My Kind of Beer Festival

One of mine and S's first topics of conversation (a good few years ago, now) was about beer festivals and whether we really liked them or not.

I was, at the time, working on the Bristol Beer Festival for which I have an enormous soft spot and S remarked that beer festivals can be a bit too noisy, too much queuing at the bar and maybe a bit far from home.  His feeling was that a pub with a good number of pumps with a regularly changing set of beers was, perhaps, preferable.

At the time, I tended to stick to a few pubs I knew well, none of which really fit that mould. Then I came to Hitchin.

I have to say, I didn't like The Half Moon all that much the first time I visited.  The beer was great, but I had a feeling, when we walked in, that it felt like a locals pub and the folk clustered around the bar turned and gawped, as if challenging our right to be there.  That feeling has entirely evaporated and I can now say that it is, without doubt, my favourite pub in Hitchin.

Given that our time spent in Hitchin is likely to be dwindling over the next few months, we decided to make the most of the HM and made definite plans to make the most of their autumn beer festival.  Craig showed us the beer list with some excitement a few weeks ago and we genuinely got excited about it.  About 80 beers in a pub festival is no mean achievement.

I arrived in Hitchin yesterday afternoon and, after a swift "greeting" pint at the Nightingale, we walked around to the HM.  We no longer feel the urge to try as many beers as we can and the best bit of this festival at this pub is that we can return to it each day and not feel too pressured.
So, I started with beer No1 on the list "Anarchy Blonde Star" which was...let's not beat about the bush...a perfect golden session pint.  At the same time, S drank a pint of Vibrant Forest's Black Forest which was hoppy, coffee-y and chocolatey.  Absolutely lovely stuff - even if I probably wouldn't manage a whole pint.

Up for a second pint and I let S choose for me - he came back with (I think) Liverpool Craft Beer's Hop Beast .  It was certainly more floral than the Anarchy...and a little less subtle, but much better balanced than the word "Beast" would lay claim to.  Another really good drinkable beer.
I think (and looking at the beer list I'm possibly more confused) S had a Hop Studio Porter and this was, again, pretty hoppy but with lots of lovely flavours going on and a nice fruity twang to it.

And that was it.  After two (plus one at the Nightingale) we headed home, duly mellowed but not feeling like we'd overdone it.

What's even better is that I'm really looking forward to heading around there again today to take up where we left off.  We might even get a cosy table inside today...

Well done Howard, Craig and the team - you've managed something pretty special - the familiarity of a good pub with a stonking additional choice of beer -this is how it should be done.

All Around Good Stuff

We've discovered a new brewery we're going to keep our eyes out for.

Saturday night, after a hard day walking and staffing a Wish Tower performance, we went to The Eagle in Eastbourne - both as a revisiting of youthful pursuits (an old friend was visiting) and to check out the beer...

The Eagle can be a little hit and miss in what's available but it was Saturday night so there was a fair chance there would be something decent on offer.  There was...360 degree Brewery West Coast IPA.

American hopped beers are getting a little bit old-hat (although a good one is still good to drink) but this was a cut above the average.  A really good balance, and, despite being strong (5.6%) it doesn't hit you like a sledgehammer.

Half of me was a little bit disappointed that it was still on when we returned on Sunday since they really should be turning beer around a bit quicker.  The other half enjoyed a couple of pints whilst watching the football.

Definitely a brewery to keep an eye on.

Punching Above Our Weight

A while ago, I wrote an entry about how I met a group of folk from the northern part of Eastbourne who were trying to save their local pub from being turned into a supermarket.

They failed.

We used the Localism Bill (2011) to register the pub as an asset of community value which meant that Punch Taverns couldn't sell the building, or offer a lease of more than 25 years on it without giving the community group a chance to bid for the building.

This week we've learned that the pub (in supermarket clothing) building is going for auction.  Further, that the vendors (who I assume are still Punch Taverns) have not notified Eastbourne Council that they intend to dispose of the building.

Then, looking into the terms of the lease granted to Co-op it seems they have a 15 year lease, with an option to extend by a further 10 years at the end of that period.  In other words, they have a 25 year lease on the building.

One of two things have happened at Punch/Co-op's end.
1) They genuinely thought that the ACV only had action if the building stayed as a pub and that opening as a supermarket within the shoddy loophole in the planning legislation somehow negated the community's rights.
If they genuinely think this, then they are negligent in their understanding of specific legislation that affects the running of their businesses.  Since both companies have had problems of late...maybe this is just one symptom of their wider incompetence.

2) They hoped no one would notice (actually, this is my bet for what happened). Oh look.  We did.

In my eyes no amount of advertising of their ethical stance by not funding arms dealers can overcome my impression that Co-op are no better than Tesco in their willingness to fuck over the communities they say they serve, and whose money they are courting.

As for Punch Taverns - they remain the bottom-feeders they always have been...and I'm afraid I hope they go out of business.