spring 2009 - Norwich and Norfolk branch of CAMRA

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E
E
R
F
& CA SK FO RC E
No.148
Spring 2009
BIGGER AND BETTER!
NORFOLK’S TRUE
HERITAGE PUBS
PUBS ON THE
NORTH NORFOLK
COAST
BEEKEEPING
BIRTH OF A BEER
WITH HUMPTY
DUMPTY BREWERY
PLUS NEWS AND
REVIEWS FROM
YOUR AREA
Newsletter of the Norfolk Branches of the Campaign for Real Ale
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 2
Chris and Glynis invite you to the
Trafford Arms
Cask Ale, Good Food
and Great Customers.
61 Grove Road, Norwich 01603 628466
www.traffordarms.co.uk
email: [email protected]
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NORFOLK NIPS | Chairman’s Letter
Chairman’s Bit
ver the past few years
Mild has undergone
resurgence as a style,
culminating in Hobson’s
Mild recently winning the
Champion beer at the Great
British Beer Festival. The
simple question has to be why? The answer may be
summed up in one word,
quality. In living memory,
Adnams Mild outsold its
famous Bitter, a story repeated
in breweries across the land.
But suddenly, it all turned bad,
and in every sense of the
word.
O
Mild was a major part of British
drinking tradition up until the
1960’s, when declining alcoholic
strength and dubious brewing
practice of brewing a thin
bitter and adding caramel (our
old friend the brewery finance
director in evidence again)
turned it into a thin pastiche of
the full flavoured smooth brew
it had been.
Unsurprisingly, this watereddown liquid didn’t keep either,
and the practices of some pub
landlords in attempting to
delay it from ‘the corruption it
so richly deserved’ largely
sealed its fate as a beer. By the
1990’s few brewers even bothered producing mild, and it
seemed destined to be no
more than a footnote in the
history books.
Microbrewers had other ideas
however, and going back to
old brewing recipes they have
created a new generation of
high quality products, using
dark roasted malts and traditional hop varieties. Light milds
have also been reborn as a
brewing style. Alcohol has
been restored to the product,
with strengths varying from 3.2
up to 5% - and the results have
been outstanding.
A few regional brewers have
kept the faith. (You may wish
to sit down at this point as I’m
going to say something nice
about Greene King.) Elgoods,
Batemans and Greene King
Milds are all well worth investigating. The former, ‘Black Dog’,
has won numerous brewing
awards, as has Batemans Dark,
and if you can find it the
more’ish Greene King Mild is
arguably the best beer that the
brewery regularly produces.
Sadly however Adnams no
longer brew their excellent Mild,
except on special occasions.
In the West Midlands Mild
never went away, and the
Norwich Beer Festival sells large
quantities every year from that
part of the world. If you only
try one mild at this year’s
festival then try and get hold of
some Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild
(6%), brewed to the same
recipe since the 1920’s. Malt,
Fruit, Hops, Toffee, Nut flavours
- I promise you’ll never see
‘Mild’ quite the same way
again!
Des O'Brien
Norwich & Norfolk Branch
Chairman: Des O’Brien
Tel: 01603 270588
Email: [email protected]
Secretary: Graham Freeman
Tel: 07800 690048
Email: [email protected]
Social Secretary: Tim MacDonald
Tel. 01603 865505
Email: [email protected]
West Norfolk Branch
Chairman: Tim Spitzer
Secretary: Ian Bailey
Contact: Bruce Ward
Tel: 01485 609107
Branch websites:
www.norwichcamra.org.uk
www.camra.org.uk/wnorfolk
Branch mailing list web page:
groups.yahoo.com/group/CAMRA_N
orwich
Published every 3 months
by the Norwich, Norfolk & West
Norfolk branches of the Campaign
for Real Ale © N&N CAMRA 2009
Norfolk Nips is produced and
distributed by members of the
branch in their own time.
Edited by:
Andrea Kirkby
Tel 0794 856 9652
Fax 0871 661 6367
Email: [email protected]
Chris Lucas
Email: [email protected]
Views expressed in Norfolk
Nips are not necessarily those
of the editor or of CAMRA
Advertising:
For advertising enquiries please
contact Chris Shilling on:
Tel: 01778 4215050
Mobile: 07736635916
Rates:
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SPRING 2009 | 3
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NORFOLK NIPS | West Norfolk Chairman’s Letter
View From The West Norfolk Chair
his “View From The Chair’ charts a new course,
and an exciting one, as “Cask Force” combines
with our sister magazine, “Norfolk Nips”. Sad in
a way that we are losing a respected magazine in
“Cask Force”, but a good move because now that our
two magazines are together as one, hopefully
reaching a wider audience in covering the whole of
the county. I must thank Chris ‘Stig’ Lucas for his
efforts in coordinating our stuff with the Norwich
branch.
T
Brewery in the pub of the same name, it’s changed a
lot over the years (as I have), thankfully The Reindeer
survives despite a rollercoaster ride. Norwich has been
known as a top class city for real ale pubs for a long
time, a superb drinking city in fact, highlighted by the
fact that the Fat Cat has been CAMRA’s national Pub
Of The Year twice, no mean achievement. And despite
its fair share of pub losses, which affects us all,
Norwich continues to fly the flag for a beer style we all
love.
Many of us in the West Norfolk branch know Norwich
very well, I’ve been drinking in the city’s pubs for a
good many years (since about 1980 in my case!), we
all know and attend the successful annual beer festival
in St Andrews and Blackfriars Halls, I’m proud of not
missing the event since my first foray there in 1986.
My first festival ale was Bateman’s Victory, sunk in
quick time, I was a tad merry for a while! In those early
ale days I also remember Wolf starting the Reindeer
I have also gained many friends from within the
Norwich branch over time, particularly that one man
supping machine Pete Wells (Hi Pete! Hello Sue!), and
look forward to making more. I’m sure this collaboration of out two magazines will benefit both branches,
and introduce us to a wider public, not just CAMRA
people. Cheers!!!
Tim Spitzer - West Norfolk Chair
SPRING 2009 | 5
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Pub News
| NORFOLK NIPS
Pub News
The Kings Head in North
Lopham that was reported
closed in NIPS 146 opened its
doors again just before
Christmas.
Early this New Year in Norwich
there has been unwelcome bad
news in that The Rosary and
Woolpack (Golden Ball
Street) have both closed.
The reasons for closure of The
Rosary are unclear as yet but in
the case of The Woolpack,
media reports suggest that the
pub itself was doing very well
and had a very successful
Christmas and New Year period
but the pubco owners have
gone into administration.
(According to a report in the
Morning Advertiser, this was a
Spirit pub, sold to Tattershall
Castle Group, then to Free
Spirit , then to the Good Time
Pub Company, which went
into administration, and then
to the Norwich Pub Company.
That’s the way the pub business
works – or doesn't work - these
days...)
STOP PRESS!! - the Rosary is
to be reopened by Enterprise
Inns on 16th March. Let's hope
its new tenant has the same
commitment to real ale that
we've seen in the past from this
lovely pub.
The Cross Keys in Wymondham
also closed just after Christmas.
It is understood to be owned
by the same pubco as The
Woolpack in Norwich.
The Bridge at Lenwade has
6
| SPRING 2009
closed as from February, as has
The Parson Woodforde in
Weston Longville. Two Broadland pubs, Coldham Hall in
Surlingham and The Maltsters Inn in Ranworth, have
also recently closed.
Worst hit for closures has been
Fakenham, as The Star closed
in February and it has been
reported that The Crown
Hotel, on the Market Place is
due to close in March.
There is a report that The
Constitution on Constitution
Hill is to close briefly for a short
period for refurbishment and
then re-open as a “real ale
friendly “ pub.
Good news for real ale drinkers
in Gorleston. They now have a
new outlet- The Compass on
Middleton Road has been
taken over by the owners of
The Mariners in Great
Yarmouth, and has been
re-named “The Mariners
Compass” selling a good
range of cask beers.
An application has been
submitted to Great Yarmouth
Planning Dept to demolish
The Admiral Seymour pub
and build houses on the site.
It has been reported in the
Morning Advertiser that Greene
King is to sell off 100 pubs
from its estate. However, it is
not currently known which
pubs might be sold. Watch this
space!
The Horse and Dray in Ber
Street has been organising a
series of fundraising events to
assist survivors of the Australian
bush fires, including a raffle
and special quiz nights. This
Adnams pub is well known to
Aussies in Norwich and has so
far raised nearly 800 dollars
(Aussie) for the Australian Red
Cross.
A Planning Application has
been submitted to Broadland
Council to convert The Kings
Head at Horsham St Faiths
into a “residential dwelling”.
One more Broadland pub has
apparently recently closedThe Ferry on the banks of the
river Bure at Stokesby.
BREWERY NEWS
FROM AROUND
EAST ANGLIA
Adnams is bringing back its
classic Adnams Extra Special
Bitter – a previous Champion
Beer of Britain – to celebrate
Cask Ale Week 6-13 April.
Adnams will also be supporting
Cask Ale Week with activities at
many of its pubs.
Greene King may not be
CAMRA members' favourite
brewery but it is doing some
things right. It has just been
awarded the Red Tractor logo
for its entire range of beers,
witness to its support of East
Anglian barley producers. It is
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NORFOLK NIPS | Pub News
the first brewery to win Red
Tractor accreditation across its
entire range of beers.
Batemans Dark Lord has won
best beer in the 2008 International Beer Challenge porter/stout
category. (Republicans rejoice,
it's named after Parliamentary
commander Thomas Fairfax.)
Suffolk brewer Mauldons won
CAMRA Supreme Champion
Beer of East Anglia with its
Black Adder. But Norfolk
brewer Wolf won the silver
with its Woild Moild. That's a
remarkable one-two for the
dark beers with Black Adder
winning the porter/stout category and Woild Moild, for
those of you who haven’t
guessed or don’t speak fluent
Norfolk, winning the Mild
class. Milton’s Marcus Aurelius
came in third (a Cambridgeshire
beer available at the White
Lion in Oak Street, Norwich) –
yet another dark beer, an
‘Imperial Roman Stout’ of truly
Imperial strength (7.5%).
Most of us think January sales
only happen on the High
Street, but Wolf had its own
January’sAle (geddit?) provided
to landlords at a discount price.
Pubs that took part in the
promotion included the Duke
of Wellington, Eaton
Cottage, White Horse at
Upton, and Shoulder of
Mutton in Strumpshaw.
Reedham brewer Humpty
Dumpty is working on a new
Easter beer to be called Bad
Egg, a best bitter that’s on the
dark side. (Doctor Who fans
may be tempted to ask when
we are going to get the chance
to drink a pint of Bad Wolf...)
Brewer Stephen George has
written an article for us on how
the beer was created – and
includes the recipe.
OTHER NEWS
Norwich Evening News is
running a ‘Love your local’
campaign to promote our local
pubs. It's very well worth
reading – CAMRA members
will recognise some of our
much loved publicans
including Colin Keatley of the
Fat Cat and Chris Higgins of
the Trafford Arms in the
series of articles. Find them on
the Evening News website at
www.eveningnews24.co.uk.
Recession busters
JD Wetherspoon made headlines with its 99p pint of
Greene King. Other pubs, too,
are helping drinkers make their
money go further. Recession
busting pub grub is available at
The Townhouse carvery;
weekday carvery meals are
£3.50, with Greene King IPA,
Fullers, and a guest beer available to wash down your food.
The Townhouse Hotel is at
18-22 Yarmouth Road, Thorpe
St Andrew, Norwich.
At the Queen’s Head, Thurlton,
one CAMRA member has
reported all real ales at £2.00 a
pint on Wednesdays.
Members have reported other
good deals around Norfolk:
St John’s Head, North Quay,
Great Yarmouth is selling Elgood's
Cambridge at £1.90 a pint.
The Garden House at Hales is
selling Woodfordes Wherry and
Norfolk Nog at £2.00 a pint –
in good condition according to
our informant.
The Ox & Plough, Old Buckenham has been serving Ox Ale
(Warrington's) at £2.20.
Mariner’s Compass,
Gorleston has Greek IPA in very
good condition for £1.50 and
filled rolls for 99p. A bargain!
Filled rolls at the Fat Cat are still 60p.
Continued Overleaf
SPRING 2009 | 7
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Pub News continued
| NORFOLK NIPS
NEWS FROM
THE WEST
There is a lot of doom and
gloom around on the pub front
in West Norfolk at the moment
with a whole host of pubs
reported to be on the market
or struggling along with
temporary landlords. However
there has been enough bad
news recently, so lets concentrate on the positives. Up on
the coast, the Jolly Sailors at
Brancaster has been taken over
and although the brewery has
gone it has been refurbished by
the new owners, and opened
again at the end of last year. It
is now part of a group of pubs,
which include the nearby
White Horse, and the Fox at
Willian in Hertfordshire, both
excellent pubs and so should
be well worth a visit.
Another pub up near the
coast, which is being refurbished
and extended, is the King
William at Sedgeford. The
works include a new restaurant,
reception area, disabled toilet
& further 5 double bedrooms
and is due to be completed on
April 6th.
When I first moved down to
Kings Lynn almost 30 years
ago, one of the few places for a
good pint was the Bank
House on Kings Staithe
Square. Almost 20 years ago I
remember an excellent evening
when we wound up the old
Seven Sisters Social club and
spent the remaining funds on a
meal in their excellent restaurant. It was a great loss to the
town when it became solicitor’s
8
| SPRING 2009
offices a few years ago. Well –
mourn no longer. The Bank
House is back! It is now a Town
House Hotel with 10 bedrooms,
but has also a Brasserie, Wine
Bar and Coffee House. If you
don’t know the place it is worth
a visit just to see this fine early
Georgian grade II listed building
in the heart of Lynn’s historic
waterfront area (which doubled
as New York in the long
forgotten film Revolution). We
called in the other night and
were disappointed to find that
the handpumps seemed to be
out of use. We were told that
both beers had been delivered
that day and were probably not
ready, but I was offered a
sample of London Pride. As it
turned out it was excellent.
During the winter you may find
that they only offer Adnams,
but if the demand is there they
will run two beers. Lets see
what we can do...
It’s all change along the riverside with the departure of Ron
Bone from the Ouse Amateur
Sailing Club.
Ron has been looking after the
beer there ever since I joined,
many, many years ago and he
was good enough to win the
title of CAMRA national club of
the year, and will be a hard act
to follow. Thanks for many
great pints! Almost next door,
we hear that Roger at the
Crown and Mitre is finally
about to install the brewery that
has been promised for many
years. Be warned that he is not
ever so keen on CAMRA (especially that ‘Scottish woman’,
whoever that is), so don’t go in
the stained tee shirt and
sandals!
Another pub that was one of
the must visit places in West
Norfolk 30 years ago was the
Woolpack at Walpole Cross
Keys. Since then it had fallen
on hard times but it is good to
report that it is up and running
again. West Norfolk Branch
had a rather cold and wet walk
and Sunday lunch in January
and we were greeted with a
warm welcome and an excellent carvery. Tuesday night is
steak night, and they have an
excellent chef – who will even
cook you a meal to take home.
If you do visit, and you should,
look out for the vintage table
football machine – ask about
the history of it!
Down at Downham Market
we hear that there is a new bar
on the station platform. It was
due to open as I write these
lines so I can’t give a first hand
report, but I do know someone
who has peered through the
window and excitedly reports
the presence of handpumps.
Another great station bar in the
tradition of Stalybridge, Kidderminster and Bridgenorth?....
and Worksop, Bury, Portmadoc......is there something
about Real Ale and Trains?
Other places that have
impressed recently include the
Rose and Crown at Snettisham, which is the sister hotel
to the Bank House. We visited
early on a Sunday evening
when it was very quiet, dark
and cold outside.
The welcome was warm and
there were roaring fires
throughout the many rooms.
Somehow it made winter more
bearable.
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NORFOLK NIPS | Pub News continued
Not far away is the Kings
Head at Great Bircham.
This was our branch pub of the
year a couple of years ago, and
it is still serving an absolutely
excellent pint of Adnams.
Recently they have had jazz in
the bar and are running a series
of race evenings over the next
few months.
Not far away is the Neptune
in Old Hunstanton. Things
have changed since Henry ran
it, and it is now one of the very
few places in Norfolk to boast a
Michelin Star award for the
quality of their food.
Congratulations to the new
owners, Kevin and Jacki
Mangeolles, who have
transformed the place with a
New England theme. I have
not visited the pub for a while
and would be interested to
know if there is any decent beer
to go with the excellent food.
Jeff
The Real Ale Shop, Branthill Farm
- is celebrating winning the
OLN Independent Beer Retailer
of the Year award, following up
on a recent CAMRA Independent
Beer Online Retailer award. The
OLN award was received at the
Dorchester Hotel.
Vojtech Ludvik (Roy)
Levin 1921 - 2009
We were all saddened to hear
of the death of the man we all
knew as Roy Levin. Roy was
born in a small town outside
Prague in the then Czechoslovakia in 1921 and sent to
England by his parents in 1938
as things there got worse. Roy
served in the Czech army
during the war and won the
MM for saving the life of a
comrade in combat after DDay. Unable to return to his
homeland, he made a life here,
working in textiles and at the
age of 40 retraining as a
computer programmer. In
1960 he married Jill and both
were regular attendees at West
Norfolk CAMRA meetings. Roy
was a very intelligent man with
a wicked sense of humour and
had , being a Czech, beer in
the blood. I knew him in his
later years when illness had
weakened his voice, but he
was always worth listening to.
Our thoughts go out to Jill and
the family. Cheers, Roy, we’ll
miss you.
Chris Lucas
Hill House Inn - Happisburgh
For 2009: FIVE DAYS
Thursday 18th June to
Monday 22nd June inclusive
At least 80 Beers & Ciders (and the odd perry)
from far and wide, at competitive pub prices.
LIVE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT
inc. Rock, Traditional Jazz, Skiffle, Folk and much more.
Family Friendly
CAMPING AVAILABLE
One Off Entry payment of £4.00 valid for the
whole weekend. (Numbered wristband - numbers
entered into a Grand Prize Draw).
FREE PRINTED FESTIVAL GLASS
AND TASTING NOTES.
Food served all day.
Festival T-Shirts available
Come and join us at the independent festival by the sea.
For more details contact:Clive and Sue Stockton, The Hill House Inn, Happisburgh, Norfolk NR12 OPW Tel/Fax 01692 650004
SPRING 2009 | 9
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riners
a
M
e
h
T Ale and Cider House
‘Cornish Beer Festival’
Good Friday Apr 10th to Easter Monday Apr 13th
20+ Cornish Beers ; Cornish Pasties ; Scones and Clotted Cream!
Tel: (01493) 332299
E-Mail: [email protected]
69 Howard Street South, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. NR30 1LN
Now Open in Gorleston: The Mariners Compass
21 Middleton Rd, Gorleston
8 Real Ales plus a selection of Ciders
Tel: 01493 659494
10
| SPRING 2009
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NORFOLK NIPS | Pub Post Its
Pub Post-its
We have more post-its this month from our correspondents. Keep them coming! All opinions
in the Post-its are of course the personal opinions of our correspondents - not of CAMRA.
Victoria – Hockering
Single bar pub just off the A47. The Landlord is a
real ale enthusiast and this shows in the beer
choice. The two pumps are constantly changing
with beers from all over the country. Unusually
for a rural pub wet sales dominate with the only
food being light snacks. Draught Perry is also
available. Worth a visit when you’re in the area.
Angel – Swanton Morley
An excellent country pub at the southern end of
Swanton Morley. Good for a choice of beers,
plus it normally has Mighty Oak Oscar Wilde
Mild on. Genuinely friendly and welcoming, it is
one of the few pubs I know of that actually
offers a good choice of hot food on a Sunday
rather that stick to the ubiquitous Hobson’s
choice of roast dinner.
Queens Head – Thurlton
Very quiet when I visited on a Tuesday in
February but the weather was not up to much
and the temporary closure of the Reedham ferry
meant that passing trade was virtually non-existent. It is a large modernised single bar pub with
two real ales at least one of which will be from
Humpty Dumpty or Blackfriars breweries.
Gull – Framingham Pigot
Very much a food pub with an interesting mix of
English and Continental dishes, but that said the
real ales are all on gravity, always the best way to
serve beer in my opinion. The regulars are Abbot
and Wherry but the third beer is ever changing
and was from Oakham when I called in.
Golden Star – Norwich
I think that the front bar of this pub is the most
unspoilt within the city walls, a possible candidate for CAMRA’s Regional Inventory of Pub
Interiors. The bar back is especially noteworthy.
The only drawback is the regular choice of beer,
I am not a fan of the products of a certain
brewery in Bury St Edmunds. This is a pub
where I peer through the window before
venturing in. I was in luck this time as the guest
was from Holdens - Golden Glow, and very
good it was too.
Gatehouse – Norwich
Just of the ring road on the Dereham Road this
pub is pub is an architectural gem both externally and internally. A roaring fire on a cold
Saturday afternoon made it even better. All the
real ale here is served by gravity and currently
the house special is Grain Oak at £2 per pint.
A must visit on every count.
Cock - Barford
Visited on a January evening in the course of
surveying pubs for the next GBG, which was not
an onerous task as it is my personal favourite
pub in South Norfolk.
The main bar with its open fire and pine furniture is always welcoming especially on a cold
night. The Blue Moon beers are now brewed by
Winters, rather than on site, and are just as good
as before. Easy Life and Sea of Tranquillity are
the regular beers but my personal recommendation would be the winter beer Hingham High,
served on gravity and very tasty indeed.
Ugly Bug Inn – Colton
A pub that truly deserves the much used term
“off the beaten track”, and proves the worth of
purchasing the CAMRA GBG file for your Tom
Tom. I hadn’t visited the pub for some time and
I found it much improved, especially in the
heating department. The regular beer is Worth
the Wait from the Beeston brewery, and the
guest was Black Dog from Elgoods. The pub is
noted both for its food and for regular live jazz.
If you are tempted to visit the Landlord reckons
the best approach is from the new roundabout
at Honingham on the A47.
Continued Overleaf
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Pub Post Its continued
| NORFOLK NIPS
Crown, Burston
Comfortable rural pub well worth seeking out.
Sofas round an open fire in the main bar, good
food served in the separate dining room,
Adnams and Abbot on gravity and local beers
including Elmtree on hand pump. I can safely
say that it ticks all my boxes.
Cock, Diss
An excellent town pub on the outskirts of Diss.
We went in early on a Tuesday evening and it
was busy, nice to see in these troubled times for
the pub trade. The four drinking areas are
comfortably furnished and the large central bar
gives plenty of opportunities to get served,
unlike some places where the bar huggers
make each pint a challenge.
Fighting Cocks,Winfarthing
I must confess I only get to visit this pub once a
year when I am doing GBG surveys, but each
time it gets better. New, more comfortable
furniture has been purchased and the whole
pub feels neater and warmer than before.
There was a large shooting party being fed and
watered when we walked in and the food
certainly smelt good. The choice of Adnams
Bitter by hand pump or gravity from the same
cask is an unusual feature.
Kings Head,New Buckenham
Proper village pub slap bang in the middle of
this orthogonal medieval grid pattern former
market town. The owners have spent a lot of
time and money renovating the interior and
the back room really shows the fruits of their
labours. The brick and tile floor, the pine tables
and chairs and the log burning stove give it the
air of a pub of yesteryear, enhanced by the
venerable locals found drinking there most
lunchtimes.
Mariners Compass, Lowestoft Rd. Gorleston
Opened last Friday. 4 ales, could only try the
Adnams Old, in excellent condition.Large traditional main road pub, two bars, one with a
pool table, and a real ale bar with a roaring fire.
Up to 8 beers, mostly from local breweries, and
12
| SPRING 2009
on the day I went, the landlord's first batch of
his own Cider was on sale - excellent and also
high strength, 9%! Fortunately no Guardian.
King’s Arms, Blakeney
I went to the Kings Arms on Dec 28th with 4
friends. They had Adnams best, Wherry, Black
Sheep and Pedigree. Between us we covered all
of them and were all of good condition. Can’t
quite recall prices but believe an average of
£2.70 a pint. It was lunchtime and busy with
diners but we found room near the bar. Very
comfortable pub and would recommend
The Ship, South Walsham
Now open as a restaurant / bar, serving
Adnams & Wherry. The Adnams I had was in
good condition.
Kings Arms, Acle
A large genuine pub, with that rare thing, two
separate defined bars, both with lots of character. GK IPA and Speckled Hen, and Adnams
Bitter. Hen and Adnams in very good condition,
didn't bother with the IPA. Warm welcome, and
an interesting looking menu too. Worth a
detour off the A47.
King William, Sedgeford
Currently undergoing refurbishment, expected
to re-open in April.
Neptune, Hunstanston
Chef, Kevin Mangeolles has recently been
awarded a Michelin star.
Bull, Litcham
Has re-opened.
New Inn, South Wootton
Difficult to tell what’s going on, opening seems
sporadic.
Ostrich, Castle Acre
Re-opened last Saturday after refurbishment.
Now under the same management as The
Duke’s, Rudham & Crown, Wells.
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 13
NORFOLK NIPS | Pub Post Its continued
King William, Sedgeford
Recent reports in Lynn News over local resident’s disquiet over new ventilation outlets
(planning permission already granted).
Crown & Mitre, Lynn
Six handpumps, two in use but one ran out
during the visit. Beers drinkable but nothing
special. The “interesting character” behind the
bar used increasingly “interesting” language, all
negative toward a variety of targets. The pub’s
new brewery, due to open soon is expected to
be called Anchor Brewery. Remarks were made
regarding rhyming slang and the pub’s owner.
No explanation was made.
White Hart, Foulden
Contrary to rumours circulating, this continues
to trade as previously.
Neptune, Old Hunstanton
Recently awarded a Michelin Star for its food.
Lattice House
Appeared not to have heard of CAMRA.
Feathers, Dersingham (Punch)
Adnams, Bass & guests OK, little change, Stables
Bar Re-opened.
Coach & Horses, Dersingham
Thriving, various beers on.
Bank House, Lynn
Beware, still no pump clips to be seen. London
Pride excellent, Adnams good.
Lodge, Feltwell
Being refurbished, due to reopen soon.
Old White Bell, Southery
Bikers’ night, last Sunday each month.
Union Jack, Roydon
Following Mark Riches’ attendance at our recent
meeting there, they have stocked three Beeston
beers. Interest shown in other Norfolk beers.
Do not be surprised to get a request for LocAle
Accreditation.
Comfort Inn, Northwold
Now closed in the wake of the owning company
going into administration.
Michael Croxford, Des O'Brien, Mark Fulcher,
Andrea Kirkby
We have really stimulated debate with our
Post-Its – for which I make no apologies.
Everyone is different, and it's important that we
provide an unvarnished view of our Norfolk
pubs. I think most readers would agree that the
fact that most of our reviews are positive reflects
the excellence of our Norfolk pubs!
This month we've had plenty of feedback from
other CAMRA members and from landlords –
please do keep the letters coming.
Michael Cullup writes:
I was very surprised to read the approving note
about THE CHAMPION in the current 'Norfolk
Nips'. Several weeks ago, this pub changed
hands and the new managers have, in my
opinion, provided an appalling service. On two
occasions, I've found their mild practically
undrinkable, and no food has been available
since the previous tenants left. Of course, this
may have changed since I was last in the pub near the beginning of December.
This used to be an excellent little pub and, after
a couple or so duds, a brilliant manager took over
and the service was friendly and lively, and there
was always food available.
I'll check the pub out shortly - but I'd be surprised
to see a change for the better. The advert on page
34 of 'Norfolk Nips' is quite misleading. It's also
such a pity that this pub is in the current '2009
Good Beer Guide' at the expense of, say, a really
good Norwich pub like 'The Ribs of Beef', which
has long deserved an entry.
Warren Wordsworth commented:
I was a little disappointed at these comments
made on the Champion. The problem is I think
that the new
Continued Overleaf
SPRING 2009 | 13
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 14
He should have
gone to the
Norwich’s oldest alehouse
Four Real Ales
EATON COTTAGE, UNTHANK RD,
NORWICH 01603 453048
Aspells Cider & over 50 Malt Whiskies.
Food served from 12noon-7pm
Monday to Saturday. 12noon-5pm Sunday
Fine Real Ales,lagers,wines and spirits
All Sky Sports • A traditional pub
Good covered outside areas • Doggies welcome
17 Bishopgate, Norwich NR3 1RZ 01603 667423
“a festival of beers every day”
Angel Gardens
Free House
Under same ownership for 21 years
Six reasonably priced Real Ales
including three guest ales
Home Cooked Food
Live Music on Saturdays
Beer Garden with heated smoking shelter
2 Bars (with one for Private Hire)
Ample Car Parking
96 Angel Rd, Norwich NR3 3HT
01603 427490
email: [email protected]
www.norwichinns.com
14
| SPRING 2009
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 15
NORFOLK NIPS | Pub Post Its continued
landlord is not a particularly outgoing sort of a
person and this has been misconstrued as
unfriendly. Living quite close I visit the place a
bit and have found once you get to him he is
very friendly but agree strangers visiting may not
find him so as appeared to be the case on the
Christmas crawl.
As far as beer range and quality are concerned
I've had no problems. He has increased his beer
range to include Bateman's seasonal beers as
well as the usual XB XXXB, Woodforde's Wherry
and Nelson's Revenge.
Warren
Dear Andrea
I was disappointed you printed the second letter
on page 17 of last issue "White Lion reopening".
The amount of column inches the Nips uses
bemoaning the closing of pubs! Why when a
much loved old friend reopens do you need to
use such a letter, which could harm their
chances of success? For the Milton Brewery to
have made such a brave move - and no small
investment in these troubled times - should be
given every bit of support we can offer. After all
you might expect the smell of paint when a pub
is refurbished!I would also have expected that
drinking in the street is generally not allowed.
The welcome I received on my first visit could
not have been nicer, they had 6 hand pumps
and the beer is well looked after and presented.
All any CAMRA member could ask for. I notice
the correspondent was anonymous. Love Nips
otherwise - keep up the good work.
Regards
Colin Allen
Andrea Kirkby comments:
We did try to provide a balance of views by
commissioning a second article from another
CAMRA member who had a more positive experience of the White Lion. As always it's horses for
courses – I must admit I love the dark Milton beers
like Marcus Aurelius and have found it a super little
pub (including the landlord's special cough mixture
when I was under the weather!), so as always I'd
encourage readers to go and make up their own
minds!
White Horse at Chedgrave
As the landlord of the White Horse at Chedgrave, I would like to reply to your “pub post
it’s” article in issue no 147.
The White Horse Chedgrave is tied to Punch
Taverns. I am the lessee, having acquired the
residual lease with 22 years left - very much a
long term investment. Since taking on the pub
in March 2008, I have organised two beer
festivals, one around St George's Day and one
around Remembrance Sunday. Being a Norfolk
boy, I like to “do different”. Our events so far
have included: Last night of the proms, Burns
Night, Bastille Day (French Food and musical
entertainment) And we are preparing for our
1st year anniversary when we will have a free
barbecue for all our customers (old and new!) on
April Fool’s Day.
We are in the 2009 Good Beer Guide, we have
Cask Marque and Beautiful Beer Gold accreditations, the latter of which passed at 96%.
The pub has excellent support with Timothy
Taylor Landlord our best selling real ale. I would
like to state that I have never sold a stale pint of
Landlord. Our turnover is such that this would
be impossible! Also, we have never refused to
exchange a pint - customers of real ale are
offered tasters before they buy. With regards to
having Bass as a guest ale, “Dangerous Brian”
likes Bass and so do many more of my locals.
As mentioned before, we are tied to a PubCo so are restricted as to the beers we can sell - so
can't always offer locally produced ales as much
as we'd like to.
Alternatively, your post-it contributor could
attend our next beer festival : Wednesday 22nd
to Sunday 26th April, during which there will be
over 20 real ales and ciders available to try.
Also, they could take part in our pro-am bowls
contest, enjoy “the Kemps Men” dancing or
appreciate the live music on offer. All of these
things aimed and helping he/she “cheer themselves up!”.
Simon Peck
Continued Overleaf
SPRING 2009 | 15
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 16
The ROSE
SAUSAGE & BEER FESTIVAL
EASTERFEST!
FRIDAY 10th – SUNDAY 19th ARPIL
BEERS FROM WALES & NORFOLK
& LOTS OF SAUSAGES!
THE ROSE INDEPENDENT FREEHOUSE
235 QUEENS RD, NORWICH NR1 3AE Tel: 01603 767713
The KETTS TAVERN
New Managers KEV and DORRY invite you to experience
the food, fine ales and fantastic atmosphere of The KETTS
4 Beer Festivals A Year
Buffys Norwich Terrier £2.20
Food served 12 -2.30pm and 6 -9pm
Bacon Baps served all day!
The Conservatory Coffee Shop
Large Car Park
A Very Warm Welcome!
THE KETTS TAVERN INDEPENDENT FREEHOUSE
29 Ketts Hill, Norwich NR1 4EX Tel: 01603 449654
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 17
NORFOLK NIPS | Pub Post Its continued
WOULD YOU ADAM ‘N’ EVE IT?
As the proud landlady of the oldest pub in
Norwich – with a history spanning back to
when masonry craftsmen were building
Norwich Cathedral and unloading huge stone
pieces at Pulls Ferry – I can clearly see why both
my own pub, The Adam and Eve, and the Ribs
of Beef and Mad Moose Arms gained
favourable reviews in the AA’s 2008 Pub Guide.
Notwithstanding the Adam and Eve’s fascinating history and the fact we are perceived as
a significant tourist attraction and wonderful
watering hole to quench one’s thirst and enjoy
good food in one of the most hospitable of
Norwich pubs, I also happen to be selling
FOUR quality real ales…including Adnams Best
Bitter, Old Peculier, Bombardier and Moletrap!
I didn’t go lobbying the AA Pub Guide’s journalist who wrote the review, including the
cherry picked plaudit, “The perfect pub every
time…” (or choose the criteria for being
featured) but like the owners of the Mad
Moose Arms and Ribs of Beef, I’m justifiably
proud to be included in the AA’s 2008 Pub
Guide and any other respected publication
where my support of Real Ale and reputation
for selling quality food, wines, spirits and beer
at value-for-money prices is recognised by
professional journalists, visiting tourists, day
trippers, and Norwich and Norfolk residents
who know a good Real Ale when they drink
one (or four)!
Cheers!
Rita McCluskey
Landlady of the Adam and Eve in Norwich
This was sent in response to the 2008 AA Pub Guide
article in issue 147 on page 5
Short Measure?
If you are unhappy about the service you get
in a pub, i.e. short measures, lack of a price
list, or misleading listing of products,
contact:
Norfolk County Council
Trading Standards Department
at County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich
NR1 2UD. Tel: 01603 222177
SPRING 2009 | 17
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 18
National Inventory Pubs
| NORFOLK NIPS
Norfolk’s True
Heritage Pubs
he National Inventory of Pubs
with Interiors of Outstanding
Historic Interest is CAMRA’s
pioneering effort to identify and
help protect the most important
historic pub interiors in the country.
It has been part of the Campaign’s
mission for the past 35 years to save
Britain’s rich heritage of pubs as well
as promote real ale.
t
A guide book subtitled “Britain’s True
Heritage Pubs’ was issued in 2003 and
the current list of pubs can be viewed
on www.heritagepubs/org.uk.
It includes 200 Part One entries - pubs
whose interiors have remained largely
unaltered since before World War Two;
and Part Two Part Two which lists 80
pub interiors that, although altered,
have exceptional rooms or features of
national historic importance.
CAMRA’s next step has been to
develop a second tier of inventories,
each covering a particular part of the
UK. East Anglia’s True Heritage Pubs
will shortly be visible on the CAMRA
heritage pubs website. Surveying has
identified a number of such pubs in
18
| SPRING 2009
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 19
Norfolk and this is the first of a
series of articles to bring these
special and rare pub interiors to
the attention of Norfolk Nips
readers. We aim to point out
the reasons for inclusion and
hope you will visit them and
see for yourselves the features
we highlight.
The focus is entirely on
interiors and what is authentically old. To be included the
pub should retain a reasonable
amount of genuinely historic
internal fabric and / or sufficient of the layout for the
historic plan-form to be
appreciated and understood.
The emphasis is on pre-1939
interiors, although post-war
examples might occasionally
be considered if they have
particular merit / quality
fittings. The interior should be
little altered in the past 40
years.
popular with the higher quality
built pubs of the 1930s the
interior is panelled throughout.
The main Baronial Hall-style
bar retains the original counter,
bar back with old till drawer,
and a cigar cabinet with leaded
windows. The original brick
fireplace remains; in the mid
1980s panels were removed
from either side of it to make
access to the room easier.
wall - this was the original
ladies which was relocated to
the rear of the pub in the
1970s and this involved shortening the original counter to
what now looks like a small but
disused hatch. The games
room retains its original Tudor
arch stone and brick fireplace.
Another item of note is the
decorative frieze of hops and
acanthus leaves situated above
Gate House, Norwich
This issue we are featuring the
Gate House, 391 Dereham
Road, Norwich NR5 8QJ. It is
situated just off the outer ring
road. It was re-built by
Morgans Brewery in 1934 in a
distinct Mock Tudor style with
a round tower-like section on
the left. Look for the stone
Exterior of the Gate House, with
its distictive tower-like section.
mullioned windows featuring
stained glass roundels, with
various symbols relating to the
Bayeaux Tapestry. As was
Above: The ‘Baronial Hall-like’ main bar of the Gate House, Norwich
Opposite: The 1930s fireplace and decorative frieze.
Originally on the right there
was a panelled passageway
from the front door leading to
the small counter which was
the original off-sales. In the
1970s the wall separating the
off-sales and the snug on the
right was removed.
To the left of the main bar a
wall was removed, also in the
early 1970s, to link it with what
is now a games room in the
splendid circular tower-like
section on the left of the
building – look for its original
entrance to the room on the
left side. You will notice a small
alcove just past the dividing
the panelling in all the rooms.
The back door leads to an
external staircase, and at the
bottom there is a loggia (a
covered patio) and extensive
gardens down to the banks of
the River Wensum. There is a
Garden Bar, added in the
1990s, which can be brought
into use. All the alterations have
been handled in a sympathetic
manner – even the porch on
the front of the pub that was
added in the 1970s is in the
style of the original building.
Continued Overleaf
SPRING 2009 | 19
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20
| SPRING 2009
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NORFOLK NIPS | National Inventory Pubs continued
The Gate House has been
owned for the past 12 years by
John Gates and he sells Grain
Oak, Woodforde’s Wherry,
Greene King IPA and Abbot.
Opening hours are 12 to 11
(midnight Fri, Sat). No hot
food is served. Live music every
Fri and Sat evenings from
8.30pm. 01603 620340.
Earle Arms, Heydon
A contrast to the Gate House,
which is very much a drinker's
pub, is the Earle Arms in the
estate village of Heydon, where
the original main bar has been
converted into the dining
room. Only one access road
leads to this unspoilt village
Exterior of the Earle Arms,
Heydon still with its 1970s
Watneys inn sign
and this 18th-century pub is
opposite the green. Now a
freehouse, it was leased to
Bullards and has a distinctive
Watney Mann inn sign dating
from the 1970s. It claim to
fame is that it appeared as the
`Winterman Arms' in the situation comedy ‘Up Rising’, filmed
during July 1999. The large
entrance lobby has an old
panelled dado and to the right
is the former public bar, now a
dining room – note the figure
'1' on the door, which was a
requirement of the licensing
magistrates – every public
room and the cellar would
have a number. This small
The ‘Baronial Hall-like’ main bar of the Gate House, Norwich
room has an old panelled
dado, a wood surround and
brick fireplace with a fine set of
curious old cupboards, two on
each side. The bar counter is
more of a hatch than a bar the handpumps serving local
beers being situated adjacent
to the bar back shelving, which
may be at least 50 years old.
To the left of the entrance
lobby is the current bar,
formerly the lounge, with a
number '2' on the dado. It has
a Norfolk pammet floor and an
old brick fireplace with a log
fire. Up to the early 1970s it
had a tiny quarter circle bar,
which was then replaced by a
larger wooden counter, subsequently removed in 2006; now
it has a modern brick bar. On
the right there is a further
public room, which has been
brought into pub use, and has
a 1950s tiled fireplace and
bench seating. Further back
there is a small conservatory.
The pub has been run by
Andrew Harrison-Taylor for 10
years and he sells Woodforde’s
Wherry, Adnams Best Bitter and
a guest beer, often from a local
brewery such as Yetman’s.
Opening Hours are from 12 to
3; and 6 to 11 Tuesday to
Saturday (pub closed all day on
Mondays); 12 to 10.30
Sundays. Food is served
lunchtimes and evenings.
01263 587376. The post code
is NR11 6AD.
Text and photographs by Mick Slaughter
of CAMRA’s Pub Heritage Group
The hatch at the Earle Arms,
Heydon – note the handpumps
are attached to the bar back
SPRING 2009 | 21
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 22
Mild
| NORFOLK NIPS
Mild Child
(?) of Marston's Merrie Monk,
which used to be a regular
rather than an occasional guest
brew, as it seems to be today.
Yet, sadly, that seems to be the
norm rather than the exception
for many breweries.
hen I first started
drinking in pubs (more
years ago than I'd
rather remember) the
choices you had about what to
drink were relatively simple,
especially if you could find one
of those rare pubs that served
proper cask ale. I grew up in
the North West Midlands,
around Stoke-on-Trent; the
local area was awash with
Ansells and Whitbread, served
full of gas. Even back then, my
preference was for the Robinsons, Burtonwood and
Marstons pubs, where the beer
served was something
different.
W
Even in those wonderful
drinking establishments, the
choices were pretty limited. If
you were lucky, there'd be a
bitter and best bitter – in really
special cases perhaps even a
choice of three! But almost
every pub I frequented also
had at least one mild, sometimes two – something that
became a rarity for many a
year. I've many a fond memory
22
| SPRING 2009
Milds have become an occasional or seasonal brew – and I
think we, the drinking public,
have our options sadly reduced
because of that. When was the
last time you saw a bottled
mild in a supermarket? A very
rare sight indeed.
Whilst there was an element
of “old man's drink” about it,
there was also the opposite
end of the drinking spectrum –
the young drinker, still to
develop a liking for the taste of
bitters. It makes you wonder if,
instead of hurtling headlong
down the “we have to have
lager-look-alike real ales for the
youngster” route, perhaps the
idea of mild as an introduction
to real ale is something to be
looked at again. As a “mildly
hopped” beer, it could be the
ideal introduction, especially
where body and flavour
combine to give a very palatable drink.
There should be a hint of
sweetness and a good caramel
flavour, combined with a good
body of taste. Yes, sometimes
the body can be a little thin,
but that's often the case with
many low-gravity beers, bitters
included. Mind you, there are
some brewers who can
manage to squeeze a very full
body into their lower gravity
milds (as anyone who's enjoyed
a pint of Dark Fantastic will tell
you).
And before the cry of “but
mild is a dark beer and we only
like lighter ones” even starts to
rise, there were (and still are)
both dark and light milds.
Taylor's Golden Best is a good
example of the latter, but there
are others worth finding –
there's usually a couple at the
Beer Festival come October.
So, to any brewers out there,
why not explore this sadly
overlooked part of our brewing
heritage? And congratulations
to those local brewers who
already do – there are many
fine examples of local brewed
offerings.
The first thing to do is to find
one though! Not that long ago
finding a mild wasn't easy.
Happily, there are a number of
our city pubs now that regularly carry at least one: the Free
Houses like The Kings Head,
Trafford Arms and Duke of
Wellington spring to mind.
Whilst both Elgoods Black
Dog and Batemans Dark Mild
are easy to find (being regularly
carried in the brewery outlets
in the city) and are both very
palatable, a number of our
smaller, local, brewers' offerings
are also worth finding out. To
single out just a few....
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 23
I've already mentioned Dark
Fantastic from Spectrum
(3.8%), which is definitely
worth finding, and it won't
surprise those who know me
that it's a favourite of mine.
A very dark red colour with a
good, classic mild-malt taste
that I find lingers very nicely
right through to the finish. One
of these days I'll find it at the
same time as the Light
fantastic, and try a “pint of
mixed”, just to see, and reminisce about the days of my
youth!
Another one with a full body
is Tipple’s The Hanged
Monk (3.8%). Plenty of malt
in the aroma and taste of this
one too, which gives it a
smooth, sweet flavour that's so
typical of a good mild. It's
another one where I find the
taste lasts, and there's bags of
chocolate taste that stays right
through to the finish. If you're
in the area, drop in to the
brewery shop on Elm Hill and
acquire one or two bottles (like
I did recently).
Winter's Mild (3.6%) is
another where I find the flavour
of roasted malt really comes
through in the taste. The GBG
description of “a good, solid
flavour” can't, I think, be
beaten for its accuracy.
Certainly another one to savour
when you can find it.
No article on milds in Norfolk
would be complete, though,
without a reference to Woodforde's Mardler's Mild
(3.5%). A deep, dark colour
(“looks like a pint of cola”
someone commented to me as
I was drinking one recently).
A good roast malt taste with, it
has to be said, chocolate overtones, and a slight sweetness
(and, dare I say, a slightly nutty
aftertaste?), all of which stay
through to the finish.
Every now and again, though,
you get someone who just has
to be different - and Wolf
Brewery's “Wolf in Sheep's
Clothing” is exactly that.
Yes, it's a mild, with all the
usual mild characteristics, but it
comes with a strength of hop
which I find gives a surprising
bitterness that you don't
usually get in a mild. I'd say this
is probably my favourite of the
Wolf beers, but, unfortunately,
like many milds, it tends to be
a seasonal offering. I wish I
could find it all year round
(hint, hint).
cover a piece of drinking
heritage that's worth finding
and keeping! And here's to a
good selection of milds being
available all year round!
A selection of milds from our
local brewers (apologies for
those I’ve missed):
Blackfriars
Mild 3.4% ABV
Buffy’s
Mild 4.2% ABV
Chalk Hill
Flintknappers 5.0% ABV
Elmtree
Nightlight 5.7% ABV
Spectrum
Dark Fantastic 3.8% ABV
Tipples
The Hanged Monk 3.8% ABV
Winter’s Mild
3.6% ABV
Wolf
Wolf in Sheeps Clothing
3.7% ABV
Woild Moild 4.8% ABV
Woodforde’s
Mardler's Mild 3.5% ABV
Of course, way back in the
past, mild wasn't the low
gravity beer we know today.
Up until WW1 it would've been
difficult to find one with a
strength less than 4.5%,
whereas today finding one at
that or higher is very rare
indeed. But they do exist.
Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby
(6.0%) is perhaps the best
known (and can sometimes be
found in The Trafford and the
Duke of Wellington), but the
locally brewed offerings of
Elmtree Nightlight Mild (Beer
of the Festival at the 2008
Norwich Beer Festival) at 5.7%
and Wolf Brewery's Woild
Moild (at 4.8%) are good
examples. I intend to find both
of those as soon as I can!!
Note from the editor – Keith
suggests that mild might be
more attractive to younger
drinkers than 'lager-alike' beers.
Certainly evidence from the
tasting sessions that CAMRA held
with local brewers at the NorJam
international scouting event in
2006 suggested that this was
the case, with Headcracker and
Mardlers being nominated as
favourite beers of the Woodforde's led session well ahead of
any of the bitters!
So, as the cry of “Make May
Mild Month” rises again, why
not do exactly that, and redis-
May is CAMRA’s
National Mild Month
Keith Gerrard
SPRING 2009 | 23
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NORFOLK NIPS | West Norfolk GBG survey
A Surveying we will go!
t’s “Good Beer Guide”
survey time again, how
quickly it comes around,
time for some good honest
research, I think you know
what I’m talking about here.
Such fun always! Over a chilly
winter week-end myself and
Nige ventured forth (and came
fifth!), he drove Saturday, and
I returned the favour Sunday.
i
Saturday, first stop the Green
Man at Methwold Hythe, a
pleasant pub just off the back
road between Feltwell and
Methwold, we caught the last
day of their January sale, the
Elgoods Thin Ice was 2 quid a
pint, the friendly hosts quickly
assisted us to do the survey. We
decided to check out a couple
of extras, first being the
Bedingfeld Arms at Oxborough (next to Oxborough Hall,
a National Trust property),
superb Adnams Bitter, and
Nige reported the food was
good too. Next into Downham
Market and the Crown Hotel,
the bar was busy, and four ales
to choose from, I had Cottage
The Lion, The Witch and The
Whippet (great name!). back to
surveying, and the Old White
Bell at Southery, a couple pints
of Tom Woods Mill Tavern
relaxed me to almost comatose,
and I thrashed my driver 8-2 at
pool! He dropped me home
after that, half-time for us.
Sunday, my turn behind the
wheel, Nige had enjoyed sunny
driving conditions, unfortunately I got the blizzards! Hey
ho, we began at the Swan at
Hilborough, nice Nethergate
Three Point Nine, despite being
busy they were more than
helpful doing the survey.
A quick trip to the Windmill
Inn at Great Cressingham,
where the pub’s owner gave us
hand with the form , had a
nice chat, and even bought us
a drink (J20 for me), Nige said
the TT Landlord was superb, I
forget the other one he had,
this pub was also busy with
Sunday lunches. Through the
snowy icy wastes to our final
stop, the White Hart at
Foulden, a former branch POTY,
we had a late lunch here, and
some fine Buffy’s ales, a really
friendly pub.
If you have a suggestion for a
pub we should look at, don’t
be backwards in coming
forwards, we’re always looking
for new places to go.
Lewis Hamilton’s left foot
(aka Tim)
National Cask Ale Week 5th-13th April
AMRA research shows that a
staggering 65% of adults have never
even tried real ale - yet of those that
do try it, 40% of them are converted
to making it a regular tipple.
C
Mike Benner, CAMRA's Chief Executive,
calls Cask Ale Week “a celebration of our
national drink”.
So make National Cask Ale Week your
chance to convert your lager-drinking or
wine-drinking friends. Take them to one
of our excellent pubs and introduce them
to the delights of real ale!
SPRING 2009 | 25
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 26
DUKE of WELLINGTON
TRADITIONAL REAL ALE HOUSE
14 REAL ALES
GRAVITY SERVED
available all year round from
our glass fronted tap room
6 MORE ALES
ON HAND PUMP
CAMRA Good Beer
Guide Listed
CAMRA Norfolk Pub
of the Year 2003
Open
Monday to Saturday
12noon to 11pm
Sundays
12noon to 10.30pm
Come and enjoy our Tap Room
with a selection of Belgian
bottled beers, Schneider Weiss,
Erdinger and Dunkel.
k
e s wa l
t
u
n
i
5m
Jus t 1 C i t y C e n t re
f rom
91 - 93 WATERLOO ROAD | NORWICH | 01603 441182
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 27
The Fur & Feather, Woodbastwick, Norfolk NR13 6HQ
Tel: 01603 720003
www.thefurandfeatherinn.co.uk
Our loyal band of customers already know how good the beer &
food is at the Fur and Feather, now you can try it at The Ingham
Swan too. We have all the Woodforde's beers on offer, either from
cask or bottle, and should you have a drop too much we have five
cosy en suite rooms in which to stay!
k
The Swan, Swan Corner, Ingham, Norfolk NR12 9AB
Tel: 01692 581099 www.theinghamswan.com
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 28
Beer & Music
| NORFOLK NIPS
Music & Real Ale
TRADITIONAL JAZZ
Acle Recreation Centre,
Bridewell Lane, Acle
Real Ales include Adnams
Bitter, Theakstons and Tipples
Redhead
Tuesday 24th March – Rod
Mason and his Hot Five
(including former local
favourite – Sean Moyses - on
Banjo)
Tickets/enquiries – Brian Davis
01493 701880
The Quality Hotel (Filby
Suite), Bowthorpe,
Norwich (off Dereham Road)
Fat Cat Bitter is being laid on
specially for the jazz sessions.
Tuesday 10th March
Ken Colyer Legacy New
Orleans Jazz Band
Tuesday 12th May
Brian Carrick’s Algiers Stompers
Tickets/enquiries – Rod Playford
01362 688269
King’s Arms, Market Place,
Reepham
Adnams Bitter, Elgoods
Cambridge Bitter, Timothy
Taylor Landlord, Woodforde’s
Wherry and Abbot Ale.
Every Sunday lunchtime from
10th May to mid September in
the courtyard at the rear of pub
(weather permitting), the
bands alternating through the
summer will be Nene Valley
Jazzmen, Climax Jazz Band,
Vintage Hot Orchestra, Norfolk
28
| SPRING 2009
Jazz (who include several
former members of Just Jazz
Good Time Jazz Band) and
Simon Nelson’s Dixie Mix.
In addition, there will be
lunchtime sessions on Bank
Holiday Mondays 4th May,
25th May and 31st August.
(Phone King’s Arms for more
details - 01603 870345)
King’s Head Hotel, Beccles,
Suffolk
Selection of Adnams beers plus
Humpty Dumpty Bitter
Every Sunday evening - Red
Beans ‘n’ Rice New Orleans Jazz
Band
Feathers Hotel, Market
Place, Holt
Greene King Abbot Ale and IPA
First Friday every month –
Lumiere Rouge Ragtime Band
Marsham Arms, nr
Hevingham (B1149
Norwich-Holt Road)
Adnams Bitter, plus alternating
guests including Adnams
Broadside and Woodforde’s
Wherry
Third Friday every month –
Lumiere Rouge Ragtime Band
Tally Ho, Mettingham (nr
Bungay), Suffolk
Following the sudden closure
of this pub a few weeks ago,
the Sole Bay Jazz Band have
had to find a new home after
playing at this venue for well
over 20 years. Fortunately they
have found a new venue just a
few miles up the road from the
Tally Ho at Flixton Buck.
The Buck Inn, The Street,
Flixton, Suffolk
Woofordes Mardler’s, Morland
Original and Adnams Bitter are
the regulars at present, but in
addition there are guest beers,
and an increased selection in
the summer months
Every Thursday Sole Bay Jazz Band
Ingleside Hotel, Mundesley
Following the folding of Just
Jazz Good Time Jazz Band,
regular jazz sessions have
ceased at this long running jazz
venue, but it is hoped that
things will get under way in
some way or other in the near
future (Watch press for details).
Waterside Bar, Beach
Terrace Road, Hunstanton
Adnams Bitter and Greene
King Old Speckled Hen
Sunday 22nd March (5.00 –
8.00 pm) – Chris Wigley’s
Dixieland Jazz Quartet (led by
former Just Jazz trombonist
Chris Wigley)
Sunday 21st June (9.00 –
11.00 pm) Chris Wigley’s
Dixieland Jazz Quartet.
It is good to be able to report
on a new venue in West Norfolk,
following the widening of the
distribution area of Norfolk
Nips. (If anyone knows of any
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 29
NORFOLK NIPS | Beer & Music
more jazz venues in West
Norfolk, please let me know).
Queen’s Hall, Watton
No news of the beer at this
venue, but this date features
another comparatively new
band in the area:Friday 13th March – Simon
Nelson’s Dixie Mix
Toftwood Social Club (Nr
East Dereham)
Saturday 21st March – Dixie
Jazz Bandits with Mary Lou
Lambert
Dereham Jazz Society,
Lakeside Country Club,
Quarry Lane, Lyng (nr
Dereham)
Adnams beers plus guest beers
on handpump
Wednesday 1st April – Simon
Nelson’s Dixie Mix
Limes Hotel, High Street,
Needham Market, Suffolk
Real Ales available
First Sunday evening every
month. Also, third Sunday
lunchtime monthly in Bugs Bar
– Bands vary
MAINSTREAM
/MODERN JAZZ
Green Man, Wroxham
Road, Rackheath
Woodforde’s Wherry, Adnams
Bitter and Broadside plus guests
Every Tuesday – Full
programme consisting of
various bands and musicians.
For further details, phone
Barbara Capocci on 01603
413443, or e-mail
[email protected]
Dereham Jazz Society, Lakeside Country Club, Quarry
Lane, Lyng (nr Dereham)
Adnams beers plus guest
beers on handpump
Every Wednesday – Full
programme consisting of
various bands and musicians,
which usually includes one
‘traditional’ session each month
(see above).
For further details phone
01328 863511 or 01362
696741 or visit website
www.lakeside-jazz-club.co.uk
Holiday Inn, Cromer Road,
Norwich (near Airport)
Real Ales available
Sat 2nd May to Monday 4th
May – Norwich Jazz Party.
Following on from highly
successful events in the last two
years, this year will again
feature a huge international
line-up of top class bands and
musicians.
Tickets/information from Jerry
Brown (Jazz ‘n’ Blues Records) –
01603 467777
Keith Chettleburgh
FOLK IN THE EAST
‘A’ is for Alby and a new, to
these pages, music venue at
the Horse Shoes on the
Cromer Road, a local singers &
musicians session on the last
Thursday of the month from
20.30. Tel: 01263 761378 I
could mention that they have a
good selection of well kept ales
but that would be advertising.
Also, staying in North Norfolk,
the Sheringham Folk club meet
at the Burlington Hotel bar
on the second Wednesday of
the month, also from 20.30, all
welcome especially musicians.
Geldeston Locks in the
wilds of the Waveney valley
continue their regular music
slots, wind, wave and high tide
permitting! Murphy’s Lore
appear on the 22nd of March
(Sunday) and host an open
mike session on the Thursday
26th while in April between the
9th & Sunday 12th an Easter
Beer & Music Festival draws
them back again for a folky
Friday. Buskers and sundry
acoustic acts are interspersed
with Ska, Country & Blues over
the next two days with (on
Sunday) The Henry Bros
(Gospel, Blues and murder
ballads) before the Rum
Brothers contribute their own
Irish country &
folk.www.geldestonlocks.co.uk
for more details.
Over in the west of the
county the former Castle Acre
Folk Club has made a change
of venue from the Ostrich Inn
to the Red Lion on the Market
Place in Swaffham, the
sessions start at 20.00 on the
last Wednesday of the month.
Norwich Folk club meet at
the White Horse Inn at
Trowse from 20.30 to 23.30
every Friday mostly singarounds and local musician
sessions they have guests on
13th March, 17th April, and
15th May updates on
www.norwichfolkclub.net
Another city venue that had
slipped under my radar in the
past is the York Tavern on
Continued Overleaf
SPRING 2009 | 29
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 30
6 High Street, Ringstead,
Norfolk PE36 5JU
NORWICH
Real Ales
Live Music
7 Nights A Week
Cindy and Steve would like to welcome you
to The Gin Trap Inn, a traditional 17th
century coaching inn with luxury B&B
rooms on the Peddars Way and near the
lovely North Norfolk coast.
Adnams Bitter and Woodforde’s Wherry are
always available along with rotating guest
beers and award winning food.
Two Floors Available for Private
Daytime Bookings 7 Days A Week
Parking, Smoking Area
Enquiries for daytime and evening bookings
please ring Karen on 07974 512 434 or
www.myspace.com/thequeencharlotte
Tel: 01485 525264
BARRELIEF
MANAGEMENT
Woods End
Bramerton
Situated on the River Yare
three miles from Norwich.
5 real Ales, Good Pub Food.
Children and Pet Friendly
Martin and the Crew look forward to
welcoming you.
Tel: 01508 538899
30
| SPRING 2009
Your local Bar Relief to cover for
your Holidays or Sickness.
Personal Licence Holder.
Food Hygiene Certificated.
Please Call Brian Mayhew on
01603 301356 or 07714657752
to discuss your requirements
email: [email protected]
www.brmpubservices.co.uk
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 31
NORFOLK NIPS | Beer & Music
Leicester Street who host a
weekly Friday night session
from 20.30 for acoustic music
and sing-arounds. The usual
Irish sessions continue on
Wednesdays at The Shed on
Sprowston Road while, for the
Nelson on Nelson Street,
Thursday & Sunday are the
nights to look out for. And, of
the regular city sessions the
Duke of Wellington on
Waterloo Road continues to
host the von Krapp Family on
Tuesday evenings.
Although not strictly folk a
mainly acoustic session has
now started at the Wild Man
on Bedford Street Norwich, no
other details at the moment.
In addition to the headlines
on the death of the English
pub much was made in the
national press, at the start of
the year, of the forthcoming
demise of that, much derided,
English tradition of morris
dancing. Now, I’m no dancer,
and come complete with a fully
working set of left feet but the
City has two fully functioning
(morris) sides in the form of
Kemps Men & Golden Star
Morris. It is easy to mock but
before you write off morris as
hanky waving for the mentally
middle aged check out a side,
on good form, for an energetic
and entertaining experience.
Star haven’t publicised their
dance-out dates at the time of
writing but catch Kemps at the
Chedgrave White Horse
lunchtime on 25th April,
Poringland Royal Oak on
Wednesday 27th May at 19.45,
Hethersett Queen’s Head
on June 3rd (19.45) and
Wymondham Feathers on
the 10th also at 19.45.
www.goldenstarmorris.org.uk
& www.kempsmen.org.uk for
more details.
The Sunday night, Meet in
the Hedge sessions (The
Feathers Inn Town Green
Wymondham) for all sorts of
acoustic music (and poetry)
will be on the 29th of March,
26th April, 31st May and 28th
June check for details on
www.meetinthehedge.co.uk
And finally, the usual appeal
for information, especially in
West Norfolk if you are running
folk or acoustic sessions in your
local pass the details on via the
editor’s e-mail address unless
you really want to keep it quiet!
ROCK IN THE
QUEEN CHARLOTTE
Gig listings for March, April,
May for the Queen Charlotte
Norwich
March
20 Guns 2 Roses - guns and
roses tribute band
21 Vegas Fame index
23 Fullwater + Collider
24 Hair Traffic Control
26 Metal night
27 Dance 4 tibet + Slackbanta
and Friends
28 Milo b+mr moon+bispatial+vista - a night of electro
29 The Relays + the pressure +
mum locked in a castle
30 Shitmat
31 This Wonderful Creation
presents the queen charlotte
under 18 live music night
April
03 Trepidation base
04 Power up promotions
present day one of the 1up fest
05 Power up promotions
present day two of the 1up fest
06 Cocos Lovers
07 Good friday at the queen
charlotte with indelible sound
08 Amen-tal sound system
13 Easter Monday at the queen
charlotte with denounce + hero
kills heroine - a thrashing bank
holiday of metal
16 Power Up Promotions
Presents Catch 22 17 Killer Hurts + Snowblind
18 Arcadia Lake + Friends In
Aid Of The Rspb
21 The Queen Charlotte
Quirky Quiz -Free Entry,
Selected Real Ales £1.99 A Pint
All Night, £40.00 In Prize
Money Up For Grabs Plus
Drinks Round
22 Alaska Pipeline + Hair Traffic
Control + Tbc
23 Celebrating St Georges Day
With The Best Of Punk
Featuring The Culprits, The
Transmission, Kill Youth Culture
And Very Special Guests Tbc
26 Russell Can’t Drive + Downtown Crashers
28 Under 18 Live Music Night
May
01 Disco Biscuit Presents At
The Queen Charlotte
02 Amen-Tal
08 Slackbanta Sound System
15 Concrete Roots Sound
System
16 Steel Noise Promotions
Presents All Day Metal Fest Myspace.Com/Steelnoisepromotions.
SPRING 2009 | 31
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 32
West Norfolk Branch
| NORFOLK NIPS
Christmas Pub Crawl
ur branch’s annual Xmas
pub crawl in Norwich
started out of the city
center, at the DUKE OF
CONNAUGHT, our host kindly
opened up early at 11 for us, a
good group of 13 gathered to
start the day with a bang
(myself and Nige were quickly
into a game of pool!), my first
pint was a lovely drop of
Winters Bitter. Around the
corner and up the street
(slightly to the left of the Rishi
Maze!), was the NELSON, a
few more joined us here, I had
one of my fave ales, Deuchars
IPA, knocks that Greene King
stuff into a cocked hat. Along
to pub 3, the excellent FAT
CAT, busy as always, more
people here bringing our
numbers up to 25, I tried a
couple of Scottish ales in
Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted
and Orkney Red McGregor.
Onto a great backstreet boozer,
O
32
| SPRING 2009
the ALEXANDRA, where the
landlord was so impressed by
the numbers he gave me a very
nice Alex t-shirt, cheers! A UK
versus USA pool match took
place, and we whipped them
good, reckon the Americans
are used to bigger balls!!!
Ahem! Drinks-wise, it was CHB
for me. Down the road and
across the busy junction,
around the bend (aren’t we
all?!), to MICAWBERS. We ran
into some ‘Molly Dancers’,
cousins of Morris Dancers I
suppose, but basically blokes in
dresses and garish make-up,
pity I’d left my dress and highheels at home! Umm, moving
swiftly along! Oh, Nelson’s
Revenge was my poison here.
Next up was the RUMSEY
WELLS (formerly the St
Andrews Tavern), I sank a
manly ale of Adnams Old, I was
amused by the selection of
sweet jars behind the bar,
which included Bon Bons and
Flying Saucers. It’s a dogs’ life,
so onto the DOG HOUSE
(ex-Red Lion), gravity ales on
tap, the Spitfire I has was
superb, eyes turns to the Sky
Sports TV screen to check the
footie scores, and a vital 1-0
home win for Norwich City
over Charlton. Followed that
with a visit to the OLD WHITE
LION, which had re-opened in
Autumn last year, good to see
the pub back in business, now
owned by the Milton Brewery,
my ale was Dionysus.
Onwards ever onwards, and
the KINGS HEAD, like to have
a game of bar billiards whenever I pop in here, and enjoyed
a nice drop of Buffy’s Hop leaf.
Now then, at this point
myself and Stig decided a curry
would be good, so popped
across the road, my chicken
Madras was delicious. But Stig
quickly regretted his decision
to have curried crab, as it
turned out to be very fiddly
(Fiddler Crab?!), and we ran
out of time to try the remaining
pubs on the list as we had to
catch our train. But Nige
informed me the rest of the
group carried on and went in
the GLASSHOUSE and TAKE 5,
and both were good. In fact
Nige dragged a few diehards
along to TWO more pubs, this
man doesn’t know when to
quit! They went in the Rosary
Tavern and the Coach &
Horses ( they must have
bottomless stomachs!). So ends
another Xmas crawl, can’t wait
‘til this year when we get to do
it all again, cheers me dears!!!!!
Tim “Alice” Spitzer.
I was back in Norwich in the
middle of January, taking a group of
mainly Americans on a crawl, it was
someone’s “going away’. I followed
some of the Xmas crawl route such
as the ALEXANDRA, FAT CAT,
RUMSEY WELLS, DOG HOUSE , and
KINGS HEAD. Also took them in the
REINDEER, RIBS OF BEEF,
GLASSHOUSE, EDITH CAVELL, and
finally, COMPLEAT ANGLER (nice
Norfolk Nog!).
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 33
June Beer Festival
Friday June 12th - Sunday June 14th
See website for details
6 Real Ales always available
Large Beer Garden and Car Park
Music: Folk every Sunday and Thursday
Regular Live Bands
Sunday night Pub Quiz
Sky Sports and Setanta
Watch City in the Championship
- Find us in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2009 -
SPRING 2009 | 33
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 34
Cambridge Bitter 3.8%
Gold Award
Champion Bitter of Britain 2006
Available all year round:
SEASONAL ALES
Thin Ice 4.7% Jan/Feb Old Wagg 4.0% March/April
Double Swan 4.5% May/June Mad Dog 4.4% July/Aug
Barleymead 4.8% Sept/Oct Old Black Shuck 4.5% Nov
Snickalmas 5.0% Wenceslas Winter Warmer 7.5% Dec
North Brink Brewery, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
34
| SPRING 2009
Tel: 01945 583160
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 35
Crown Inn
Sheringham
East Cliff, Sheringham NR26 8BQ Tel: 01263 823213
Four Real Ales
London Pride, GK Abbot, GK IPA and Woodfordes Werry
Large Beer Garden
overlooking the sea
Live bands all year on Wednesday
Home Cooked Food
available 12noon - 9pm, 7 days a week
15 Chef Specials on the board
£1.00 Meal Deal
Purchase any two meals at the same
time from either menu and the cheaper
will cost only £1!
• SALTHOUSE •
“THE COUNTRY PUB”
Comfortable atmosphere
Real ales and open fire
Home cooked food
Superb bar snacks served every day, 12noon until 9pm
24th to 26th April 2009
Parties and function catered for
Sheltered courtyard and garden
En-suite accommodation
A celebration of Norfolk’s Ales. Five of the finest
Norfolk breweries to celebrate the best of Norfolk.
Norfolk Ales • Norfolk Food • Norfolk Singers
’T
DON IT!
MISS
Coast Rd, Salthouse, Norfolk NR25 7XA
Tel: 01263 740467
SPRING 2009 | 35
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 36
North West Norfolk
Pub Scene
36
| SPRING 2009
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 37
NORFOLK NIPS | Norfolk Coastal Feature
n surveying for the 2010
CAMRA National Good Beer
Guide and judging for our
Branch Pub of the Year I have
made a few trips to the north
west part of Norfolk to sample
some of the pubs in this all too
infrequently visited part of our
Branch area. Here are my
comments on a few of them,
not in any particular order.
i
A small group of us visited the
charming north Norfolk coastal
village of Blakeney. There are
four real ale outlets to choose
from, two hotels that have non
residents bars, The Blakeney
Hotel and The Manor Hotel,
and two pubs, The White Horse
selling mainly Adnams and The
Kings Arms. We visited The
Kings Arms as although the
others all offer good real ale,
the Kings Arms offers the
widest choice. Here in this old
white flint washed walled
building with the date 1760
inscribed on the roof tiles were
a range of beers form Adnams,
Marston’s Theakstons, Woodforde’s and Greene King which
are dispensed both by handpump and by gravity.
A short journey east along the
A149 coast road is the small
village of Salthouse, a popular
destination for birdwatchers
and ornithologists. It also has
one pub, The Dun Cow, situated on a small hill with great
views overlooking Salthouse
Marshes. Another fine range of
beers are available that include,
Adnams Bitter, Tim Taylor
Landlord, Greene King Abbot
and Woodforde’s Wherry.
We also visited Stiffkey, a
small village between Blakeney
and Wells. This village once
boasted three pubs but now
only The Red Lion survives. This
is a fairly food orientated pub
with an extensive menu selling
real ales from Adnams and
Woodforde’s
Moving slightly inland from
the coast road there are some
other little gems worth visiting.
One of better known villages is
Binham famous for its medieval
Priory. The village pub The
Chequers has also gained some
notoriety over recent years as it
is home of one of North
Norfolk’s small micro breweries
Front Street. The pub sells
beers from its own brewery
such as Callums Ale, Binham
Cheer, Unity Strong plus some
guests. There is also a wide
range of premium Belgian and
German beers available. The
pub also offers good quality
home cooked food.
A little further along the road
is The Three Horseshoes in
Warham. Visiting this pub that
is listed in CAMRA’s National
Continued Overleaf
SPRING 2009 | 37
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 38
Locks I
n
o
t
s
e
ld Locks Lane, Geldeston nn
e
G
NR34 0HW Tel: 01508 518414
www.geldestonlocks.co.uk
(also have myspace and facebook)
Summer Hours
Noon to close every day
Food 12-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm every day
(except sunday evenings)
Friday Nights: Famous curries of the world
voted best music venue on the Broads!
EASTER BEER, CIDER & MUSIC FESTIVAL
Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th April
30+ ales and ciders, live folk, ska, country,
blues, bluegrass and more.
THE TRIANGLE TAVERN
29 ST PETERS ST. LOWESTOFT NR32 1QA
www.thetriangletavern.co.uk EASTER BEER FESTIVAL - Sunday 5th April
The Triangle’s 2009 Easter I.P.A. Festival begins on Sunday 5th April and will run over the Easter
weekend while stocks last. Guest Ales from across the U.K.I.P.A.s Stout, Mild and Best Bitters.
Plus your favourite Green Jack Ales including RIPPER (Supreme Champion Winter Ale 2007)
Live music on Thursday 9th, Friday 10th, and DJs on Saturday 11th
We look forward to welcoming you to the spiritual home of the
multi-award winning Green Jack Brewing Co
Green Jack - Ales & Stout
Brewed in Lowestoft
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:37 Page 39
NORFOLK NIPS | Norfolk Coastal Feature - continued
Inventory is like stepping into a
time warp back to the late 19th
or early 20th centuries as all
the rooms are fitted and
furnished in period style. There
are usually two to beers available. Greene King IPA and
Woodforde’s Wherry plus
maybe a guest in summer.
Also in the area is The Bluebell
at Langham. It is located a little
off the usual tourist route and
probably less well known than
the other pubs listed here but it
is nevertheless still worth a visit.
This is a very unpretentious
village local that offers visitors a
warm friendly welcome. There
is a range of two beers available Greene King IPA plus a
rotating guest. Home cooked
meals are served both lunch
and evenings.
Our trips to the North Norfolk
coast also took in Wells. We
stopped near The Buttlands, a
green in the centre of town
surrounded by trees and fine
Georgian buildings. Here there
are two pubs to choose from,
The Globe and The Crown
Hotel. The Globe was, until
recently a Greene King pub but
it has now been taken over and
internally refurbished by the
owners of The Holkham Estate.
On the night we visited it there
were four real ales available,
Adnams Bitter and Broadside,
Woodforde’s Wherry and
Nelson’s Revenge. The Crown
situated at the far end of the
green offered a choice of
Adnams Bitter and Old plus
Woodforde’s Wherry.
We later headed down to the
quayside to visit one of
Norfolk’s most unusual hostelries The Albatros. As mentioned
in last NIPS, The Albatros is a
North Sea clipper sailing ship
built in 1899 and is the last
commercial sailing boat of this
type in the UK. It has been
based in Wells harbour since
2001. The cargo hold has been
converted into a bar/dining
area with many navigation
charts and other nautical
memorabilia adorning the
walls. Between two or three
beers from Woodforde’s are
available served straight from
the cask. Fine food is available;
pancakes with both sweet and
savoury fillings their speciality.
An absolute must to visit on
you next trip to Wells!
Warren Wordsworth
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Town Green, Wymondham
Telephone: (01953) 605675
Freehouse listed in The Good Beer Guide
Pub food 7 days a week served lunchtimes
and evenings.
Function Room for parties or meetings.
Large Car Park
A warm welcome awaits you!
Heath House
Norwich
The Gatehouse Pub
391 Dereham Road, Norwich NR5 8QJ
01603 620340
Traditional Family Pub
Beer Festival Monday
22nd to Sunday 28th June
Ales from near and far
Crone’s Organic Cider (7.4% ABV)
Live music from ‘Beyond Duplication’ on Friday
‘Just Kevin’ on Saturday
Pub Food Served Wednesday to Saturday
6pm to 9pm (12noon to 5pm on Sun)
Just 1
0m
the Cid ins from
er She
d
The Heath House, 99 Gertrude Rd, Norwich,
Norfolk NR3 4SG Tel: 01603 406417
40
| SPRING 2009
FOUR REAL ALES
Live Music, Friday & Saturday
Large garden overlooking the
River Wensum
OPEN
Mon - Thurs 12-11
Fri & Sat 12-12 • Sunday 12-11
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The Kings Arms
22 Hall Rd Norwich NR1 3HQ
Tel: 01603 766361
13 Real Ales always served from
Batemans, Adnams and Wolf
breweries plus many other local and
national beers.
Always serving a mild plus a stout, porter or old and real cider.
A range of Belgian Ales and Fruit beers now available!
R
GU A
ID GO
W E OD
e 2
in ar 00 BE
it! e 9 ER
Quiz Night! - The last Wednesday in every month!
CA
M
Come and try our lunchtime bar menu or have a
night out with friends and order in your
favourite take-away!
Now serving Roasts every Sunday !
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The Mermaid Inn
Church Street, Elsing Dereham,NR20 3EA
Tel: 01362637640 Email: [email protected]
Great Pub Food Menu
Try our famous Steak and Kidney Roly Poly
with thick beer gravy. We cook our own Ham in
real ale, we can't cook it quick enough!
INFLATION BUSTER MON - FRI ONLY £4.95!
Freehouse,
Freehouse, Real
Real Ales,
Ales, Real
Real Food,
Food,
Real
Real Welcome!
Welcome!
Look us up in the CAMRA Good
Beer Guide 2009 or the CAMRA
Good Pub Food Guide.
Just off the A47 east of Kings Lynn
Ever-changing range of real ales (minimum 3)
CAMRA West Norfolk Pub of the Year 2005
Popular with CAMRA members and walkers
• Beer Garden • Monthly Quizzes
OPENING HOURS
Monday closed,
Tues - Thurs 12noon-3pm,
6.30pm - 11pm
Friday Open all day
Saturday & Sunday
12noon - 3pm and 6.30pm - 9.00pm
FOOD SERVED
12 - 2pm and 6.30pm - 9.00pm
Beer
Festivalay
Sund
Friday to
10th
May 8th in
20+ Beers
ee
the marqu
Low Rd, West Acre, Kings Lynn PE32 1TR
We have internet café facilities!
Tel: 01760 755395
The White Hart Inn
The King’s Head at Brooke
7 White Hart Street, Foulden, Thetford,
Norfolk IP26 5AW Tel: 01366 328638
6 Norwich Road, Brooke 01508 550335
19th Century traditional
pub with accomodation
in the heart of Foulden,
just outside Thetford.
With Thetford Forest right on the doorstep,
this is a great base for discovering the wildlife
and outdoor pleasures of The Brecks.
Real ale pub serving value for
money pub meals with music and
quiz nights. for full details of whats on
email:- [email protected]
Child Friendly and dogs welcome.
En suite rooms with private entrance available.
42
| SPRING 2009
Real Ales
Extensive Wine List
Home Cooked Food
Bar Snacks and A la Carte Menu
BBQ in the summer
Cream Teas • Afternoon Tea
Log Fires in the winter
A traditional pub/restaurant serving home made
traditional British food with a modern slant.
All food is prepared in our own kitchens.
We only use local fresh produce where possible.
Free Range local Pork • Local Game
Local Free Range Lamb • Wild Venison
Aged Local Beef • Free Range Chickens and Eggs
Homemade Bread • Homemade Desserts
No MSG • No Colourings • No Preservatives
No GM Modified Foods
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NORFOLK NIPS | Beekeeping
Cider, Orchards, Bees and Mead
t’s all about magic. Avalon, the mystical island
of Arthurian legend is an isle of apple trees.
Old orchards are enchanted places with the
old types of apples that Worcester Pearmain
which supermarkets reject for being the wrong
shape (as the name suggests, pear shaped).
Without bees there would be none of this, no
apples, no cider, no modern Avalon and no
honey so no mead.
i
Norfolk Beekeepers Association are holding a
beginners day where you can have a peep into
the magical world of a bee hive Sunday 26th
April from 9.30 till lunch time at Easton College,
just past the showground off the old A47. The
workshop is free of charge but please do ring
Graham Ford on 01508 493 430 so he knows
how many veils to bring.
If you can’t make the day why not have a chat
with the NBKA at the Norfolk Show?
April 1st 6pm - Everyone welcome
Free "Thank You" Barbecue to all customers (past, present and future!)
Spring St George’s Beer Festival
Wednesday 22nd to Sunday 26th April
over 20 real ales and ciders on offer plus live music/morris dancing
Great selection of real ales and wines, along
with fine dining and excellent company.
New guest ale every Friday.
www.whitehorsechedgrave.co.uk
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Whin Cider Visit
| NORFOLK NIPS
Whin Hill Cider
t was a miserable September
day. Rain sheeted in from the
sea, and water sprayed up
from the road as I pushed my
motorbike against the wind.
North Norfolk was not showing
its prettier side today. Grey sky,
grey mist, everything was grey.
i
In the orchard at Stanhoe,
though, the apples blazed with
colour – red, pink, bright
green. Under some of the trees
they lay thick like a windfall
carpet.
I'd come to visit Whin Hill
Cider, one of East Anglia’s largest
cider makers, at the beginning of
their harvest season.
The orchard is impressive – 13
acres of apple trees, marching
in their rows across the slope of
the hill. All are pruned northsouth ‘up and down’ the rows,
so that the branches run along
the alleys, making it easier to
harvest the apples. There are a
few rows of taller trees, too –
perry pears; in fact perry has
been doing so well that another
80 trees have been planted,
more than doubling the
number, but it will take 6-7 years
till these are producing fruit.
Whin Hill isn’t just a cider
maker. Out of the 2,000 trees,
about 1,400 are cider apple
trees, the remainder being
mainly dessert apples for
juicing. There are eight dessert
varieties, including Discovery,
Greensleeves, James Grieve,
Cox, Bramley and Russet.
44
| SPRING 2009
Then there are another 8 varieties of cider apple. Although
the tradition in East Anglia was
always to make cider from
eating varieties, Whin Hill
prefers to use cider apple
varieties such as Dabinett,
Michelin, Ashton bitter, White
Jersey, Major, Ellis bitter,
Browns, and Kingston Black.
The harvest and pressing of
the apples begins in August
and runs right the way through
to mid November – alas,
clashing with Norwich Beer
Festival so we rarely see the
cidermakers trying their own
products in St Andrews Hall.
The apples are broken and
pressed in a barn on the
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NORFOLK NIPS | Whin Cider Visit
orchard site, but the juice is
then taken to Wells for further
processing. The waste pomace
is recycled in the orchard,
spread out around the bottom
of the trees as fertiliser.
2008 wasn't a vintage year;
the weather was miserable, and
cider apples need sun. without
it, the juice is relatively weak,
and so the cider will come out
lower in alcohol than in a
sunnier year – perhaps at 6%
instead of 7%. (In a really
good year, like 2006, all the
ciders will come out at 8%, but
the last two years have been
disappointing weather-wise.)
However, cidermakers have a
dilemma when it comes to
alcoholic strength, because of
the way duty is calculated.
Over 7.2%, a higher rate of
duty becomes payable.
Blending gets round this
problem – a smart cidermaker
can blend cider from different
varieties of apple to get the
overall strength below this
level. Of course if all the varieties are above 7.2% they have
a poser – whether to water it
down, or whether to sell more
and take the duty hit.
I was interested to find out
that my favourite variety, Dabinett, is the apple that always
produces the highest strength
cider!
To see the rest of the process,
we decamped to the shop in
Wells-next-the-Sea. The shop
forms one side of a charming
little courtyard, with the
fermentation tanks and
bottling plant filling the
remaining buildings. It didn't
look particularly inviting on this
grey and rainy day, but with a
vine pergola and little fountain
it must be a delightful place to
come and taste the cider in
summer.
The ten huge fermentation
tanks (2500 litres each) stand
in the darkness of an ancient
barn. They come from a manufacturer that is more used to
supplying winemakers – indeed
cidermaking is far more similar
to winemaking than it is to
brewing. (Whin Hill uses a wine
yeast, too – having started with
natural fermentation, they
found it was too unreliable and
moved to using a general
purpose wine yeast in order to
get a more consistent product.)
Here the cider gradually
ferments over the whole
winter; the juice I saw going
into the tanks in September
won't be bottled till March.
Seven months of silent chemistry...
Almost all of Whin Hill's cider
is bottled, and the vast majority
of it is sold through the shop.
It's only served from the barrel
at beer festivals, and at the
Three Horseshoes in Warham.
That's a business decision –
supplying the trade is a low
margin business for a cidermaker, says Jim Ferguson.
an extra dry cider available
which is naturally bottle conditioned – and extremely tasty. In
terms of the ingredients, Whin
Hill is purist – no juice or apples
are bought in for the cider; it
all comes from the one
orchard, so it's a true local
product.
The shop closes down for the
winter – but reopens at Easter.
It sells the apple juice and
cider, and I was told that there
is perry too (but you have to
ask for it - everyone seems to
want it and it sells out too
quickly if it's openly advertised). There are dessert apples,
too, from August onwards –
Whin Hill makes no money
from selling these, but you're
invited to make a donation to
the Royal National Lifeboat
Institution if you want to take
some away.
Whin Hill Cider
whinhillcider.co.uk
The Stables, Stearman's Yard,
Wells next the Sea, Norfolk,
NR23 1BW
Tel: (01328) 711033
Andrea Kirkby
Because most of the bottled
ciders are pasteurised, and
some are carbonated, they
don't strictly meet the 'real
cider' CAMRA guidelines. (The
barrels provided to beer festivals are not pasteurised, so this
is real cider.) However there is
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The King’s Head
KEG FREE HOUSE
Open 12.00noon - 11.00pm Monday to Saturday
12.00noon - 10.30pm Sunday
Run by enthusiastic drinkers and CAMRA members.
Keg Free Zone
14 Hand Pumps
Norfolk Ales and Cider
Mild always available
Worldwide Bottled Beers
Belgian Beers
Bar Billiards
Television-free
rfolk
o
N
A
R
M
A
C
ar
e
Y
e
h
t
f
o
b
Pu
8
2006 & 200
Dating from the
14th century, the pub has
been restored to a Victorian style.
The Kings Head, 42 Magdalen Street, Norwich NR3 1JE
Telephone: 01603 620468
www.kingsheadnorwich.com
m
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NORFOLK NIPS | Travelling in Oz
A Beer (or two) at the Wig and Pen
’d heard that the new season
summer ales were on tap at the
Wig and Pen, so I was keen to try
them. However, this was December
and this only makes sense if you
have travelled to the other side of
the world, to Canberra to be
precise.
i
We had been travelling all over
Oz, from brew pub to brew pub,
and, in general, we were pleased
what we found, even though all
the beers were served ice cold.
But Canberra is a ‘new’ city, a
planned city, a soulless city, so I
had low expectations of this pub
which I had Googled! But the Wig
and Pen was the real thing. Some
five ales on hand pump, at cellar
temperature, and brewed on the
premises.
We met a Local. He became my
best friend. Everyone becomes my
best friend after a few beers. I tell
him we have a Wig and Pen where
we live.
He tells me he has been there. It
turns out his Wig and Pen is in
London, mine is in Norwich.
I only had a $50 note, which I left
on the bar for all the drinks that we
would surely be consuming during
the evening. Then disaster. The bar
girl said the pub closed at 8pm.
This is Australia, this must be a
mistake! But, apparently there is so
little demand in the Capital on
COACH & HORSES
DERSINGHAM
Sundays that the pub closes at
8.00pm! My New Best Friend came
to the rescue. He is the designer of
the pump badges, beer mats etc.
He has influence. ‘Try a sample’, he
says. ‘The bar is closed’, I say. ‘Try a
sample’, he repeats. The barmaid
(is that PC?) is happy to give me a
sample, but not sell me beer.
We have several samples.
At 9.00pm, we are finally thrown
out! But what a night to remember:
excellent beer and good company.
The Wig and Pen (Canberra) has a
web site www.wigandpen.com.au.
Here is a selection of some of the
pump badges my NBF had
designed. His name is Peter Rogers.
David Bunting
Award Winning Beers
From Grain Brewery
77 Manor Road, Dersingham
01485
540391
[email protected]
Serving homecooked food in a warm
friendly atmosphere
Come and Play Petanque!
(free instruction) Call for details
Here’s how to order…
Meals Wed-Sat 12-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm
Sunday 12-3pm & 6-8.30pm
En Suite Rooms From £39
email [email protected]
phone 01986 788884
order online www.grainbrewery.co.uk
LIVE MUSIC NOW EVERY FRIDAY!
www.grainbrewery.co.uk
SPRING 2009 | 47
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New Real Ale shop
opened in Blofield.
Visit the shop at
Blofield Leisure Centre, 58 Yarmouth Road,
Blofield, Norfolk, NR13 4LQ
Or
Visit our brewery shop at
7 Estcourt Road, Great Yarmouth,
Norfolk, NR30 4JQ
Tel: 01493 854484
email: [email protected]
www.norfolksquarebrewery.co.uk
Real ales, sweet spirits and delicious wines
Gaming lounge and garden • Function Room
Live music on Thursdays
The Shindig on Saturdays
The Sunday social....well on Sundays
(Formerley the St Andrews Tavern)
4 St Andrews Street, Norwich NR2 4AF
01603 614858
Open Midday Till Midnight
48
| SPRING 2009
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COAST ROAD, WALCOTT,
NORFOLK NR12 OPE
Telephone
(01692) 650371
FREE HOUSE
Proprietor since 1989: STEVE BULLIMORE
OPEN FOR FOOD & DRINKS
ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, 11am - 11pm
Food available all day until 10.30
10% off food and drink on production of CAMRA membership card
FOUR REAL ALES & CIDER
www.lighthouseinn.co.uk
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Freehouse
Beer Festival Fri-Sun July 3rd-5th. Up to 20 Beers
New Opening Hours
Mon 5-11, Tuesday 12-11,
Wednesday 12-11, Thursday 12-11,
Friday 12-12, Saturday 12-12, Sunday 12-11
New Lunchtime Menu Available
6 Real Ales On Handpump
Pool Room, Darts And Quiz Machine
Function Room Available For Hire
Beer Garden And New Sheltered Smoking Area
Free Wi Fi
The Beehive, Leopold Road, Norwich NR4 7PJ
Tel: 01603 451628 Email: [email protected]
The Real Ale Shop
Branthill Farm, Wells-next-the-Sea,
NORFOLK NR23 1SB
ON THE B1105 FAKENHAM- WELLS RD
Over 50
bottle conditioned real
ales from 15 Norfolk
brewers who all use
Branthill Farms
famous malted barley.
TEL: 01328 710810
www.therealaleshop.co.uk
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| SPRING 2009
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NORFOLK NIPS | Chairman’s Letter
Real Ale Walks in Norfolk
Easy peasy
lemon squeezy
1. Worth two in the bush
2. Will he ever change his
spots?
3. He had ten thousand men
4. Commoners can't eat this
bird as it's owned by the
crown but there's one with
two necks in Gt Yarmouth
5. The first Monday after
twelfth night is _________
Monday
6. Patron saint of Scotland
7. Hey diddle diddle,
________________, the cow
jumped over the moon
8. Son of Mary, Queen of
Scots
9. Famous actress, more
famous for being mistress to
the then Prince of Wales, she
made one silent film
10. English folk hero, usually
found in Sherwood Forest
Fiona
10. Robin Hood
9. Lilly Langtry
7. Cat and Fiddle
6. St Andrew
5. Plough
4. White swan
3. Duke of York
1. Bird in Hand (Wreningham)
Price only £5.99. See branch
website from 8th April for mail
order details.
2. Leopard (Norwich)
R
photograph and description of
each pub. The book also
contains a comprehensive
brewery section covering breweries in Norfolk and around
East Anglia.
8. James I
eal Ale walks in Norfolk will
be published on April 8th.
The book which is in full
colour consists of 128 pages in
A5 format. It contains 18 pub
walks, of which 7 are in
Norwich and 11 in various
County towns around Norfolk.
Each pub walk features a colour
map of the route, a colour
SPRING 2009 | 51
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Traditional and local provenance at
The Ship Inn, Weybourne
S
ea bass purchased on the beach, lobster and crabs caught by the Isabella
Kathleen boat crew working out of the harbour at Wells-next-the-Sea are just
two of many reasons why visitors should go and join the locals at the The
Ship Inn at Weybourne on North Norfolk’s beautiful coast.
Local provenance and food and beer miles are extremely important to Landlord
Terry Rayner and his team. The recently refurbished restaurant features a menu
that changes with the seasonal availability of local produce; when in season game
is shot in the nearby woods and this character inn prides itself that its meat is now
butchered on site.
In the warm and welcoming bar, which features a roaring fire on a cold winter’s
day, three Norfolk beers are on always available and on Monday and Thursday
evenings traditional pub games, including poker, dice and shove-halfpenny,
attract a keen following.
Why not sample the charm of the Ship Inn yourself?
You will be made exceptionally welcome.
IDEAL FOR NORTH NORFOLK
STEAM RAILWAY
The Street, Weybourne near Holt, Norfolk NR25 7SZ
Situated on the A149 coast road, in the centre of Weybourne
Tel: 01263 588721
Email: [email protected]
website: www.shipinnweybourne.co.uk
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:38 Page 53
NORFOLK NIPS | Branch Pubs of the Year
Branch Pub of The Year
he Norwich and Norfolk
Campaign For Real Ale is
proud to announce that
their branch pub of the year is
the Artichoke at Broome.
t
The Artichoke is situated in
the Waveney valley, a stone’s
throw from the Suffolk border,
in the small village of Broome.
It was the original home of the
long gone Crowfoot brewery,
the Arichoke is now run by
John and Nikki Craft who are
no strangers in the licensed
trade, having run the St
Andrews Tavern and King’s
Arms in Norwich.
John and Nikki were flabbergasted on hearing that they
had won, “In these difficult
times, it's nice to see a country
pub has been given the
award”. “We are very pleased,
especially with the current
economic climate that CAMRA
has recognised the hard work
that goes into running this pub".
The pub has flagstone and
wood floors, wooden settles,
and a real fire, which enhances
the rural ambience of a pint
from a choice of up to eight
predominately local ales. Home
cooked food is also served in a
separate dining area.
The pub will now go on to
the County competition, where
is will be judged against the
winner of West Norfolk
CAMRA’s Pub of the Year.
West Norfolk POTY
The West Norfolk branch are
pleased to announce that our
Pub of the Year for 2009 is
The Union Jack in Roydon
near King’s Lynn.
The Union Jack is run and
owned by Trevor and Mandy
Barlow, who were delighted
to have won this award. On
hearing of their success they
said “It is a great achievement and an honour to
receive this award. We would
like to thank our local and
loyal customers for their
support over the years and
our staff who are a real credit
to us. The four beers on
offer change frequently and
are chosen in consultation
with the regulars.
Mark & Marie offer you a warm welcome to the
Fox and Hounds
22 Station Rd, Heacham, Norfolk PE31 7EX
We are a free house specialising in real
ales. The first pub in Heacham to be in
the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
Regular Quiz and Music nights.
EASTER BEER FESTIVAL
35+ BEERS AND LIVE MUSIC
April 10th Egypt (Rock Blues)
April 11th Tipitina (Swing / Jazz)
April 12th Hillbilly Rats
Tel: 01485 570345
OPEN ALL DAY
7 DAYS A WEEK
SPRING 2009 | 53
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54
| SPRING 2009
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NORFOLK NIPS | Birth of a Beer
The Birth of a New Beer:
Hatching “Bad Egg”
by Stephen George,
Humpty Dumpty Brewery
ur Head Brewer, Craig Fermoy, and I have
had a long-running discussion about our
flagship "Humpty Dumpty Ale" at 4.1% - a
beer we inherited when we took over the
brewery in 2006. On the one hand, we are
sensitive to the fact that it is quite light in colour
- we call it "amber" but it is well on its way to
gold. We think it makes sense for a brewery's
best bitter to be a more traditional nut-brown
colour. But on the other hand, it's hard not to
give the market what it wants, and "Humpty"
sells well. There's no denying that golden ales
do well in the marketplace today.
O
So, I'm giving Craig a story about reformulating Humpty to something a little darker and
Craig says, "No." Guess who wins...?
This was really the germ of the idea for our
new beer.
We wanted to make a darker beer at best bitter
strength - 4.1%abv, with a stronger hop profile
than our flagship. We would call it "Bad Egg" - a
name and concept we've wanted to develop for
some time. While the name has whiffy connotations in some respects, that's not what we had in
mind for this beer.
"Bad Egg" would be a "bad" biker egg - an
“over-easy rider” - a leather-clad cousin of our
monocled, hail-fellow-well-met Humpty mascot.
He would be more brash, more "in your face"
than our usual pump clips. And it wouldn't hurt
to bring him to market at Easter. If he's well
received, he can always stay in rotation. Apart
from the egg, there's nothing particularly Eastery
about an ovoid biker in leathers - and if anyone
can market egg-based themes that are slightly
"off the wall", it must be Humpty Dumpty.
The Pumpclip
It can take a fair while to bring a beer to market,
and the marketing can be a bit of an afterthought. But in this case, we made an early
start on the artwork. Without the right artwork,
the concept would be pretty weak at the handpump.
For Bad Egg, we wanted something different
from our main branding themes of classic trains
and Norfolk Broads life. We thought we would
try out a different artist for a change - something
a little grittier.
Searching the web, I came across an illustrator
called "Doodling Jim" Browne
(http://www.doodlingjim.com/). Jim had an
image on his site that wasn’t a world away from
where I thought we wanted to be - a full-on
view of a rather scary looking face.
I had a look through the rest of his portfolio
and liked the edginess of some of his work.
Jim and I went a few rounds, starting from a
description of what we had in mind through
"roughs" as Bad Egg moved from something
quite scary and not very egglike through to his
final form, which we feel is a much better fit
with the brand.
Continued Overleaf
SPRING 2009 | 55
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Birth of a Beer - continued
| NORFOLK NIPS
them. Beautiful touch! We love the way he
overhangs the edge of the pump clip, too. This
one is big and pretty hard to ignore.
Jim is a fast worker who warmed quickly to our
concept. This only took us a week or so to
finalise. So now we had our branding - we just
had to design the beer.
The Beer
Despite what the marketing folks say, you don’t
drink with your eyes. Maybe the pump clip
raises a chuckle and gets the first pint in
someone's hand, but after that they won't come
back if the beer's not worth drinking. We set out
from the beginning to make sure Bad Egg was a
worthy pint.
Jim's master stroke from my perspective was
the tattooed knuckles with the beer name on
We know from experience pretty well how to
make a 4.1% bitter. Mostly pale malt, some
darker malts for colour and complexity, medium
hoppiness. So we had a pretty good starting
point for recipe formulation. We do our recipe
development on a 5-gallon all-grain homebrew
The Lobster
& Stables Restaurant
The pub with no bar, ales
direct from cask.
Watch www.nelsonslocal.co.uk for cask
ale week guests.
New Italian menu: not just pizza and
pasta. Sunday lunch still available.
Live music every Thursday from
8.45pm. All details on the website.
Real fires. Huge garden.
Come & visit Nelson’s local.
Walsingham Road, Burnham Thorpe
Norfolk PE31 8HN
01328 738241
56
| SPRING 2009
FRESH FOOD
SERVED DAILY
n
Vegetarian and Vega
le
ilab
ava
ns
tio
op
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Thursday 10am to 11pm
Friday to Saturday 10am to 1.30am
Sunday 12 noon to 12pm
BEER FESTIVALS ON
BANK HOLIDAYS
10 Real Ales • Fine Wines • Childrens Menu
Baby Changing • Disabled Facilities
Large Beer Gardens • Dogs are welcome
13 High Street, Sheringham, Norfolk, NR26 8JP
Tel: 01263 822716 www.the-lobster.com
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:38 Page 57
NORFOLK NIPS | Birth of a Beer - continued
set-up that mirrors our production plant, so it
was primarily a matter of selecting the mash
components and the hops and giving it a first
go. We did this in mid-December.
The first beer was 94.5% pale malt, 3% crystal
malt, 2% caramalt and half a percent of chocolate malt. We decided to target about 33
bittering units (fairly bitter for the style and
gravity) and a strong late addition of hops to
bring up the aroma. We planned a hot mash to
leave some unfermentables and a bit of residual
body. After that, you really have to wait and see
what you get.
A Recipe for Homebrewers
As Bad Egg came off our homebrew set-up, we
have agreed to share our recipe at homebrew
scale for anyone who might be interested to try
this one at home.
HUMPTY DUMPTY “BAD
EGG” - Homebrew Recipe
For all-grain homebrewers, we assume a 75%
apparent efficiency and 20% extraction utilisation of hop flowers. You will need to adjust this
recipe to your own brewhouse values. All
values are for a 23-litre (ca. 5 gallon) batch
Grain Bill
4124g Pale Malt
196g
Crystal 150 Malt
164g
Caramalt
50g
Chocolate Malt
Water treated to Burton-on-Trent equivalent
Mash 68C 1 hour
Boil 60 minutes
33 EBU
Hopping for 23 litres
What we got was, well, not what we wanted.
It was both lighter in colour and more bitter
than we were targeting (though the bitterness
mellowed with time). But it served as a basis for
us to dial in to the final recipe. First, an increase
in colouring malts to deepen the colour. Then
two tweaks of the finishing hops to reach a more
palatable balance - first too low, then right
where we wanted it. We decided to keep the
hopping 100% East Kent Goldings.
90g Goldings Hops (ours are 4.2% alpha acid
at boil – you will need to adjust quantity for
different alpha acid content)
54g Goldings Hops at end of boil (let stand
for 20 minutes before cooling)
Ferment with English Ale Yeast
OG 1044
FG ~1012 (it should finish on the high side
due to non-fermentables)
ABV 4.1%
It took us four trial brews in all. By midFebruary, we had agreed on the release
candidate. From here, we just have to scale it
up and we’re ready to go. We’ll be brewing this
in early March with a release to market around
March 30th. Keep an eye out for Bad Egg in
your local pub from early April.
SPRING 2009 | 57
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:38 Page 58
The Railway
Freehouse
The White Hart
The Street, Rockland All Saints
Station Rd, North Elmham
01362 668300
In the current Good Beer Guide,
CAMRA members and
supporters of local microbrewers
REAL ALES • REAL FOOD
REAL PUB
Colin & Julie Smith
look forward to
seeing you!
Sally Ann & Binz bid you a warm welcome
where our aim is to make your visit as
pleasurable as possible with good food, fine
drink and a friendly atmosphere!
Open
Tuesday - Sunday
11am - 3pm & 6pm - 11pm
Food Served
Tuesday - Sunday
12pm - 2pm & 6.30pm - 9pm
ECIAL
SUNDAY LUNCH SP
1 course £7.95
& dessert) £10.95
2 courses (main
Special Menu £6
h
Midweek Lunc
01953 483361
LOST!
SURLINGHAM
OPENING HOURS
ALL DAY, ALL YEAR, EVERY DAY FROM 11am-CLOSE
FOOD AVAILABLE ALL DAY, FROM 12 TILL 9pm
Picturesque riverside walks, RSPB reserve, On Norwich’s
doorstep. Moorings available. Open Fire, Real Ales.
Good traditional Home Cooked Food,
The Saracen’s Head with rooms
Robert Dawson-Smith
Wolterton, nr. Aylsham
01263 768909
www.saracenshead-norfolk.co.uk
58
| SPRING 2009
Main meals from £6.95
All Functions catered for. Live Music, Quiz Nights.
Small Children and Dog friendly.
You will receive a Warm and Friendly Welcome
from Sonia, Andy and All at the Staff at The Ferry
Ferry Road, Surlingham, Norwich, Norfolk. NR14 7AR
Tel: 01508 538659 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.surlinghamferryhouse.co.uk
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:38 Page 59
NORFOLK NIPS | Beer Festivals
Beer Festival Diary
6-15 March – Springfest at the Ketts Tavern,
Ketts Hill, Norwich(01603 628520)
7-8 March – Whitwell and Reepham Station
mini beer festival, noon till late
10-13 April - Union Jack, Roydon.
18-23 May – CAMRA Cambridge Beer Festival,
Jesus Green, Cambridge. Cambridgecamra.org.uk
May Bank Holiday Weekend (23-25 May)
beer festival at the Greyhound, Tibenham. Live
music will include Them Harvey Boys (well known to
Norwich Beer Festival attendees!).
10-13 April - Fox & Hounds, Heacham.
18-20 March – CAMRA London Drinker beer
and cider festival at the Camden Centre, Bidborough Street, London WC1H 9AU. Wed/ Thu
12-3pm (free), 5pm-10.30pm (?3, ?1.50
CAMRA membs); Fri 12-10.30pm (?3, ?1.50
CAMRA membs)
26-29 March – White Lion Beer Festival at the
White Lion, Oak Street, Norwich.
10-19 April – Easterfest at the Rose Tavern,
235 Queens Road, Norwich (01603 767713)
10-13 April – Mersea Island Brewery Festival,
Mersea Island Brewery, Rewsalls Lane, East
Mersea.
26-30 May – CAMRA Colchester Beer Festival.
More info at Colchestercamra.org.uk
13-14 June. Bedingfeld Arms.
12-13 June – CAMRA Elysian Beer Festival, Ely
City Football Club, Downham Road, Ely. [email protected]
18- 21 June – CAMRA Beer Festival at the
Museum of East Anglian Life, Stowmarket.
19-21 Jun The Kings Head at Filby, 1st anniversary Beer Festival on the weekend of featuring
local beers.
24-26 July – Crusaders RUFC beer festival at
Beckhithe, Little Melton, near Hethersett. This is
a beer festival with camping (tents and caravans
welcome) and English breakfast available!
15-18 April – CAMRA Maldon Beer Festival –
see dengiecamra.org.uk. 1600
to 2330hrs. Weds, 1100 to
2330 Thurs, 1100 to 2330 Fri,
1100 to 2330 Sat.
22-25 April – CAMRA Bury St
Edmunds Beer Festival.Corn
Exchange, Bury St Edmunds.
22-26 April – beer festival at
the White Horse, Chedgrave.
8 May-10th May Stag, WestAcre.
SPRING 2009 | 59
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:38 Page 60
01603 625891
www.thewigandpen.com
6 St Martins Palace Plain,
Norwich NR3 1RN
This warm and friendly 17th century Freehouse is to the
north side of Norwich cathedral. Owned by Craig & Lynne
McLaren since 1993. ‘The Wig’ as its affectionately known,
has built a reputation for fresh, fast, affordable British cuisine.
• Good Ale • Good Food • Heated smoking area
Sky & Setanta Sports TV • Late Night Opening • Real Fire
Look out for our Cask
Marque Plaque.
This guarantees beer quality
in the Wig & Pen and the
opportunity to
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY.
60
| SPRING 2009
For the 12th successive
year, the Wig & Pen has
been included in
CAMRA’s Good Beer
Guide. We are very proud
of this achievement.
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:38 Page 61
THE RED LION
– FREEHOUSE –
East Church Street, Kenninghall, Norfolk, NR16 2EP
01953 887849 Email: [email protected]
OPENING TIMES
Mon-Thurs
12noon-3pm, 5.30pm-11
pm
Open all day Friday, Sat
urday
and Sunday from 12noon
.
MUSIC AND REAL
ALE
Sunday 8th March
Acoustic Jam Session
Thursday 12th March
Credit Munch - Fish & Chi
ps
Sunday 15th March
St Paddy’s Party with live
music
Sunday 22nd March
Mother’s Day
Friday 27th March
‘Fawlty Towers’ themed nigh
t
A traditional country pub with real ales and
excellent home-cooked food.
Restaurant open lunch and evening.
Regular live music events.
Open for Bed & Breakfast every night of the week.
Featured in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide
Greene King’s Free Trade National Community
Pub of the Year (2007)
Greene King’s East Anglian Pub of the Year (2006)
www.redlionkenninghall.co.uk
Norwich & Norfolk Branch Diary Dates
25 June – beer festival planning
meeting
6 March – First Friday Five. Starts
at 8pmat the Mustard Pot, going
on to the Coach & Horses (Thorpe
Road), Rosary(if open), Bridge
House and Ketts Tavern.
For up to date information on all
trips the Norwich CAMRA calendar
is available at norwichcamra.org.uk.
17 March – Norwich & Norfolk
CAMRA AGM. York Tavern,
Leicester Street.
27 March - Campaign Trip. Usual
coach pick-up points.
3 Apr – First Friday Five. Route to
be confirmed.
6 April- 13 April – National
Cask Ales week
8 April - 'Pub Walks' Launch in the
Forum. Norwich CAMRA's book of
pub walks in Norwich and Norfolk
will be launched at this event.
17-19 April - CAMRA AGM and
members' weekend, Eastbourne.
21 April - Branch Meeting. 8pm
Fat Cat, West End Street, Norwich.
24 April - Campaign Trip Usual
coach pick-up points.
26 April – beer store clean-up
and tidy. Please contact Martin Ward
([email protected])
if you can help – keeping our
equipment and its home spick and
span in between festivals is vital for
the success of our next beer festival!
1 May – First Friday Five. Itinerary
to be confirmed.
19 May - Branch Meeting. Venue
to be confirmed.
29 May - Campaign Trip. Usual
coach pick-up points.
30 April – beer festival planning
meeting, venue tbc
31 May – second store tidy up –
please contact Martin Ward, as above.
6 June - Summer Outing, to be
confirmed.
Coach pick-ups: 6.47pm junc.
Southwell Rd/Grove Rd; 6.55pm
junc. Old Palace Rd/West End St;
7.02pm junc. Mile Cross La/Eversley
Rd; 7.06pm Sprowston Fire Stn;
7.10pm Heartsease (Plumstead Rd.
bus stop); 7.15pm Norwich Railway
Stn. (Thorpe Rd bus stops).
West Norfolk
Branch Diary Dates
7 April - Windmill, Great Cressingham ( One Week Earlier Than
Normal)
12 May - Bedingfeld Arms,
Oxborough
9 June - Lord Nelson, Burnham
Thorpe
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:38 Page 62
73 Oak Street, Norwich NR3 3AQ
01603 632333
FIRST ANNUAL BEER FESTIVAL
MARCH 25th - 28th
30 plus beers from Micro Breweries
et’s
Oak Stre g
ainin
only rem ned!
pe
pub re-o
Rotating selection of 8 real ales from Milton
Brewery and other British micro breweries.
Great choice of fine wines and malt whiskies.
A Selection of Belgian bottled beers.
www.individualpubs.co.uk/whitelion/
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:38 Page 63
The Royal Oak
at Poringland
EASTER BEER FESTIVAL
Fri 10th April - Friday 17th April
We Don’t Have a Big Screen TV, Food Or a Juke Box
We do have 17 handpumps, with Real Ale from far and
wide, 2 Real Ciders and 2 Real Ales From gravity, a
large car park, large beer garden With heated smoking
shelter, darts, pool, quizzes And crib.
We hold two beer festivals each year.
The Royal Oak lies at the heart of the community and
new customers are always welcome. Come along and
get a real welcome from a real pub selling real ale!!!!!!
Nick, Delia And The Team would love to see you soon.
Norwich And Norfolk
Pub Of The Year 2007
Norfolk Pub Of The Year 2007
Good Beer Guide Listed
A dream of a pub situated in the village of Poringland
on the B1332 road to Bungay. The main bus route
from Norwich stops right outside.
Contact us on
01508 493734
[email protected]
NN#148:Layout 1 12/03/2009 08:38 Page 64
FREEMOUSE 49 West End Street, Norwich NR2 4NA 01603 624364
TWO TIMES CAMRA NATIONAL
PUB OF THE YEAR (1998
(1998 &
& 2004)
2004)
Up to 30 real ales available all year round
80 bottled beers from around the world
featuring 25 countries, from Mexico to Mongolia,
Jamaica to Japan and China to the Czech Republic
15
Draught continental beers including 5 fruit beers
S
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Fat Cat Brewery at the Cidershed, Norwich
98-100 Lawson Rd, Norwich NR3 4LF 01603 624364
UP TO 15 REAL ALES INCLUDING THE FAT CAT RANGE:
LIVE MUSIC
& ARTS VENUE
01603 788508
www.cidershednorwich.net
Fat Cat Bitter
Honey Ale
Top Cat Pale Ale
Marmalade Cat
Stout Cat
3.8%
4.3%
4.8%
5.5%
4.6%