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The Thoughts of Chairman Mick
Mick Lewis,
Chair of the North London Branch
CAMRA's Pub of the Year winner has just been announced and it is the Blisland Inn, Blisland, Cornwall. It sells over 200 beers a year, plus local ciders and is on the edge of Bodmin Moor. It also stands opposite the only village green in the county.
BILL KING, ex-managing director of King & Barnes (sold to Hall & Woodhouse last year) has started his own brewery in Horsham. Based on an industrial estate, it's called WJ King & Co (Brewers) and is producing two beers - Horsham Best bitter 3.8% abv and Red River 4.8% abv. Although the beers will be available to free houses, they will not be sold in King & Barnes pubs.
MERRYDOWN, who not many years ago were rescued by Shepherd Neame, saw their profits shoot up by 41% last year. It seems it was helped by sales of the fruity drink Shloer, which were up by 47%. What a pity they no longer produce a real cider and have to rely on hybrids.
ENTERPRISE INNS have bought 439 pubs from Morgan Grenfell for 262.5m, making them the third largest pub-owning company. What a coincidence that they've had to renegotiate their bank arrangements for an extra 260m.
BASS BREWERS have just launched Blue, a vodka-based drink apparently vital for the "ultimate chill-out experience". And I thought that sticking your head in the fridge was even more "ultimate" - with the added attraction of not having to drink the stuff!
AND STILL with Bass (as UK distributors) we come to Grolsch, which is producing four seasonal beers this year. They've obviously put some thought into them, as their summer beer will have citrus peel and a special hop variety, and their winter beer includes honey, cloves and orange peel. They sound so good that you could almost be forgiven for thinking that they must be bottle-conditioned.
I SEE that wholesaler The Beer Seller is paying for all of its sales team (70) to join CAMRA. Let's see if Heineken or Fosters follow suit (don't hold your breath).
AND FINALLY, if Leyton Orient have won their play-off final, you may still find me celebrating in a Brain's pub somewhere in Cardiff by the time you read this. If not, you may still find me crying into my beer in a Brain's pub somewhere in Cardiff (So—it's tears all round then? Ed).
Mick Lewis
Reproduced from the Full Pint, Issue 10.
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