The Branch Meeting Planned for Saturday 14 December has been postponed. It will now take place on Saturday 11 January 2025.

A reminder of something to look forward to in the New Year.

The 2025Great British Winter Beer Festival will be held 12-15 February 2025 at the Magna Science Adventure Centre, Magna Way, Templeborough , Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S60 1FD

Batemans Rosey Nosey has been spotted in the Ship at Retford! Enjoy the Christmas period and please remember to support your local pubs.

The Mallard Ale'oween Beer Festival Thursday 31st October until Monday 4th November.

For details see https://www.facebook.com/MallardPublicHouse/

Easily accessed by public transport as the Mallard is located at Worksop Station

The 42nd Lincoln Beer Festival will take place 23-25 May 2024

Over 100 real ales, plus cider, perry and world beers.

Opening Times: Thursday 23rd May - Noon to 11pm Friday 24th May - Noon to 11pm Saturday 25th May - Noon to 9pm

Admission: CAMRA Members £3 Non-members £6

Festival glass £4 (refundable)

Pay on the door only – no tickets sold in advance Card payment preferred

Voting now open for the North Notts CAMRA Winter pub of the season.

Members are eligible to vote for both a town pub, Retford or Worksop, as well as a pub from the villages.

***You are able to vote for a maximum of one town pub and one village pub.***

As always, the winners of previous Pub of the Season in the calendar year are not included in this voting round.

There are 85 pubs and clubs in North Notts that serve real ale. Please use link below to vote

Winter Pub of the Season - POTS Winter 2024

Poll closes 29 Mar 24

This year we have a town pub and a country pub of the year. All of the votes are in and the winners are:

Town POTY presentation to the Mallard on Sunday 31st March at 1700

Town Pub - The Mallard, Worksop

Village Pub - Grey Horses Inn, Carlton-in-Lindrick

Congratulations to the teams at both pubs and thank you to all of the Branch members who took the time to vote for their POTY

The historic Grade II-listed cabin, the old Cabman's Shelter, to the right of the railway station in Queens Road, has previously been the home of micropub BeerHeadZ

Lynette Pinchess of Nottinghamshire Live reports

A shop owner is setting up a micropub in one of Nottingham's quirkiest buildings. Brew Tavern will be opening in the former Cabman's Shelter at Nottingham Railway Station in the coming weeks.

The historic Grade II-listed cabin, to the right of the station in Queens Road, has been the home of BeerHeadZ, a micropub selling real ale, cask and craft beers until recently when the five-year lease came to an end. One of the city's smallest pubs, it's around the size of a living room.

When the closure was announced, the owner said a new business would be taking over. It has been revealed that the new micropub will be called Brew Tavern - and the man behind it is Matt Hinton, the owner of Beer Cavern, a shop in Flying Horse Walk selling craft beers, ciders and natural wines.

Matt said opening a bar had been on the cards for some years and he'd been on the lookout for locations across Nottingham when this one fell in his lap. He said: "We've had the shop now for coming up to nine and a half years. The last few years we have been exploring areas where we could grow.

"Retail has changed generally but particularly beer retail. There are lots of new places to get beer from, especially since Covid. People are buying direct from breweries, so it has been quite challenging for the sector. For a long time, even before Covid we were thinking about opening a bar as a way to extend our offering, complement what we do and ultimately increase turnover and grow organically still within the beer scene.

"Some quite good locations came and went - a really good one fell through the net unfortunately, just off Pelham Street, which would have been quite nice, so we put it on the back burner. Unfortunately that wasn't to be. We focused on other things and then a number of opportunities presented themselves at the same time. One of them being taking on the lease of what was BeerHeadZ.

"Martin, the director, got in touch with me and said they had decided not to renew the lease but they were quite proud of what they've built there and would like it to go into the hands of someone who could take what they'd built and grow it. We looked at how that might look and it seems to be a goer. All being well the lease will be sorted out in the next few weeks."

It should be a fairly swift turnaround as Brew Tavern will be using the kit already there. In the meantime the interior is getting a refresh. Matt said: "They extended their lease for a little bit so we could have a nice transition. They have proven themselves as a solid business and they have a good following which is why we want that transition to be as smooth as possible so we don't lose that customer base they have already built up. I think inevitably because of the fact it's going to be closed for a few weeks you'll probably lose a few people.

"Within that beer circle, once word gets out, and it already has to some extent, once back up and running those people will support and there is an excitement around that. We are a new operator coming in but people know us because of the shop and I think we will be sympathetic to what BeerHeadZ was but we want to elevate it as well, smooth off a few rough edges around making it a bit more comfortable in there and focussing on the range of things that aren't just cask and keg beer."

The beers will be similar to those stocked at Beer Cavern, which sells everything from German lager and continental classics to traditional English ales and super modern American and UK craft beers. The focus will be draught with a small selection of bottles and cans. Brew Tavern will also have a selection of natural wines and a coffee machine will be installed to widen the appeal.

Inside BeerHeadZ

Matt said: "It's quite exciting. One of the things about the location that's great is that it's on a railway station and gets a real mix of people passing through. Capitalising on that is the tricky bit. If you get a group of five people turning up and two really want beer and three want a coffee or a gin and you don't have those things available, it's more than likely that the group of five people are going to go somewhere else.

"I know there's a number of coffee shops in the station but the whole point is getting people into that space and coming together and sticking around for an hour or so while they wait for a train. That's the side of it we really want to build on. In terms of the beer offer it's not going to drastically change. It's going to be the sort of things we get access to from existing suppliers, there's not a great deal of difference from what they've already been doing."

There isn't an opening date yet but Matt said it will be soon, and he hopes to retain BeerHeadZ's staff if they haven't already found other jobs. Operating hours will be the same, opening from noon.

The winners of the Autumn Pub of the Season awards for 2023

Town Pub winner is the Black Boy Inn, Retford

and the Village Pub winner is the Ferryboat Inn, Church Laneham

Congratulations to the teams at the winning pubs and thank you to all who took time to vote.

Presentation dates to be confirmed

Lynette Pinchess of Nottinghamshire Live reports

Cask ale sales have struggled since the pandemic, while energy bills and raw material costs have increased

Dom Flynn (pictured) was head brewer at Navigation Brewery in Nottingham

An award-winning Nottingham-based brewery has closed down to the dismay of beer drinkers who loved the "cracking" brews. Navigation Brewery, at the rear of the Trent Navigation pub, in Meadow Lane, was known for its cask ales and craft beers.

The vacant space will allow the pub to expand its popular fan zone at the Big Shed, with the addition of more seating and a food court. The brewery opened in 2012. One of its most famous brews was Grounds for Divorce, a 23% ABV, made especially for the 2022 Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival, while Nottingham Forest Pale Ale was the ultimate brew for die-hard Reds fans.

The first wind that something wasn't right came when the brewery didn't have a bar at last October's beer festival at Trent Bridge. The directors and shareholders from the Great Northern Group and Libra Drinks Wholesale said they made the difficult decision to close the brewery after careful consideration.

Given the current economic climate and the substantial challenges in the small brewing sector, combined with the expansion plans of the Trent Navigation to include a food court and more seating meant the brewery either needed to relocate or wind down.

Cask ale sales have struggled since Covid-19 and haven’t recovered to the levels they were at before, while energy bills and raw material costs have increased to "eye-watering" levels.

In response to the evolving business landscape, especially after the challenges posed by the pandemic, they have decided to focus their energies on other business interests including the wholesale drinks distribution company, the Trent Navigation pub and The Big Shed outdoor events space. The Great Northern Group venues, including the Trent Navigation, the Refinery in West Bridgford and the Ram in Newark, will look into sourcing beers from other independent Nottingham breweries and craft beer producers.

Director Dave Willans said: “We understand the impact this decision may have on our loyal customers and the community, and we sincerely appreciate their support for our products over the last decade. We’ve really enjoyed serving the Nottingham beer drinkers and we’ve had some great times along the way. And a huge thank you to all the staff, both past and present for all their hard work throughout the years."

The hugely popular all-weather fan zone at Trent Navigation is to have more seating and food courts

The brewery, headed up by Dom Flynn, combined cutting-edge technology with traditional brewing methods. The three-man team was reduced to just Mr Flynn by the end.

The brewery won multiple awards over the years. Rebel session IPA, with the taste of tropical fruits and citrus and a well-balanced hoppy bitterness, was crowned the best cask ale in the Midlands last year at the annual Regional Independent Beer Awards, organised by SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers Association).

An American IPA also scooped silver and speciality beers Key Lime Pale, Pog Slammer and Arizona Wave, also took silver and bronze awards. Gravitational Anomaly, a 11.5% Imperial Stout won gold in the Imperial and Strong Beer category, making it the best imperial in the Midlands.

Steve Westby, chairman of Nottingham CAMRA, said: "We understand that the brewing plant is in the process of being removed and sold piecemeal. This is a sad loss for local drinkers as they produced some excellent beers.

"Talented head brewer Dom Flynn created several award-winning brews and who can forget his amazing 23% special for Nottingham Beer Festival in 2022, Grounds For Divorce?"

Hucknall Beer and Cider Festival 2024

8th-11th February 2024

The annual Hucknall Beer Festival takes place 9th-11th February 2023, supported by Nottingham CAMRA with a special preview evening on Thursday 8th February. Following the amazing success of last years event we’ll be back again with a great selection of real ales and ciders. Great food, atmosphere and live entertainment

See the festival page for further updates DETAILS COMING SOON – Hucknall Beer and Cider Festival 2024

The festival is a charity fundraiser for the John Godber Centre, registered charity 1132272

!!CONFIRMED!! Forget about the Great British Beer Festival being cancelled, the BeerMuda Triangle Beer Festival 2024 is back! This time, our friends at the Fox & Crown have joined us to bring you even more beery choices. Put the dates in your diary now - 25th - 28th January.

If you are interested in going to this event North Notts CAMRA are running a bus. Full details in Diary.

Shared from broadcaster Pete Brown’s website.

The Sheffield City Beer Report, first published in 2016, is now being revisited, revised and updated, to be launched at the Sheffield Beer Week 2024.

The report will once again be written by award-winning, Barnsley-born beer writer Pete Brown, and has again been commissioned by Professor Vanessa Toulmin, Director of City, Culture and Public Engagement at the University of Sheffield. Jules Gray, founder and director of Sheffield Beer Week and owner of Hop Hideout, completes the team behind the report.

Full details Sheffield Beer Week 2024

Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival

Featuring beers from the glorious white rose county of Yorkshire, there will also be guest beers from other counties celebrating 31 years of great beer and great music.

Over 150 real ales, wines, ciders, perries, and food. This year there will again be a gin bar as well as a Prosecco cocktail bar.

Large entertainment area featuring rock, blues, pop, folk and more, entertainment, quiet bars and great fun.

At MAGNA, Sheffield Road, Rotherham S60 1FD

Dates of the Festival are Thurs 7th March to Saturday 9th March 2024 inclusive.

Opening hours 6-11pm Thursday and Friday and 12 noon – 11pm Saturday.

CAMRA entry on door (with valid membership card) £6.00 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to include non-returnable glass and programme. Advance public entry tickets are not needed for CAMRA members. Current membership cards essential.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday public entry is £12 advance ticket and door. Free re-entry to the Festival on Saturday at any time with a 2024 Festival Glass.

Volunteers always needed - please use either website (below) or write to Sarah at 5 Stafford Drive, Rotherham, S60 3DQ.

Tickets from various pubs in Rotherham and South Yorkshire (see Website) or Website Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival

Bus service number X1 to and from the Festival from both Sheffield and Rotherham, running every 10 - 20 minutes.

Magna Science Centre, Sheffield Road, Rotherham S60 1FD. 7 March 2024 - 9 March 2024

Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival

CAMRA Great British Beer Festival Winter 2024

is organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and staffed by beer loving volunteers. This annual festival brings hundreds of UK beers, international beers and real ciders and perries to different venues each year.

The Great British Beer Festival Winter 2024 will be held in Burton-upon-Trent, which has a long history of brewing and used to account for 1 in 4 beers sold in the UK. Join us at Burton Town Hall 15-17 Feb.

This years festival will also be home to the prestigious Champion Winter Beer of Britain award, with the winners announced during the trade and press session.

As well as the huge range of drinks on offer, you can enjoy a selection of food and snacks. Entertainment is also included as part of the ticket price with live music in the afternoons and evenings.

We’ve invited some amazing breweries to join us with Brewery Bars, to serve you their great beers direct. We will also be offering wine, gin and coffee for those looking for a little break from all things beer.

Bar with bank vault planned in Nottinghamshire town where former branch has been empty for 6 years reports Joshua Hartley Senior reporter for Lincolnshire Live.

The Grade-II listed former Yorkshire Bank in The Square, Retford, could be transformed into a new bar under plans recently submitted to Bassetlaw District Council.

The Grade-II listed former Yorkshire Bank in The Square, Retford, could be transformed into a bar

A new bar could be set up in a historic bank that fell into a "poor state" during six years of vacancy. The Grade-II listed former Yorkshire Bank in The Square, Retford, could be transformed into a bar under plans recently submitted by applicant Christopher Dukes to Bassetlaw District Council.

The Yorkshire Bank closed in May 2017 and has remained empty since, with its interior now being in a "poor state of repair" according to planning documents. The traditional masonry structure, which was built in 1910, would be repaired and revamped to set up the new bar - named 'The Vault'.

The bar would be open every day and serve a variety of "delicious hot and cold meals, snacks, drinks and alcoholic beverages", subject to receiving an appropriate licence. The prospective operator added the bar would work "very closely" with Enigma Live Escape, which uses the rest of the building as an escape room venue, as they attract a large number of visitors to the town.

Mr Dukes said the only changes to the outside of the historic building would be new signage and repairs to a section of wall where the bank's cash machine was removed. He said the replacement brick work would create a "more pleasant appearance" in comparison to the "rusty metal and boarded up window" there currently.

A number of the bank's old features would be used to add to the "authentic ‘bank vault’ environment", designs show. The front section of the Yorkshire Bank customer service desk would remain and become part of the bar and a large walk-in safe would become the kitchen area.

The planning application is pending consideration by Bassetlaw District Council.

Gainsborough Beer Festival 2023 link includes preliminary beer list

Old Hall Gainsborough

Thursday 9th - Saturday 11th November

Clock Fest will take place 5th - 8th October 2023 in the Beer Under the Clock, Retford

Opening Times

Thursday 12-11pm

Friday 12-11pm

Saturday 12-11pm

Sunday 12-11pm

16 Real ales and exclusive cask launch & keg fest special

Beers from Ticking Clock, Ashover, Milestone, Silver Brewhouse, Welbeck Abbey, Magpie, Lenton Lane and many more

For further details see Beer Under The Clock

The Mallard at Worksop Station will be hosting a beer festival 27 - 31 July. There will be 16 beers to choose from. Great opportunity to support a local festival. For further details contact the Mallard https://www.facebook.com/MallardPublicHouse/

Congratulations to the team at Idle Valley Tap, Retford who have won the North Notts CAMRA Branch Pub of the Season - Spring 2023.

Presentation will take place on Saturday 15th July at 2:30 pm

Stockport Beer and Cider Festival will be held in the Masonic Guildhall, Stockport. Details available at Stockport Beer and Cider Festival

Newark Beer Festival will take place 26-28 May in the Castle Grounds Newark

For more information visit Newark Beer Festival 2023

Ed Backhouse from the Whitehouses sent this invitation

Good Evening,

I just wanted to let you know that we are hosting an Evening with Timothy Taylors at the Whitehouses in Retford on Wednesday 5th April, the guys from TT will be here and we are selling tickets for £20 to include a beer themed supper and a flight of beers. We will have plenty of samples for guests to try plus a chance to chat to the guys.

All details are on our Facebook or feel free to call us directly 07946192026

I hope you will be able to share this with the local members

Thanks

Ed

Totally Brewed

This is hard to write......

We've made the tough decision to close the doors at the brewery ????. It's taken much deliberation, however, we've ended up with little choice in the end due to a number of factors coming together to make trading very hard.

Pre covid, everything was brilliant but since lock down, we've struggled to recover. We were optimistic that things will get better at some point but more and more hurdles have got in the way. Despite sales eventually picking up to normal levels, massive increases in costs due to brexit, war and an inept government, has meant that the goal posts have shifted beyond our means. We've also taken a few financial hits from pubs and bottle shops closing down due to the same cost implications.

We've had a great time over the last 10 years Brewing nearly 1000 batches of beer. The staff have been incredible. Their commitment and quality of work has been excellent and not a fair reflection of the position we have found ourselves in.

Our micro pub in Beeston, Totally Tapped, is doing brilliantly and will continue to operate as a stand alone venue. We'll simple be exchanging the Totally Brewed lines for local breweries.

It's been a blast. We've made great friends along the way and had incredible support from so many people. We wouldn't have made it this far without you guys.

North Notts CAMRA Pub of the Year 2023 is Beer Under The Clock

Beer Under The Clock just edged out the Mallard with just over 25% of the membership voting

Presentation date Wednesday 1st March 19.30.

Mallard Winter Beer Festival.

Mallard, Railway Station approach, Worksop.

Thursday 26th - Sunday 30th October.

Thursday - Saturday 12.00 - 11.00. Sunday 12.00 - 10.30.

PRESS RELEASE 13/01/2023

The Tamworth Tap has won CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year award

An impressive brewpub located in a 16th century shop front falling within the shadow of Tamworth’s historic Norman castle has been named the best pub in the country in CAMRA’s Pub of the Year competition.

The Tamworth Tap in Tamworth is housed in an elegant building, with Tudor features in the cosy upstairs room and a historic courtyard beer terrace that offers striking views of Tamworth Castle. It went from empty premises to an iconic brewpub in less than five years, and today boasts eight handpulls, including at least one Tamworth ale brewed on site. A ‘CAMRA corner’ at the bottom of the stairs includes a rare, complete set of Good Beer Guides.

Themed events regularly take place in this bustling brewpub, include beer tastings and ‘paint and sip’ sessions. The courtyard features regular live music with local performers, bat watch evenings, and the occasional screening of cult films on a large screen. The in-house ‘Tap Times’ lists local happenings and forthcoming events.

The judges described their visits as “an absolutely delightful experience” with knowledgeable staff, a friendly atmosphere, attractive decor, and great selection of cask ales and real ciders on offer.

George and Louise Greenaway from the Tamworth Tap said: “We can’t express how much this accolade means to us. CAMRA values have been at the core of everything we have done since we opened our doors, so we’re absolutely thrilled to have won this year’s competition! Pubs are its people, and we are surrounded by the best. We’d like to give a special mention to our amazing customers, affectionately known as ‘Tappers’, and to the truly terrific ‘Team Tap’ who make it all possible!”

John Rowling, Pubs Officer with Lichfield Sutton & Tamworth CAMRA Branch said: “I’m absolutely elated at this fantastic news that the Tamworth Tap has won the coveted top award. For real ale drinkers, the Tamworth Tap is the jewel in Tamworth’s crown. Since it opened five years ago, ‘The Tap’ has gone from strength to strength. There’s always new offerings, changes and innovations every time you visit. It has beer brewed on the premises, fantastic, knowledgeable staff and comfortable old-world décor. Add to this an award-winning rustic outdoor drinking area overlooked by Tamworth Castle and you have a pub catering to all tastes. It’s a friendly, welcoming venue serving ever–changing top quality real ales. To go from empty premises to this iconic brewpub in such a short time is real testament to the hard work put in by owners George, Louise and their staff. This top award is fully merited for a pub that espouses all the aims of CAMRA.

“It is the pinnacle of achievements to be voted CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year, so on behalf of the customers and the local branch I congratulate George and Louise on their tremendous success.”

Pubs in the competition are selected by CAMRA volunteers and judged on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, community focus and the quality of the beer. Runners-up in the competition are the Station House in Durham, the Horse & Jockey in Stapleford and the King’s Head in Norwich.

Awards Director Laura Emson said: “The Tamworth Tap shows what passion and creativity can achieve in a short space of time with great beer backing up a wide range of activities in a friendly atmosphere.

“A pub doesn’t have to be a national award winner to be a vital part of a local community and following a tough few years for the industry, our support is needed more than ever. Using CAMRA’s WhatPub website you can find a new pub to try and meet with friends. Check out your local branch’s social calendar for inspiration, and CAMRA members – don’t forget to add your beer scores via WhatPub too!”

The Tamworth Tap will be presented with an award for its achievement at an event open to the press on 13 January 2022 at 1.30 pm.

Landlady Carol and the staff at the Idle Valley Tap with the Autumn 2022 POTS certificate

A beer from Pheasantry.

2020 was the 400th year celebration of the Pilgrim Fathers sailing off in the Mayflower to discover the new world of America. Many of the Pilgrim Fathers came from North Nottinghamshire and worshipped at Babworth Church just outside of Retford. We (the Joseph Camm family) have had a long relationship with the church having all been married, christened and many buried there. Pilgrim ale was our way of celebrating this major historic event.

Taken from the Pheasantry website.

The Newark Advertiser reported the following:-

Castle Rock Brewery and Yupp Beer to reopen the Fox and Crown Pub, Newark

A popular Newark town centre pub, closed for two years, is set to reopen.

After closing in August 2020 due to the strain the pandemic put on the hospitality industry, Nottingham-based Castle Rock Brewery and Yupp Beer are bringing the Newark establishment back to life.

The Fox and Crown, Appletongate, will be operated by beer merchant Yupp Beer and is currently undergoing refurbishments.

The Fox and Crown is to reopen as the first Yupp Beer pub. (60874535)

The company is putting it's stamp on the traditional pub, with plans for more keg lines, slushie machines for beer and cocktails, arcade machines, a sound system, extra fridges and new furniture.

It is Yupp Beer's first pub, and an online fundraiser has been organised to help kit it out ­— with a reward of free beer for a donation. The date for the pub's opening is yet to be confirmed but is expected to be in very near future.

The Fox and Crown is to reopen as the first Yupp Beer pub.

Gainsborough Beer Festival 2022 link includes preliminary beer list

Old Hall Gainsborough

Thursday 17th - Saturday 19th November

In the Champion Beer of Britain East Midlands region Welbeck Abbey Brewery has attained GOLD in the Speciality Ales for KAISER a 4.1% ABV beer brewed in a continental lager style. The judging was done earlier in the year but unfortunately Welbeck Abbey no longer brew this beer so it cannot go forward to the Winter GBBF as a finalist.

Voting is open for the Pub of the Season Autumn 2022

Beer Under The Clock, The Brew Shed and The Mallard are not included as they have already won a POTS award this year.

To vote you have to be a North Notts CAMRA member

1.click onto the link below and follow the instructions

https://www.allcounted.com/s?did=wpvmdh2f0mauv&lang=en_GB

2. Email ku.gro.armac.sttonhtron@riahc making sure you give your name, CAMRA membership number and the name of the pub you wish to vote for.

3. Give your vote to a North Notts committee member again making sure you give your name, CAMRA membership number and the name of the pub you wish to vote for.

Beer writer Pete Brown has written the following about Kelham Island Brewery and about Dave Wickett, a person most real ale drinkers should be grateful to.

Sheffield’s legendary Kelham Island Brewery saved from closure

Back in May, the announcement of the closure of Sheffield’s oldest brewery felt too awful to contemplate. Now, a group including Thornbridge Brewery have stepped in.

The press release says:

Kelham Island Brewery, Sheffield’s oldest independent brewery, has been saved from closure by a group from Sheffield.

The brewery’s rescue is a collaboration between Tramlines co-founder and Sheffield venue owner James O’Hara, his brother and financial analyst Tom O’Hara, Simon Webster and Jim Harrison of renowned Thornbridge Brewery, Peter Donohoe, founder of Sheffield based creative studio Peter and Paul and Ben Rymer marketing manager from beer festival organisers, We Are Beer.

James O’Hara, who put the group together after hearing about the brewery’s closure, said: “Kelham Island Brewery, and its flagship beer Pale Rider, are known and revered beyond Sheffield. It’s heritage that we, as a city, should be really proud of. We couldn’t let that just disappear, it means too much within the city and to the UK’s beer culture for it to become another Wikipedia entry.”

FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS.

The closure of any brewery that is run by dedicated, enthusiastic people and produces good beer is a tragedy, and there have already been too many of those post-pandemic. But Kelham Island was more than that.

When the closure was announced in May, brewery owner Ed Wickett blamed “a whirlwind of problems,” a list topped by Covid and lockdowns. They were being hit by surcharges on fueL and other utilities, and at the same time the brewery was in a dilapidated state and needed new investment. In a broken cask ale market that is indulging in a foolhardy race to the bottom on price, there was simply no margin to survive.

Ed ran the brewery for ten years almost to the day following the death of his father, Dave. He has done a great job and devoted ten years of his life to Kelham Island. But I imagine somewhere in the sadness over the closure, there was also relief.

A generation of craft beer drinkers has emerged since Dave passed away from cancer in May 2012, aged just 64. I might be wrong, but it feels like his name is not known to many these days. But he was a pioneer in Britain’s craft beer revolution. Our beer scene today would not look the same without him.

WICKETT THE PIONEER

Kelham Island Brewery was a trailblazer. When Wickett opened it in 1990, it was the first new brewery opening in Sheffield for over a century. Everyone told him he was mad. But they’d said the same to him when he opened the Fat Cat pub ten years previously. Wickett’s favourite beer was Timothy Taylor Landlord – it’s never been out of stock in the Fat Cat. The brewery were so sceptical of a new real ale-centric pub in the centre of Sheffield’s decaying industrial district that they refused to deliver to him. So Wickett drove a van up to the brewery in Keighley and picked it up himself. When he was back a day or two later for more, they started to believe in him.

Kelham Island’s flagship was – sorry, is! – Pale Rider, a pale blonde ale with pronounced citrusy hop aromas. It won Champion Beer of Britain in 2004 (the year everyone thinks Greene King IPA won – it actually came second.) But Pale Rider’s significance was far greater than that.

Wickett was a stubborn maverick who didn’t suffer fools gladly. He acknowledged that he wasn’t always easy to work for, and there was a steady revolving door of brewers in and out of Kelham. The thing is, when they left – either fired or storming out after being unable to work with Wickett any longer – they’d often go just up the road and open their own brewery. Grudgingly or not, they still wanted to brew pale, citrusy cask ales in Sheffield’s now post-industrial heart. There was a cloud of small, independent brewers around Kelham Island years before they started spreading across the country. And that pale rider-inspired blonde ale has become Sheffield’s signature brew.

THE BIRTH OF BRITISH CRAFT BEER

Exact recollections of events vary between him and some of the people he worked with, but here’s how he told the story to me.

By the early 2000s, Kelham Island was struggling to keep up with demand. One day Wickett was visiting his mate Jim Harrison, who had recently moved into the magnificent but then run-down Thornbridge Hall in Derbyshire. They went past an old stable block in the grounds and Wickett (everyone called him Wickett, never Dave) joked that it would be a perfect spot for a small brewery. They talked some more, and agreed that Thornbridge Brewery could be a handy overflow for when Kelham Island needed extra capacity. Instead of hiring some seasoned old cask ale brewer, Wickett interviewed two young men just out of brewing school, Stefano Cossi and Martin Dickie.

Neither was especially wedded to the Sheffield cask pale ale tradition. They were excited by new hops from America and New Zealand, which at that point had hardly been seen in Britain. Thornbridge began brewing British cask ales with American hops, used American style. Their flagship, Jaipur, went on to win just about every award possible, and Wickett ended up having to build a new brewery for Kelham Island instead. In 2007, Martin Dickie left to do some kind of start-up brewery in Scotland, and Cossi left soon after. But the Thornbridge blueprint was established.

FAMILY SAVES THE DAY

I don’t know too much about the other people involved in the consortium, but I do know Tramlines now defines Sheffield as much as the brewing tradition Wickett began. But it feels so right that Thornbridge is part of this move. Without Kelham Island, there would be no Thornbridge. Now, without Thornbridge there would be no Kelham Island. There couldn’t be a more perfect end to what started out looking like a tragic story.

Writing this has made me think a lot about the time Wickett invited me to the Fat Cat to do a talk about my second book, Three Sheets to the Wind, back in 2006. I had been invited to meet Thornbridge the following day, and they were putting me up at the hall that night. As Wickett took me out to the taxi, he said, “I’m jealous of you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re going to Thornbridge.”

“But you’ve been loads of times!”

“Yeah, but you’re going for the first time. You can never get that feeling again.”

Welcome home, Wickett.

The North Notts CAMRA Pub of the Season 2022 is the Mallard at Worksop.

Presentation date TBC.

Don't forget the Mallard Ale'Oween beer festival Thursday 27th - Sunday 30th October 2022

The Kings Arms at Clarborough is now a KLM pubco outlet, serving 2 real ales

The Boat at Hayton is to reopen in September 2022. No exact date and no info on beer

The GPO opened its doors on Exchange Street Retford on Saturday 30th July. It is in the original GPO building.

4 real ales on the bar and live music events in the entertainments room.

East Midlands County Pub of the Year awards.

Nottinghamshire - Horse and Jockey - Stapleford

Lincolnshire – The Lord Harrowby - Grantham

Leicestershire Northamptonshire and Rutland – The Railway Inn– Ketton

Derbyshire South – The Smithfields Ale House - Derby

Derbyshire North – Twenty Ten - Matlock

The photo shows some of the contestants in the Retford Pub Hunt 2022 outside Beer Under Clock prior to setting off. 16 teams took part and 11 pubs were involved in what turned out to be an excellent day. Thanks to all that competed, due to popular demand it should be back next year.

Celebrate the Mallard's 21st birthday at the

"Coming of Age" Beer Festival

Thursday 26th May to Tuesday 31st May

Thursday to Sunday day and evening sessions, Monday and Tuesday evening sessions only

21 beers and ciders

Free entry

Beer Trips has been added to the website menu. The plan is to try and put down some of the days out drinking real ale that we really enjoy so others can share the experience. First up will be Harrogate and this will be entered after the weekend. Want to help, send your Beer Trips to ku.gro.armac.sttonhtron@etisbew and we can add them.

Things to include about your trip;-

1.Travel-how you got there and back.

2.The pubs visited and how you got from pub to pub.

3.Photos of the pubs and the range of beers. Some people look at the photos before reading the text.

4.What the place was like, what the pubs were like, what the beer was like, how you were treated.

5.General impressions overall.

The Wetherspoons Spring Beer Festival 30th March-10th April 2022 taking place in the Dominie Cross Retford and the Liquorice Gardens Worksop.

New from Harrisons brewery and the Brew Shed, a 4% ABV Ruby Mild dark in colour.

Social Events for February, March and April 2022 published in the Diary Section. Branch Meetings & Socials are open to all.

Autumn 2022 Pub of the Season Beer Under the Clock and the Mallard.

Details of the presentations will be published when known.

Grantham Beer Festival 4th - 6th November Saint Wulfram's Church, Church Street, Grantham NG31 6RR Open 12 -11pm Daily

Grantham Beer Festival 2021.

North Notts CAMRA Winter 2020 Pub of the Season is BeerHeadZ Retford.

The photo shows BeerHeadZ staff pictured with the Winter 2020 POTS certificate.

The Old Police Station is hosting a tasting evening for beers from the Headstocks and Rufford Abbey breweries. 6 beers with proceedings starting at 7pm although beers will be on the bar earlier.

Dukeries Brewery Autumn 2019 Beer Festival.

Thursday 24th - Saturday 26th October.

Dukeries Summer 2019 Beer Festival

Thursday 04th July - Saturday 6th July

Live music each evening

The North Notts CAMRA Winter 2019 POTS is the Mallard Worksop. Presentation of the award is at the Mallard Wednesday 27th March at 8pm, all welcome.

The Autumn 2018 Pub of the Season Presentation to BeerHeadZ Retford will take place on Friday 28th December at 7.00pm at BeerHeadZ. All welcome.

BeerHeadZ and Bee's Knees are both Autumn 2018 Pub of the Season.

Dukeries Brewery 3rd xmas Beer Festival

Dukeries Brewery Tap, Newcastle Avenue, Worksop

Thursday 13th - Saturday 15th December

Mallard Ale'oween Beer Festival

Worksop Railway Station Approach

Thursday 1st - Sunday 4th November

Welbeck Abbey Brewery Triumphs at Great Taste Awards

Great Taste, the world’s most coveted food awards which celebrates the very best in food and drink, has announced the Great Taste stars of 2018. Out of over 12,600 products to be judged, local microbrewery Welbeck Abbey Brewery was awarded an astounding six awards! This includes five 1-star accolades for their bottles of Portland Black & Henrietta, as well as for their Red Feather, Harley, and Cavendish mini kegs. Their Red Feather bottle was awarded a 2-star accolade.

“It was our first year ever entering the awards and we were completely overwhelmed with our results,” Welbeck Abbey Brewery’s Creative Director, Jess Low, explains. “Everyone at the brewery works incredibly hard and we really love what we do, and we want our products to reflect that. We are so proud to have our ales recognised in these prestigious awards and grateful for the feedback we received from the judges”.

Judged by over 500 of the most demanding palates, Great Taste is widely acknowledged as the most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers. As well as a badge of honour, the unmistakeable black and gold Great Taste label is a signpost to a wonderful tasting product, which has been discovered through hours and hours of blind-tasting by hundreds of judges. Of the 12,500+ entries into Great Taste this year, 192 have been awarded a 3-star, 1,207 received a 2-star and 3,254 were awarded a 1-star accolade. Welbeck Abbey Brewery’s award-winning products can always be found at The Welbeck Farmshop, as well as at a large number of pubs, restaurants, and independent bottle shops in the local area. Follow them on Social Media or visit their website for more information at www.welbeckabbeybrewery.co.uk .

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

Welbeck is one of the great traditional landed estates, nestled within Sherwood Forest. It is home to an artisan village, producing specialist foods and crafts in a beautiful rural setting.

The brewery is based at the centre of this community; housed in a listed barn, it produces hand crafted ales using the estate’s own spring water and a unique strain of nurtured yeast.

The brewery is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.

www.welbeckabbeybrewery.co.uk

For further press information please contact:

Jess Low ku.oc.yrewerbyebbakceblew@acisseJ()

T: 01909 512 539 (Monday, Tuesday & Friday only)

About Great Taste

Great Taste is the largest and most trusted accreditation scheme for fine food and drink. Established in 1994, it encourages and mentors artisan food producers, offering a unique benchmarking and product evaluation service leading to an independent accreditation that enables small food and drink businesses to compete against supermarket premium own label brands.

Since 1994 over 134,000 products have been assessed. This year 12,634 products were blind-tasted by panels of specialists: top chefs, food writers, influencers, food critics, restaurateurs and fine food retailers.

Great Taste ratings

3-star: Extraordinarily tasty foods – less than 3% of products are awarded a 3-star each year – don’t

leave the shop without buying it!

2-star: Above and beyond delicious – less than 10% of entries will achieve this rating

1-star: A food that delivers fantastic flavour. Approximately 25% of entries will achieve this rating each year.

What are Great Taste judges looking for?

They’re looking for great texture and appearance. They judge the quality of ingredients and how well the maker has put the food or drink together. But above all, they are looking for truly great taste.

How do they work?

Each team of three to four judges blind-tastes around 25 products per session, discussing each product as a coordinating food writer transcribes their comments directly onto the Great Taste website, which producers access after judging is completed. Over the years, numerous food businesses, start-ups and well-established producers have been advised how to modify their foods and have subsequently gone on to achieve Great Taste stars. Food or drink that is deemed worthy of Great Taste stars is also tasted by a team of arbitrators, who taste, confer and agree on the final award given. If judges feel that a product needs some adjustment, and is therefore not likely to receive an award, the food or drink gets a second chance on a referral table, where another team blind-tastes and deliberates. For a Great Taste 3-star award, the vast majority in the room - which can be as many as 30-40 experts - must agree that the food or drink delivers that indescribable ‘wow’ factor.

What should consumers look for?

The logo. The Great Taste symbol is their guarantee a product has been through a rigorous and independent judging process. It’s not about smart packaging or clever marketing – it’s all about taste.

Great Taste Press Enquiries:

Amy Brice at Freshly Ground PR

E-mail: amy@freshlygroundpr.co.uk

Telephone: +44 (0) 7717 893123

Greyhorses Beer Festival

Weekend 14th July

Mallard Beer Festival

Thursday 26th - Sunday 29th April

20+ real ales and ciders

Dukeries Beer Festival

18 Newcastle Ave Worksop

Thursday 5th April - Sunday 8th April

20+ Real Ales and Ciders

Breweries already featuring, Vale of Glamorgan, Portobello , Geeves , Two Roses, Beartown , Fox, Ardvark, Abstract Jungle, Titan and Scarborough plus Dukeries with more to follow.

Opening times.

Thurs 5.30pm - 11.00 Fri & Sat 12.00 - 11.00 Sun 12.00-

Live entertainment Friday & Saturday evenings

Website www.dukeriesbrewery.co.uk

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DukeriesBrewery?ref=hl

Twitter https://twitter.com/DukeriesBrewery

The Mallard Winter Beer Festival. Thursday 1st February - Sunday 4th February 2018. 20+ beers plus ciders.

Springhead Newsletter

A big hello to all of our drinkers, and we hope you’re having a lovely week! We have a whole host of exciting news packed into our latest newsletter, including a Silver medal win for our American Pale Ale, Outlawed, at the Midland’s SIBA Awards on Friday, as well as a nomination in the North Notts Business Awards, our upcoming Christmas beers and info on stocking up on them for the festive season, our new beer, Exodus, and lots more!

SIBA Award

We are very pleased to announce that our triple-hopped citrussy APA, Outlawed, won a silver award in SIBA's Midlands Independent Beer Awards 2017, Cask Standard Bitters and Pale Ales category on Friday! A huge thank you to the organisers and the judges, and of course to our wonderful drinkers, and a big congrats to our Head Brewer Keir for the sterling work he’s been doing on our brews! This follows on from a Gold Award for our porter Drop O’ The Black Stuff in last year’s awards, and another silver the year before that, so we’re very happy to see our beers being celebrated and gaining critical acclaim.

We’re also always very interested in hearing your feedback on our brews, and like to feature your reviews on our website and social media, so if you’d tried one of our beers recently, please let us know what you thought on ku.oc.daehgnirps@ofni or via our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SpringheadBrewery/.

We also very much welcome your reviews of our beers Untappd, via their website (https://untappd.com/) or app, or on Ratebeer (https://www.ratebeer.com/)!

North Notts Business Awards Nomination

We are also very happy to announce that we have been nominated for the Best Artisan Business Award in the North Notts Business Awards this year. The award is given based on the number of public votes received for each category, so if you enjoy our beers, please consider voting for us. It’s a really quick, simple process, and your vote could make all the difference!

To vote for us, please click the link below, scroll down to the red ‘VOTE NOW’ button, click it to enter the voting form, and enter your nominations – it only takes two minutes, and would mean a huge amount to us!

http://northnottsbusinessawards.weebly.com/public-voting-awards.html

The deadline for your votes is midnight on Friday, 12th January 2018 so there’s still lots of time, and please share on your social media pages too!

To find us on Facebook, click https://www.facebook.com/SpringheadBrewery/

For Twitter, https://twitter.com/springhead1

Or for Instagram https://www.instagram.com/springheadbrewery/

Current Seasonal Special – Surrender

Our current seasonal special is our beautiful South Pacific Pale, Surrender, made with Vienna malt, and finest Equinox and Cascade hops for a hit of tropical fruit flavours. It’s always a real favourite, so catch it while you can!

Upcoming Seasonal Specials for the Festive Period

We also have two very special seasonal brews coming up to see us merrily through the festive season - Fallen Angel, which is pale, with citrussy flavours and cinnamon warmth will be available from mid November, and Rudolph’s Ruin, which is caramel-coloured, with fruity flavours of dates and figs will be ready for the start of December.

Our Beers in Craft Kegs

Following its popularity in cask, our lovely South Pacific Pale, Surrender, is soon to join Roaring Meg and Outlawed in keg form. The craft kegging process, in which the beers are unfined and lightly filtered to maximise in aroma, taste and clarity has proved fantastic in preserving the flavours true to their original format, so if you haven’t tried them yet in keg we highly recommend them! We’re also very happy to see that producing our beers in kegs has enabled a whole host of other pubs and bars to stock our beers who previously weren’t able to. If you’d like to try them in your local, ask your landlord to get in contact, or let us know where and we’d be happy to give them a call to see what we can arrange!

Exodus

This month, our brewers have also been busy with a new concoction - introducing our brand new beer, EXODUS!

Exodus, 3.7% ABV, Colour: Golden

Tasting notes: A bright golden-coloured beer, with a bold citrus flavour, balanced by a biscuity malt body, and with a burst of grapefruit aroma. Refreshing and clean tasting; the perfect session beer.

Background: Exodus is our newest brew, light, and packed with fresh citrus flavour. It is brewed using Pale and Munich malt, Cascade hops, and an all-natural grapefruit infusion for a tropical citrus burst.

The beer has had a great reception so far, and has gone out to several wholesalers already, so let us know if you spot it on a bar near you! Exodus has been flying out the brewery – so much so, that we’re already had to produce our second brew of it!

Stock up on our Beers for Christmas!

With the festival season just around the corner (how did that happen?!), we’ve also been preparing for the Christmas rush by getting in new batches of our two bottle and a branded Springhead glass presentation gift packs, as well as our 17 and 35 pint boxes of beer, which are perfect to see you through Christmas and New Year or for your next party! We also have our beers available for you to enjoy at home in bottles, cans, or even a full 9 gallon cask for the more ambitious beer connoisseur. Call us on 01777 229 020 or email ku.oc.daehgnirps@ofni for more info or to arrange to collect your order either from our brewery in Laneham, near Retford, or from our central Nottingham pick up point in The Park (NG7), or ask our team if we’re able to deliver to your door!

Our brewery tap, Meg’s Bar, will also be open as a pop-up Christmas shop for you to call in, sample our Christmas seasonal specials and other beers, and stock up on our beers in all formats from 9am-4pm from Monday-Friday the week before Christmas (18th to 22nd December).

Roaring Meg Cans in Regional Co-op Branches

We’ve also had a new batch of cans of our flagship IPA made up in preparation for Christmas, and also ready for our first order to go into regional Co-op Branches! Please let us know if you spot it on the shelves, and what you think to the cans! The cans are 330ml craft cans, which are looking and tasting great, and you can also buy the cans direct from us in packs of 6 or cases of 24.

Nottingham Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival 2017

Finally, a big thanks to everyone who visited us, stopped to chat and enjoyed a beer with us at the Nottingham Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival, where we had a Springhead bar from the 11th to the 14th of October. We had a fantastic weekend there, tried some truly delicious beers, and were very happy to see so many friendly faces visiting our bar and trying the eight beers we had on over the weekend. If you have any pictures from the festival, please send them in!

I think that’s everything for now – it’s been a busy month! As always a huge thanks for all of your support.

Best wishes,

Eve Springhead Brewery

If you can't see the pictures in our newsletter, please click 'Load All Images' or add us to your safe senders list. Hope you enjoy the beers!

01777 229020 ku.oc.daehgnirps@ofni www.springhead.co.uk

Click the link below to vote for Springhead Brewery in the North Notts Business awards! http://northnottsbusinessawards.weebly.com/public-voting-awards.html

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The Olde Red Lion Beer Festival Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th August.

The Mallard Summer Beer Festival Thursday 27th - Sunday 30th July.

Wetherspoons Cider Festival at the Liquorice Gardens Worksop and the Dominie Cross Retford. Friday 7th July - Sunday 23rd July 2017.

The Mallard, Worksop.

The North Notts CAMRA Pub of the Season Winter 2016 has been tied. The two pubs are the Station at Worksop and the Olde Red Lion at Wellow. We are going to call both pubs Pub of the Season. Terry is sorting out the presentation dates but the presentation to the Station will probably be at the AGM and the first branch meeting after the AGM will hopefully be at the Olde Red Lion and the presentation will be then.

The Mallard on Worksop railway station has been voted North Notts CAMRA Pub of the Year 2016. Congratulations to Wayne, Mel and staff, the date of the presentation of the award will be announced shortly.

A great addition to Worksop and the North Notts. The team at Dukeries Brewery are very excited as not only is it Christmas but we are also opening our new Brewery Tap at 18 Newcastle Avenue, Worksop, S80 1NP, which will be our new home for you to come and try our traditional award winning Real Ales! Also you will be able to see where it is intended for us to relocate the brewery from our current site. Ten minute walk from Worksop train station, 2 minutes from Worksop bus station.