Branch News
Here is the latest news about pubs & breweries in the branch area.
- Campaign hits back against Handpump Hijack
Friday 12 April 2024
CAMRA has launched a campaign to raise awareness of Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company’s (CMBC) Fresh Ale concept, which sells keg versions of three of its cask beers through handpumps – long associated with real ales.
So far, CMBC has Wainwright Gold, Wainwright Amber and Hobgoblin IPA, which will have “brewery conditioned beer” on the pump clip, in the Fresh Ale line-up.
CAMRA believes the Fresh Ale idea has worrying implications for both cask beer and consumers. Most noticeably through misleading dispense, but also a more general threat to the cask category as the beer is not cask-conditioned, but the use of Fresh Ale marketing seeks to imply that it is.
The campaign has kicked off with a letter to the chair of Trading Standards Lord Bichard from CAMRA national director and chair of its Real Ale, Cider and Perry Campaigns Committee Gillian Hough.
CAMRA national chairman Nik Antona said: “Misleading dispense is particularly detrimental to beer drinkers, as hijacking a handpump to serve a keg beer removes a genuine cask product from the bar, reducing choice of different formats for consumers.
“We hope Trading Standards bodies across Great Britain will take swift, coordinated national action to address misleading beer dispense and safeguard the handpump as an indicator of cask beer.”
CMBC has yet to cancel its plans despite CAMRA warning pubs stocking the beer may be excluded from next year’s Good Beer Guide.
CAMRA members are being encouraged to get involved. They can let CAMRA know if they come across Fresh Ale by using the "Send an email to the CAMRA branch" button at the bottom of the relevant WhatPub venue page.
Members are also being encouraged to send photos of Fresh Ale pump clips and email them to ku.gro.armac@sngiapmac. Finally, if in doubt, Ask if it’s Cask. The Campaign needs consumers to make licensees aware of the issue of misleading dispense and explain why CAMRA members won’t be buying it.
After writing to Lord Bichard, the next steps for the campaign involve contacting MPs and the Department of Business to ask for political support in urging Trading Standards to act. The Handpump Highjack campaign hopes to ensure consumers are well informed about Fresh Ale and aren’t being duped. The goal is to stop the product from being served in its current form.
Find out more about the Handpump Hijack campaign here: https://camra.org.uk/take-action/handpump-hijack/
- Windsor and Eton Brewery Gains Global Recognition at Brewing Industry ‘Oscars’
Wednesday 27 March 2024
Windsor and Eton Brewery has been awarded 3 Golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals at the International Brewing & Cider Awards 2024. A total “haul” of medals unbeaten by any other brewery.
Following three days of deliberation from an international panel of 38 judges from around the world, 115 medals were awarded to beers and ciders including winners from Cambodia, China, New Zealand, Japan, Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Taiwan, Thailand, USA and the UK from beers supplied from all 5 continents.
For the first time in its 138-year history making it the oldest and most respected such competition in the world, Manchester hosted the brewing industry ‘Oscars’ which date back to 1886 and have a rich history championing the world’s best brewers and cider-makers.
The awards for Windsor and Eton Brewery (WEBREW) were as follows:
• Gold medal for “Capital” Lager in the draught Keg (2.9-4.7% ABV)
• Bronze medal for “Shout” Session Pale ale in draught keg ( ABV)
• Gold Medal for “Knight of the Garter” in cask conditioned (2.9-3.8% ABV)
• Silver medal for “Father Thames” in cask conditioned (4.4 – 4.8% ABV)
• Gold medal for “Diablo Rojo” Strong Belgian style Pale Ale (7-10%)
Paddy Johnson, Production Director said “it’s so pleasing to see our beers recognised yet again in such a prestigious competition and winning in this wide variety of classes is testament to the dedication and skill of our brewing team. We’re only a small brewery but this again shows that we match the best in the industry- both here in the UK and internationally, which our discerning customers appreciate so much. Times are tough in the industry and such endorsements of our quality therefore carry such weight”.
The International Brewing & Cider Awards relocated to Depot Mayfield in Manchester this year. The judging took place over three days between 19th – 21st March and provided an unparalleled opportunity for brewers to have their products evaluated by internationally acclaimed, commercially practicing international brewers, led by Chair of Beer Judging, Rob McCaig. “We’ve had such an outstanding line up of judges from all corners of the world, and they’ve all done a remarkable job tasting and evaluating some of the finest beers from around the globe.
The competition’s unique approach to the judging process sets it apart from other awards, which ensures each beer and cider is judged fairly and rigorously on its quality and commercial value. The 38 strong judging panel was chosen to reflect the current expertise in the tasting and commercial evaluation of beers and ciders going into the market and blind tasted hundreds of beers and ciders submitted by brewers and cidermakers from around the world. It is these values that has earnt it the reputation as the ‘Oscars of the brewing and cider world’.
All the gold, silver and bronze medal winners announced at Depot Mayfield, Manchester will collect their medals at an official Awards Ceremony on 1st May 2024 at The Guildhall in London, when 12 trophy winners will also be announced. A full list of all 2024 medal winners can be found on The International Brewing & Cider Awards’ website: www.brewingawards.org