Getting (friar) tucked-in!

After a busy weekend there’s a lot more than usual to post about, so let’s get straight on with a quick post about yet another local breakfast venue, and a pub one at that.

The Robin Hood is a large estate pub on the edge of Tunbridge Wells,  close to the area known as High Brooms. The pub was built at the end of the Edwardian era and started life as a private residence. It became a public house in 1971, primarily to cater for the residents of the adjacent Sherwood housing estate, and was named the Robin Hood because of the Sherwood Forest connection.

For much of its existence the pub belonged to Whitbread and, despite me not being a fan of estate pubs, I became quite well acquainted with the Robin Hood during the late 1980’s, when I worked on the nearby North Farm Industrial Estate.

After Whitbread ceased being a brewer, and started running hotels and coffee shops instead, the Robin Hood passed into the hands of Enterprise Inns, and in 2007 a major refurbishment was carried out. It was somewhat surprising then when, just six years later, Enterprise closed the pub and put it up for sale. 

Fortunately, Greene King stepped in and rescued the pub, converting it into a Hungry Horse in the process. The Suffolk brewer seems to have made a good job of the conversion, as the Robin Hood usually seems busy, attracting customers from both the local estate and slightly further afield.

Son Matthew and I fitted into the latter category on Sunday, when we called in after a visit to the nearby “waste transfer station”, otherwise known as Tunbridge Wells tip. 

We arrived a few minutes after the 11 o’clock opening, so were surprised to see a few hardened drinkers already there, getting stuck into their pints. No beer for us though, but rather a mug of tea each to accompany our £2.99 full English breakfast. Actually the bill came to slightly more, as with the drink option, plus a round of toast each, breakfast worked out at just over a fiver each.

It was freshly cooked and pretty decent, my only gripe being the lack of hot plates. We could perhaps done

without having to listen to the chavvy couple who came and sat just across from where we were sitting – is it some kind of strange “herd instinct” which makes certain people gravitate to where others are sitting, even when there’s acres of empty space elsewhere?

Such is life, but the bottom line is yet another place for a decent start to the day, without breaking the bank; or indeed having to steal from the rich!

Down by the riverside

I found myself in that there London place last Thursday. I was there on company business, with the express purpose of obtaining a visa for a forthcoming trip to foreign parts. I won’t say where yet, but you will probably get a clue from one of the photos.

Now no visit to London, for business or for pleasure, is complete without at least one visit to a classic pub and Thursday was no exception, but that obviously had to wait until after my business was concluded. I had a pre-booked appointment for my visa submission, and not wanting to be late I arrived in the big city with plenty of time to spare.

I actually had a little too much time to spare, but after a brief wander around found myself standing opposite the medieval splendour of the Guildhall. This might sound a little strange, especially coming from someone who is a frequent visitor to the capital, but Thursday’s visit was my first glimpse of the Guildhall.

To come across this survivor from the middle ages surrounded by a sea of modernity, was not something I’d been expecting, and I couldn’t help being impressed. Directly opposite the Guildhall is the church of St Lawrence Jewry next Guildhall; one of the many fine churches designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren to replace those consumed in the Great Fire of London.

There were some benches outside the  church, looking directly across to the Guildhall, and this seemed a suitable spot in which to sit and eat my lunch – the sandwiches I normally make and pack up each day. It was a nice sheltered spot, away from the unseasonably cold wind which was blowing - whatever happened to spring?

I still had some time to kill, so I popped in for a brief look at  the Guildhall Art Gallery. Entrance was free, and as well as some stunning paintings, plus a section in the basement where the remains of a Roman amphitheatre can be viewed, there were also some rather well-appointed toilet facilities.

I took full advantage of the latter, before heading off for my pre-booked appointment. The whole process took around 70 minutes,  and involved three separate queues, but because it was necessary to leave my passport at the agency, for the visa to be affixed,  I will have to return to collect it, next week.

So there will be a further opportunity for a “wet” in the big city, next week. (Incidentally, I first heard the expression “wet,” from a former boss of mine, when I was a young and rather naïve, twenty-something in his first professional role).

Back to last week,  as soon as I’d concluded my business, I took the Underground, in a westerly direction, changing lines a couple of times, before arriving at Ravenscourt Park, where I alighted from the train, and headed due south at a brisk pace, towards the River Thames.

In case you haven’t guessed by now, I was making for was the Dove; a famous grade II listed riverside tavern, which is one of London's Real Heritage Pubs. The building dates back to the late 18^th Century, and having started life as the Doves Coffee House, was bought by Fuller’s Brewery in 1796.

I almost walked straight passed the narrow alleyway which leads to the pub, but after noticing my error, and pausing to take a few photos, I found myself being questioned about the antiquity of the building, by a couple of American tourists who’d come up behind me.

I answered the question of “Is this the oldest pub?”, by asking where exactly were they referring to? Not wishing to appear rude, or unhelpful, I quickly followed up by saying the Dove was almost certainly the oldest pub in that particular part of London, but not the oldest in the capital.

I needn’t have worried about causing an offence, as the couple were clearly on a mission, and without really waiting for my reply, marched straight to the door, where one of them read aloud from the sign by the door, that the song Rule Britannia had been composed there.

I wasn’t taking much notice by then, as I was just glad when they entered the pub and got out of camera shot. There must have been an American convention going on that afternoon, as I encountered several more visitors from across the Atlantic as I attempted a few more photo shots from the other side of the pub. Strangely enough, I didn’t see, or indeed hear, any Americans once I’d stepped inside the Dove.

This was probably my first visit to the pub in a couple of decades, so it’s hard to say whether or not it had changed much, but I strongly suspect it hadn’t, apart from perhaps the bank of keg pumps on the bar – although even those were fairly discreet.

The pub was busy and not just with tourists like me, as there were several parties of diners ensconced at the tables which occupy most parts of the main bar. Upon entering, I’d taken a quick peak at the tiny public bar at the front of the pub. It is claimed to be one of  the smallest in the country. It was also empty, so whilst I could have had the place to myself, I really wanted to sit out on the terrace which overlooks the River Thames, at the rear of the pub.

First though, I needed a pint, particularly as I was feeling rather parched after my earlier endeavours. The beer choices were  London Pride, ESB plus another from the Fuller’s range. I opted for the Pride and was glad I did. It was served to me in a branded, dimple mug and was on cracking form I scored it at 4.0 NBSS, but it may actually have deserved 4.5.

Refreshingly cool and well-conditioned, it was everything Pride is capable of being, and possibly a little bit more. I took my pint and made my way outside, glad of some fresh air after being cooped up in a crowded and bustling office building earlier in the day.

I found a vacant table and plonked myself down. The sun was shining and it was quite warm out  of the wind. Looking across at the river, I could see several crews of oarsman practising their rowing, possibly in readiness for the next Varsity Boat Race, or perhaps even the Olympics?

It was all very pleasant, and I was very tempted to stay for a second pint – possibly trying the ESB. However, I’d promised Mrs PBT’s that I’d not only be home in time for dinner, but would also be available to accompany her to the poling station, to cast our votes in the local government elections. I therefore finished my pint and made my way back to the underground station, but not before stopping to take some photos of the pub’s interior.

The Dove was a little less crowded by then, as several of the large  groups of diners had left. Before I too joined them, I reflected on the pub’s heritage and some of its more illustrious past visitors. These include literary giants Graham Greene, Dylan Thomas and Ernest Hemingway. Charles II is also rumoured to have romanced and dined his mistress Nell Gwynne there.

On a more personal level, I’d been talking with one of my friends just a couple of weeks previously about the Dove. We’d both agreed that a visit to the pub was long overdue. I’m not sure if he’s managed to squeeze one in yet, but I’m certainly pleased that I made the effort.

Has the craft beer "bubble" finally burst?

Several beer pundits have been saying it for years, but now, following an unprecedented rise in the number of breweries in the UK, it looks as though their dire  predictions about unsustainable growth have at last come to pass. 

New figures from accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young, make sober reading, as they show that just eight new breweries opened in Britain in 2018-19, compared to  the 390 that launched just a year earlier. This huge drop in the number of openings marks a five-year low and suggests that Britain’s "craft-beer boom" is running out of steam.

This massive fall was bound to happen, and for many the only surprise is that it didn’t happen a lot sooner. The accountancy firm suggests that the industry’s “gold rush” phase has come to an end, with greater competition making it harder for start-ups to break into an already crowded market. A major component in this fall has been the reaction of some of the larger established brewing firms, with several of them investing in, or taking over promising craft beer start-ups. 

Many of us recall the howls of outrageous indignation from the "craft glitterati" over Heineken acquiring a major slice of both Beavertown and Brixton breweries, which followed on the heels of AB Inbev’s take-over Camden Town Brewery. Cask-ale devotees were equally appalled by the acquisition of Fuller’s brewing division, by Japanese mega-brewer, Asahi; especially as it included the purchase of the historic Griffin Brewery, in Chiswick.

Probably the most disconcerting aspect of this has been the perception that many well-known craft beers are brewed by small, independent companies. To back this up, recent research by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), found many drinkers were unaware that many popular craft beer brands were produced by large companies.

SIBA’s survey of 2,000 people, found that 43% of drinkers thought craft beer could only be made by small brewers, blissfully unaware there are no restrictions on use of the term. When challenged over this, only 2% of respondents said beer made by multinationals merited the craft beer label.

A partner at UHY Hacker Young  said: “We’re not saying that the market is shrinking, just the number of players is consolidating and sales growth is going to be harder to come by".

“Craft breweries need to ensure their business model is sustainable and profitable at an earlier stage and not just rely on the idea they’ll constantly be able to grow their way out of trouble.” 

However, despite the dramatic decline in new start-ups, the number of British breweries remains high, with 2,274 last year compared to 1,352 just five years ago. The challenge remains to see how many of them are sustainable in an increasingly competitive market.

It is already becoming clear that starting your own brewery, is no longer an automatic way of making money (not that it ever was in my eyes).  Don’t be surprised either to see more  breweries starting to fall by the wayside, and not just those producing truly awful beer. 

It is an unfortunate fact that some of those producing high quality beers are at equal risk of failing as those producing over-hopped and over-hyped murk, especially if their business acumen is not all it should be.

This whole shake-up process was always inevitable, given the number of players in the field, and it looks likely to continue for quite some time to come.

Best foot forward "Casketeers"

And now, without further ado, the last of the increasingly tedious links to WhatsApp, but fortunately, this is the humorous one.

The message which came up on the Beer Socials group was “Glad to report Real Ale Twats back in Viz”. Cue much appreciation and general all round approval, along with comments about picking up a copy.

I found the latest edition on sale in Tesco’s whilst Mrs PBT’s was engaged in pushing the trolley round. I waited until we arrived back home and unpacked the shopping, before taking a look. The comments were indeed correct, and what’s more the comic strip was a whole page worth.

 Without giving too much of the script away, the Twats, as usual, end up making fools of themselves, after this time being belittled by a group of hipsters in a Craft Beer Bar. This was after tying to do the same in their local JDW – called in this instance, "Bletherforks".

We could probably all recognise traits of the Real Ale Twats amongst people we know from CAMRA, or indeed from the caricatures depicted, but it is all done in a light-hearted and non-offensive way. And now, the craft hipsters, with their beards, man-buns and artisan ales, help bring the strip right up to date.

I hadn’t realised that the first Real Ale Twats first appeared in 2001, and whilst by no means appearing in every issue of Viz, the “casketeers” and “tavern-o-philes”, have been a fairly regular feature in the adult comic.

Just under a year ago, beer writers Boak & Bailey, published an interview with the Real Ale Twats’ creator, artist Davey Jones, in which he reveals what led to him coming up with the strip. He also details some of the behaviour and stereotypes observed amongst pub-goers, which often provides the basis of an idea for the next strip.

You can read the full interview here, and learn more about the man behind the UK’s finest and best-loved real-ale bores.

Britain's champion pub goer lists his favourite 50 pubs

In the previous post I wrote about benefits for groups such as CAMRA branches, of the cross-platform messaging and information sharing application WhatsApp. But alongside helping to keep CAMRA groups connected and up to date with what’s occurring, there’s a lighter side to the App as well. This can, at times, provide topics for more general discussion, or even as a source of mild amusement.

More of the latter on another occasion, as I haven’t finished with this thread yet, but an example of the first was a recent Twitter feed which appeared on one of the West Kent CAMRA groups. The feed linked to a news story about Bruce Masters, the holder of the Guinness World Record for the "Most pubs visited in a lifetime".
 

Bruce is 74 and lives in Flitwick, Bedfordshire. He started keeping notes of the different pubs he visited when he was just 15.  Since retiring he tries to visit pubs in two different towns or cities every week, and has now clocked up an impressive 51,695. Followers of statistics will note that Bruce has visited more pubs in his lifetime than the number still open in the UK; currently around the 39,000 mark!

That’s an impressive achievement in anyone’s eyes, and Bruce has no intention of slowing down, despite his daughters urging him to take it easy.  But what caught the attention of us local CAMRA members was Bruce’s list of his Top 50 British Pubs. The list is quite an eclectic one, because as well as listing some classic, traditional pubs, it also includes a few  more modern examples, including several micro pubs.

Some of us felt inspired to total up how many of Bruce’s top 50 pubs we had been in, but without fail none of made it into double figures. I actually topped the list of those who responded, but even then I came in with a pitiful six!

For the record my six pubs are: Oxford Bar – Edinburgh; Railway Hotel – Faversham; Royal Oak – Hooksway, Sussex; Butt & Oyster – Pin Mill; Cock Inn – Brent Eleigh; King’s Head – Laxfield. The last three entries are all in Suffolk, whilst Faversham of course is in my home county of Kent. 

There are three other Kentish entries, two of which are micros; the Papermakers – Sittingbourne, plus the Butcher’s Arms – Herne, (the original micro-pub). The other outlet is the Thomas Tallis Alehouse, in Canterbury; a pub which despite its olde worlde appearance has only been open for three years. I walked past it a couple of years ago, but the place didn't really take my fancy.

If you fancy having a go yourselves, just click on the link, and it will take you to the Sun “newspaper” site. If, like me, you are not a fan of Rupert Murdoch be warned, but despite the paper’s unsavoury owner, Bruce’s list of his top 50 pubs is illustrated with some rather attractive and high-definition photos, so is well worth a look.

Such lists are always going to be highly subjective, and when you’ve visited getting on for 52,000 pubs, whittling that number down to just 50 is never going to be easy or even realistic. Having said that, whilst most serious pub goers will have their own list of favourites, it’s always good looking at someone else’s,  especially when it’s been compiled by the UK’s self-styled, champion pub-goer.

WhatsApp?

It could be argued that social media has much to answer for, but debating the pros and cons of sites such as Facebook, Instagram and even Twitter is a task best left for another time, as what I want to touch on here, albeit briefly, is a slightly different form of  electronic interaction known as “WhatsApp.”

Described as a cross-platform messaging and voice over IP service, this rather useful piece of freeware is actually owned by Facebook. Because it allows the sending of items such as text messages, voice and video calls, images plus other media, documents, it comes into its own particularly as a means of communicating with groups who share the same interests.

When those interests are beer, pubs and real ale, it becomes an extremely useful tool for local CAMRA branches, not just to share information, but as a way of keeping touch, even when on the go.

My own CAMRA branch – West Kent, make particular use of WhatsApp, and operate two official groups. One is for business whilst the other is for socials, but we also run a couple of loosely affiliated beer and pubs related groups, alongside the official ones. The first of these is for beer socials, and this is used for group members for arranging an impromptu meet-up for a drink, or other small gathering which is not an official CAMRA event.

For example, a member might be aware that a particular beer is available locally, so he/she will alert other group members so they can also try some. Alternatively, pubs or even breweries, will sometimes arrange events at relatively short notice; certainly not sufficient for an entry in the Branch Diary section of “What’s Brewing”.

Being able to publicise such events amongst the WhatsApp group members, has proved particularly useful, and has stopped those who might have been unaware of say a “Meet the Brewer” evening, or the launch of a new beer, from missing out.

The official West CAMRA socials group also comes into its own, particularly for people like me who not only have a short memory, but who also don’t keep a diary. The latter is something I’ve never been in the habit of doing, despite having missed out on occasion or, worse still, making a double booking. With Apps available for keeping track of appointments on even your average Smartphone, there’s really no excuse, but when you’ve never been in the habit – well??

So when I picked up on the group chat last Tuesday, about what time train were people planning to catch for the Thursday evening social, it reminded me that I had completely forgotten about the forthcoming meet-up, whilst still allowing sufficient time to make plans to attend.

As it happened Thursday night’s social at the Greyhound was very good, with an attendance in double figures – just. What’s more it was a flexible social, in as much as some of the group (mainly the retirees), had started off in neighbouring Leigh where they’d had a few beers in both the village pub (Fleur de Lys), and the nearby British Legion club.

They caught up with a fellow member and I who were already on the train from Tonbridge, heading towards Penshurst. We all alighted at the latter station, and took the path across the old Penshurst airfield, to Charcott. This path forms part of my regular lunchtime walk, but I was a little slow on my feet that evening, and still am, although things are getting better. The reason for my incapacity was foolishly stepping onto a piece of wood with a rusty nail sticking out of it!

This happened on Easter Saturday, whilst clearing up behind my shed. The nail went right through the sole of my shoe, and into the ball of my left foot. I was not best pleased, especially as it involved a trip to A&E for an anti-tetanus jab. Fortunately I was seen quickly, but I’m certain that Casualty would have dealt with quite a few gardening and DIY related accidents over the course of the holiday weekend!

It was just before 8.30pm when we arrived at the Greyhound, and it was getting dark. The pub was busy, with a healthy mixture of both drinkers and diners. There were four cask ales on sale, although as the evening progressed that number went down to two. Regrettably I ended up missing the Old Dairy Blue Top and also the Dartford Wobbler – Penny Red, but the Northdown Pale Ale Mary and the Larkin’s Traditional were on good form.

We left just after 10pm, retracing our steps back to the station, but this time in the dark. So thanks to WhatsApp, I enjoyed a good evening out attending a branch social which I otherwise might have missed.

Before ending, I mentioned earlier that we have a second loosely affiliated, beer and pubs WhatsApp group, and that is the Weekend Walking group. This consists of a small group of friends who enjoy the occasional walk – invariably to a country pub.

The fact that the word “weekend” appears in the title, does signify the group largely consists of those of us who are still working. We’re a dwindling number amongst the CAMRA fraternity, but after a busy week at work, what better way to unwind than a walk through the beautiful Kent (and occasionally Sussex), countryside, to an unspoilt country pub.

Thanks to WhatsApp, such hikes, rambles – call them what you will can be arranged at very short notice, and as we all know, spur of the moment events are quite often the best.

Kölsch - the taste of Cologne

The photo opposite is of five bottles of Kölsch; Cologne’s unique and geographically protected style of beer. I purchased the bottles on the business trip I made to the city, last month, dashing into a local supermarket shortly before closing time, whilst on my way back to our hotel.

They were ridiculously cheap, working out at just under one Euro a bottle. I haven’t got round to opening any of them yet, but that’s not the point, but what is relevant is I bought them because all five are brands I haven’t come across before, despite having now made seven visits to Cologne.

To understand the reasons behind this, it is first necessary to learn a little more about the style itself, and also appreciate some of the takeovers and mergers which have occurred along the way. 

First the style.  Kölsch is the local style of beer and it is to Cologne (Köln),  what Altbier is to Düsseldorf. Both are survivors from the pre-lager brewing tradition of Northern Germany, but unlike Altbier, Kölsch has undergone a good deal of change, the most notable of which is the lightening of its colour to pale yellow. This gives it the appearance of a Pilsner, so it is perhaps not surprising to learn that it is brewed mainly from Pilsner malt.

Kölsch  is top-fermented at a temperature of between 13 to 21°C, which is more typical of ale brewing, but after the initial fermentation, it undergoes a period of conditioning, where it is lagered at a much colder temperature.

The end result is a clear beer with a bright, straw-yellow hue, but considering its background, there is  little ale character to be found, apart from a little fruitiness. Kölsch  tends to have a very soft, rounded character and can be quite sweet.

Kölsch has to be brewed in the Cologne area before it can call itself such, and this qualification is stipulated by the “Kölsch Convention”, which dates back to the 1980's. The convention was drawn up 24 breweries, some of which are no longer brewing, in order to protect the style from outside imitations. Additionally, a beer may only be called a Kölsch if it meets the following criteria:

It is brewed in the Cologne metropolitan area
It is pale in colour
It is top-fermented
It is hop-accented
It is filtered
It is a 'Vollbier'

Since that time there has been the inevitable mergers and closures, so typical of the brewing industry the world over. This has led to many Kölsch “brands” now being brewed at one large brewery, known as the Kölner Verbund Brauereien GmbH & Co. This is housed in what was formerly the Küppers Brewery.

I’m not going to list all the brands of Kölsch brewed there, but they include some of the better known names such as, Giesler, Gilden, Küppers, Peters and Sion Kölsch. Also included is Sester Kölsch, which is one of the five bottles I brought back with me

.

Kölsch is usually served in small, plain cylindrical glasses known as Stangen, which typically hold just 20 cl of beer; although some outlets will use 25 cl versions. The reason for the small  glasses is Kölsch is a beer designed to be drunk fresh. Leaving a newly poured glass standing for any length of time allows the beer’s condition to dissipate, and is not conducive to enjoying it at its best.

To ensure customers have a fresh glass of beer for as long as they wish to continue drinking, the waiters, who appear to always be male, carry round a circular tray known as a

Kranz, which has inserts designed to accommodate up to a dozen glasses. 
 

Kölsch waiters are known as "Köbes" (a word derived from “Jakobus”), and wear distinctive blue aprons. They have a reputation for being a bit gruff, but this might be unfounded, as most of the ones I have come across have been helpful and often friendly as well.

For places to enjoy Kölsch at its best, you won’t go far wrong if you try a few of the pubs and beer halls in Cologne’s Altstadt, or Old Town. I have written on several occasions about some of my favourite places, and the beauty of Cologne is there always seems to be a new pub or bar  to discover.

To finish, here is a list of my favourite Cologne watering holes, but if you decide to take a trip to the city on the Rhine, then I’m sure you will find a few of your own:

Brauhaus Sion, Brauerei zur Malzmühle, Brauerei Pfaffen, Bierhaus en d’ Salzgass, Früh am Dom, Hausbrauerei Päffgen, Peters Brauhaus, Sünner im Walfisch.