Issue28| Spring2017 BeeratHeartheartofstaffordshire.camra.org.uk/data/documents/Beer-at-Heart-28.pdf · WHATISCAMRA Chair'sChat Welcome to Beer at Heart 28, itdoesn't seem long since

Beer at HeartFREE

Magazine of theHeart of Staffordshire branch of CAMRA

Issue 28 | Spring 2017 | www.heartofstaffordshirecamra.org.uk

Also in this issue:Your Branch Needs You!| Page 16

Pub and Club news | Page 6

Uttoxeter’s new Brewery | Page 22Pubs on the 101 | Page 30 and much more...

Incorporating Uttoxeter & District sub-branch and covering Stafford• Stone • Eccleshall • Penkridge • Gnosall • and surrounding areas

We’ve Been Slayed!George & the Dragon is our Pub of theYear

See page 18

Photo: Phil Vickers

FULL DETAILS OF ALLTHEWINNERS ON PAGES 10 AND 11

Beer at Heart 28 MASTERpage 1

Monday, 13 March 2017 11:46

Located in the heart of the Staffordshire village of Acton Trussell,the Moat House shines in all its historic glory

beers are often available to sample includingWychwood, Ringwood and Thwaites. BlondeStar from Sillhill Brewery has been popular withthe locals and with the addition of anotherhand pull we are looking forward to offeringmore guest ales.

If you enjoy sampling real ales you can enjoyour real ale platter served as part of ourGentlemen’s Afternoon Tea. These can bebooked online or by telephone and enjoyed inour Orangery Restaurant.

The Lounge Bar is a hidden gem in ActonTrussell and is open for breakfast and offers itsown menu including English Breakfasts, BaconSandwiches and Pastries. Sandwiches andsnacks are served all day and the full menu,including classic favourites such as Fish & Chipsand Steak and Ale Pie is available 12-2pm and5.30-9.30pm (12-4pm 5.30-9pm Sunday). In thesummer months, you can enjoy eating anddrinking al fresco, overlooking the lake and thechurch—it really is the most idyllic setting.

The award-winning two AA rosettes OrangeryRestaurant is open every day and offers thevery best of fine dining. The restaurant is openfor lunch and evening meals, serving AfternoonTea in between. The Orangery is a beautifuldining room and has a panoramic view of theStaffordshire and Worcestershire Canalalongside the beautifully maintained grounds ofthe Moat House itself.

It was the first property owned and developed bythe Lewis family and is the first of five develop-ments that created the Lewis Partnership that wesee today. Originally a 15th Century Manor Houseit was refurbished but kept its rustic oak-beamedcharm and opened as a bar and restaurant in June1988.

Over the years, The Moat House has beenredeveloped and extended; it now boasts 41bedrooms, 8 conference rooms, wedding facilitiesand the award-winning Orangery restaurant.With so many rooms to choose from The MoatHouse can accommodate occasions of all sizes:Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Charity Events,Balls, Proms, Fashion Shows, business meetings...thelist is endless.

Despite the refurbishments, you can still admire thehistoric beams and beautiful charms of the oldmanor house in the Lounge Bar. There is a goodmix of seating including traditional high tables withstools, sofas and easy, comfortable chairs. It has astunning fireplace with an open fire and is theperfect place to sit back and enjoy a pint of real ale.

The Moat House, like many of the LewisPartnership properties, is proud to be CaskMarqued and has three real ales available on themain bar. Cask ales are so popular here there is anadditional pump being added later this month.

Wainwright is the most popular bitter, followedclosely by Lancaster Bomber; these are two of thebeers you might find in the Lounge bar. Marstons

ADVERTORIAL

The Moat House



Beer at Heart is published quarterlyby Heart of Staffordshire CAMRA.Designed and edited by AndrewMurray. Opinions expressed arethose of the author and may notrepresent those of CAMRA, the localbranch or editor.

Beer at Heart is (c) CAMRA Ltd.

Printed by Warwick Printingwww.warwickprinting.co.uk

Spring 2017

Beer at HeartIn this issueIn this issueIn this issueIn this issue

Chair’s chat / Branch Diary 5

Pub and Club news 6

Brewery news 9

Pubs of the Year 10

Beer Festival 2017 13

Save my pub - ACVs 15

Get Involved 16

Budget Day news 19

Uttoxeter & District news 22

The Stafford Knot 25

Potteries news 26

Members weekend 28

Contact us / Contacting you 29

Pubs on the 101 30

Join CAMRA 31

From the EditorOur branch stalwart Mike Harker took a nastyfall recently. The good news is that Mike isrecuperating well but he will be out of actionfor a while. We are missing him and probablyonly now realise how much he did for thebranch: his roles include Branch Contact,Membership Secretary, Social Secretary, CiderOfficer and Slater’s Brewery Liaison Officer, aswell as dealing with the advertising anddistribution of this magazine…but that doesn’treally even begin to cover it!

Mike’s absence has pointed out the problems ofvery few people having to take on an awful lot.Our annual beer festival is also the hard work ofa small group and so far we haven’t had asmany people as usual joining the organisingcommittee or signing up to volunteer. We allseem to be leading increasing busy lives butmany hands make light work.

So, as this will be our milestone 10th festivalplease consider helping out - that could be assimple as a single afternoon or evening behindthe bar or ticket desk. It’s also good craic! Seepages 13, 16 and 17 for how to get involved.

It’s just left for me to say, get well soon Mike!

Andy [email protected]

Issue 28 | Spring 2017 | Beer at Heart | 3

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WHAT IS CAMRA

Chair's ChatWelcome to Beer at Heart 28, it doesn'tseem long since I was writing the similararticle for issue no. 27, but the festive seasonis behind us now and hopefully the worst ofthe winter weather.

Things in the branch remain busy with theGood Beer Guide 2018 selection process. It isa timely reminder to keep submitting yourbeer scores via whatpub.com, whether youare reading this in your local, another pub orclub in our branch area, or if you are visitingfrom another part of the country. These scoresare a continuing quality control processthroughout the year, as the selection andbranch officials can't be in every pub and cluball the time (not that we wouldn't like to!!).

We’ve held our first planning meetings for the2017 Beer and Cider Festival, our 10th. (It’s along time ago since those first two sweaty,busy festivals at the Gatehouse Theatre!)There are lots of things to be done, ordered,and organised before the end of July, so anyhelp would be gratefully received. Positionsare still available during the festival and helpis always required with set up, take down, soif you would like to volunteer for a few hours,days or a week, details are available on thebranch and Beer Festival websites. Varioussocial media platforms are also being set up.

We’ve just awarded the Pub of the Year toGeorge & the Dragon in Gnosall. At thepresentation I remarked on the fantasticatmosphere the pub generates, whilelandlord George paid tribute to theircustomers, saying they are what makes theplace special. More on page 10.

I would like to extend a big thank you to allwho have helped the branch during a difficultwinter. This is a timely reminder that theBranch AGM is in May and there will bepositions to be filled.

Neil ButlerChair, Heart of Staffordshire CAMRA

Branch DiaryNB dates and venues are subject tochange, so before making a specialjourney please check the diary on ourwebsite, which is bang up-to-date

MARCH 2017

THURSDAY 16th MARCH: LYMESTONE20:20 TRIP - CAMRA members’ launch night- from 7pm at the brewery (see page 9)

THURSDAY 23rd MARCH: URBAN PUB OFTHE YEAR PRESENTATION - Floodgate,Stafford - 9pm (see pages 10/11)

THURSDAY 30th MARCH: BEER FESTIVALPLANNING MEETING - Constitutional Club,Stafford - 8pm (see page 13)

APRIL 2017

THURSDAY 27th APRIL: BEER FESTIVALPLANNING MEETING - venue TBA (seepage 13)

FRIDAY 28th APRIL: STAFFORD HOCKEYCLUB BEER FESTIVAL TRIP - from 7pm atthe Clubhouse on Riverway

MAY 2017

TUESDAY 9th MAY: BRANCH ANNUALGENERAL MEETING - County Staff Club,Eastgate Street, Stafford - 8pm. All CAMRAmembers welcome (see pages 16/17)

JULY 2017

27th - 29th JULY: 10th ANNUAL STAFFORDBEER & CIDER FESTIVAL - Blessed WilliamHoward School, Stafford. BE THERE!




Pub and Club newsSTAFFORDThe Shrewsbury Arms opened asplaned on 8th December and has had asuccessful first three months—they’readding three extra lines to offer moreciders. The Shrew will hold its first beerfestival between 25th-28th May, with aBlack Country theme.

The Kings Arms on Peel Terrace ishosting a fest 7th-14th April featuring 11ales and 8 ciders. Their new beer clublaunches on 10th April with a beer tastingand food matching event. Bookingessential !

The Knot and Plough had the distinctionof being the 20,000th pub visited by theBlack Country Ale Tairsters [sic]. Thegroup began their quest in 1984, touring300 inns on a Banks’s brewery map. Theycompleted that in just a year but decidedto carry on going. They’ve raised £20,000for charity over the years by asking eachpub visited for a £1 donation. Thegroup’s co-founder Pete Hill toasted themilestone with a pint of Marston’s 61Deep.

Stafford Hockey Club’s annual beer,hockey and music festival is happeningbetween 27th-29th April. We’re goingthere as a branch social on the Fridayevening (28th) from about 7pm. Pleasecome and join us!

STONEJoules Brewery and Stone Revellershave approached Stone Town Councilwith proposals for a new developmentincluding a pub and a theatre at CrownWharf. The town council have offeredtheir support in principle for the scheme,which they say is dependent on a bid to

the Canal and River Trust which owns theland. Watch this space!

GNOSALLThe Horns re-opened on 24th Februaryafter a thorough refurbishment (below).New managers Neil and Michelle aim tooffer good home-cooked, locally-sourcedfood (served Weds-Sun), warm, friendlyservice, zero tolerance to drugs or ASB,and support for local charities and sportsteams. And a great pint of beer from theirthree handpulls of course! First impress-ions for this correspondent were verygood indeed.

SALTThe Holly Bush has been named travelguidebook company Les Routiers’ ‘Inn ofthe Year 2017’. The pub has long had anenviable reputation for its food.

6 | Beer at Heart | www.heartofstaffordshirecamra.org.uk



Pub and Club news ctd...

ANYTOWNAnypubLandlords—your pub news could havebeen here. Drop me a line with shortsnippets about your upcoming events,real ale promotions, beer festivals etc.

[email protected]

BASWICH/WEEPING CROSSTitanic Brewery has been granted apremises licence for 57-59 Bodmin Avenue.

BURSTONThe Greyhound Inn has arranged for awell-known local brewer to supply an “inhouse” ale. So far the names of the beerand the brewer are closely guardedsecrets!

BRADLEYThe Red Lion has been awarded CaskMarque status.

HILDERSTONEThe Roebuck has been closed andboarded up since December; it is up forsale by Admiral Taverns and the parishcouncil are encouraging villagers to forma group to save it.

CHURCH EATONThe Royal Oak is owned byThe bar is now managed by Caitlinwhile a new landlord is sought and shehas found a chef, so food is servedWednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays andSaturdays, 5-9pm. The volunteers have re-opened the fireplace which was brickedup in 2004 with a faulty chimney; theymustered the wherewithal to buy adouble-sided log burner, and created alarge straight through open fireplacelinking the two rooms, to great effect.



locals.




SLATERS of Staffordwww.slatersales.co.uk

BREWERY TOURS—held on the firstFriday of every month. £15 gets you entry,food and as much beer as you can drink.Contact the brewery to book on 01785257976.

MONTHLY BREWS—April’s guest beer isPale Ale, 3.8% ABV with American & NewZealand hops.

LYMESTONE of Stonewww.lymestonebrewery.co.uk

The refurbishment of the Borehole wassuccessfully completed in a week at thebeginning of January. Work includedrenewal of the bar counter and fittings,together with a new floor and coveringin this area, plus redecoration andrefurbishment of the kitchen. Everythingis now back to normal.

Monthly beers for the early part of 2017are:

February: Heart of Stone, 4.4%, orange/red coloured bitter for Valentine’s Day.March: Pounamu, 4.2%, a strawcoloured bitter, an annual favourite atthis time of year.April: Flagstone, 4.2%, golden bitter,again an annual favourite.May: Son of Stoneman (NEW), around4.0%, a baby version of AbdominalStoneman.June: Standing Stone, 4.9%.

After the success of Stone Cold with theWetherspoon chain at the end of 2016,Lymestone has secured another supplycontract for 3 months (April, May, June)for Standing Stone.

The early year 20/20 beer festival willagain be during March. The evening ofThursday 16th March will be an exclusiveCAMRA members preview, between19.00 and 22.00, with free entry and adrink. 17th and 18th (Friday evening andSaturday from lunchtime onwards), will beopen to the public by ticket, with visits tothe brewing area, entertainment andlarge screen rugby action on Saturday.

Reapers, the historic vehicle and motor-cycle meetings, recommence at thebrewery on 19th March, whilst the firstbrewery tour of the year is on Friday 10thMarch (all dates and booking details viathe brewery).

Finally, the Borehole won an award for theBest Dog Friendly Business inStaffordshire for 2016. It now goes forwardto the national finals in April 2017.

Neil Butler

May is Refresher, 4% ABV - Goldings &Saaz hops and coriander and orange peel.Pop into the brewery shop on St. AlbansRoad to buy some beers and ask for ataste.

Brewery news



This cracking little pub first opened itsdoors in July 2015 and from day one hasbeen a success, winning our Heart ofStaffordshire branch Cider POTY for 2015and is now our Rural POTY 2016.

The pub sits on the high street in Gnosalland is accessible by public transport fromthe no. 5 Telford – Stafford bus. Thebuilding dates back to 1763 when it wasoriginally two buildings, then at somepoint later was knocked into one. It hasbeen used as a shop, in recent years anoff-licence and now a micro-pub.

The pub consists of two rooms servedfrom one bar. The interior is a bit steam-punk with some of the furniture andfittings made from old industrial andfarming implements. It has no TV, musicor bandits which creates a good old-fashioned atmosphere.

There are five beers on tap: Holden’sGolden Glow is permanent, JoulesSlumbering Monk and Wood’s ShropshireLad alternate and the other three handpumps are ever-changing with mostlylocal beers and there is always at leastone dark ale available. They also havefive ciders; like the guest ales they arealways changing and they are all kept intip-top condition by landlord George.

Pies, sausage rolls and baps on sale at thebar have all been homemade by


George’s wife Lyn. Be warned, they sellout fast and come highly recommendedby the locals.

On Sundays they run a pie club taking itin turns to make a large pie which iseaten and judged by the locals. Weasked what the pies were like…“thechips are always good” was theresounding response.

Paul & Norma Haycock

Address: George & the Dragon, 46 HighStreet, Gnosall ST20 0EK

Opening times: Monday to Friday 16:00-22:30, Saturday & Sunday 12:00-22:30

Pubs of the Year 2016Rural Pub of the Year 2016 and overall winner

George and the Dragon, Gnosall

Pub of the Year runners-upSilver medals this year go to:

URBAN: Swan, StoneRURAL: Swan, Whiston

Presentation of the Pub of the Yearaward (trophy to follow!) on 9th March



Cider Pub of the YearThe winner was being chosen justafter we went to press. An announce-ment will be made on Facebook andin the monthly branch email.

Urban Pub of the Year 2016

Floodgate, StaffordThe Floodgate is another micropub andrelative newcomer. It made an immediateimpact, winning our Rising Star awardsoon after opening. Its one room can hold45 people, and often does on a Friday orSaturday night or at one of their excellentfolky Tiny Pub Concerts.

Five beers are available at all times, in avariety of styles, usually from smallerbreweries so you’re almost guaranteed tofind something new and interesting. Thegrowing collection of pump clips on thewall is a testament to the incredible num-ber and variety the Floodgate has offeredus lucky ale fans. It is also great for realcider drinkers, with up to five available.

Clever use of space means there areplenty of seats and it is a good talking pub(no recorded music, TV etc.).

The pub’s name originates from the

council’s insistence that flood defencesbe installed. The owners’ quirkyhumour is evident on the markings onthe front barrier: “Save the dog”,“Imminent welly overflow” etc., and thekayak perched above drinkers’ headsat the bar. Andy and Esther are keen toencourage local artistic and culturalendeavours, and the Floodgate and itssister pub and gin bar No.7 MarketSquare were venues for Stafford’sPocket Film Festival in March.

Address: The Floodgate, 147 NewportRoad, Stafford ST16 2EZOpening times: Closed most Mondays;Tuesday - Thursday 17:00-22:00; Friday& Saturday 13:00-23:00; Sunday 13:00-22:00.NB don’t be deterred by the boarded-up window, the pub is very much open!



THE GREYHOUNDCAMRA branch Pub of the Season

Winter 2015/16

In the CAMRA Good Beer Guide every year since 20058 Real Ales available

Quiz nights Tuesday and Sunday(entry just £1 per team)Meet the brewer nightsSky & BT Sports

Opening times:4pm—11:30pm Mon-Thu4pm—12midnight Fri12noon—12midnight Sat12noon—11pm Sun

The GreyhoundCounty Road, Stafford ST16 2PU Tel: 01785 222432

Steve and Bonita look forward to your visit



Beer Festival news

Wow, is it February already! [Actually,it’s at least March now Paul – Ed.] We areless than six months away from our 10thBeer and Cider Festival and planninghas already started to make it the bestever. Don't forget this is our tenthiteration of the Festival and we arelooking for ideas on how we can makethe three days really special.

Dates for the festival are 27th - 29th ofJuly 2017 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday).

The first Festival meeting has takenplace and the team are alreadybeavering away behind the scenes tomake sure we have everything ready. It'snot too late to help in terms of fillingsome of the key roles, we still have anumber vacant and any help would bewelcome.

P l e a s e c o n t a c t m e a [email protected] if youwould like to get involved; unfortunatelythe Festival doesn't happen without a lotof "blood, sweat and tears" but I promiseyou we’re a really friendly bunch andthere’s a good atmosphere.

We also need volunteers to help makeour tenth festival a big occasion. If youhave any ideas about marking our tin/aluminium anniversary please send themin!

We especially need helpers for setupand takedown but every little helps,even a few hours on one day. Details ofhow to volunteer are on the right. Hopeto see you there!

Paul Hewitt, Festival OrganiserStafford Beer and Cider Festival 2017

Thursday 27th — Saturday 29th July 2017The festival needs YOU!


Some of the volunteers at our Bob theBuilder-themed festival a few years ago

BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL 20173rd PLANNINGMEETING

THURSDAY 30th MARCH 8.00pm

CONSTITUTIONAL CLUBLLOYD STREET, STAFFORD

ALL WELCOME—BRING IDEAS!

BEER FESTIVAL SPONSORSHIP*SPONSOR A BARREL END FOR £20*ADVERTISE IN THE PROGRAMME*SPONSOR ONE OF THE BARS

Loads of other sponsorshipopportunities available - contact

[email protected]

BE A VOLUNTEER!GO TO www.staffordbeerfestival.co.uk

HELP REQUIREDWITH: BAR WORK,TICKET DESK, RECRUITMENT, SET

UP AND TAKE DOWN





AA Recommended, AA Pick of the Pubs,The Good Pub Guide’s Staffordshire DiningPub of the Year. As recommended in: LesRoutiers in Britain; Which? Guide. FREEHOUSE


Save my Pub! ACVs to the rescue?

In the last issue of Beer at Heart we reported how locals in Weston wereapplying to Stafford Borough Council to register the Woolpack as an Assetof Community Value (ACV for short). Here, Phil Vickers explains what aACV is, how to apply for one, their benefits and their limitations.

What is an ACV?It is a law to put the brake on developersdestroying such assets to make a quickbuck and to allow a local community thechance to buy it for themselves. If yourcommunity has an asset, such as a pub,you don't want to lose then an ACV canbe taken out on it.

Once an ACV is in place then anyintended change of use or intended saleof the asset has to notified to the ACVholder. An ACV lasts for five years,unless and until an intended change ofuse is notified. If a change of use isnotified then the holder(s) of the ACVhave six months to bid to buy the asset.Note that this is a right to bid, NOT aright to buy.

If the community fails to bid or is outbidafter six months then the ACV lapses andthe proposed changes, subject toplanning law, are allowed.

More and more pubs are being closed.Sometimes because there are too fewpub goers and sometimes whendevelopers see a pub as building landfrom which they can make great profits.Sometimes a pub changes use, e.g. to aTesco-op micro-store or curry house.

My pub's not in danger!Do not be lulled if your pub is busy,serving the community and profitable.There are too many cases of greedy pubowners ousting successful licensee(s),closing, demolishing and buildinghouses/flats. Those big car parks canmean big bucks and the developersdon't care about your community.

How do I take out an ACV?The law intends a local community to acttogether to try and save their asset.CAMRA itself can take out ACVs as weare considered to be a communitygroup. But the best way is to get 21signatures from locals on an applicationform and then approach the applicationthrough your Parish Council. CAMRA hasa lot of experience in taking out ACVs,has an online process to guide youthrough the application and experts thatcan be consulted.

It is not necessary to consult the licenseein order to take out an ACV. However; Iwould regard it as only good manners!Especially if the licensee also happens toown the property. How would you like itif someone imposed a legal restriction onyour home without your knowledge orconsent!

An ACV protects my pub then?Not completely, though it's better thannothing. Bizarrely, the law does notcover certain changes of use for pubs.While your local village hall, if protectedby an ACV, cannot be arbitrarily turnedinto a hairdressers or curry house thesame does not apply to pubs. So; a largesupermarket can come along, ignoreyour ACV and turn your pub into aconvenience store. CAMRA is fighting toget these change-of-use aspects of pubslaw changed into something saner. Whynot join CAMRA and help the battlealong – it may be too late when thecompany owning your one-and-onlylocal decides to turn it into flats.



Your BranchCAMRA membership now stands at awhopping 185,000, the highest ever.Locally, around 700 are members of ourHeart of Staffordshire branch. But howmany of us are active members?

Activism in CAMRA can take manyforms—it is not just about joining acommittee or attending meetings. Itcould involve writing to your MP to lobbyfor a cut in beer tax, helping to keepyour local pub going or persuadingsceptical friends to give real ale a try.

But we’re asking if you can give a littlebit more of your precious time,knowledge and enthusiasm to CAMRAthis year: to volunteer for our 10th annualbeer festival, or to consider filling a roleon the branch committee. Neither needbe arduous - in fact both have veryenjoyable social angles – and alwaysinclude a pint or two!


Get involved in CAMRA

Needs YOU!!

WRITE FOR US!I love words but hate writing, so I’m muchhappier editing other people’s efforts.Beer at Heart comes out four times a yearand I am always a bit short of content bydeadline day, so if you fancy penning anarticle I’d be delighted to hear from you.Some ideas:

* news about your local pubs* your ‘Desert Island Pub’* your three favourite beers or ciders* a write-up of a trip somewhere thatinvolved visiting a few pubs (photos addplenty of interest)

* an opinion piece on e.g. ‘craft beer’,CAMRA’s revitalisation project

* something satirical or a cartoon

I’d also welcome an assistant to help withheadline writing, captions, advertisers etc.

Andy Murray

BRANCH COMMITTEE[Kelly (above), our Pubs Officer was goingto write this but she’s broken her toe!]

The committee deals with the day-to-dayrunning of the Heart of StaffordshireCAMRA branch. Some people hold officerpositions (e.g. Chair, Secretary,Treasurer) and some people are generalcommittee members. We hold branchmeetings roughly five times a year,always in a pub or club serving real ale.We try to vary the location to cover allparts of the Heart of Staffs area, whichtakes us to some fantastic pubs.

As mentioned in my editorial Mike Harkerisn’t well at the moment so there are somevacancies on the committee. Theseinclude Social Secretary, Cider Officerand Membership Secretary. We havestruggled a bit in his absence! There are acouple of long-standing vacancies too -Clubs and Young Members (i.e. under 30)Officer. Job descriptions are available.Ideally, we need a different person foreach role, so no-one is over-stretched.

continued right...



BRANCH COMMITTEE ctd...Even if a role is currently filled, you arewelcome to put your name forward forthose positions, which come up for re-election at the Annual General Meeting(AGM) on Tuesday 9th May, from 8pm atthe County Staff Club on Eastgate Street(next to the British Legion).

If you are keen to get involved but notsure about the responsibility, most rolescan be ‘job shared’, or you could start bybecoming a general committee member.Support is on hand from other committeemembers too, so please join in! AM

BEER FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERMy involvement with CAMRA began byvolunteering to work behind a bar on theSaturday afternoon in 2015. Havingattended pretty much every festival as apunter I felt it was time to give somethingback. I was given a health and safetybriefing, a t-shirt and set to work. And thenext few hours flew by most enjoyably.

You don’t need to have done bar workbefore (I hadn’t) - the beers are ‘ongravity’ so it’s a simple case of turning atap on and off. There’s no cash handlingto worry about either, just a bit ofcounting in 10s!

There are other jobs to be done, and notjust during the festival but in the few daysbefore and the day after too (mainlylifting and shifting).

You’ll be well looked after - some food isprovided for volunteer staff, and beertokens. You get to keep the t-shirt too. Butthe best thing about it is the feeling thatyou’ve been involved in one of the bestevents in Stafford’s social calendar. AM





Budget Day BluesPrice of pints to rise as beer tax risesDrinkers have been let down by theChancellor's decision to increase beerand cider duty in the Budget. Theannounced two penny a pint increase inbeer duty is the first rise in five years. Itmarks a U-turn by the Chancellor as herisks returning to the days of the much-hated Beer Duty Escalator whichcontributed to 75,000 job losses, 3,700pub closures and a 24% fall in beer salesin pubs.Colin Valentine, CAMRA's NationalChairman says: "The UK still pays one ofthe highest rates of duty across Europe,only consuming around 12% of the beeryet paying nearly 40% of all beer duty inthe EU. Further increases will lead tounsustainable price increases in pubs.The decision completely ignores thepressures faced by brewers and pubs."

On the plus side…The Government has recognised theunique role that pubs play in ourcommunities in England by introducing anew temporary £1,000 discount onbusiness rates bills for all pubs with arateable value of less than £100,000.CAMRA has warmly welcomed this reliefand has called for it to be madepermanent and increased further infuture Budgets.While this discount will provide welcomerelief for the majority of pubs, not all willbenefit as the relief does not apply to thelargest pubs so a minority are still facedwith very large business rate increases.CAMRA is calling on local councils to usethe new discretionary fund available tosupport those pubs that will still be hit bymassive business rate increases over thecoming years.


CAMRA campaign graphic from before the Chancellor’s recent Budget



DIDYOU KNOWTHE UK HASTHE HIGHEST RATE OF BEERTAX OFTHETOP 6 BREWINGCOUNTRIES INTHE EU?

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Our cider and perry is made using freshlypressed juice, naturally fermented andmatured to give character and flavour.

Contact Nick on 07958 310713 oremail [email protected]: www.hurstviewcider.co.uk

Hurst View Cider, Ivetsey Road,Wheaton Aston, Stafford ST19 9QP



Uttoxeter & District News

of the highly regarded local pub andrestaurant, the Dog & Partridge,Dog & Partridge,Dog & Partridge,Dog & Partridge,MarchingtonMarchingtonMarchingtonMarchington asked the two lads toprovide five different beers for a‘special event’: a Uttoxeter BrewingCompany beer night.

This was well received by localdrinkers and CAMRA members, ahighly successful event with all of theUttoxeter Brewery’s beers selling out.

On March 3rd -5th the9th Marchington Meleebeer festival takes place,providing locals with 30different real ales. It willfeature a new alespecially brewed by theUttoxeter BrewingCompany for the Melee.

22 | Beer at Heart | www.uttoxetercamra.org

Staffordshire's Newest Brewery

Tom Abbott reports from our blossoming sub-branch

All of the brewery’s beers are named toreflect important of aspect of the townand history of Uttoxeter.

Bunting’s BlondeBunting’s BlondeBunting’s BlondeBunting’s Blonde (ABV 3.7%), namedafter the historic 19th century localbrewery. An outstanding Blonde - lowalcohol. Lemon-grapefruit, citrusyflavor.

Earthmover GoldEarthmover GoldEarthmover GoldEarthmover Gold (ABV 4.7%) namedwith a nod to a famous local excavatorcompany. A bright, light colouredEnglish style golden ale, (IPA), hoppy,yet fruity style beer

To reflect the importance of the localracecourse there were two other beers:

Final FurlongFinal FurlongFinal FurlongFinal Furlong (ABV 4.5%) Best Bitter(British style, Bass) nutty, smooth spicyand floral with caramel flavour.

Paddock PorterPaddock PorterPaddock PorterPaddock Porter (ABV 4.8) chocolaty;dominated by a distinctive dark roastedgrain flavour and with a slightsweetness. It is well hopped, with alighter body and malt character.

Tom and Andy, the brewers, weredelighted at the very positive responseand feedback from CAMRA members tothe four different ales. Earthmover Goldwas voted favorite beer at the festival—areal fillip for the two new brewers.

Based on the high quality of the beer atthe festival Paul Needham, the landlord

Staffordshire’s latest brewery The Uttoxeter Brewing CompanyThe Uttoxeter Brewing CompanyThe Uttoxeter Brewing CompanyThe Uttoxeter Brewing Company madeits debut last November at the Uttoxeter Beer Festival, putting forwardfour different beers for sampling the first time.




Uttoxeter loses one pub and finds another

Christmas Fire at the RobinChristmas Fire at the RobinChristmas Fire at the RobinChristmas Fire at the RobinHood, BramshallHood, BramshallHood, BramshallHood, BramshallUttoxeter branch members wereparticularly shocked at the loss of oneof their favorite pubs, the RobinRobinRobinRobinHood,Hood,Hood,Hood, Bramshall. A sequence of firesover Christmas Eve and Christmasday ended in the completedestruction of a very famous and well-loved local pub. A good pub withlots of character serving a goodrange of local ales, it will be sorelymissed.

At the beginning of February Tom andAndy were asked by BBC Radio Derbyto appear on the Sally Pepper show totell the story of the development of theirnew local brewery, where they stressedthe importance they placed onproviding local beers for the people ofUttoxeter and the surrounding villages.

New Micropub for Uttoxeter, theNew Micropub for Uttoxeter, theNew Micropub for Uttoxeter, theNew Micropub for Uttoxeter, theHorse and DoveHorse and DoveHorse and DoveHorse and Dove

By the time this edition of Beer at Heart ispublished Uttoxeter will have its firstmicropub: the Horse & DoveHorse & DoveHorse & DoveHorse & Dove, located inthe market square opposite Dr. Johnson’smemorial. The owners Paul and Yogitold branch members they hoped to beopen by the end of February and wantedto focus on selling top quality real alesproduced from across the NorthMidlands, Staffordshire, SouthDerbyshire and South Nottinghamshire.

continued from previous page

Facebook:Facebook:Facebook:Facebook: Uttoxeter Brewing CompanyTel:Tel:Tel:Tel: Tom or Andy on 07734 392321 or 07789 476 871Email:Email:Email:Email: [email protected]

Scene of devastation at the Robin Hood



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To Be or Knot to Be...


No doubt you have seen the branch logoon the front cover of this magazinewhereby we have combined the CAMRAmug with the Stafford Knot. The knot iswidely used as a symbol, by both ourlocal brewers (Lymestone and Slaters),Staffordshire County Council, Port ValeFC, Staffordshire Police and many more.But what exactly is it? And what does itrepresent (if anything)?

First and foremost; it is not TheStaffordshire Knot, it is The Stafford Knot.Though, as I say, widely used throughoutStaffordshire. The Stafford Knot (TSK)should undoubtedly be used in itsstandard form (top right); one of the mostdubious uses I've seen was in the name ofa former Stafford pub where TSK wasturned through 90 degrees and used torepresent the letter 'd', something likethis:

Many people think TSK is “inappropriate”as they have bought into the tale that itwas invented by a hangman in medievaltimes who had only one rope but threemiscreants who needed to be hanged.

Another variant is that one of the villainsinvented the knot to aid the executionerand was spared his life as a consequence.I doubt that if someone was trying to killme that I would willingly help them along!However; there are recognisable StaffordKnots on an Anglo-Saxon cross in a Stokechurchyard and also on several seventhcentury pieces from the famous Stafford-shire hoard. Thus we can date TSK backto pre-Norman times and safely discountthe executioner's tale as a myth.

Another version has it that Ethelfleda,daughter of Alfred the Great, was calledupon to defend Stafford from maraudinghordes (probably from Walsall) in 913AD. She took off her girdle and told themain three local lords “with this girdle, Ibind us as one.” And thus was Stafford-shire created. I confess I'm a bit flummox-ed as to how a girdle came to be repre-sented as a three-looped knot or how shemanaged to stretch it around threeblokes! Seems like another myth to me.

Yet another theory is that TSK is the letterS, stylised and duplicated to representStaffordshire. Why two S's mean Stafford-shire I don't know. And why don't weknow the person who invented it? Isuspect another urban myth.

It is also said that TSK resembles theancient 'pretzel' symbol, which somesources say represents two arms crossedin Christian prayer.

For sure; there is astrong resemblanceisn't there?

We must also note thatTSK is part of the coatof arms of Lord Stafford. Does he ownTSK, as many believe? Or is it so ancient(at least 1200 years) that it is in the publicdomain? I think I won't comment on that!

Well; I asked the question: what is TSK?The answer is “I don't know”, because it'sso ancient and tied into so manymythological or semi-mythological tales.We can safely discount the hangmantriple-topping theory and I think, mostlikely, it originates from early Christianityand is derived from the pretzel or bretzelsymbology. But who knows? If you know,or think you do, why not drop a line to theeditor?

Phil Vickers



1912 may not have been the best of yearsfor the ship that was named Titanic, but,despite only being a couple of months old,2017 is shaping up to be a very good yearfor the Burslem-based brewery thatpurloined its name. The Queen saw fit toaward an MBE in her New Year’s HonourList to our very own Keith Bott [picturedbelow], co-owner (with his brother Dave)of the aforementioned brewery.

Titanic Brewery was set up in Middleportin 1985, just down the road from Burslem,by the then landlord of The Traveller’sRest pub; however, three years later, theBotts bought the brewery and transferredit up to The Mother Town. Since then,Titanic Brewery has gone from strength tostrength, the ales that the brothersproduce having won many local, regionaland national awards. In September 2007, anew phase of the history of Titanic began,when the Botts took on the lease of theGreyhound, at the top of George Street,on the Hartshill/Newcastle border; the firstof a few Project William pubs run onbehalf of Everards, the deal proved to bea lucrative one, with the Titanic fleet nownumbering 8, including (of course) theRoyal Exchange in Stone and the Sun inStafford.

Not content with merely running anaward-winning brewery, Keith has alsobeen an influential figure in the UK industryas a whole. He has served as both Chairand President of the brewing industrybody SIBA, during a period where thenumber of British brewers has grown from300 in 2002 to around 1,700 today thanks tothe introduction of Small Brewers Reliefwhich he was instrumental in securing.Keith also advised the Parliamentary BeerGroup and helped to lead a successfulcampaign to scrap the beer tax escalator in2013, a move which helped to revive theBritish brewing industry. All this led to thehonorary award from The Queen at thebeginning of the New Year.

The missing piece of the Titanic jigsaw is,of course, the opening in 1992 of the Bull’sHead on St. John’s Square in Burslem as the

brewery tap; an immediate award winnerin itself, the pub unfortunately found itselfgrounded on the rocks a few years later,when Keith was obliged to take on the

Pottering around the PotteriesPOTTERING AROUNDTITANIC BREWERY





Pottering around the Potteries continued...

running of the vessel himself. Then, inAugust 2004, the tiller was passed to oneMr. Bob Crumpton, and the pub has sincegone on to win at least one award fromthe Potteries Branch every year after that,the pinnacle of which was when itacquired the Regional Cider Pub of theYear title in 2012, at that point the highestaward that had ever been bestowed onone of the branch’s pubs. The latest in thelong line of Bull’s Head Awards was whenthe branch presented Bob with acertificate for the pub gaining a place inThe Good Beer Guide for 16 consecutiveyears.

Congratulations go out to Bob and therest of the crew at the Bull’s Head; and, ofcourse, to Mr. Keith Bott, without whomnone of this would have been possible.

Martin PerryEditor, Potters Bar (with a bit of help from The Official Titanic Press Release)

PEAKSTONES ROCK BREWING CO. LTD

Beers availableOblivion: ABV 5.5Black Hole: ABV 4.8Alton Abbey: ABV 4.5Chained Oak: ABV 4.2

Churnet Valley IPA: ABV 4.3Pugin’s Gold: ABV 4.0Nemesis: ABV 3.8

Also seasonal beers

Why not visit Crossways micropub, U oxeter Road, Blythe Bridge, to sample our beers

Sales enquiries: David Edwards Tel: 07891 350908 Email: [email protected]

WWW.PEAKSTONESROCK.CO.UK

Jim and Bob in the Bull’s Head

Visit CAMRA Potteries’ website and readtheir excellent magazine Potters Bar:www.camrapotteries.co.uk


Tuesday, 14 March 2017 12:14

This April, I will bej o i n i n g CAMRAmembers from acrossthe UK in the seasideresort of Bournemouthfor CAMRA’s Memb-ers’ Weekend, whichincludes our NationalAGM and Conference.

The Members’ Weekend is a fantasticopportunity for any member across theorganisation – whether you have justjoined, been a member for 20+ years,active or inactive – to shape the futuredirection and purpose of CAMRA.

As Chairman, I now have the greatresponsibility of making sure that theAGM and Conference part of theMembers’ Weekend is run successfullyand open to every single one of our185,000 members. This year, thatresponsibility is even greater thanever before.

Fol lowing 50 consultat ionmeetings across the UK and threenational surveys, we have nowseen the proposals that were putforward by the RevitalisationProject Steering Committee onCAMRA’s future. Whether youagree or disagree with theproposals, took part in theconsultation events or stayed athome, the Members’ Weekendwill be the opportunity to discussthem inside and out ahead of adecision next year.

Over the weekend, members willbe able to consider theRevital isat ion Project and

proposals on the future of CAMRA in aseries of discussion groups. It will be yourchance to have a say on the RevitalisationProject’s findings and represent yourviews in the debate. A final decision onthe proposals will then be taken at theMembers’ Weekend in 2018.

I am proud to chair an organisation that isa true democracy – where every memberhas the opportunity to feed into ourpolicies, direction and future. I neverforget that without our huge membershipbase and dedicated volunteers; theresimply would not be a CAMRA.

I hope you will consider joining us inBournemouth this year. The closing datefor online registration was 17th March butyou can still register at the venue on 7th -9th April. For more information simplyvisit camraagm.org.uk

CAMRA Members' WeekendWhy I’m looking forward to Bournemouth 2017by National Chairman Colin Valentine




Contact UsHeart of Staffordshire branchBranch officers as of 1st March 2017:Branch contact (temporary):Neil [email protected]: 21 St. Lukes Close, Norton Bridge,Stone, Staffs ST15 0PD. Tel: 07810 142664

Chair: Neil [email protected]

Secretary: Phil [email protected]

Treasurer: Dave [email protected]

Membership Secretary: vacant

Social Secretary: vacant

Pubs Officer: Kelly [email protected]

Social Media: Kelly [email protected]

Cider Officer: vacant

Publicity Officer: Paul [email protected]

Beer at Heart Editor: [email protected]

Webmaster:Martin [email protected]

Clubs Officer: vacantYoung Members Officer: vacant

If you’re interested in taking on any of the vacantroles, or joining the committee in a generalcapacity, please contact the Secretary or come toour AGM on 9th May (details on page 5).

Uttoxeter & District sub-branchBranch contact & Chair: Simon ArdronEmail: [email protected]: www.uttoxetercamra.org

We endeavour to contact ourmembers each month via emailwith details of socials, meetings,beer festivals and news items.

Beer at Heart should be readilyavailable from your local real alepub and will be published in PDFon the branch website but if youwould like to be posted a copy ofBeer at Heart four times a year for£4 (to cover costs) please contactthe Editor.

ContactingYou

Consumer informationIf you have any complaints over shortmeasures etc. and have no satisfactionfrom the pub in question please contactStaffordshire Trading Standards:

Tel: 0300 111 8045E: [email protected]

Post: Staffordshire County Council,2 Staffordshire Place, Stafford ST16 2DH


Search for Heart of Staffordshire CAMRA or Uttoxeter & District CAMRA

Thank You:Tom Abbott, Neil Butler, PaulDykta, Norma Haycock, PaulHaycock, Paul Hewitt, Martin Perry,Kelly Porter, Dave Tomkinson, PhilVickers and Luke at WarwickPrinting.

Articles, letters and suggestions forthe next issue gratefully receivedby the Editor. The next issue ofBeer at Heart will appear in June2017.



Pubs on the 101Paul Dykta’s public transport odyssey continues

The 101, on its way into Stafford, stops infront of the Waggon & Horses (right), agood place to start a north end pubcrawl. ‘The Waggon’ has a superblydecorated interior and it offers pool,darts and a large function room. Thebeers on tap were: Hardy & HansonsRocking Rudolph alongside Greene KingAbbot Ale, both in very good condition.On the main road, this pub is worth avisit (superb takeaways near too).

A short walk up Fancy Walk brings youto the Joiner's Arms. An end-of-terracepub where you have the choice of smallor large rooms to sup in, at this time onlyWells Bombardier was available, butnice.

Turning right on exit and right on to PeelTerrace will bring you to the King'sArms (our Autumn Pub of the Season)with five ales on offer. We tried BassPremium – a regular – and CameronsRough Ride followed by Wickwar Bob,all superbly kept. Cider drinkers arealso well catered for.

Carry on down to the Tap & Spile(right), under new management. Threeales were on tap: Salopian ShropshireGold (sampled), plus Hobgoblin Goldand Doom Bar; worth the stop.

On to Sandon Road and the PrincessRoyal – originally Dawsons Brewery,now Banks's. On offer were Banks'sAmber & Marston's 61 Deep, a new oneto me; now I'm on halves.

Now towards town, past the chip shop ifyou can, to the Hop Pole (left) to samplea very nice Theakston's Best Bitter,supported by Theakston's Lightfoot.

Onward south is the Four Crosses whichis devoid of cask so over the miniroundabout towards the gaol, turn rightat the gates, please! to the Greyhoundon County Road. A log fire with aFarmer's Blonde will warm you up;Bombardier is another regular, with sixchanging ales to pick from, quite oftenfrom Yorkshire for some reason.

Left out of the pub will put back on trackfor the town centre, right will take you tothe A34 and the 101 to Stoke or Stone.


Travel informationJourney planner including buses and trains:www.travelinemidlands.co.uk







Documents

Issue28| Spring2017 BeeratHeartheartofstaffordshire.camra.org.uk/data/documents/Beer-at-Heart-28.pdf · WHATISCAMRA Chair'sChat Welcome to Beer at Heart 28, itdoesn't seem long since