Pub of the Year 2011 – Grape and Grain
We are pleased to announce the Grape and Grain in Crystal Palace is the Pub of the Year. The Presentation will take place at 8pm on the 5th of March during their Spring Beer Festival
New Star Pub Award – Grape and Grain
We are pleased to announce the Grape and Grain in Crystal Palace is the new Star Pub. Rick and Angela took over the pub in 2009 and since then serving 8 real ales at a time from breweries such as Westerham, Dark Star, Purity and Hogsback and hosting Meet the Brewer Evenings
The presentation will take place on the saturday 9th October 7.30/8pm
Following Jack Beards going in to Administration Rick and Angela have purchesed the lease on the pub, which will remain free of tie and continue to have the same good beers. The pub will reopened on Monday 26th July and a good time was had by serveral branch members that evening.
Pub of the Year 2010 – Five Bells Chelsfield Village
The Five Bells Chelsfield Village was awarded South East London Pub of the Year 2010 on Sunday May 30th at 8pm.
Pub of the Season – Winter 2009/2010 – Red Lion Bromley. The Presentation will take place on Sunday 18th of April at 7:30pm
The Red Lion Bromley North has been voted Pub of the Season Winter 2009/2010 and the award was presented in April 2010.
Pub of the Season – Autumn 2009 – Hoopers Bar
Hoopers Bar was awarded the Autumn 2009 Pub of the Season Award on 16th December 2009. Situated on the back streets on the Camberwell\East Dulwich\Peckham borders, it needs to be sought out, but is every bit worth the effort.
Jamie Hooper took over the pub in early 2007, saving it from being a yet another pub casualty . As it is an genuine Free House, Jamie sources many Ales predominantly from microbreweries including Otley and Dark Star, as well as an extensive range of Bottled Beers from around Europe. Regular themed Beer festivals are held including a Champions and Winter Ales. Pictured above Jamie hosted the brewers from Sambrooks for a popular ‘meet the brewer’ session as part of the 2009 Cask Ale Week Festival which showcased a beer from every London brewery
Threatened Pubs
Recent research from CAMRA has suggested that as many as 56 pubs are closing down each month across the UK and this affects both rural and urban areas. CAMRA helps communities fighting to save their local pub and many communities have succeeded in saving their local and defeating demolition or unwelcome development.
The Following pubs are either under threat of closure or have already closed and under threat of demolition or conversion to other uses (e.g flats).
The Widmore
Full details of a campaign to save this pub can be found here
Duke of Hamilton,Hampstead
John Cryne of CAMRA North London reports that the owners of the three times winner of CAMRA North London’s Pub of the Year competition, the Duke of Hamilton, New End, Hampstead, NW3 1JD have now submitted formal planning applications to Camden Council to convert the pub into two private dwellings.
The first application [2010/1923/C] was filed on 28 May for the demolition of a single story extension at ground floor level – the toilet block. The second and more substantial [2010/1901/P] was filed on 1 June for conversion to residential after the previously mentioned demolition.
CAMRA is asking people to write to Camden Council and object which you can do on-line before the end of June by clicking the application numbers above and then clicking the “Add Comments Here” link. It is also possible to write to them via this link tinyurl.com/32pre6b.
You don’t have to be a Camden resident to post your objections. If you use the pub or have visited at some time then you have the right to object. Indeed, even if you have never used the pub, the fact that we are losing a pub a day across the country means that somewhere a line has to be drawn in the sand. So we can all object!
For more details on how you can help go to www.savetheduke.com.
Rose & Crown Halsted
The longstanding manager, Bob, has been given notice to quit of just 3 weeks by the Owner. The details are a bit sketchy at the moment, but it appears the Owner wishes to change the pubs direction, whatever that means. We am concerned that it could mean the conversion of the pub and or the loss of the pubs focus on real ale.
To show support for the current Manager the West Kent CAMRA Branch are bringing forward the presentation of our runner-up POTY certificate to next Saturday and would like to extend an invitation to your branch to join us in supporting the current way the pub is run.
Beacon, Farleigh Avenue, Hayes
The Beacon, 18 Farleigh Avenue, Hayes, is due to close on 22nd June 2010. We are told that this pub, previously owned by Punch Taverns, has been sold to a property developer, who will no doubt plan to demolish it and replace it with yet another block of flats. Is it too late to save it? Can any of our members living in the borough of Bromley make some enquiries of the Council and let us know what is the state of play? The pub serves one real ale, Fuller’s London Pride.
The Baring Hall Hotel
The Baring Hall Hotel, Grove Park, SE12, has closed following a fire in August 2009. Rumour has it that a property developer may be intending to demolish it and replace it with a block of flats. It’s a grand old building and it should be retained. News Shopper article following the Fire.
Royal George, Greenwich
We regret to inform you that a planning application to demolish the The Royal George, a Community Shepherd Neame Pub on Blisset Street in Greenwich has been approved. Mostyn Lewis has written an article in the april/may London Drinker on “The Loss of the Royal George”
