BEER NEWS - January 2008

Fuller's Revamps Fuller's brewery has relaunched an all-new web site at www.fullers.co.uk. The site has been completely redesigned, and included amongst several new features is brand new pub finder with interactive mapping , a guide to becoming a Fuller�s tenant or lessee, in-depth guide to Fuller�s beers and a new sections on wine and Fuller�s beers overseas. John Roberts, managing director, of the Fuller�s Beer Company, said: "The new site has been developed with input from all parts of the business and we�re very pleased with the result. We wanted to create a site for everybody which reflects all aspects of the Company.� See www.fullers.co.uk.

Anderson on the Up The Anderson, a restaurant with rooms in a small seaside golfing village near Inverness, has just been named one of Scotland's Top Ten restaurants of 2007 byThe Sunday Herald. The distinction came shortly after they were placed in the Top Ten in the CAMRA-published guidebook, Beer, Bed & Breakfast. The Andersons moved here from the States in early 2003 after pursuing extensive catering careers in New Orleans and Philadelphia. The Anderson has also been awarded Inverness District Pub of the Year 2007 by CAMRA and Best Beer Selection in the UK 2006 by Class Magazine, for their meticulous attention to real ale & cider as well as their well-known collection of 90 gourmet Belgian beers. They also have 206 single-malt whiskies and an extensive wine cellar. More information is available at www.theanderson.co.uk

Peculier Auction T&R; Theakston has raised �650 with the help of Harrogate�s 'Stray FM' radio station for St Michael�s Hospice in a charity on air auction. Following a robbery at the St Michael�s shop in in December, Simon Theakston stepped in to help raise funds in addition to those already pledged by the public. The brewer offered one of its limited edition miniature casks for auction, a meal for two at the newly refurbished White Bear hotel in Masham and a personal tour round the brewery. Mr Simon Wall, a fireman from Harrogate, made the winning bid of �325 and scooped the prizes, collecting the cask in perfect time to allow the beer to settle for Christmas day. Mr

Tony Eyres from Easingwold agreed to match the value of the winning bid therefore doubling the value of the donation - a true act of Christmas generosity. Simon said: "I am pleased to have been able to support to such a worthwhile charity, and everyone was very impressed that I was able to offer pub standard Old Peculier for Christmas."

Barley Harvest 2007 Robin Appel ltd. are owners of the South of England�s only remaining traditional floor maltings. They are also grain merchants and co-own the Maris Otter barley variety, a cross between Proctor and Pedigree, which they helped save from oblivion in 1982. Maris Otter is the only barley ever to be created specifically for brewing, and it commands a price premium over other malting barley varieties. Following a truly bizarre growing season, farmers and maltsters arrived at harvest-time uncertain as to barley yields, nitrogen levels or quality. With record drought during April and May, followed by deluges in

June and July, price jitters were the norm as un-predictable weather patterns made harvests uncertain throughout Europe. The implications of a price rise for malting barley are enormous with farmers focused on maximising their acreages of wheat and break crops (rape/beans/peas/linseed/borage) and therefore choosing not to grow malting barley. However, Appel's has managed to place the required area of Maris Otter for 2008, with a substantially higher price than seen recently. From the lows of two years ago when malt prices were on their knees, the market has bounced back dramatically and looks set to stay that way. (pic: Joanathan Arnold of Appel's)

�Best of British� local pubs Glossop�s newly named Market Tavern has become the first pub to undergo a complete refurbishment as part of a �5 million investment by award-winning craft brewer Cains. The pub reopened last month, named the Market Tavern in honour of its prime location opposite the town�s historic market. It is the first of what the Cains Beer Company is calling its �Best of British� locals to be rolled out since the company acquired 100 pubs from previous owners Honeycombe earlier this year. As well as completely fresh d�cor and frontage, the pub will serve Cains� range of beers as well as Fair Trade coffee and an enhanced food offering, including breakfast served from 10am. Pub games and a new pool table have also been installed. Cains chief executive Sudarghara Dusanj said: �It is the first of a number of similar refurbishments we will be completing over the next 12 months as part of our three

year investment into our pub estate. The Market Tavern is a pioneering venue for these Cains branded community locals which offer the best of British to customers. We are sure it will be a huge success." (pic: the Dusanj brothers).