I Waters the Worker's Beer

 

"Now a drop of good beer is good for a man
Who's thirsty and tired and hot,
And I sometimes has a drop for myself
From a very special lot;
But a fat and healthy working class
Is the thing that I most fear,
So I reaches my hand for the water tap,
And I waters the workers' beer."

 

 I've used this title before - back in 2009, don't you know - and the little ditty above. Then it was in a slightly difference context, but I like it and it is fitting for this little piece. 

Molson Coors - not my favourite of the big boys though there isn't much to like about any of them - have announced that Carling lager will reduce to 3.4%  for their packaged versions . Packaged essentially means in bottle and nowadays, much more commonly, the can.  It is for UK only and the lucky Carling drinkers in Ireland and elsewhere won't be subjected to this.  It will not apply to the version sold in the pubs and is being done to keep Carling competitive with its rivals such as Carling Pilsner and Fosters in the supermarkets.

 

The figures are quite startling. To reduce the alcohol by volume  to under the threshold of lower duty, set at 3.5% will save the brewer - the brewer pays the duty - 20.35 pence per 440 ml can. Multiply this by the millions of cans produced and you can see the logic.  Will this saving be passed on to the dedicated Carling at home drinker? Well,if history is anything to go by,no.

 

Now you'll likely be saying "So what?" I drink cask ale in the pub and at home I am discerning enough to buy something stronger and better. No doubt, but if like me you are a believer in the slippery slope/ thin end of the wedge the you will see that this considerable saving is not just attractive to Carling producers but to others. Already we see a rash of 3.4% cask beers in free houses and is that difference passed in to customers? I would suggest not. Are most of them thin and watery? Yes.

 

To add another cliche while I'm in the mood for them, there is the law of unintended consequences.  Beerwise, it is most famously manifested in the aftermath of the Beer Orders. on a smaller and more insidious scale it is happening to our beers. The strength of big brands brewed here is almost always weaker than the same beer brewed abroad and I doubt if you will find many preferring, say, UK brewed Stella to the Belgian version. And so on.

 

So watch out. Your pint is already being attacked and affected in so many ways, but you might want to add abv reductions to your risk register. 

 

In case you are wondering, the reduction in duty gives a saving of 25.13p a pint.  Not to be sniffed at for some.

 

I just spotted this from my local brewery JW Lees: hhttp//x.com/Will_LJ/status/2082758472886542524?s=20t tps://x.com/Will_LJ/status/2082758472886542524?s=20

https://x.com/Will_LJ/status/2082758472542524?s=20 

 

After months of wrangling we decided to retain Original at 4% and Manchester Craft Lager at 5% and guess what? They both managed to grow their volume over the last 12 months - 3.4% is not necessarily the answer - zig when the big boys zag!

— William Lees-Jones (@Will_LJ) July 30, 2026

A Good Point by B and B

Boak and Bailey made a point a couple of weeks ago which struck a chord with me.  They said "We’ve decided to spend a week blogging like it’s 2008 again: more posts, shorter posts, and more bouncing off other bloggers."  Ah the good old days.

Back then when I used to post a lot - and I've been having a look at my old stuff and you should too - it's great stuff and a lot of it short. A remark about a pub or two, or a beer, or a little industry comment.  Maybe a longer piece about a more complex subject.  Much more enjoyable and frankly a lot easier to do.  It doesn't take much to see my enthusiasm for blogging has slowly but surely declined and actually I'd like to arrest that. I'll never get back to the heady days of hundreds of posts, but on the basis of little and often I think I might manage a few more.  I still have plenty to say and for many reasons,I don't find the writing time - or the inspiration and inclination - so easy to find. Among other things, you can probably blame YouTube for that. There though, I can also find a lot of beery stuff -  much of it wrong or too obvious - but either way, I am kind of drawn in.  You can learn a lot from YouTube, though not all of it worthwhile even when it hooks you in.

So, on that basis, I recommend to you all this channel.  WandoJames is co-owner of the Big 6( Big Six sometimes) pub in Halifax and he specialises in how British pubs and pub culture have changed since the Beer Orders and are changing and adapting still.  If you want to get a better grasp of how pubs operate, the different models and pressures as well as the subtle changes that many will only notice after they are pointed out then his channel Pubs, Pints and Places is for you.  

So I won't rattle on. And James doesn't either. His stuff is just a few minutes long. Why not have a look at Wando James and you can thank me later by letting me know in the comments what you think.  

According to CAMRA, the Big 6 is derived from a mineral water company that operated here a century ago, whose memorabilia adorn the walls.  It isn't (as I originally thought) its street number.

My only visit was to attend the funeral of the late Tony Allen of Phoenix Brewery fame.  I must go back when it isn't so crowded. In the meantime Retired Martin wrote about here. It is rightly in his top 100 pubs.

Monopoly Hidden in Plain Sight

In late June, we headed up to the North East last week for a couple of nights to celebrate the E's birthday. Now, I used to spend a fair bit of time in Newcastle back in my working days, but the Northumberland coast? Completely unknown territory. What would we find apart from dodgy weather?

Our home for two nights was The Olde Ship Inn in Seahouses. Central, it does food, and it offers nine cask lines, though I doubt if E considered the latter aspect when booking us in.Well, you never know, I suppose, but she didn't mention it. On checking in, we err, checked out the bar. The board was a bit of a samey sea of IPAs, goldens, and bitters. Still, a first scan of the wickets threw up a surprise: Hadrian Border Brewery. I thought they’d gone under years ago! Gladly corrected, I went for their Farne Island Blonde which after a long drive was very welcome. I asked why there wasn't a single dark beer on and the barman looked at the pumps like he was noticing this for the first time. "Oh, sometimes we have them, just not right now." Right then. The stout revolution clearly hasn't made it up this far north yet.

We went for the obligatory seaside wander. It’s your classic British coast setup: loads of chippies, a couple of ice cream spots, two curry houses, and that familiar, comforting touch of souvenir led tackiness. Despite the recent heatwave, Seahouses was a bracing 17°C, made even more atmospheric when the sea haar (that thick coastal fog) rolled in.

Naturally, after a wander - spoiler - there's not a lot to see -we fancied a pre-dinner pint, hoping for the best we nipped into The Bamburgh Castle Inn opposite the harbour and our digs. It’s a massive, modern lounge-style place owned by The Inn Collection Group. Very food-led. They had a couple of handpumps from Alnwick Brewery - a name we’d end up seeing almost everywhere -but it was overall a tad underwhelming. A quick glance at the rest of the bar gave the game away: the whole offering was from Molson Coors. Carling, Madri, Staropramen, Worthington, and Blue Moon. Hmm. I choked down a poorly presented Alnwick Amber, followed it with a Blue Moon, and decided then and there I wouldn't be repeating the experience.

To make matters worse, as the place filled up, a proper queue formed. That didn't prevent the staff shouting "Who's next?" into the crowd. If the beer had been any good, I might have braved the line and walked straight to the bar for another. It wasn't, so we left. It was probably for the best.

Back at a heaving Olde Ship, a fellow imbiber tipped us off that a fresh cask of Timothy Taylor Boltmaker had just been tapped. It was in absolute pristine nick. They also told us to check out The Black Swan which we did, stumbling round the back streets in an eerie fog to get there and were rewarded with a brilliant pint of Kirkstall Three Swords. A decent pub overall which we knew we'd return to.

The next day we walked over to Bamburgh along miles of pristine sandy beaches and the sun came out. Surprising me somewhat  Bamburgh is a tiny village dominated by a big, proper "fuck-off" castle. I had imagined it as a sort of decent sized market town or something like that. Well, you live and learn I suppose.

There are three pubs here, and a bit of digging revealed a depressing pattern. Two of the pubs sit just 80 metres apart, owned by the exact same company, serving the exact same Molson Coors lineup alongside those same underwhelming Alnwick beers. Someone has clearly spent serious money turning these places into smart, glossy gastro-pubs, but the beer selection is an absolute crying shame. Nothing imported, all Burton or Tadcaster brewed and all uninspiring. I suppose we should have tried the third Bamburgh pub, but we only had time for two as the buses aren't exactly frequent. 

So, why does is Molson Coors so dominant in this neck of the woods? When I looked into it later, it all made sense:

• The Tadcaster Connection: Molson Coors owns the massive ex- Bass Tadcaster Brewery not so far away in North Yorkshire. Being local keeps their distribution costs and carbon footprint incredibly low.
• Deep Roots: They’ve been brewing at Tadcaster since the 1880s, building unbreakable, historic ties with the region's working men's clubs and independent boozers.
• Loan Ties and  Volume discounts: As a global drinks giant, they can offer massive financial incentives and cheap wholesale prices to pub groups in exchange for total exclusivity on the taps.

On the bus back to Seahouses (free for us old gits - nice), we hit the remaining local pub. The Schooner Inn was a forgettable, unwelcoming keg-only boozer (Molson Coors/ABInBev dominating again, shocker), so I had a swift half of Guinness and moved on. I don't think E enjoyed her Staropramen, or was it Pravha? Does it really matter?

Finally, we popped back to The Black Swan which was rather handily next door. It's another pub that's had a fortune spent on a fancy refurbishment, and while two of their three pumps were inevitably devoted to Alnwick, the Kirkstall Three Swords was still firing on all cylinders. Plus, the atmosphere was cracking.with proper friendly, chatty denizens, admittedly all visitors like us.

On that and related subjects, CAMRA has today launched a bit of pop at the multi nationals* over denying the market by tying up pumps by discounts, exclusivity agreements and many other underhand tricks.  You can read it in the above link. My own additional view is that surely it can't be in the long term interests of businesses to limit their offer for short term gain on supply prices?

The moral of the story? When drinking on the Northumberland coast - and elsewhere for that matter - read the pumps carefully, be wary of corporate monopolies, and when you find a good pint of Kirkstall or Timothy Taylor or whatever - stick to it!

I know I'm having a dig at Alnwick Brewery here which may be unfair. Suffice to say they brew a broad range of beers, but the same two were everywhere. Maybe that's the deal with Molson Coors, and certainly the beers could have been better presented, but you can only speak as you find.

* Extract from the CAMRA Beer Report

Critically, artificial barriers have been constructed that leave independent local and regional producers excluded, in effect, from large parts of the UK beer market, in particular the on-trade. These include,but are not limited to, controls on the range of beers that a licensee is contractually allowed to source at a competitive price, and the draught
beers they are allowed to sell through their dispense equipment. 

All Change? Happen not.

The news broke late yesterday morning that Humphrey Smith had passed away.  The doyen of Samuel Smith Brewery was only 81 - though to some he had been around forever - and seemingly had been in poor health for some time though details are, as you'd expect rather scarce. Some insiders refer to him having been in palliative care for a short while, but whatever the circumstances, he is no more, so let's look back a little before looking forward.

The brewery was established by his predecessors in 1758 and Humphrey took over in the early 1980s. Until then the brewery had run its 300 or so pubs mainly as tenancies, where the business was let out to individual landlords, while still tied to the brewery. Over a relatively short period all were converted to managed houses, which allowed Humphrey free reign to set his own rules and impose them on his managers.  This slowly but surely resulted in his somewhat idiosyncratic ways of enforcing the banning of mobile phones, music, televisions, laptops and of course, swearing at their pub estate. Over the years his iron rule was characterised by unannounced visits at all sorts of odd times of the day. I'm told that particularly, closing time was one to be especially on your guard. Subsequent peremptory sacking of managers for not following his rules to the letter was meted out.  That is all fairly well known though, as are the outcomes. Disobeying his edicts, which are usually displayed clearly all over the pubs, seemed to make him particularly crabby if the sackings and closures are anything to go by. Following such dismissals, a large number of his pubs were closed and remained so, some for many years and many are still. (Up to fifty percent.) But we know all this I think.

New to me yesterday was that he was an old Etonian, which I suppose explains a lot - or doesn't depending on your point of view. While it has been seen before in smaller measures, there was a fair old outpouring of support for him from some former colleagues and pub managers, mostly along the lines of "If  you obeyed the rules, you got on fine with him". The consensus, such as I could make out is that those who fell foul of him didn't think highly of him at all, while those who hadn't did. Despite ups and downs, the mayor of Tadcaster was pretty effusive in his praise of the man saying, according to the BBC, " Humphrey was a "true gentleman" and a "man of principle"."I've known him all my life and he's a respected person. He had Tadcaster at heart. He's done many things in Tadcaster unseen that people don't know about.There's a lot of amenities in Tadcaster that, if it wasn't for Mr Smith and the brewery, we wouldn't have. We've got a lot to thank him for."

As I've mentioned before in this blog, I've met Humphrey once and seen him in a local pub on one other occasion.  He was a dapper man, both times dressed in a dark blue suit and very busy looking. I last wrote about Sam's here in 2022 and I commend it to you and my two accounts of meeting the man. The first in 2009 when I actually spoke to him and the other ten years later when I was next to him and didn't.  I have also written fairly extensively about Sam's and their pubs when I was good at this blogging game. I commend all to you, particularly where I discuss his London estate, which was mostly acquired from one of the first Pub Companies, Henekeys, and operates on a modified model of the Humph regime.

I could go on, but I won't, but what will happen next?  His London estate run by his son, Sam gives us a clue. There the rules still exist, but are applied more in the breach than the observance. Mobile phones are used willy-nilly, as are laptops and swearing -  though I think anything excessive is jumped on - as it should be in any licensed premises.

My view is that is what will happen in the rest of the Smith Empire. While not encouraged, phones will be tolerated for simple things like silent scrolling, finding out the next bus and ordering an Uber etc. There is unlikely to be Juke boxes,TVs or live music. Illegal and ad hoc sackings and closures will become a thing of the past. Pubs will be able to attract managers more easily and more closed ones will re-open. I predict that young Sam will not throw out what makes Smiths different, but he will tone it down while keeping the best bits. That would be fine as I'm sure most of us still want the nod to the past that typifies Sam's pubs. If that does happen that is the optimum outcome and while not what Humphrey would have done, it is what he should have done,  

So farewell to Humphrey Smith.  A character, an oppressor at times, but a man who knew what he wanted and was not afraid to do just as he liked. Not always admirable traits for sure, but old school from a time breweries were full of such larger then life individuals, particularly family owned ones and Humphrey was probably the last of them in terms of running the business as a fiefdom.

They don't make them like Humphrey Smith any more and while that is a good thing, he certainly leaves a legacy to live up to. Or live down.

At times like this I miss my old mate the Pub Curmudgeon who would no doubt have also written about this. It has dragged me out of semi-retirement too.

Humphrey was very wealthy man. Rumour has it he was one of the first to see the value of the then derelict London Docklands, was also a landowner in Yorkshire and elsewhere, and freeholder of most of his pub estate including London. Lad did all right for himself.

I haven't used any photo of the Humph as I am unsure about copyright, but easily googled.

 

A Slippery Slope

Way back in the past I wrote about how the modern mannerism "You all right there" at the bar had become a kind of of substitute for previous greetings such as "what can I get you?" or "what would you like?" For the record, it was a short blogpost, as this one will be, and it was over fifteen years ago and, inevitably, in the way of things, it has got worse. Fifteen years ago, I was by my measure of the day an old git - and I quote myself there. Nowadays I'm an even older old git and while generally good natured, I am slightly wound up, inwardly at least by how bar staff have become even more slapdash.  

I was reminded of this in no uncertain terms the other day at the bar of a local brewer's pub - not JW Lees - though their contribution to this kind of thing is not exactly an ungenerous one - but a local rival. The young woman in question approached from around fifteen or more feet away as I waited to be served at the end of the bar.  No jolly repartee was expected, but I suppose deep down I had hoped, nay expected a tad more than a curt upwards nod in my direction, which I took to be an offer to trade, though expressed in somewhat minimal terms. I did not reply and we had a slight stand off. Then things looked up. "OK?" she said. To add insult to injury, I was silently presented with the card reader and before the approval had been signalled, she had returned to gossip with her fellow bar operatives, proving at least she could string a few words together when it suited her.

Now I know when I'm beaten, so I retreated to my seat to moan to E who has heard it all before. Am I wrong in this?  Should I expect less these days? I was almost nostalgic for "you all right there?"

I wrote here about how different things were when I worked in the pub when God was a boy and society was totally different. That has changed and of course social media hadn't then robbed so many of us of the little sense we started out with, but the basic principles remain. The customer, especially in these difficult times, is all of the business. Treat that person with a bit of respect. 

If you run a pub or bar, please reach your staff that. It really does make a difference. Especially to old gits.

Another YouTube recommendation from me.  James runs and co-owns the Big Six pub in Halifax a pub I've been in and would return to in a heartbeat. His thoughts on pubs are really excellent. 

It's times like this when I miss the Pub Curmudgeon. 

 

 

Free Houses Done Three Ways

I first mentioned the Hand and Marigold in Bermondsey last July. It is a handsome free house, and we've been a few times and like it.  If you want to know a bit more about it, I suggest you read this piece from the Southwark News which lays out the story of the pub's resurrection in excellent detail. 

The pub itself is handsome, well laid out inside and the staff in my experience are helpful. Glasses are oversized ensuring a full pint and the cask beer is well-chosen, and by and large has been in very good condition when we've visited. Perhaps it is the times we've chosen, but it hasn't been very busy when we call in, but us being a bit older (ahem) it tends to be during the day.  They are however extending it by opening a room downstairs, so hopefully it is doing fine. One observation is that twice we've called in winter and both times the pub has been pretty cold.  Maybe that's a money saving exercise, but it doesn't really do it for me.  I expect to be warm in the pub.

Bermondsey has its share of interesting pubs, and we are still coming to grips with them. It takes us about half an hour or forty-five minutes to walk to most parts of it, so we can get a bit of exercise too, which is good.   This we did a couple of Sundays ago, and it gave us the chance to check out another pub we'd heard of - Simon the Tanner. Its website describes itself as a "dinky destination for quality and relaxed vibes in Borough, Bermondsey and London Bridge." Well, it can't really be in all three, but I can see what they are driving at. CAMRA's review of it is slightly more down to earth "In a quiet road off busy Bermondsey Street, the Simon is a mid-terrace, modestly sized Grade II-listed pub. A former Shepherd Neame outlet, it is now a free house. The three regularly changing real ales are from small breweries, and there is sometimes also real cider."

It was around four o'clock when we popped in and the place was fairly quiet. The welcome was friendly, and I was offered tasters of the cask beers on offer, before settling on that rarest of beasts, a cask dark mild. On a fairly cold winter's day the pub was warm and cosy, though surprisingly empty given that Sunday lunches were available. Nonetheless, I liked it and I think we'll certainly be back which is recommendation enough when you think about it.

Leaving the pub, we headed back across Tower Bridge and one of our local pubs, the Sir Sydney Smith in Dock Street. This is a smashing little ex Truman's  pub with a good mixed clientele.  We remember the pub when we first hung about the place twenty odd years ago. Then you could have filmed Goodnight Sweetheart's pub scenes without changing much at all. It has since been sensitively modernised, but retains a very cosy and friendly feel with three cask beers. It, too, was pretty quiet, so perhaps the busyness of London pubs just doesn't extend to Sunday afternoons and early evenings?  Given that quietness, I skipped the Harvey's Best and we finished our weekend with imported Bavarian Helles in the shape of Hofmeister, which was no hardship.

So there you have it. Three free houses, all with different approaches and all worth visiting. I'll take that. You should too if you are in the area.

All are good bets for decent cask ale too which is always something to look for. The Sir Sydney Smith isn't at all far from Tower Hill Tube. I don't think other than snacks you can eat at the hand and Marigold, but you certainly can at the other two.

There are plenty of other decent pubs near these pubs too, which is always worth bearing in mind. 

  

A Proper Pub Once More

Years ago, we used to visit a pub at the far end of the Minories, fairly near our flat.  And I mean years ago - probably fifteen or so since we last went in. Then the Three Lords was a Young's pub and I recall it being fairly traditional and selling cask beer. Over time though it was pulled apart inside and instead of a mixed clientele it became a place with a few posing tables and a mostly young after the office kind of vibe. It offered unbearable music, shoulder to shoulder standing drinkers braying at top volume, and became just the sort of place that we actively avoid. So we actively avoided it. For years and years. Though we passed it by many times, the Three Lords was dead to us. A few months ago we noticed it was closed and kind of assumed that after Covid office workers were thin on the ground and its time had passed.

Enter Will Hawkes, whose London Newsletter I subscribe to - and worthwhile it is too - who advised that the pub was undergoing renovation and would be leased (I think) to London Brewing Company. That sounded promising and a few weeks ago, we passed it, still closed but with evidence of being worked on. We kept an eye on it and I understand it opened a week or two ago, so last night we called in. I am glad to say we immediately liked it.

Now Ye Three Lords, the place is a pub again. Entry is through a kind of foyer and, depending on your point of view, it has rather subdued lighting or is a bit gloomy. To the right is a long bar festooned by many taps dispensing London Brewing's keg offerings and others. In the middle is a set of wickets with, on this visit, four cask beers on offer.  On the left are sets of comfortable banquette type seating set to face each other, with some room dividers nicely breaking up the space.  Walls are painted black, dark grey or dark blue. In the circumstances, it was hard to tell.  Ceiling lights and bar lights are fabulous and look as though they cost a bob or two. The bar back sports spirits and is mirrored and looks good.  The pub was warm on a cold evening, and the staff - obviously new - easily outnumbered the customers. We counted six behind the bar at one point. With a boss hovering about and two chefs in the kitchen, more customers are certainly needed to make that equation add up, but let's assume this was for training purposes.  It is early days.

As I surveyed the beers, I was offered tasters.   Naturally, I tried the "best" bitter first, which wasn't to my taste at all. Slightly spicy with woody Fuggles dominating, it was, shall we say, typically Southern in profile.  I had a taste of the Ruby Mild and settled for a pint. At 3.4% it was fine, but no more. Clean with berry notes, but unremarkable. Without tasting, I ordered a pint of 100 Oysters a 4.6% stout which was, seemingly, Champion Beer of London in 2023. It was pretty black and like the mild, clean, which I like, but was undistinguished. Even with better conditioning and a tight sparkler, I doubt if its game could be raised much higher. Its champion status may well tell you more about the competition than the beer itself.

In summary, the cask beers were clean, but hardly raised the spirits. This was just ordinary. They lacked that peak of conditioning that sets things apart, but frankly you'll never do great things from these beers. They do sell Budvar, which E had, so who knows, that may have to be my tipple there and maybe the keg stuff is worthwhile? We shall see.  The tables all had menus and beer and price lists on them. A big tick there. All prices, including the beers were clearly listed, and I'd say were fair for the area.* 

I think there was no more than six or seven customers in and lacked atmosphere, but clearly on a busier night, it may have felt better. I’m told the downstairs area is rather swanky, but we didn't go there or to the toilets, so no comment on those.   

So, will we come back again? Yes. Overall, we liked it. It was comfortable, we enjoyed the background music which had actual words in it, the layout, the bar and the lovely lights. Was the welcome warm? Initially yes, but the person who served me hadn't passed his warmth on to his many colleagues, but, as I said, early days. 

To give you an idea of prices, a half of Budvar and a pint of beer - same price for both - was £8.55. To compare, a pint of Mallinsons Bitter and a half of Bitburger in the nearby Aldgate Tap was £7.80. Both were way better in the latter.

We noted the bar in Fullers Chamberlain Hotel, more or less opposite was rammed. Usually dead when we go.

Two Cheers for Licensing Review

There has been much coverage in the press - almost all of it sensational - in the past few days about the Government's proposals to review and modernise the laws which govern licensing.  The laws and rules have not been looked at in any great depth since the Licensing Act of 2003 which at the time was thought rather revolutionary and far-reaching, but is now seen as restrictive and over officious.

The new Labour Government set up a working group to look at how to reduce barriers in the licensing system and to examine and propose changes. It included UK Hospitality CEO Kate Nicholls, British Beer & Pub Association chair Nick Mackenzie and Night-Time Industries Association CEO Michael Kill.

The proposals are well laid out in the trade paper the Morning Advertiser which is linked.  Most seem sensible and non-controversial. My comments in italics:  

• A one-time (twentieth anniversary) licensing condition ‘amnesty’ to modernise and streamline licences

          Seems sensible 

• Hearings and appeals – various recommendations, including a strengthening of the objections procedure to prevent unnecessary and unsubstantiated objections

         About time. Too many objections are given too much weight in decision making 

• Remove the hard-copy local newspaper advertising requirement

          Clearly outdated and outrageously expensive to no real purpose 

• Improve the potential for licensed premises to better use their outside spaces by removing regulatory barriers, improving licensing decisions, simplifying processes, and achieving greater consistency

 Rather than protect outside space from unwarranted intrusion, this has been used as a stick with which to stop businesses using available space and for local authorities to exercise their  predilection for pettiness

• Increase the maximum entitlement for Temporary Event Notices (TENs) for licensed premises (that is those with existing premises licences) to help generate new opportunities for existing businesses. 

          Sensible. This applies to premises only, not to personal licences which have different conditions

• ‘Sunset clause’ on blanket hours and other policies to avoid situations where a restrictive policy is put in place to deal with a specific issue, but the policy in effect runs forever or is continually renewed using the original out of date evidence base 

          This is so obvious. What happened and was appropriate years ago is often automatically included for the future, despite circumstances changing

Other measures will include a review of licensing fees, extended blanket hours for specific local events, a review of the late-night levy and removal of early morning restriction orders.  

So far, so sensible. Reviewing legislation from time to time is only logical - laws need to evolve with the world they govern. Few could deny that pubs today are operating in a very different landscape to 2003, when the current Licensing Act became law. And that Act itself came after years of consultation in what already feels like another era.

What’s striking in this latest review is the number of gentle digs at Local Authorities and their often cautious stance on change. Naturally, that’s not what the headlines focused on. Even the BBC led with “longer opening hours” and the predictable link to anti-social behaviour. Meanwhile, pub owners across social media were quick to point out what’s really hurting the trade - and they’re right. Soaring inflation, rising wages, shifting consumer habits, higher taxes, sky-high utility costs, the cost-of-living crisis, and unfair competition from supermarkets all pile pressure on an already stretched industry — and that’s just the start of the list.

Still, the review itself is a step in the right direction. Although The Guardian focused wrongly on “Pubs to stay open until early hours in push for UK growth” -  those extra freedoms will help. But real progress would mean tackling the everyday issues that make both running and visiting pubs increasingly uneconomic.

When I say Local Authorities can be “cautious,” perhaps that’s being kind. At times, they can be obstructive, unhelpful, even tone-deaf  - though, to be fair, there are exceptions.

There isn't an end date for consultation, so don't expect to see things change immediately. 

 

Munich Observations Part 3

Alright folks, we’ve sorted out what to drink and the limitations of Helles, Munich’s undisputed favourite. So, what’s next? Well, the obvious question: where do you actually drink it?

Now, in some German cities it can be a bit of a hunt. In places like Augsburg or Frankfurt, decent spots are few and far between, and in others – Lubeck, Wiesbaden and plenty more – the good drinking spots feel tucked away, almost like a secret. But Munich? Totally different story. Here, beer is front and centre. You’ll find bars, pubs, beer halls and gardens pretty much wherever you turn.

On our recent trip, naturally, we tried a few old favourites, though we started in a bar near our hotel. Near the main rail station, but on the nicer Northern side of it, which is a bit of a tip too.  Here you can find decent mid-price hotels in a safe area and still walk to the main areas of Munich in 15-20 minutes.

First up has to be somewhere that sells Augustiner, and we of course plumped for the Augustiner Grossgaststätte, a traditional beer hall with a small courtyard beer garden - which I've never set foot in but have looked at - right in the middle of Munich's Marienplatz pedestrian zone. Here a first surprise. The name has changed, and it is now the Augustiner Stammhaus, but otherwise the same inside - a vast cavernous place, which when filled is very jolly and, even when not, great for people watching. So:

Beer Halls

Generally run by the big breweries in Munich and for indoor drinking and eating (though just drinking is very common.) When busy they have a unique atmosphere - noisy and boisterous - and when quiet, brilliant for people watching. Table service, which will often be surly or indifferent when busy, but try a bit of German when it is quiet and things will likely change.  There will usually be tables outside, depending on venue.  Inside you will usually find more Germans drinking, and as sharing tables is the norm, you'll usually find someone to chat to, sometimes in English, but as always a little German is appreciated. The best of them?  You can't go wrong with the Stammhaus, Augustiner Brauhaus, Löwenbräu Keller, Paulaner Brauhaus, and my own favourite, the Weisses Brauhaus,  and of course, the Hofbräuhaus.

The Hofbräuhaus needs a special mention. This vast hall on more than one level and an outside area is legendary. Yes, the Nazis held rallies there, but they did in many of Munich's beer halls - it is just that most where they did, either don't exist and more, or are no longer beer halls. Here on my last visit and every one before, beer was always only available in litres, but no doubt, moving with the times, half litres are now sold. My visit this time was a tad spoiled by chronic short measure and where I found out that the beer is automatically dispense to the servers by a machine in predetermined measures. A traditional band in Bavarian attire plays continuously in theory, churning out drinking tunes, but they often seem to prefer to just sit and chat unless, of course, you cross their palm with silver.

This is a place where gawping Japanese (and other) tourists will wander in one door and out of the other, just to see the place and take photos. They won't buy anything. Food is hearty, but slow in coming. At busy times, you'll pay up front for both food and drink. Drink the dunkel here. It is rather good and the atmosphere unique.

Bars, Pubs and Restaurants 

Of course, Munich has pubs or bars. In the suburbs they are plentiful, but even in the city centre, or just a few streets away, are decent pubs, as you'd expect mainly to serve the local population. Don't expect much difference in the beery offerings, though, as the Munich big six dominate.  A top tip though to find something more exotic is local restaurants. It is usually fine to sit outside and just have a drink, but be conscious of how busy it is if not eating. Often you'll find beers from breweries outwith Munich, but you mustn't expect too much different in terms of style. A choice of beers from Greater Bavaria, albeit helles or weissbier does make a change though, and usually the people watching is slightly different too.

In the centre you are well served by pubs from Tegernsee, Ayinger and plenty from the Big Six. Just find one you like the look of.

Beer Gardens 

Drinking in Munich in summer when the weather is fine usually attracts you to a beer garden. These are plentiful, vary from massive like the Augustiner Keller to some cosier ones such as Seehaus, by a lake in the Englischer Garten.  When it comes to beer gardens I'd really recommend that you use one or more of the many internet guides as you can then decide if it is what you have in mind.  While they are certainly variations on a theme, all have their charms whether it be atmosphere, music, clientele or whatever, but do go.

My own favourites are probably the Augustiner Keller and perhaps oddly, the Biergarten am Chinesischen Turm, which is not so touristy as you'd think and has a fab atmosphere.  Do look up beer garden etiquette before you go to avoid confusion though.  There is no fee to go in, you find your own table - sharing is the norm -  fetch your own beer having gone through the turnstiles ( unless there is a tablecloth when it is waiter service) and pay the cashier as you leave the turnstile area.  Cash is preferred, but cards are much more normal now.  Food is always available and you select your own and pay on the way out of the serving area.  You can bring your own food, but not drinks, which will be from just one brewery. And you may have to pay a deposit on your glass, which can be a bit confusing to redeem. Just watch the Germans and do what they do and you'll get the hang of it.

So there you have it.   Munich is an easy-going beer drinking city.  You will find Germans having a drink with breakfast, lunch and dinner. They will watch the world go by with a cold half litre bottle bought from a shop - that's fine if you want to. There are hidden gem beer gardens and stalls and kiosks in public parks, as well as massive beer halls and more. If the weather is fine, drink the occasion and even if the beer is a bit samey, relax and take in the scene, remembering, if you can, that the beer is just an accompaniment to your enjoyment!

One thing to note is the German people generally are very pleasant and usually happy to pass the time of day with you. A bit of  German helps, but they love to practice their English.

Munich is very walkable and flat, but public transport, while not exactly cheap, is plentiful.  

If you are wondering what to do if you are in Munich in winter or when it is pissing wet, both of which I have experienced, just hunker down inside. You'll be fine. Better than fine.  Pubs, beer halls and restaurants will be rammed and a lot of fun.

A Bitter Lesson in Birmingham

While many members of the Campaign for Real Ale were sceptical about moving the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) from its London home to the NEC in Birmingham, it is doubtful if many of us were prepared for how badly it would turn out.  A whopping £320,000 loss was surely not in anyone's mind, and must have exceeded by far the worst case scenario presented in the business case for it.

As someone who has worked at countless Great British Beer Festivals and organised or jointly organised the National Winter Ales Festival and latterly for a number of years, the Manchester Beer and Cider Festival - a large event in a very beery city - the thing that haunts you most is "Will anyone turn up and if they do, will they come in enough numbers to at least break even?"  You spend countless hours beforehand trying to size and scale the event to appeal to as many visitors as possible, and to offer them an attractive event that will make that, not only possible, but likely enough to write it all down in a proper business case and then convince the Campaign's Festival Scrutineers that it can be done.  In our case, and I'm sure at the NEC, organisers are getting hourly door counts to see how things are going. Firstly you need to pay the rent and if numbers look good, it is likely that the other main expense - beer - will take care of itself.  The relief when you see the numbers adding up is palpable.

I can only imagine the GBBF organiser's horror as door numbers were absorbed and the realisation that it wasn't going to be a success, and actually reaching the dreadful conclusion that the main question to consider was "How bad is it going to be?"  It is likely that realisation at the organising end of things, was an early one and that in the meantime, the show must go on. That must have been hard and I truly feel for them.

The Campaign, to its credit, did not try and hide the true horror of the loss and while it is easy to be wise after the event, the NEC did not appeal to many old hands for many fairly obvious reasons. It wasn't in a big city centre. The area wasn't that attractive and transport links would likely mean that casual visitors were unlikely and there would be no or little after work crew dropping in.  Above all, the NEC isn't an attractive building like Olympia, or indeed Manchester Central.  However, a business case must have been made, and it is hoped that this was on merit as it is tempting to some to think that holding this flagship event after cancellation the year before, was a now or never decision.  

So, what next for CAMRA?  The GBBF in its two forms (The winter event which was the National Winter Ales is now GBBF Winter) will now not take place, and likely will never take place again.  There will be a huge tightening of belts.  Writing to members Ash Corbett-Collins the National Chairman wrote:

• The Great British Beer Festival and its Winter counterpart did not attract enough visitors to cover the cost of holding them, resulting in a substantial loss.
• Our membership figures – like many other organisations – are simply not growing. The hard truth is we are unlikely to return to pre-2020 levels.
• Our festivals are getting more expensive to hold, with fewer affordable venues.
• The cost of running a membership organisation and business is also increasing. 

Ash finished as follows:

"While I hoped I would never need to send this message, my number one priority is seeing our Campaign survive and thrive. Our 50 plus year history must be protected and I am determined to see CAMRA continue for the next 50 years.

Doing nothing is not an option. If we do not act now, the stark reality is we will not exist in the future." 

CAMRA though, is not alone in this existential threat. All voluntary organisations are suffering the same effect. Younger people have other priorities nowadays. Either way, it does suggest that big CAMRA beer festivals will slowly die out as members get too decrepit for the physical effort. Demographics do tell the story here, and actually as folks get older, maybe targeting retirees than hopefully pursuing younger members is a better way of doing things, but this would inevitably change what we do - and in fact this is happening already.  Some festivals have been cancelled as there just aren't enough able volunteers

As I wrote on Seeing the Lizard's blog, Birmingham was CAMRA's Ardennes Offensive* - a last tilt and throw of the dice for GBBF, and while not as devastating, it will hasten an inevitable retreat. Though a collapse of the Campaign is unlikely - assuming it can overcome the loss - it will likely presage an emphasis on local campaigning and indeed, socialising, which is still an attractive part of the Campaign. (The national picture isn't always a main concern locally anyway.)  While us old gits are still alive we'll carry on and there will still be a bit of national lobbying while super complainant status is still with us. After that? Who knows, but it is hardly a bright picture overall.

In the meantime, as long as real ale - cask conditioned beer exists - there is a case to promote and protect it.  That presently, at least, means CAMRA, but the reputational damage is immense and the shock to the finances a heavy blow. I support Ash in steadying the ship, but he is correct to highlight the writing on the wall. 

 * The German's final large scale attack to ward off the inevitable defeat in the West during World War 2.

I also know that the cost of hiring venues, large and small is getting beyond CAMRA's means in many cases. Beer festivals are more difficult than ever, generally.