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beer stories: news
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BEER NEWS - February 2012
More good news
Smaller regional breweries continue to do well, as witnessed by Otley opening its first pub outside of its home town of Pontypridd in Wales. The award-winning brewery has taken the keys to the popular
King's Arms in Pentyrch. They say the will be changing menus, drcor and most importantly perhaps, will be offering a wider selection of real ales. Otley hopes to recreate the success of its
flagship pub The Bunch of Grapes in Pontypridd. Nick Otley, the managing director of The Bunch of Grapes, and now The King's Arms, said: "This is a big step for us as a business. Our brewery and pubs are
all based in Pontypridd and this is our first venture outside of the area. The King's Arms is a terrific pub with a good reputation and bags of character and we want to build on that."
The King's Arms is a Grade II listed building that dates back to the 16th Century and features the original flagstone floors, oak beams and a roaring open log fire. It also has a large beer garden.
Brewed Awakening
Said to cover everything "from the homebrew renaissance to nanobreweries," Brewed Awakening (subtitled "Behind the Beers and Brewers Leading the World's Craft Brewing Revolution")
is written by Joshua M. Bernstein, and is being pitched as "a one-stop shop containing all you ever wanted to know about cutting-edge beer technology, taste and trends."
The book is said to cover all of today's top brewing trends, including high-alcohol, barrel-aged, cask-conditioned and gluten-free beers. Brewed Awakening is also "punctuated with a vast array of beer-related
facts to help you get the most out of your brew-drinking experience, from how to achieve the perfect pint to finding out about the fermentables that fuel your beer." Mr Bernstein has written for the New York
Times and is a beer features writer for Imbibe (USA). Brewed Awakening is available from
Amazon UK priced �14.44 (cover price �16.99).
Making Hay
The British Beer & Pub Association has warned that Britain's pubs must make the most of 2012. In a speech to the National Pubwatch conference Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the Association,
said that "the Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and Paralympics, the torch relay, the Cultural Olympiad, and Euro 2012 offered one of the greatest celebration summers Britain has ever seen - and pubs will be right at the heart of it, for both locals and visitors alike."
But she warned that pubs must capitalise on the huge year of celebration in 2012 "without over-zealous councils and regulations getting in the way."
There are real concerns over red tape and the lack of extra pub opening hours, "as pubs need to be able to offer hospitality similar to that seen at big events in other countries," said Mrs Simmonds.
The Government has already said it does not intend to allow extra hours on the days of the opening and closing Olympic ceremonies - and for the Jubilee this has been granted only on the Friday and Saturday of a
long, four-day double-bank holiday celebration.
52 Years of Beer
Loyal regular Gerry Dabell (centre) raised a glass to toast the future of his newly refurbished Sheffield local - and also his 52 years as a drinker there.
Former railway worker Gerry has been a customer at the Bulls Head, Ranmoor, since he was 18, popping in three or four nights a week and always sitting in the same spot at the end of the bar.
Now, more than 35,000 pints later he is celebrating "getting my local pub back" after an �80,000 refit which included landscaping of grounds.
The pub has been given a new future through the partnership of South Yorkshire - based W.L.Leisure and Enterprise Inns, the lease and tenanted pub group.
Gerry, of Marr Terrace, which is only 90 yards from the Bulls Head, explained: "It was a wine bar for a time and, although I didn't stop going in entirely, it wasn't my type of place. But now it's a
proper pub again and I'm absolutely delighted. They've done a first-class job with the refurbishment and turned it into a great local." The Bulls Head was opened in 1851 as The Highland Laddie and
is mentioned in the 2009 Guinness Book of World Records, after being visited by Bruce Masters on his challenge to visit the most pubs and alehouses. The Bulls Head was the 40,000th venue on his travels.
Butcombe Booms
West Country brewer Butcombe has the fastest growing major bottled ale brand in the UK (Source: Nielsen Scantrack Top Thirty Brewers Retail Sales 52 weeks to December 24th). Butcombe has enjoyed growth of its
brands by a 317% during 2011. The growth is due to the expansion of its bottled beer range led by its flagship ale, Butcombe Bitter, in major retail accounts including: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons,
as well as an increased distribution through its exclusive wholesaler Booker.
Guy Newell, managing director, Butcombe Brewery says: "The recent expansion of our bottled beer sales has been phenomenal. Through our recently launched dedicated bottle beer website, browsers
can view independent reports, guides and trends on the bottled ale business as a whole. While we of course promote our own brands, we aim to support the bottled ale category as a whole."
Butcombe brands can be found in over 540 supermarkets across the UK, as well as a large number of independent convenience stores and off licences.
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