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White Horse Branch Beer Festival
Our fourth annual beer festival
will take place on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th November.
This year we will be moving to a new, larger venue, the
Civic Hall on Portway in Wantage - adjacent to the car park,
and less than a hundred metres/yards from the Royal Oak.
Mike Bellinger R.I.P. We are very sorry to report the untimely death of Mike Bellinger, a founding partner in the recently-established Bellinger's Brewery, following a short illness. Mike was a loyal supporter of cask beer and cider in the Vale, both through the large collection of bottle-conditioned real ale in his shop and his roles in Bellinger's and Pitstop Breweries and Ginge Cider. We understand that Bellinger's Brewery intend to continue brewing.
Late summer beer festivals The Eight Bells at Eaton will be hosting its autumn beer festival on Saturday September 24th with ten cask beers and five ciders. Entrance is 10 pounds; this includes the first drink, food, and six live bands. The traditional bouncy castle and pig-roast BBQ will be on offer. The Prnce of Wales at Shippon is holding a beer festival from September 30th to the 2nd of October. Nineteen ales and assorterd ciders will be on offer.
East Hendred Village Hall will be hosting its third annual beer festival on the 9th and 10th September in aid of Snells Hall. Friday night (7-11) is an adults-only session, but Saturday (11-11) is for all the family; bouncy castle, live music from 8PM and a BBQ. The Radnor Arms, Coleshil will be holding a mini beer festival on Saturday 13th of August to celebrate Old Forge Brewery's first birthday. Four guest beers will be racked up along with the usual range from Old Forge. A hog roast will also be taking place from midday The Plough, West Hanney, will be hosting its second bi-annual festival over the August bank holiday weekend. This year's theme is West Country Ales, with beers from Palmers, Box Steam, Exmoor, Skinners, Roseland, Wooden Hand, O'Hanlons, Abbey, Cheddar, Cotleigh, Sharps and Butcombe. There will be live music and pig roast/BBQ on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The same weekend finds the White Hart at Fyfield will be holding a beer festival featuring 13 cask beers, live music, and a hog roast and childrens' activities on the Bank Holiday Monday.
And the Fox and Hounds
in Uffington will be holding its fourth annual bank-holiday
beer festival from the 27th to the 29th August. Ten cask beers and real
cider will be on offer, as will live music and (weather permitting) a BBQ.
Eight Bells beer festival
The Eight Bells at Eaton
will be hosting a beer festival on Saturday July 18th
in aid of Helen & Douglas House. Around 18 cask ales will be on offer,
as will ice cream and a bouncy castle!
Radnor Arms is Oxfordshire CAMRA Pub of the Year 2011
The
Radnor Arms, Coleshil
has deservedly been voted Oxfordshire CAMRA's 2011 pub of the year
in a tough competetion involving all four of the local branches' champions.
The Radnor Arms will now compete in CAMRA's Soutern Region competition
with rivals from Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.
An award presentation was made on Friday 8th July.
Many congratulations to Alan, Gemma and the team.
Meet the brewer: Loddon
There will be an opportunity to meet Chris Hearne, the brewer from
Loddoin Brewery, at the
the Shoulder
Of Mutton in Wantage on Thursday 16th June, starting at 7pm.
There will eight Loddon beers for all to enjoy,
and a buffet will be available during the evening for
participating CAMRA members.
Membership forms will be available for those who are not already members!
Bank-holiday Beer Festivals
The late-May bank holiday weekend (27th-30th May) plays host to the 15th
Plough beer festival in
West Hanney, featuring Oxfordshire ales and ciders. Of particular
note this year are the first two beers from Bellinger Brewery and
a special brewed by the pub's landlord. Expect live
music and a BBQ on Sunday and Monday.
Also that weekend, the
Volunteer, Grove,
is holding its annual beer festival. Beers on offer include
those from Box Steam, Mordue and O'Hanlons breweries.
The pub will also offer a free first half pint to CAMRA members
buying beer vouchers.
Local brewers celebrate Scots Guards
At 12:30 on the 21st May, he Scots Guards will exercise the Freedom of Wantage,
marching through the town with drums beating, bands playing, bayonets fixed,
swords drawn and Colours flying, where they will be given their Freedom Scroll.
Local brewers Adkin, Best Mates and Betjeman will be marking the event
by producing beers in hounour of the Guards, and these will be available
at a number of Wantage pubs.
The Shoulder
Of Mutton in Wantage will be holding a weekend beer festival
(20th-22nd) to celebrate the event with an esstimated 20 beers on offer,
including the 7% Betjeman Imperial Russian Stout brewed
in recognition of Lord Wantage's leadership during the seige of
Sebastopol during the Crimean War when he served in the Scots Guards.
More upcoming Beer Festivals
The Cherry Tree, Steventon,
will be holding its annual beer festival from the 13th to 15th of May.
Beers from Elland, Quercus, Starthaven, Woodhaven and other breweries
will be available. Dray horses will be there Saturday and Morris Men
on Sunday. CAMRA members will be offered a free half pint when buying
their first set of vouchers!
Bank-Holiday Beer Festival
The White Hart at Fyfield
will be holding its annual mini beer festival over the
May Day bank-holiday weekend (Saturday 30th April to Monday 2 May 201). At least
13 cask beers from independent breweries will be on offer; there will be live
music and a hog roast from 1pm onwards on the Monday.
Pitstop = BBC and Betjeman
The Pitstop Brewery partners have gone their own ways. Mike Bellinger and
son will retain the brewery's equipment, trade under the
name of the
Bellinger Brewing Company,
and plan to concentrate on
brewing and bottling for their shop. Peter Fowler has taken on
the tenancy of the
Shoulder
Of Mutton in Wantage, and will set up a new brewery, currently
to be named the Betjeman Brewery in honour of one of the town's most
distinguished former residents, in
an out-building at the back of the garden of the of the pub.
We wish both partners well with their new ventures, and look forward
to sampling their wares.
April Beer Festival at the Mutton
The Shoulder
Of Mutton in Wantage will be hosting a small beer festival from
Friday 8th to Sunday 10th of April. Beers on offer will
include
Butt's Jester,
Shotover Prospect,
Box Steam Golden Bolt,
Durham Apollo,
Brightwell Gold,
Rebellion Rin Tin Tin,
Dark Star Hophead Citra, and
Ridgeway Bad Elf,
along with three regulars from the bar.
Radnor Arms is Branch Pub of the Year 2011; North Star and Royal Oak are joint runners up The Radnor Arms, Coleshil has deservedly been voted White Horse CAMRA's 2011 pub of the year. As readers will know, this cosy National Trust-owned free-house installed its own Old Forge micro-brewery last year, and its "Hammer and Tongs" was the 2nd most popular beer at the Wantage Beer festival in November. The award was presented on Sunday 8th May, with many branch members joining in the celebrations. Joint runners-up for 2011 are last year's winner, the
Royal Oak
in Wantage, and runner up, the
North Star
in Steventon. Many congratulations to all three pubs, spanning as they do
the whole of the White Horse region.
Branch AGM
White Horse Branch will be holding its Annual General Meeting
at the
North Star, Steventon
on Tuesday, March 15th at 7:30PM. All branch members are encouraged to attend
and are eligible to vote; please bring your membership card!
Only motions notified in advance will be permitted
for discussion, so please send anything you wish to raise to
the branch secretary
before March 10th. A
provisional agenda,
that includes acceptance of the
minutes of the last AGM,
will be followed.
March Beer Festival at the Mutton
The Shoulder
Of Mutton in Wantage will be hosting a small beer festival from
Friday 4th to Sunday 6th of March. Beers on offer will
include
Shotover Prospect,
Slaters Why Not,
Appleford Brightwell Gold,
Dark Star Golden Gate,
Loddon Hocus Pocus,
Stonehenge Old Smokey,
Durham White Magic and
Tring Death or Glory,
along with three regulars from the bar.
White Horse Branch Beer Festival
White Horse Branch Beer Festival
Our third annual beer festival
will take place on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th November.
This year we will be moving to a new, larger venue, the
Comrades Club
on Newbury Street in Wantage - from the town centre, a couple of hundred
metres/yards past the Royal Oak (if you can!).
Meet the Brewer of Braydon Ales
On Saturday 27th of November, the White Horse Branch in association with
the Star in Sparsholt
will be hosting a "meet the brewer" event for CAMRA members and their guests.
We will be offered 4 Wiltshire ales from
Braydon Ales,
one of the newest microbreweries in the area. In addition,
a couple of beers from Marlow brewers Rebellion will be available.
The festivities commence at 2PM. Don't miss it!
Mini Beer Festival at the Black Horse
The Black Horse at East Hanney
will be hosting a mini beer festival on on Saturday 2nd October to celebrate
the money they made for charity at this year's Hanneyfest.
Yet Another Local Micro Brewery
We are pleased to announce that a one-barrel plant has now been installed
at the Swan
in Faringdon. The new outfit will trade, perhaps unsurprisingly,
as the Faringdon Brewery, and will be operated by Oak Taverns
who have a similar setup in the very popular Cross Keys in Thame.
The Swan itself is under new management, and reopened
after a complete refit on Friday 3rd September. The pub
offer a range of six cask beers. Exciting times
in Faringdon, following on from the opening of the Portwell
Cellar Bar earlier in the year.
Mid-September Beer Festival in East Hendred
East Hendred Village Hall
will be hosting its second annual
beer festival
from the 10th and 11th September in aid of Snells Hall. Food, a bouncy castle
(yuk!) and live music on Saturday evening are promised. Beers will include
Rebellion Blonde,
Oakham JHB,
Cotwold Spring Codrington Codger,
Sharp's Doom Bar,
Milk Street Funkey Monkey,
Purity Wild Goose,
West Berks Dr. Hexter's Healer,
Pitstop Penelope, and
Best Mates Midsummer Madness and Alfie's.
The festival opens from 7-11 on Friday
evening and 11-11 on Saturday.
Oxfordshire Pub of the Year Hat-trick for Royal Oak
For the third year in a row, the
Royal Oak
in Wantage has been voted Oxfordshire CAMRA's pub of the year by the
county's CAMRA branches.
There will be a Vale of the White Horse CAMRA presentation of the
award at the Royal Oak at 2PM on Sunday 12 September at 2pm.
All most welcome.
The Royal Oak is now
competing for the Southern-Region CAMRA pub of the year award with
other champion pubs from Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.
Arkells September 2010 Beer Festival
Swindon brewers Arkells will be holding a beer festival on Saturday September
11th at the Kingsdown Brewery. All proceeds will go to the local charity
Prospect Hospice. For more details see the Arkells'
website.
Bank Holiday Beer Festivals at the Fox and Hounds and at the Plough The Fox and Hounds in Uffington will be holding its third annual bank-holiday beer festival from the evening of the 27th to closing time on the 30th of August. This coincides with the local White Horse show. Roughly 15 beers will be available, and live music will be on offer.
The
Plough, West Hanney,
is holding the second of its pair of annual beer festivals the
same weekend. As always, food all weekend (BBQ Monday), live music Saturday
and Sunday nights and Monday afternoon, and the ever-useful
all-weather awnings just in case. Note for the unwary: the pub is closed
on Sunday night!
July Beer and Cider Festival in Newbury
The Newbury Rugby Club in Monks Lane is hosting its first beer festival
on Saturday 17th July. Over 30 cask ales and ciders are promised from
independent producers throughout the South of England. A hog roast,
live music, and touch Rugby are also on the agenda,
with the fun starting at 10AM ... beer from noon until late.
New Local Micro Brewery in Coleshill
We gather that a new micro brewery is being set up
at the Radnor Arms, Coleshil
by the same team who operate Halfpenny at Lechlade. Locals have come
up with name, the Forge Brewery, and Forge installed a four barrel
plant, in a converted outbuilding next to the pub, over the weekend
of 25-26 July. The first test brews are now underway, and with luck
we should be able to sample the results by mid August,
with an ongoing programme of
three brews per week thereafter. Four core beers have been chosen -
Anvil Ale 3.8%. Sledgehammer 5%. Hammer & Tongs 4.2%. Blacksmiths Gold 4%.
- with others to follow later in the year.
May/June Local Pub Beer Festivals
The
Volunteer, Grove,
is holding a beer festival from the 18th to 20th of June.
More details when we get them.
The late-May bank holiday weekend (28th-31st May) plays host to the 14th
Plough beer festival in
West Hanney, featuring Oxfordshire ales and ciders. Expect live
music and a hog roast on the Saturday night.
Nation CAMRA Pub of the Year runners-up presentation
Royal Oak is Branch Pub of the Year 2010; North Star is runner up For the fourth year in a row, the Royal Oak in Wantage has been voted White Horse CAMRA's pub of the year. As readers are undoubtedly to aware, the Royal Oak is additionally both the reigning Oxfordshire and Southern-Region CAMRA pubs of the year, and, as announced above, was one of three runners up in the National Competition this year.
The CAMRA National Inventory-listed
North Star
in Steventon is this year's well-deserved runner up.
Many congratulations to both pubs.
A presentation to the North Star will be made at 1PM on Sunday, May 2nd,
and to the Royal Oak at 8PM on Wednesday May 26th. Again, all welcome.
Shivenham pub rises from the dead
We are delighted to hear that the Crown in Shrivenham has just re-opened
as a free house. This follows a number of years as the Blue Strawberry restaurant!
We gather that two hand pumps are on display; more news once we visit.
Branch AGM
White Horse Branch will be holding its Annual General Meeting
at the
Hatchet, Childrey
on Tuesday, March 30th at 7:30PM. All branch members are encouraged to attend
and are eligible to vote; please bring your membership card!
Only motions notified in advance will be permitted
for discussion, so please send anything you wish to raise to
the branch secretary
before March 23rd. A
provisional agenda,
that includes acceptance of the
minutes of the last AGM,
will be followed. Of particular note will be the ratification of
our draft
constitution.
Shoulder of Mutton re-opens
The Good-Beer-Guide listed
Shoulder Of Mutton
in Wantage has reopened following a short closure. The beer range
continues to be from the Small Independent Brewers Association (SIBA)
list, with generally two of the three beers on offer from Butts.
In addition to local darts and poker teams, there will be occasional live music.
We wish the new landlord all the best.
New cask ale outlet in Faringdon
A new drinking venue with an emphasis on local cask beer,
the Portwell Cellar Bar, has just opened on the market square in Faringdon
Three to four gravity-fed beers are available at any one time; currently
beers from Best Mates, Butts and Halfpenny breweries are on offer.
The Cellar Bar is open from 7.00pm to 11.00pm on Thursday to Saturday
and for lunch on Fridays and Sundays.
White Horse Branch Beer Festival
Our second annual beer festival
was once again, we hope you will agree, a resounding success. Over six hundred
thirsty drinkers consumed almost all of the beer, cider and perry,
CAMRA signed up a White-Horse-record 34 new members (welcome one and all!) ...
and Festival workers now have their lives back.
Pitstop Star was voted beer of the festival,
Ridgeway's Bad Elf came second, with Thornbridge Jaipur IPA third.
Attendees and sponsors gave a generous £280 to the Festival charity, Soundabout.
We are already planning for next year's festival. Watch this space.
Royal Oak is one of the top four CAMRA pubs in the UK
CAMRA has just announced that the
Royal Oak
in Wantage is one of four finalists in its national pub of the
year competition. As readers will recall, the Royal Oak has
been Central Southern Region CAMRA pub of the year for the past
two years, and the latest accolade simply acknowledges
what all local drinkers have known for years. The other finalists
are the Crown Hotel, Worthington, Gtr Manchester, the Royal Oak, Friday Street,
West Sussex and last-year's winner, the
Kelham Island Tavern, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, The overall winner
will be announced in February (Update: The Kelham Island Tavern
was voted National Champion for 2010 in early March).
Congratulations, once again, to Paul and Frankie Hexter and their staff.
An award-presenting celebration will be organised in due course.
Shoulder of Mutton closes
The Good-Beer-Guide listed
Shoulder Of Mutton
in Wantage has closed following the untimely death of popular
landlady Bev Dunn. The former White Horse Branch pub of the year has
long been an excellent outlet for local cask beer. We can only hope
owners Admiral Taverns find new tenants in the very near future.
A revamp for the Lamb and Flag
The
Lamb and Flag,
Longworth, will be re-opening on the 17th of November.
This Greene King pub will specialise in Thai food; rumours that it
was to become a free house were apparently "premature".
More news as soon as we visit.
Branch Trip to Herefordshire
On Saturday 19th September, White Horse Branch visited
Pridewood Hop Farm and Wye Valley Brewery in
beautiful Herefordshire.
Branch member Claire Hodkinson describes
our day out.
Royal Oak is CAMRA Central Southern Region Pub of the Year ... again
For the second year in succession, the
Royal Oak
in Wantage has been voted Central Southern Region CAMRA pub of the year.
The Royal Oak now goes forward with fifteen
other regional winners for the National Pub of the Year competition.
Congratulations, once again, to Paul and Frankie Hexter and their staff.
An award-presenting celebration will be organised in due course.
White Horse Branch Beer Festival in November
We are delighted to announce that the Branch will be organising its
second annual beer festival in Wantage on Friday and Saturday, the 20th and 21st
of November. For more details, see the festival
web page.
Steventon Apple Day
On Sunday 4th October from 2-4pm there will be an Apple Day at the North Star,
Steventon. An apple press will be on site, and everyone is welcome
to bring along surplus apples or pears to be pressed for juice...
or for making into cider/perry.
Don't forget to bring containers for the proceeds!
Good Beer Guide Launch
The new Good Beer Guide has just been published.
To celebrate, White Horse Branch will be holding launch
events at our two latest GBG entries: at the
Cherry Tree, Steventon,
on Thursday 24th September at 8PM and at the
Fox and Hounds, Uffington,
the following Tuesday, 29th, at the same time -
cheap beer will be available for CAMRA members!
Blowing Stone reopens
We are delighted to report that the
Blowing Stone,
Kingston Lisle,
has reopened following a nine-month refit.
Pitstop Brewery Expands
So popular have the beers from Grove micro-brewery Pitstop proved that owners
Peter Fowler and Mike Bellinger are expanding. A new five-barrel plant has
been ordered, and the current brewery, behind Bellinger's Garage, is
being raised to accommodate the new brewing equipment. Also on the
shopping list was a bottling plant. As local drinkers
are aware, Pitstop makes a range of delicious, on average higher-alcohol beers
including Pole Position, Penelope and the CAMRA award-winning Sump.
Production is currently suspended while the brewery expands, although
thirsty drinkers might still find offerings from the original plant
in the Royal Oak in Wantage.
Royal Oak is Oxfordshire Pub of the Year ... again
For the second year in succession, the
Royal Oak
in Wantage has been voted Oxfordshire CAMRA's pub of the year by the
county's CAMRA branches. There will be a presentation of the award
on Wednesday 9 September at around 8 pm. The Royal Oak is now
competing for the Southern-Region CAMRA pub of the year award with
other champion pubs from Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
Upcoming Local Beer Festivals The Black Horse at East Hanney will be hosting the first Hanneyfest from Friday August 7th to Sunday August 9th. A number of Cask ales will be on offer, as will be a full program of live music. All proceeds will go to cancer research and Hanney pre-school. The Eight Bells at Eaton will be hosting a beer festival on Saturday August 15th. Around 12 cask ales will be on offer, as will live music and a BBQ. The Plough, West Hanney, is holding the second of its pair of annual beer festivals from the 29th-31th August - this one is celebrating Champion Beers of Britain; beers, including Triple fff's Alton Pride and Moondance, Purity's Madgoose and Ubu, Loddon's Ferryman's Gold, Hopback Summer Lightning and Yeovil's Summerset. As always, food all weekend, live music Saturday night and Monday afternoon, and the ever-useful all-weather awnings just in case. Note for the unwary: the pub is closed on Sunday night! The Fox and Hounds, Uffington, is holding its second annual beer festival over the August bank-holiday weekend (29th-31st), once again to coincide with the popular White Horse Show on the outskirts of the village. Live music and a hog roast are promised, and children and dogs are most welcome. It is the turn of the Chequers at Charney Bassett to host a beer festival on Saturday and Sunday the 5th and 6th September. Beer will be available in 1/3rd pint glasses. More details as we get them. Another popular event is the Cherry Tree, Steventon's, second beer festival of the year, this one running from the 4th to 6th of September. 27 ales - with 6 more in reserve - and 8 ciders will be on offer, including Beartown Bearskinfull, Purple Moose Glaslyn Ale, Moorhouse Black Cat Mild, Brewsters Rotherkin, Rudgate Viking, Lodden Hoppit, Copper Dragon Golden Pippin and most of the Wadworth's range. There will be a 'meet the brewer' session on Saturday PM with the Wadworth's head brewer.
East Hendred Village Hall
will be hosting a
beer festival
from the 11th and 12th September in aid of Snells Hall. Food, a bouncy castle
(yuk!) and live music are promised. Beers include Best Mates Midsummer Madness,
Purity Gold and Ubu, Sharp's Doom Bar, Thornbridge Jaipur, Loddon Ferryman's Gold,
RCH East St. Cream and Hook Norton Bitter.
Royal Oak is Branch Pub of the Year 2009
For the third year in a row, the
Royal Oak
in Wantage has been voted White Horse CAMRA's pub of the year.
As readers will doubtless recall, the Royal Oak is additionally
both the reigning Oxforshire and Southern-Region CAMRA pubs of the year.
Landlord Paul Hexter and his staff will be presented with the
Robert "Soggy" Sumner trophy at a Branch presentation at 8PM on
Wednesday June 17th. All most welcome.
Bank-Holiday Beer Festival at the Plough
The late-May bank holiday weekend plays host to the 12th
Plough beer festival in
West Hanney, featuring local ales and ciders. Expect live
music and a hog roast on the Saturday night.
Bank-Holiday Beer Festivals
The White Hart at Fyfield
will be holding one of its bi-annual mini beer festivals over the
May Day bank-holiday weekend (Saturday 2nd to Monday 4th May). At least
14 cask beers will be on offer; there will be live music and a hog roast from
1pm onwards on the Monday.
Planned Social Events
The Branch Social Secretary has a list of mouthwatering activities
planned for Branch members. See the diary
for more details.
King and Queen, Longcot, and Kings' Arms, Wantage, back in business ...
The doors of both the King and Queen, Longcot, and Kings' Arms, Wantage, are
open again. The King and Queen is reportedly now selling Wells Bombadier and
Wadworth 6X, and the kitchen will be open again soon. The Kings' Arms is
apparently under new management.
... as is the Barrington Arms, Shrivenham ...
The Barrington Arms in Shrivenham has reopened after a few months in mothballs.
Big-screen sport is proving popular, as is the cheap Fullers London Pride
during matches.
... and the Eight Bells, Eaton
We are delighted to report that the
Eight Bells at Eaton has just reopened
as a free house, following nine months of uncertainty after its sale
by former-owners Greene King. Apparently there are three cask ales on offer, and
food is available. More news when we have visited this rural gem.
Kings Arms, Wantage, closes doors
We gather that the Kings Arms in Wantage has closed. This Greene King-owned pub
has been advertising for a manager for some months, so presumably nobody
has yet come forward.
King and Queen, Longcot, closes ... again ...
Just as all seemed to be going well in Longcot it appears that the
King and Queen has closed again.
The pub had only re-opened in August last year, in the capable hands of
popular landlady Julie Ann Gibbin Gibbin and her partner.
Unfortunately, towards the end of December Julie received an unexpected letter
from owners Punch Tavern, in which they announced their intent to sell the pub.
The final straw came over the Christmas period when the pub's boiler failed,
and Punch were unwilling to pay for its repair. Having already invested heavily
in the pub, Julie reluctantly decided that she had had enough. A final farewell
took place last Saturday, and the pub is now closed. Over 150 locals have
signed a petition urging Punch not to close the pub, but given Punch's
announced intention to sell 500 "less profitable" pubs nationwide, the future
for Longcot's only remaining hostelry, and for the village's drinkers, does not
currently look good.
Branch AGM
White Horse Branch will be holding its Annual General Meeting
at the
Plough, West Hanney
on Tuesday, January 20th at 7:30PM. All branch members are encouraged to attend
and are eligible to vote; please bring your membership card!
Only motions notified in advance will be permitted
for discussion, so please send anything you wish to raise to
the branch secretary
before January 15th.
White Horse Branch Beer Festival
The beer festival
was, we hope you will agree, a success. Over four hundred and fifty
thirsty drinkers consumed almost all of the beer, cider and perry,
CAMRA signed up 29 new members (welcome all!) ... and we now have our lives back.
Pitstop Sump was voted beer of the festival by those who attended; their
Pole Position was runner up. We are now planning for next year's festival.
Same time of the year, same venue. Watch this space.
White Horse Branch Beer Festival in November
We are delighted to announce that the Branch will be organising a
beer festival in Wantage on Friday and Saturday, the 21st and 22nd of November.
This is not the first Wantage beer festival - readers with long memories
may recall a charity event in the early 1980s - nor the first CAMRA
event - the as-was-then Vale-of-White-Horse-Sub-Branch organised one
in East Challow in the early 90s. But it is certainly the first in a long time.
We are intending to provide 24 cask ales, local and from far away, light
and dark, strong and meek, as well as ciders and perry. The Festival will
take place in the Masonic Hall. More details on the festival
web page.
Pitstop Brewery
The Branch area has yet another new brewery. Pitstop Brewery has just started
production behind the Bellinger's Garage in Grove. The initial beer, the
heavily-hopped 5% Pole Position (née Starter's Orders), made its first public
appearance, to
universal acclaim, at the Royal Oak. The follow up, the 6% Sump, is now in cask
and will be on sale at our beer festival; a strong American-style IPA
and a 5% mild are next in the works. The brewery
is the brain child of Peter Fowler of Londis fame (see below) and Mike
Bellinger. We wish them well, and look forward to sampling more of their beers in
local hostelries.
White Horse Brewery Tap
White Horse Brewery has just obtained its first pub, the
Royal Blenheim, 13 St Ebbes Street in Oxford. White Horse beers
and guests will be on sale. The pub apparently reopens on Friday 24th of October.
We wish White Horse Brewery well, and will visit as soon as we can.
Royal Oak is Central Southern Pub of the Year 2008
Duke of Wellington, Faringdon, reopens ...
We are delighted to hear that the
Duke of Wellington, Faringdon, has reopened
after a month or so of inactivity. A cask of Adnams Bitter was
apparently finished within hours by thirsty locals!
... as does the King and Queen, Longcot ...
Good news too in Longcot where the
King and Queen, has reopened
after five months of uncertainty. Village locals celebrated at the
reopening party on August 15th. The pub currently stocks Wadworth 6X and
Wells Bombardier. Home-cooked food is also back on the agenda, as is
en-suite B&B for those who may have over-indulged! More details from
their website.
... and the Bystander, Wootton
The Bystander at Wootton has now emerged from its welcome refurbishment
and appeared to be busy when we passed yesterday. The pub is
part of the Hungry Horse chain.
Bank-holiday beer festival at the Fox and Hounds ... The Fox and Hounds, Uffington, is holding its first beer festival over the August bank-holiday weekend (22nd-25th). This coincides with the popular White Horse Show on the outskirts of the village. Beer will be available by the third pint if required along with more usual measures; offerings from Banks's, Butts, Jennings, Mansfield, Marston, Ringwood, West Berks and Wychwood as well as cider are promised. There will be live music on Saturday/Monday and a hog roast on Sunday; children and dogs are most welcome! ... and the Plough
The
Plough, West Hanney,
is holding the second of its pair of annual beer festivals
from the 22nd-25th August - this one is celebrating beers and ciders
from the West Country. Beers include a brace each from
Butcombe, Cheddar, Sharps and Skinners, and offerings from
Cotleigh, Hopback, RCH, Red Rock, St. Austell, Wickwar and Yeovil.
Food all weekend, live music Saturday
night and Monday afternoon, and all-weather awnings if it is wet!
Royal Oak is Branch Pub of the Year 2008
Bank-holiday beer festivals at the Waggon and Horses ... The Waggon and Horses, Southmoor, is holding its annual beer festival from the 23rd-26th May. Live bands, pig roasts and barbeques throughout the weekend, and children and dogs are most welcome! ... and the Plough
The
Plough, West Hanney,
is also holding one of its pair of annual beer festivals
from the 23rd-26th May - this one is celebrating beers and ciders
from Oxfordshire. Karaoke, live music, and hog roasts throughout
the weekend, and a bouncy castle and face painting for the
your at heart on Monday. And all-weather awnings if it is wet!
Beer Festival at the Prince of Wales in early May ...
Early-May bank-holiday weekend sees the annual beer festival - or
"POW-FEST" as they have it - at the
Prince of Wales, Shrivenham.
Festivities run from Friday (2nd May) until Monday (5th) evening. Live music,
BBQ on Monday lunchtime, and 10 cask beers. Best of all, card-carrying CAMRA
members get a free half pint ... and there is a "guess-the-mystery-beer"
competition. Simply too tempting!
Best Mates Brewery
The Branch area has a new brewery. Best Mates Brewery has started
production at Sheep House Farm, Ardington near Wantage.
As soon as we have tasted their wares, we will have more news.
But reports suggest that their beer is already on sale in the Tea Rooms
and Boar's Head
in Ardington and at the King Alfred's Head and Swan in Wantage,
and bottles of Vicar's Daughter (3.7%) and Alfie's (4.4%)
may be found at Londis in Grove (see below).
Beer Festival at the Cherry Tree in April ...
The
Cherry Tree, Steventon,
is holding its annual beer festival
from the 25th-28th April. Beers are being chosen by popular demand, and
on past experience, this is a good night (or lunchtime) out.
Eight Bells, Eaton The Eight Bells at Eaton has just been sold at auction. There is a poignant sign outside reading "If you care about losing this pub, don't be apathetic. Make your feelings known...". We sincerely hope that the new owners plan to continue running this pretty former Greene King pub as a going concern. An Aladdin's Cave in Grove
Next time you fill up your car with petrol at the Jet (ex-Texaco) filling
station in Station Road, Grove, make sure you pop into the attached
Londis stores. Beer-mad manager Peter Fowler
has started stocking bottle-conditioned ales from around the UK.
Currently there are almost 400 tasty brews to choose from. Peter offers
a discount on beer for card-carrying CAMRA members, so all the more reason
to join.
Bystander, Wootton
The Bystander at Wootton, until recently part of the Hungry Horse chain,
is currently boarded up. Let's hope this is simply a refit, or even that
it has been acquired by Crouch Vale ...
Branch Relaunch After a number of months of inactivity, the former Vale of the White Horse Branch of CAMRA has been reborn as, simply, the White Horse Branch. The Branch has an all-new committee, a new vibrancy, but the same old thirst. Please bear with us while we get to grips with how things work, and get out to meet our publicans and brewers. In the mean time, we would love to see you all at our monthly meetings - check the diary for more details. We would like to thank all the members from the previous committee for their many years of service. |
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Last updated: October 9th 2011 Comments to: webmaster@whitehorsecamra.org.uk URL: http://www.whitehorsecamra.org.uk/news.htm |
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