South East London CAMRA

The weekend 19 and 20th September saw Londoners having the chance to see inside various landmark buildings, by means of the London Open House Programme. On reading the glossy brochure my eyes lit-up, building 11 of our local architectural advocacy list was in fact a fully working pub from the 2010 CAMRA Good Beer Guide − The Capitol in SE23!

To quote Wetherspoons (that’s the pub chain not a Russian philospher)− “A rare survival of a 1920s cinema, The Capitol, on London Road, first opened its doors to the cinema-going public in 1929, with a screening of Man, Woman and Sin. Renamed the ABC in 1968, the cinema gave its last picture show in October 1973. There were plans to convert and even demolish the building. However, The Capitol opened as Mecca bingo hall in February 1978, closing in the first week of December 1996. It opened as a Wetherspoon pub on 9th May 2001.”

Anyway taking the Da Vinci code as inspiration we joined the Sunday half hour tour, determined to unlock the building’s secrets over a few pints afterwards. That said, what became known to must now be concealed, but consider the evidence − the whole building is in the Art Deco Egyptian style and is a cube, it contains images of a Roman godess and a Greek muse, it has an un-enterable projection room, a cellar not used for beer, an ancient safe which cannot be moved or opened whose contents are unknown. Its numbered table plan by no accident puts a certain numbered table at the edifice’s very centre &minus he that has eyes will see. Our guide confirmed that local ghost hunters have irrefutable here-say evidence that identifies three supernatural entities in the building, including an energy orb seen in the upper circle. I myself when entering the darkened circle felt somebody, or thing, bump into me. A member of our party mysteriously “lost” a biro without trace &minus presumably it having moved sideways through time it will no doubt re-appear at another location.

The tour took us through the many unseen parts of the building including outside on its roof. Mentally exhausted after all this we retired to a “safe table” for beer and the Sunday roast, and to ponder on what had just happened. For seekers of knowledge, it is worth noting that over the weekend of 31st October the Capitol will have an especial welcome for all celebrants of all hallows night, including special real ales and the possibility of more tours, but do check first.

Julian Stone

The pub has an award that doesn’t exist! and sells a real ale from no known brewery – quite a feat

J&J Stone

After weeks of planning and inter-branch negotiation, the pub crawl of the newly extended East London Line began at 9.00 am on Saturday 21st August 2010 at the George in East Croydon. As the Southernmost station on the East London Line Overground route is West Croydon, you might wonder why a pub in East Croydon was chosen for the start. This is because a 9.00 am start time more or less requires a Wetherspoon’s pub and when it comes to the chain’s Croydon branches, the George in East Croydon does a greater range of beers from independent breweries than ‘The Ship of Fools’ which is the pub closest to West Croydon Station. The George is also the Croydon and Sutton CAMRA Branch Pub of the Season for Summer 2010.

Arriving at the George at 8.50, I meet up with my fellow South East London Branch Committee Members Julian and Jill. Julian is wearing a baseball cap, customised with the British Rail logo of arrows going in opposite directions. Just in case the crawl attracted scores of CAMRA Members Julian and Jill have also made some green and red flags and I’ve brought my authentic Acme Thunderer railway whistle of c1960 to assist in marshaling the expected throng of real ale enthusiasts/railway buffs between pubs and stations. Of course, BR logos, whistles and flags have only a very tenuous connection to the present day London Overground with its computer controlled fleet of sleek air-conditioned carriages, but that’s not going to stop us playing chuff-chuffs!. At around 9.30 and half way through breakfast we are joined by Tony of CAMRA East London and City Branch. Tony, it soon becomes apparent, has travelled the world since retirement and ticks off countries in the same way as many members tick off half pints at beer festivals! Oh, he also does that as well.

At around 10.10 the three of us set off for West Croydon. Although the tram line to West Croydon outside the George would normally take you to West Croydon in a few minutes we found it closed that day for ‘improvements’. We therefore followed the tram line into West Croydon. Subsequently we found that cutting through the pedestrianised area of Croydon, which the tram doesn’t pass through, would have got us to West Croydon Station more quickly. However, we arrived at the station just in time to see our train pull away from the platform. About 15 minutes later, we boarded our new London Overground train and after a few minutes alighted at Penge West. From the station, it’s about a 15 minute walk along the High Street to The Moon and Stars. Another Wetherspoons Pub, but remember it’s still before 11.00 am and most pubs, even if they sold real ale, would not yet be open! At the Moon and Stars we meet up with Peter and John from Croydon Branch and Mick from South East London. There was a good range of beers and all the ones tasted scored highly.

After leaving the pub, Mick had to leave us while Julian reached the station slightly ahead of the rest of us and managed to catch the train the rest of us missed. We caught up with him about 20 minutes later at the Capitol, which is a few minutes walk from Forest Hill Station. Although there are a number of good real ale pubs near the station, The Capitol, another Wetherspoons pub, was selected for the greater range of beers on offer and the fact that it was the only one which was a Grade II listed building, being an old cinema of the same name. At the Capitol we were joined by Ian of South East London Branch and Dave and Andrew of Croydon and Sutton. Due to the need to make up time, our stay at the Capitol is shorter than we would like. I use up one of my CAMRA Weatherspon vouchers on a pint of Ginger Tom then It’s back to the station, saying goodbye to Ian who has ‘kiddie duties’.

The next stop is the Brockley Barge, which is a few minutes walk from Brockley Station and another Wetherspoon’s Pub, the smallest of the ones visited so far and the last of the day. At the Barge we are joined by Lawrence and Sue of North London Branch and George, a Scot who likes to float between London Branches. Although an alternative lunchtime venue, the Orchard Cafe in nearby Cranfield Road, was also on the itinerary, this had unfortunately stopped doing real ale. The manger of the Orchard stated that this was due to the fact that the real ale was dispensed from the bar by gravity and the recent prolonged spell of hot weather had made the beer difficult to keep. However, he assured us it would be coming back. I feel that at a time when so many long established pubs are closing and being redeveloped, a cafe in a new building prepared to stock real ale needs all the support it can get. So good luck to the Orchard, be back when the real ale returns. On arriving at Brockley Station we noticed that there were two chaps who appeared to be calling at all the same pubs as ourselves had followed us to the station. Yes, they were doing the crawl as well and we welcomed them to our fold, sadly I never found out their names.

Call me Ishmael if our next stop isn’t the The Moby Dick, a modern Fullers Pub overlooking Greenland Dock, just 10 minutes walk from Surrey Quays Station. You could probably do the walk more quickly but you would miss out on the wonderful views, the cormorants, the dinghy’s gliding through the water and the hidden remnants of the areas industrial past, such as the rails for the travelling cranes which run along side the dock. The pub name is an allusion to the importance of the dock in the great days of whaling in the 1800s when no one ever thought these great leviathons would be hunted to the brink of extinction. By this time I am on half pints and try a competently kept ESB.

A short walk from Rotherhithe station is our next pub – The Mayflower, an historic riverside Inn with jetty overhanging the Thames. We get to the pub at about the scheduled time of 4.00 pm. Green King ales of reasonable quality served. We are joined by Rob, his partner Agnes and Andrew of South East London Branch. We watch a Thames barge, and a canal narrow boat using their engines to struggle up river against the tide. We then set off back to Rotherhithe to catch the train to Wapping and our next pub. Look out for the remarkable remains at Wapping of the first tunnel under the Thames built by Marc Brunel, with some help from his son, Isambard. The tunnel was finally opened 1843 some twenty years after construction commenced.

Owing to some confusion among our party as to when we were due at the next pub, the Town of Ramsgate, we thought we had sufficient time to visit the Captain Kidd, which is actually closer to the Wapping station. The Captain Kidd is a Sam Smiths Pub in a picturesque Georgian building with Riverside Terrace. Both handpumps were serving Sam Smith’s Old Brewery Bitter at the remarkable price of 1.90 a pint. We gave the beer a good score and drank it as we watched the river traffic go by. Remembering the river craft at the last pub struggling against the tide, this time we were treated to a barge being rowed downstream at a great pace. With six more pubs to go and a realisation that we didn’t have that much time to do the next two pubs on the list,Julian, Jill and myself decided to break away from the rest of the party. It was than a short walk down the road to the Town of Ramsgate. However, we made the mistake of walking in the wrong direction and therefore took longer to reach the pub than we should have done. The Town of Ramsgate is a traditional Victorian riverside pub, with long narrow plan and a terrace overlooking the Thames. The narrow lane beside the Pub leads down to the river’s edge and there are stairs which you can use to access the foreshore at low tide. The real ale choice in the pub was rather standard and I had a half of Sharpe’s Doombar which was OK.

Our next stop is Shadwell Station for the Old Rose, 128 The Highway. This stop is a bit of a disappointment. Firstly, while not actually getting lost, we take the bus to the pub, before realising that this takes a great deal longer than walking through the church yard of St George in the East. This early 18th Century Church with spire by Nicholas Hawkesmoore dominates the local area and is visible from both the station and the Old Rose. To add to our woe, the Young’s Bitter served at the pub is off that night due to some inexplicable problem. However, we meet up with Matt from south East London Branch and several other stalwarts enjoying a bottled beer,soft drink or coffee which are all available at the pub.

It’s then back to Shadwell Station and on to the Urban Bar in Whitechapel, within easy walk of the station, you can’t miss it, it’s the Victorian boozer painted with tiger stripes! Sadly, the choice of real ale that night is limited to Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. They did not obviously read their London Drinker to prepare themselves for a massed CAMRA descent on their establishment! Still this allowed us time to regroup. In between halves of timothy Taylor Landlord, I checked out the local area to find that we were only a stones throw from the Blind Beggar. Due to the pressures of the Crawl, I did not check it out for real ale but for anyone with an interest in criminology of the 1960s (Kray and Richardson Gangs) this pub would be worth a visit.

It was then a walk southwards to the Good Samaritan, Turner Street. Nice traditional pub with limited selection of real ales, Tried the Courage Directors. As with the current Courage Best it strikes me as not the same quality as the beer once widely available in London in the 1980s. However, the Directors wasn’t too bad and after finishing my half it was back to Whitechapel Station and on to the The Owl and the Pussycat at Shoreditch. Now for the first real shock of the evening. They’ve put Shoreditch station in Zone 1, so I could not exit the ticket barrier with my Zone 2 to 6 Travelcard! Fortunately, a ticket inspector came to my rescue and let me through. This is apparently a common problem on the line for people getting off at Shorditch as it’s the only zone 1 station on the line. However, we could have avoided it as the Owl and the Pussy Cat was closed for refurbishment. Our substitute pub, the Spitalfields, was quite some distance from the station, requiring us to force our way through the ranks of Brick Lane curry touts, with their seductive offers of free lager with your meal! However, we managed to resist the temptation and found ourselves walking past the old Trumans Brewery. The Spitalfields did not disappoint with an excellent Crouchvale Brewers Gold. Unfortunately, the pub was so busy and glasses in such short supply that my ale was served in a Stella Artois Glass, which caused me some embarrassment! Julian and Jill, decide to call it a day at this pub and I bade them farewell.

After the long walk back to Shoreditch Station it was on to Haggeston and the nearest chippy. At the direction of our North London Branch Guide, Lawrence, who had joined us at the Brockley Barge, we took our greasy parcels to the Duke of Wellington, 260 Haggerston Road, Hackney and consumed them on the picnic tables outside. this pub was substituted for our official stop, the Stags Head, 55 Orsman Road, where we were advised that there was unlikely to be any real ale to be had there these days. At the Duke of Wellington we met up with an advance party who did not require food and enjoyed the only real ale on offer, a Fuller’s London Pride in good condition. Real ale has only recently been reintroduced back into this pub so congratulations to the landlord for deciding to take a chance with this most temperamental of beverages!

A ten minute walk from the Duke of Wellington is the Scolt Head. Here we meet up once again with Ian of South East London Branch, relieved of those kiddie duties and free to enjoy a pint of Truman’s Runner. The choice of real ale was limited to two that evening but judging by the crowds packed into this back street Victorian boozer, the management appear to have hit on a successful formula which will hopefully avoid them falling into the hands of property developers.

And so after a 10 minute walk from the Scolt Head we arrive at our last pub the Duke of Wellington, Balls pond Road, Dalston. Here our numbers have reduced to 10 from the early evening peak of 14. However, allowing for people leaving and joining throughout the day, about 20 people have now experienced the pub opportunities offered by the Capital’s new piece of transport infrastructure. As this is an informal event, we can’t publish a list of all those who participated but I’ve tried to mention the names of every one I can remember meeting during the course of the day. If you remember speaking to me and I omitted to mention you, please accept my apologies. Only myself and East London and City Branch Member Tony started in Croydon in Croydon and finished in Dalston. As for the pub, the Duke of Wellington is CAMRA North London Branch “Pub Of The Season” Spring 2010. The award is in recognition of the pub’s support for real ale, real ciders, independent breweries, the Locale scheme and their own regular real ale festivals. There were two real ales on offer when we arrived with a third added towards last orders. They were all from independent breweries. Memory a little hazy as to precisely which ones they were but I do remember that I had a rather nice pint of O’Hanlon’s Stormstay. As we approach last orders, people begin to depart for buses and trains. I take my leave of Tony who informs me that he off on a 14 pub crawl of Brighton tomorrow! Lawrence who has been a invaluable guide to us south Londoners during the course of the evening asks us if we would like to join him and a few others in a visit to another north London pub. However, this would mean missing our last train and probably getting home at dawn. Ian, myself and the remainder of the Croydon and Sutton contingent therefore decline this very tempting offer and set off for Dalston Junction Station and home.

When I reflect on what I gained from the, apart from enjoying a variety of ales in good company, there was the realislation that those places in London you only pass through on the train or only know as a name on a map often support a good pub or two selling real ale. The crawl also encompassed areas as diverse architecturally as they were socially from the 1980s post modern architecture of Greenland Dock at Surrey Quays to the upmarket warehouse conversions of Wapping and the council estates of The Highway, Shadwell. However, every location had its reminders of the past, even The Highway at Shadwell, with Hawkesmoor’s St Georges in the East and the Old Rose (even if real ale was off that evening) standing out as survivors of the Blitz. I’ve always felt that many of London’s most interesting places lie outside the City and West End and, as a result seldom get visited. The newly extended East London Line provides you with an opportunity to put together a good day out combining, pubs, historic buildings. So why not buy a travel card this weekend and give it a try?

Jan Mondrzejewski

An interview with Anthony Thomas of the Antic Pub Collective.

I recently noticed that a number of pubs in Lewisham appear to have undergone a miraculous transformation. One which I visited after a long absence was the Royal Albert, New Cross Road , SE14. It is a fantastic Victorian Grade II listed building and one which I had often passed and thought ‘nice building but shame about the beer’. At one stage known as the Paradise Bar, its use was even officially changed to a nightclub, much to the dismay of local residents. However, my visit there in 2009 revealed a traditional pub serving real ale and good food, with home made pork pies and sausage rolls displayed under glass bells on the bar. It was now the sort of establishment which anyone would welcome at the end of their street. At about the same time I noticed that the Alpha Club in Brockley Road , SE4, which I always assumed was a private members club in a pair of converted Victorian shops and very unlikely to stock real ale had become ‘The Jam Circus’. It was now a proper, if unusually named pub, offering real ale, Belgian bottled beers and stand up comedy in a quirky 1960s themed room at the rear of the bar. I discovered that the company associated with the remarkable transformation of these two licensed establishments was called Antic. Then, earlier this year, I found that the vacant and boarded up Coach and Horses in Lewisham High Street, SE13 wasn’t as I feared going to be demolished and replaced by a block of flats. The original tiled front of this 1930s pub had suddenly been exposed by the removal of later cladding, while a large banner on the building proclaimed the fact that the pub had been acquired by Antic and would soon be opening as the Ravensbourne Arms. Checking out their Website at www.antic-ltd.com, I saw that they’re based in Camberwell and style themselves a Pub Collective rather than a Pub Company. They currently have an impressive collection of 16 Pubs spread across London , but mainly south of the River, with four more in addition to the Ravensbourne Arms in the pipeline as well as a new brewery in Camberwell. I then made the startling discovery that Antic was run by someone I knew, although I never suspected that he was involved with reviving the fortunes of ailing London pubs. His name is Anthony Thomas.

Realising, that many other CAMRA members would want to know more about Antic, I approached them to see if I could get an interview with Anthony. I soon got a message asking me to meet him at the Rising Sun in Tottenham Court Road at 6.30 on a Wednesday evening. I arrived early and after a short while I saw the distinctive figure of Anthony approaching. He is tall, slim, with longish black hair and beard. After we greet, I notice Anthony casting an eye over the interior of this opulent Victorian gin palace, no doubt thinking of how it could be improved should Punch Taverns ever decide to sell it! Just as I only recently made the connection between Anthony and Antic, he did not know of my active involvement with CAMRA’s South East London Branch, so I fill him in on this. As the pub is by now getting quite crowded we decide to take our pints of Shepherd Neame Spitfire into the street to continue the interview in the fading sunlight of a warm spring evening.

One of my first questions for Anthony was about the origin of the name. Although superficially a pun on his own name he refers me to the dictionary definition of ‘antic’ which can mean any one of a number of things such as ‘odd, ludicrous, whimsical, a merry-Andrew or a buffoon’. While the company, like any other, can only survive if it makes a profit, it is also about having fun and the Antic name is intended to reflect this. Similarly, Antic prefers to be called a Collective and not a Company. This is not just because of the negative connotations associated with Pub Co’s but because the organisation comprises a collection of very disparate pubs, all run with that objective of having fun and providing fun. Unlike Wetherspoons, Antic do not have a brand image. Instead they have pubs such as the Jam Circus with its stand up comedy and 60s retro look and the Royal Albert where real ale is served in jugs as opposed to the now ubiquitous straight glass. Anthony also admitted that he would like to introduce metal tankards if he could be sure they wouldn’t be stolen. In terms of entertainment, Anthony is a traditionalist and would like to secure the involvement of local Morris sides to entertain customers with dancing on summer evenings. He particularly likes brass bands and would very much like to find a local one to sponsor. They could certainly provide the required razzmatazz for the launch of new pubs!

We now turn our attention to real ale and I ask Anthony whether he would expect all Antic Pubs to stock real ale. His answer is an unequivocal ‘yes’. However, some pubs have restricted cellar space which limits the numbers of real ales which can be sold to only two or three. On the other hand, pubs, such as the newly acquired Red Lion, High Road, Leytonstone, E11 have the potential to supply real ale from a large cellar serving a large number of hand pumps. I ask Anthony whether any manager of an Antic pub has ever said to him that he or she was unable to sell real ale because ‘there was no demand’. Anthony assures me that this has never happened and if it did he would clearly need to take a look at the pub in question to see what it was doing wrong. Anthony is certainly aware of that vital statistic that real ale is the only sector of the brewing industry currently exhibiting growth.

On the subject of whether any pubs in the collective have ever failed, Anthony admits that since its foundation in 1999 some mistakes were made in the early days. At that stage they were still finding their way and they didn’t always get it right. He recalls a pub in Peckham which they acquired on a three year lease from a Pub co. He can no longer remember the name but all their attempts to turn it round failed. The lease was not renewed and the pub use of the building subsequently ceased. However, with the passage of time comes experience. Anthony does not consider they would make that sort of mistake again.

Following local concerns that the Forest Hill Tavern, Dartmouth Road , SE23, may be redeveloped and knowing that one of the new Antic pubs will be a conversion of the Forest Hill Post Office in Dartmouth Rd , I asked Anthony if he had looked at the possibility of taking on the existing pub. Anthony replies that they did and that taking over a vacant pub is normally always preferable to creating a new one. While they obviously wanted a presence in Forest Hill, the size of the premises and its position in the town centre and cost of acquisition are important considerations. In this case the owner had had planning permission refused for a residential conversion of the upper floors of the building. However, even expectations of residential development can sometimes put pubs beyond the reach of genuine pub operators. Antic therefore considered that the best option for the collective in this case was to establish a new pub to be called the ‘Sylvan Post’ which should open this summer.

One of the other new Antic pubs will be the Greyhound, Kirkdale, Sydenham, SE26, which local residents fought hard to ensure, was retained as part of a proposed redevelopment scheme. I asked Anthony if he knew anything about the Victorian wall tiles which the developer has told residents are in storage and will be reinstated on completion of the development. Anthony confirms that this is his understanding but he has not seen the tiles and does not know what condition they are in. However, Antic would always fully support the retention of original internal features and fittings.

This now brings me to the only hint of controversy linked to an Antic pub which has come to my attention. The Old Red Lion Kennington Park Road , SE11, is a Grade II listed building included in the CAMRA London Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. I had heard complaints about internal alterations being carried out without listed building consent. Anthony is surprised that the refurbishment works at the premises, which he thought had been minimal, would have needed listed building consent. However, if any harm has been done to the listed building Antic would of course co-operate fully with the local authority in rectifying this.

Turning from selling real ale to making it I ask Anthony about Antic’s recent purchase of brewing equipment from Meantime. Yes, the Collective proposes to make its entry into the microbrewery sector towards the end of the year with a new brewery located at their Camberwell HQ. A brewer who started his career with the Fox and Firkin chain has been recruited. According to Anthony, it is not intended to limit production to the supply of Antic pubs. Instead, production will be of a scale which will enable a number of real ales to be offered on the open market to other outlets, including, of course, beer festivals. One of Anthony’s ambitions would be to brew a good quality, popular real ale which would sell, at current prices, for about £2.40 a pint in Antic pubs.

With the sun now setting over the West End and the football on the television inside the pub giving rise to quite a sizable crowd, the interview draws to a close and we say our goodbyes. I leave the Rising Sun with a feeling that it is not all doom and gloom on the pub front in London and that not every pub that closes is destined to become a block of flats or a betting shop. Anyone with any further queries or suggestions for the Antic collective could always try the ‘Bosses’ Ear’ section of their Website. No doubt there will be quite a few CAMRA members with boarded up pubs near them in need of a sympathetic new owner who appreciates real ale!

Jan Mondrzejewski

South East London CAMRA

May 2011

CAMRA LocAle is a new initiative that promotes pubs stocking locally brewed real ale. The scheme builds on a growing consumer demand for quality local produce and an increased awareness of green issues.

The CAMRA LocAle scheme was created in 2007 by CAMRA’s Nottingham branch which wanted to help support the tradition of brewing within Nottinghamshire, following the demise of local brewer Hardys and Hansons.

The Criteria for the LocAle distance varies per region; however in London the brewery must be within 30 miles of the pub.

Get Involved

If you are a pub within South East London you can participate in the LocAle scheme by contacting the branch. Pubs that always serve at least one real ale brewed within 30 miles can join the scheme. For futher information view the Main CAMRA LocAle page.

Current LocAle Pubs

The Following pubs have signed up to the locAle scheme.

1. We make known which pubs/bars we believe serve great real ale, by having entries in the nationally published CAMRA good beer guide. Also we give local awards for pubs using different themes and criteria such as pub of the season, best newly opened pub etc.
2. With increasing pub losses we campaign for the preservation of individual threatened pubs, especially those serving real ale. We believe and will highlight that some interests seek change which is to the detriment of local communities and viable pub premises.
3. The element of socialisation is part of what pubs are all about and the Branch aims to reflect this through regular social events that have a friendly atmosphere. This friendship extends to us being grateful and broadly supportive of each other in regard to the many voluntary roles we carry out.
4. As a consumer group we seek sometimes not just to support, but also to remind and make suggestions to breweries, pub chains, councils and other organisations on various aspects of our consumer interest and concern.

Written by Julian & Jill Stone – approved by the committee on the 02/11/10

The following books will be avaliable to purchase at our Branch Meetings very soon at a discounted price. To confirm availability at the meeting you wish to attend please email beer_guides [at] selcamra.org.uk

Gateway to Kent Pub Guide

A new guide to around 500 pubs in the West and Mid Kent area. Extensive information on all pubs in Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks & Maidstone and all surrounding villages.

• Full colour 176 page pocket sized paperback, packed with useful and interesting information
• Extensive pub details including description, list of facilities, opening hours, real ales, ciders, perries, etc.
• Over 100 colour photos of the best pubs
• 50 pages of related articles illustrated in colour, including walking, cycling, public transport and tourist attractions
• Information on beers, local breweries, ciders and cider makers
• Guide area map and four main town maps
• The first new pub guide to the area in 10 years

Only £4.99/£4 to CAMRA members

Good Beer Guide 2010

Now in its 37th year, the Good Beer Guide is fully revised and updated, with details of more than 4,500 pubs across the country serving the best real ale.

From country inns to urban style bars and backstreet boozers, all selected and reviewed by CAMRA’s 100,000 members, this is your definitive guide to finding the perfect pint.

• Complete entries for over 4,500 urban and rural pubs, giving details of food, opening hours, beer gardens, accommodation, transport links, pub history, disabled access and facilities for families.
• Informative features section, with articles on pubs, beer and brewing, as well as beer festival listings from around the country.
• Fully revised and updated every year by 100,000 CAMRA members across the country.
• Unique brewery section listing all the breweries in the UK – micro, regional and national – that brew real ale, with tasting notes for hundreds of their beers written by a trained CAMRA tasting panel.

Only £11 to CAMRA members

Real cider is a long-established traditional drink which is produced naturally from apples and is neither carbonated or pasteurised. However real cider is in a similar situation to that which faced real ale some 30 years ago with the number of outlets for real cider is diminishing, even in the West Country.

For real cider outlets in London take a look at www.ukcider.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Cider_Pub_Guide_to_London

BOOK REVIEW : Craft cider making – by Andrew Lea

As a small scale hobby cider maker I have a few books on the subject and I was eager to see what this new book offered. Making cider is simple thing ? Press apples, ferment juice – hey presto cider ! Well it is a bit more involved so some guidance is required. The author has a long background on cider making and apple research, winning prizes for his cider at competitions, so well versed to produce such a book.

It starts off with a short history on Cider, with a definition of cider and cider making and the law. Then chapter Two has requirements for cider making, detailing equipment and types of apples. Then chapter 3 gives a good account on apples and their cultivation, including locating, planting and management useful if you are thinking of setting up an orchard yourself. Chapter 4 gets in the detail of milling pressing the fruit, looking after the juice, yeast and its role in fermentation, techniques for fermenting and racking, then finally maturating and bottling. Chapter 5 is entitled “customising your cider”! yes you can do this, how to make sparking cider, sweet cider with out refermenting, the Keeving process an alternative method of processing the juice. Importantly next a good chapter “when things go wrong” – yes they do sometimes, you are dealing with a food product and it is well detailed in how to check and fix, invaluable for ensuring a good product.

The final chapter deals with preserving apple juice pasteurisation, making cider vinegar and Perry. At the back there is good section of addresses, other books and contacts .

I am slightly disappointed in respect of equipment that it doesn’t give much information for the first time DIY cider maker in detailing any equipment that could be home made. I found this book easy to read with plenty of detail but without getting too bogged down in unwanted technical waffle; the author being a retired food biochemist certainly uses his professional knowledge through the book. I feel it aimed at the more larger scale craft maker than the very small DIY-er, but none the less there is a great deal of information packed in and well recommended to any one who wants to make cider.

Autumn is coming along and apples will be ready for harvest so if you fancy making some of your own, then get reading this book.

Ian White