact my visit was on a busy Sunday lunchtime, I didn’t get the chance to investigate the room at the far right. The right hand half of the pub is obviously the posh part; as evidenced by the notice requesting walkers in muddy boots to use the left hand section of the building. It was here that I parked myself at a small table in the equally small "tap room" which occupies the centre left of the pub. Service here is via a door which doubles up as a hatch.
There were five cask beers on offer, with Brentwood, Mighty Oak and Nethergate all providing a brew each. There were also two beers badged as “Viper Ales”; and these were VIPA (Viper IPA) at 3.5% ABV, plus the stronger Jake the Snake at 4.5%. I opted for a pint of the latter, and found it pale, well-hopped and just what was needed following a long drive. Apparently, Viper Ales are brewed by Nethergate and Mighty Oak, but I am not sure what brewery produces which ale.
I had only ordered a cheese sandwich, as I knew my wife had a stew on the go, in the slow cooker, waiting for me when I got home. It was a decent sandwich though, with chunky slices of bread, some nice strong mature Cheddar in the middle and some crisps and salad to go with it.
I only stayed for the one beer, but I have to say I was very taken with the Viper, its setting, its unspoilt plain interior and its friendly and efficient staff. It is hard to believe the pub is so close to both London and major transport links, as it seems a world away. It would be nice to return for a more leisurely visit; ideally after a walk in the woods.
I re-traced my route back through Ingatestone and then onto the A12. Forty-five minutes later I was back home, after a tiring, but enjoyable and most rewarding weekend.
Wednesday 2 March 2016
The Cock - Brent Eleigh
As mentioned in a previous post, last weekend I visited two pubs on CAMRA’s National Heritage Register. The first of these was the Cock at Brent Eleigh, in the south-western corner of Suffolk. I managed a brief stop there on my journey up to Norfolk, where I spent a couple of days visiting my father.
My usual route to this part of East Anglia is via the M25 and M11 motorways, followed by a long slog up the A11. The latter road is now finally dual-carriageway all the way to Norwich, but it is still very monotonous. I therefore occasionally travel via the A12 and A14 trunk roads, before heading directly north along the A140 towards Norwich. The latter is not the best road either, with speed restrictions, and cameras, along much of the road, but on this occasion it provided the most direct route after I had visited the aforementioned Cock.
I won’t bore you further with the details of my entire journey, but I navigated my way to Brent Eleigh after making what the Americans would euphemistically describe as a “comfort stop” in the pleasant Suffolk town of Sudbury, just over the border from Essex.
The Cock is an attractive thatched and pink-rendered wayside inn which dates back to the 18th-century. The pub still retains its two room and off sales layout. The main bar is on the left and is accessed from a corner door. There is a quarry tiled floor, a 1930s brick fireplace with a coal fire (complete with dog laying stretched out in front of it), and seating consists of two basic bare benches, an assortment of chairs and a few bar stools. Apart from a few changes which took place in 1976, the interior remains pretty much the same as it has been for decades. The main alteration was the replacement of a serving hatch by the present bar counter and the installation of the bar back shelves.
The smaller "old bar" is on the right, and has its own front door; but it can also be accessed via a narrow door from the main bar. Like the main bar, there is a quarry tiled floored room, a low tongue and groove panelled ceiling and some old wooden panelling around the room. There is an old bench on the right near the servery and a small shelf to rest your drinks. A large scrubbed table forms the centre-piece of the room.
I arrived at the Cock shortly after 3pm; its distinctive pink exterior standing out against the surrounding country side which was looking rather drab at this time of year. After parking the car, I crossed the road to take few photos, before the light began to fade, and then made my way into the main bar of the pub. There were a handful of regulars, sat around a large table, plus the odd dog, but there were also a couple of seats next to the bar. An old-fashioned cabinet-type, bank of hand-pumps, was attached to the opposite wall, with three cask beers on offer. The choice was Adnam’s Southwold Bitter, Greene King Abbot, plus a guest ale, whose name escapes me. I ordered a pint of Adnam’s, which at just £3.10 a pint, represented good value.
It was in excellent condition as well, and as glasses were re-filled, I noticed that practically everyone was drinking it. I did see one pint of Abbot ordered, slightly more expensive at £3.40, but I like Adnam’s, and at 3.7% ABV, one pint was not going to put me over the limit. The bar started to fill up during the half hour or so I was there, and I counted a dozen people there, including myself. The banter seemed friendly and good-humoured, but as it was of a slightly personal nature, I decided against joining in.
I asked the landlord if I could have a look in the adjoining bar, which was reached through a small door, just behind where I was sitting. "Of course", was his reply and I was rewarded by the sight of an empty, but totally unspoilt traditional old bar and was able to take a few photos.
I only stayed for the one, but just before I left I enquired as to the whereabouts of the toilets. I had an inkling they were outside, and this was confirmed by the landlord who remarked that “Inside toilets are unhygienic!” Mission accomplished, I bid my farewells to this timeless old pub. I can strongly recommend a visit, and if you want to linger rather longer than I was able to, the Cock offers Bed and breakfast accommodation in a building at rear of pub. I also understand that the home-cooked food is very good.
The Cock is situated on the not terribly busy A1141, which runs down from Lavenham to Hadleigh. Alternatively, you can do what I did and follow your nose up from Sudbury; a route which takes you through some charming villages. The villages on the route I took northward, after leaving the pub, are if anything even more charming with Chelsworth and Bildeston absolute gems. Just don’t try arguing with a fully-laden grain lorry!
My usual route to this part of East Anglia is via the M25 and M11 motorways, followed by a long slog up the A11. The latter road is now finally dual-carriageway all the way to Norwich, but it is still very monotonous. I therefore occasionally travel via the A12 and A14 trunk roads, before heading directly north along the A140 towards Norwich. The latter is not the best road either, with speed restrictions, and cameras, along much of the road, but on this occasion it provided the most direct route after I had visited the aforementioned Cock.
I won’t bore you further with the details of my entire journey, but I navigated my way to Brent Eleigh after making what the Americans would euphemistically describe as a “comfort stop” in the pleasant Suffolk town of Sudbury, just over the border from Essex.
The Cock is an attractive thatched and pink-rendered wayside inn which dates back to the 18th-century. The pub still retains its two room and off sales layout. The main bar is on the left and is accessed from a corner door. There is a quarry tiled floor, a 1930s brick fireplace with a coal fire (complete with dog laying stretched out in front of it), and seating consists of two basic bare benches, an assortment of chairs and a few bar stools. Apart from a few changes which took place in 1976, the interior remains pretty much the same as it has been for decades. The main alteration was the replacement of a serving hatch by the present bar counter and the installation of the bar back shelves.
The timeless "Old Bar" |
I arrived at the Cock shortly after 3pm; its distinctive pink exterior standing out against the surrounding country side which was looking rather drab at this time of year. After parking the car, I crossed the road to take few photos, before the light began to fade, and then made my way into the main bar of the pub. There were a handful of regulars, sat around a large table, plus the odd dog, but there were also a couple of seats next to the bar. An old-fashioned cabinet-type, bank of hand-pumps, was attached to the opposite wall, with three cask beers on offer. The choice was Adnam’s Southwold Bitter, Greene King Abbot, plus a guest ale, whose name escapes me. I ordered a pint of Adnam’s, which at just £3.10 a pint, represented good value.
It was in excellent condition as well, and as glasses were re-filled, I noticed that practically everyone was drinking it. I did see one pint of Abbot ordered, slightly more expensive at £3.40, but I like Adnam’s, and at 3.7% ABV, one pint was not going to put me over the limit. The bar started to fill up during the half hour or so I was there, and I counted a dozen people there, including myself. The banter seemed friendly and good-humoured, but as it was of a slightly personal nature, I decided against joining in.
A visit to the Gents |
I only stayed for the one, but just before I left I enquired as to the whereabouts of the toilets. I had an inkling they were outside, and this was confirmed by the landlord who remarked that “Inside toilets are unhygienic!” Mission accomplished, I bid my farewells to this timeless old pub. I can strongly recommend a visit, and if you want to linger rather longer than I was able to, the Cock offers Bed and breakfast accommodation in a building at rear of pub. I also understand that the home-cooked food is very good.
The Cock is situated on the not terribly busy A1141, which runs down from Lavenham to Hadleigh. Alternatively, you can do what I did and follow your nose up from Sudbury; a route which takes you through some charming villages. The villages on the route I took northward, after leaving the pub, are if anything even more charming with Chelsworth and Bildeston absolute gems. Just don’t try arguing with a fully-laden grain lorry!
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