News & Views

If you have any news or views on the local brewing or pub scene, please share them with us.

Date		Posted by
13^th Dec	NEW MANAGEMENT The New Leathern Bottle at Jealotts Hill is under new management. We hope they are as keen as Brett and Angie were about real ale.	Ian M
10^th Dec	BST GUESTS Following on from their very successful beer festival, the Broad Street Tavern is to get two extra handpumps installed for regular guest beers and they also plan to have a real cider on offer. It should take place in the next few weeks.	Colin L
1^st Dec	SMOKING BAN At last the government has announced the date for the smoking ban in pubs in England – 1^st July 2007. Finally, we will be able to go for a quiet drink without coming home smelling as a result of other people’s dirty habit.	Den P.
30^th Nov	CROWN DEPOSED The government has sneaked in a change in the law whereby the Crown stamp, introduced in 1699 and required on all glasses for unmeasured beer, has been replaced by the European CE mark. How long before the pint goes the same way? ‘Good evening Sir, would you like five-hundred centilitres of the usual?’ No, I don’t think so.	Colin L.
25^th Nov	ASCOT BEER FESTIVAL Berkshire SE Branch are pleased to announce the First Ascot Beer Festival which will take place on Friday 30^th March 2007 in conjunction with Ascot Racecourse. Full details will be published shortly on this website but in the meantime, put this date in your diary.	Colin L.
20^th Nov	SMOKING BAN Not sure why the government are being so coy about the date of the smoking ban in pubs next year, but the following appeared on the SIBA website: ‘SMOKING in public looks to be banned on June 4, 2007, a senior health insider revealed yesterday. The Government has so far refused to name the day of the tobacco ban saying only it would be next summer. But Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt will announce next month the total ban on smoking in public will be brought in from June 2007’.	Den P.
10^th Nov	MORE SHP NEWS The Terrace Bar at South Hill Park is once again selling "Gales" beers. Butser and HSB have replaced Discovery and London Pride. HSB at £2.70p per pint and in very good condition (4/5) on my last sampling.	Nick B.
1^st Nov	FREE ADVERT Sorry, but it's slightly out-of-branch, but only a few minutes from Ascot by train. The message below was sent to Surrey Hants Borders CAMRA. "Graham Trott from Triple FFF Brewery has been in touch to say that Triple FFF are planning to open their second pub before Christmas. The pub in question is the White Lion, Aldershot and Graham is currently looking for a landlord to run the pub. If you are interested, or know of anyone who might be, please contact Graham on 01420 561422"	Adrian K.
15^th Oct	SHP UPDATE The South Hill Park Terrace Bar's previous relationship with Gales now means they sell Fullers "London Pride" and "Discovery". Discovery at £2.70/pint. Acceptable pint but not the best I have tasted of these two beers, possibly 3/5 score to be kind.	Ian M.
11^th Oct	VINDALOO & BEER The Mango Tree Bar & Restaurant at 63 Church Street, Crowthorne looks like a pub from the outside but is mainly an Indian Restaurant. However it does have a normal bar for use by non diners. Currently selling Greene King IPA at £2.80/pint which scored 3/5.	Ian M.
10^th Oct	CRISPIN MAKEOVER The perimeter seating in the Crispin in Wokingham has been re-upholstered, giving the pub a smarter, cleaner feel without spoiling the olde world charm. The beer's good too!	Sue T.
7^th Oct	CHANGES AT THE HATCHET After several temporary managers at the Old Hatchet in Winkfield, since Helena left a few months ago, the pub now has permanent (?) landlords. Denis & Elaine now head the team – Denis being that rare breed of person: a French pub landlord!! However, we won’t hold that against him as he is a real ale enthusiast having lived in Sussex for many years where he worked in both Eldridge Pope and Gales pubs. On checking, the beer is still in excellent condition!	Colin L.
6^th Oct	GK PUB SIGNS I noticed the other day that the Silver Birch in Bracknell has a new sign, but this is a more traditional one with a picture of a birch tree. However, on a recent visit to Essex, many pubs in the Halstead area owned by GK have the new "corporate" signs. Is there a policy about which pubs get which type of signs.	Nick B.
6^th Oct	PRINCE OF WALES I noticed that the POW in Farnborough North has a annual beer festival next week 13th, 14th & 15th - as yet haven't finalised the list but I believe that it will have 45 different beers. Something to watch for !	Keith E
1^st Oct	STILL MORE CORPORATE GK Just back from the Isle of Wight where GK have taken over several pubs. At least two have had the pub signs replaced by those awful corporate logo signs!	Colin L.
30^th Sep	EVEN MORE CORPORATE GK In response to the GK signs; their latest campaign is "Greene King, the sign of a great pub". So, if all pubs have the GK sign outside, they must be great pubs, surely they could be taken to court for mis-representation ?!	Adrian K.
29^th Sep	ROEBUCK CHANGES The Roebuck at Binfield is now under new management. They had three beers on this lunchtime, Old Bob, Green King IPA and another one I can't remember. Can't report what any were like as it was a working lunch!	Trish B.
28^th Sep	MORE CORPORATE GK I can confirm that the Bridge has been changed but when I drove past the Running Horse yesterday I'm sure the sign on London Road still had a picture of a running horse on it. Incidentally we were in Tunbridge Wells a few weeks ago and there was a GK pub just opposite the station that was painted in red livery, rather than green. The colour didn't relate to the pub name at all and it looked quite odd! Not in a bad way, but just not what one expected to see.	Phil G.
18^th Sep	CORPORATE GK – 2 Sad to say that Sue seems to be right in her observation of Greene King doing away with proper pub signs. The same seems to have happened at the Bridge and Running Horse, both in Bracknell.	Den P.
6^th Sep	BST FESTIVAL Clive at the Broad Street Tavern is putting on a beer fest (with the backing of his new sales manager) on 30 Nov to 7th Dec. There will be 33 beers put on in a marquee in the garden including some local favourites from Loddon, Rebellion & West Berks.	Mike S.
5^th Sep	CORPORATE GK Greene King have changed the pub signs of the Plough and Three Frogs on the London Road in Wokingham to standard corporate signs depicting their logo only - there is now no illustration related to the name of the pub. I sincerely hope they’re not intending to do that to all their pubs.	Sue T.
22^nd Aug	EXPENSIVE GK I notice that Greene King are to significantly reduce the strength of Old Speckled Hen. I hope they are going to reduce the price in line with this as several of their local pubs are becoming very pricey for what is very average beer.	Den P.
11^th Aug	WELCOME TRISH After a period without a Social Secretary, we are delighted to announce that Trish Bellsham has agreed to take over the role. If you have any ideas for social events or require more details of any published events, please contact Trish on camrabsesocial@btinternet.com	Colin L.
5^th Aug	CHANGE AT THE HATCHET Helena, who has been the landlord of the Old Hatchet since Fuller’s took over the pub in November 2004, has ‘moved on’ to a pub in Guildford. The reason is not entirely clear but as she very recently got married and bought a house in Ascot, it seems likely that it was not entirely her own choice.	Colin L.
14^th July	MORE PRICEY BEER Not quite up to the £3.10 reported by Ian, but the Queens Head in Wokingham recently charged me £2.95 for a pint of mid-strength Greene King seasonal ale.	Colin L.
7^th July	EXPENSIVE PINT Stirrups Maidens Green -Today this "licensed premises" sold me a short measure pint of very ordinary Fullers London Pride for a mere £3.10. Is there a more expensive pint of real ale in the Bracknell area.	Ian M
6^th July	DOWNSHIRE HOTEL Whitbread have applied for planning permission to build a 28 bed, two-storey hotel at the rear of the Downshire Arms, Bracknell. Although the car park will change there is no mention of changes to the pub/restaurant.	Ian M
5^th July	REDAN REOPENS The Redan on Peach Street in Wokingham has re-opened following refurbishment. No drastic change - it has been re-painted and re-furnished, has some sofas, and the fruit machines have gone.	John T

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