On the way home tonight popped into the Pen & Wig in Newport and witnessed a shove ha'penny match between a couple of pubs. Newport can still manage a Shove Ha'penny league and it is played in quite a few pubs and clubs in the area.
Monday, 9 November 2009
Shove Ha'penny
On the way home tonight popped into the Pen & Wig in Newport and witnessed a shove ha'penny match between a couple of pubs. Newport can still manage a Shove Ha'penny league and it is played in quite a few pubs and clubs in the area.
White Hart, Machen
Tonight Brew Wales visited one of the strangest pubs in Wales. Machen is a village between Newport and Caerphilly and the White Hart pub occasionaly brews its own beer, tonight Otley was on. This pub was refurbished in the early 1960s just as the liner, the Empress of France was being scrapped by Cashmores in Newport. Cashmores used to sell off the interiors of the ships they were scraping. This has resulted in the art deco interior we see today in the White Hart. Now here is where the fun starts, why don't CADW, who are responsible for protecting historic buildings in Wales list, ie protect this 1930s woodwork? One of the reasons why they say they will not is because the interior dates from the 1960s! Cant win. Best way to support the pub is drink there!
Friday, 6 November 2009
Booze/Death Calculator
Now I realise this is only a bit of fun and not to be taken seriously but having found out that it would take 25 bottles of Fullers ESB to kill me I'd better stop drinking at 20! From the Barstools site, a website that scares Fake Charities before they get out of bed in the morning!
Created by Bar Stools
Online Cardiff Pub Guide
Whilst browsing the Internet today I came across this useful site, an online guide to Cardiff pubs. Having used the excellent pocket-sized maps made by the same person for years, I can recommend the useful information contained on both the the website and the maps.The website contains photographs of the individual pubs both interior and exterior and a pub sign if they have one. A brief description of the pub is given, together with the opening times as well as a link to Multimap to help you find the pub. Not yet checked out the website via mobile Internet but will do so later.
An useful site if you regularly use pubs in Cardiff.
Butcher's Arms, Llandaff
On my recent post regarding Smoke Rooms I forgot to mention the Butcher's Arms in Llandaff, Cardiff, which not only has a Smoke Room etched window but also an old Hancock's Brewery monogram on another window. Anyway here is a full write-up on the pub.Butcher's Arms, 16 High Street, Llandaff, Cardiff, CF5 2DZ
The Butcher's is an unusual three-story building with a sharp, angular roof and the name of the former brewery, Hancock's who once owned the brewery, emblazoned high on the front wall.
One of the windows also has a etched glass monogrammed logo of W and H, representing the William Hancock name. The other, smaller sash window has the letters 'Smoke Room' etched into it. The central doorway to the Butcher's leads into the Smoke Room and then through an archway into the main bar area. The bar is carved out of dark wood and there is an equally impressive bar back or gantry for serving spirits from. Three real ales are served from gleaming brass handpumps, Bass, Hancock's HB and a guest which changes regularly and was recently Wye Valley HPA. The Smoke Room features settles and tables, which lead into the rear area of the pub with more seating and a roof light. At the very back of the Butcher's Arms is a very pleasant, partly covered beer garden, unusual for a Cardiff pub and a very well-kept secret.
The Smoke Room has attractively carved cornices and features numerous pumpclips from breweries whose beers have been served in this pub over the years. The walls of the pub are adorned with framed photos of rugby starts who have visited the Butcher's over the years, as well as with newspaper cuttings and even the more unusual 'Genealogy of the Earls of Llandaff', proudly hanging near the entrance. The tables are mainly of the old cast-iron tripod varieties, painted black, apart at their bases where the countless shoes of patrons have polished the metal over the years.
The Butcher's Arms does lunchtime food and there is a blackboard of often changing 'Specials' hanging up adjacent to the bar.
The Butcher's Arms has much of the atmosphere of a country pub, despite being in a suburb of Cardiff, albeit on a historic side-street, close to the Bishop's Palace and the Cathedral. Conversation dominates in the bar and other rooms of this pub, there is a television but it is only used for major sporting events and the piped music is kept at a low background level. There is a quiz night on Mondays. The pub is called the Butcher's Arms as the building was formerly a butcher's shop, together with a slaughterhouse at the rear. The building became a pub in 1880. Today the Butcher's offers good beer and good food in a comfortable atmosphere in one of the City's more pleasant areas.
Above: the interior of the Butcher's Arms, looking from the Smoke Room towards the barThursday, 5 November 2009
New Chairman for Brains
 |
| From Brew Wales |
Pictured Above: A nervous Keith Jenkins (bar manager) looks on as John Rhys is about to pour a pint of Brains at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival
John Rhys, a direct descendent of Samuel Arthur Brain, has taken over the pumps at SA Brain, the largest cask ale producer in Wales. John has replaced Christopher Brain, who retires after 20 years in the role and more than 50 years with the company.
In recent years, the Chairmanship has been handed down through the generations and both men followed in their father’s footsteps. M.B. Brain (father of Christopher) was in the chair from 1955 to 1971 and Bill Rhys (John’s father) from 1971 to 1989.
John has been Non-Executive Director at Brains since 1998 and in that time he has been closely involved in shaping Brains’ brand development and marketing strategy. This has included the award-winning ‘positive thinking’ campaign and the marketing of Brains’ high profile sponsorship of the Welsh Rugby Union.
After a 20-year career in London marketing agencies, John co-founded branding consultancy Heavenly Group in 2002. Heavenly’s clients include various departments of the Welsh Assembly Government, including Visit Wales and International Business Wales, Glyndŵr University, Sony, Sky TV and Vodafone. John will continue to play a reduced role at Heavenly, alongside his responsibilities as Chairman of S.A. Brain.
John said: "it is a great honour to take over the Chairmanship from Christopher Brain and follow in the footsteps of my father and great great grandfather. I have been closely involved with Brains’ business for over 10 years now and I am very much looking forward to playing an increased role in the company’s exciting future as a family-owned, independent brewer and pub operator."
Brewdog top dog on Wikio
The Wikio rankings for last month are out and Brew Dog have had the pre-announcement tip off this time. It comes as no surprise that they are top this month in the Wine and Beer section, their "Equity for Punks" launched last month attracted lots of debate and rumour in the blogosphere with everyone clicking on their site and linking back to it. What does come as a surprise is that there are now only 4 wine blogs in the top 20. Now compare this with the amount of coverage in the dead tree press wine gets compared to beer. Do these figures prove that there is more of interest in beer than in wine? With the exception of the 'Trumpet of Truth' ie, the South Wales Echo which has a weekly beer column written by the Brew Wales editor (blowing my own trumpet there) and the Western Mail which has a beer column by Brian Glover, the rest of the media in Wales; South Wales Argus, Swansea Evening Post, Monmouth Beacon etc, all ignore beer writing in general. Any surprise the blogs have taken off so well?| 1 | Brew Dog Blog (+1) | |
| 2 | Pete Brown's Blog (-1) | |
| 3 | Pencil & Spoon (=) | |
| 4 | The Pub Curmudgeon (+6) | |
| 5 | Woolpack Dave's beer and stuff blog (+3) | |
| 6 | Tandleman's Beer Blog (-2) | |
| 7 | The Beer Nut (+2) | |
| 8 | Spittoon (-3) | |
| 9 | Brew Wales (-2) | |
| 10 | Stonch's Beer Blog (-4) | |
| 11 | Bibendum Wine (=) | |
| 12 | Called to the bar (+4) | |
| 13 | The Bitten Bullet (-1) | |
| 14 | The Wine Conversation (+1) | |
| 15 | Jamie goode's wine blog (-1) | |
| 16 | Impy Malting (+3) | |
| 17 | Reluctant Scooper (+7) | |
| 18 | Real Ale Reviews (+11) | |
| 19 | Boak and Bailey's Beer Blog (-6) | |
| 20 | On pubs and beer - screeds by jesusjohn (+37) |
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Smoke Rooms in South Wales
This is not going to be a rant on having smoking back into pubs, but a look at what was once commonplace in upmarket Victorian pubs.
Walking out of the Otley Arms the other night after a very enjoyable night on the Columb-O, the light streaming through the old stained glass windows struck me. This pub used to be owned by the former Ely Brewery and was bought by the Otley family in the 1970s and is one of the few pubs left with the old Ely Brewery stained glass windows. One of the windows has the legend “Smoke Room” in white stained glass lettering on it. Thankfully one of the New Labour Nazis of the Bully State, progressed as they have from the Nanny State, have not yet told this pub to get rid of this blatant piece of pro-smoking propaganda but it did get me thinking as to what was a “Smoke Room”.
The interior of the Otley has been much-altered over the years, to the improvement of the pub, so there are few if any clues as to the original layout of the interior. Similarly the Red Lion on Stow Hill, Newport has an etched glass window with “Smoke Room” on it, but the interior was knocked through here in the early 1990s, destroying the room in question.
Luckily the Capel, Gilfach Fargoed, built in 1912 by Phillips Brewery of Newport, still has its etched glass windows and original interior intact. The etched glass in the doorway of the passageway has “Commercial and Smoke Rooms” on it and leads to what is called the “Singing Room” today where the karaoke machine has taken the place of the pub piano. This room is also accessed via the walking through the bar servery. This Smoke/Singing room is separate from the other parts of the pub, allowing commerce or other activities to be carried out away from the main bar.
Above: Etched window in the Capel
On nineteenth century plans of public houses the smoke room is quite often marked and was a separate and distinct room from the parlour, tap room, saloon, vault or bar. Smoke rooms tend to be found in more upmarket pubs, “implying more relaxed drinking and refined surroundings than in the public bar”1
The Capel may have the only surviving Smoke Room in the South Wales area but there may be one or two pub windows still surviving. Smoke rooms seem to have stopped being built in the 1930s - the upmarket pubs used the term 'Lounge' from there onwards.
1. Licensed to Sell – The History and Heritage of the Public House, Brandwood, Davison, Slaughter 2004
Update:
The Butcher's Arms, Llandaff, Cardiff also has etched glass windows with "Smoke Room" on them
Walking out of the Otley Arms the other night after a very enjoyable night on the Columb-O, the light streaming through the old stained glass windows struck me. This pub used to be owned by the former Ely Brewery and was bought by the Otley family in the 1970s and is one of the few pubs left with the old Ely Brewery stained glass windows. One of the windows has the legend “Smoke Room” in white stained glass lettering on it. Thankfully one of the New Labour Nazis of the Bully State, progressed as they have from the Nanny State, have not yet told this pub to get rid of this blatant piece of pro-smoking propaganda but it did get me thinking as to what was a “Smoke Room”.
The interior of the Otley has been much-altered over the years, to the improvement of the pub, so there are few if any clues as to the original layout of the interior. Similarly the Red Lion on Stow Hill, Newport has an etched glass window with “Smoke Room” on it, but the interior was knocked through here in the early 1990s, destroying the room in question.
Luckily the Capel, Gilfach Fargoed, built in 1912 by Phillips Brewery of Newport, still has its etched glass windows and original interior intact. The etched glass in the doorway of the passageway has “Commercial and Smoke Rooms” on it and leads to what is called the “Singing Room” today where the karaoke machine has taken the place of the pub piano. This room is also accessed via the walking through the bar servery. This Smoke/Singing room is separate from the other parts of the pub, allowing commerce or other activities to be carried out away from the main bar.
Above: Etched window in the CapelOn nineteenth century plans of public houses the smoke room is quite often marked and was a separate and distinct room from the parlour, tap room, saloon, vault or bar. Smoke rooms tend to be found in more upmarket pubs, “implying more relaxed drinking and refined surroundings than in the public bar”1
The Capel may have the only surviving Smoke Room in the South Wales area but there may be one or two pub windows still surviving. Smoke rooms seem to have stopped being built in the 1930s - the upmarket pubs used the term 'Lounge' from there onwards.
1. Licensed to Sell – The History and Heritage of the Public House, Brandwood, Davison, Slaughter 2004
Update:
The Butcher's Arms, Llandaff, Cardiff also has etched glass windows with "Smoke Room" on them
Saturday, 31 October 2009
Artisan Brewery Beer Festival
Hidden away in The back streets of Pontcanna in Cardiff is the Artisan Brewery, run by Simon Doherty, pictured above. Two beers on today for the micro-beer festival, a 5.1% Kolsch and a Chocolate Wheat at 4.9%. It's no surprise that the chocolate Wheat is going down well with assorted RATs here. Good food here as well with home-made burgers and pumpkin soup. Bands about to start and the festival is open Sunday as well.
Friday, 30 October 2009
A queue at the bar
Went back into the Coach & Horses in Chepstow, their beer and sausage Festival is in full swing, there may be a queue at th bar but everyone gets served quickly. WTF is it with companies like JD Chaverspoons where they promise to have staff on the bar and you wait for 10 minutes to get served, yet a tenanted pub manages to serve the customers faster? Best beer tonight and hence best beer Festival has been the Coach & Horses.
Beaufort Arms, Chepstow
Saw the CAMRA Good Beer Guide sticker in the window here so thought I might get a good pint. Well had an average pint of Rhymney Bitter, Bass was also on, what put me off were the staff members eating behind the bar and not washing their hands inbetween serving customers. Pictured above is the barmaid enjoying her sandwich in the bar servery. She served customers between bites without washing her hands. Barman was also seen to be eating crisps behind the bar as well. Looks like a big food hygiene fail here and Brew Wales will be contacting Monmouthshire council on Monday with regards to this flagrant breach of the food hygiene laws.
Bellhanger, Chepstow
The third beer festival of the day and in a place as small as Chepstow. This time popped into the JDW Bellhanger for their range of ales. After drinking some fantastic Otley O1 up the Coach & Horses the tastebuds may be a little tired but went for a Toshi's Amber Ale brewed by Bank's. A sweet, malty ale, hardly in the style of a Japanese beer, more like the bland Wolverhamton & Dudley ales we come to expect from them. Why make a bland beer for a beer festival? Still at least this JDW does not have the offspring of chavs running around off their leash as the Newport ones do.
Coach & Horses Beer & Sausage Festival
The Coach & Horses in Chepstow is holding a beer and sausage Festival this weekend. 7 real ales on at a time, all served from the handpump, apart from the Kingstone Gold which is on the bar and served straight from the wood. Over 20 different real ales will be served over the weekend and 12 different sausages are on the menu. The Coach & Horses is a great little pub with oak beams covered with pumpclips and etched glass windows. Two fireplaces but with the Indian Summer we are having they are not needed. Otley O1 has just come on as well.
Beerex at the George in Chepstow
It's been a few years since the Brew Wales editor stepped into the George and the new interior was a bit of a shock. The new bar on the right hand side as you enter replaces the old cozy left hand bar which used to back onto the town wall. Bigger bar means more handpumps and 6 of them grace this new installation. The beerex is a bit dissapointing as the local beers from Kingstone are not on yet, instead we have a good selection of Marstons beers including Jennings Cocker Hoop and World's Biggest Liar as well as Brakspear Oxford Gold, Hobgoblin and Ringwood Best. Pub is decked out in a Halloween theme which the feral kids running around the pub must be enjoying. Last time I was in the pub had lunch with the local MP, don't think will be popping in again for a while. Still the beers good despite the ambience of the pub which half-heartedly attempts to be a Weatherspoon without putting in the effort. Still there are worst pubs in Chepstow. Off to the Coach & Horses next for their Beer & Sausage Festival. First time I tried Brakspears Oxford Gold was today, a wonderful autumnal hoppy aroma leads to a bitter and moreish aftertaste. Definetly a beer to have again.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
New Newmans Beer
Popped into the Pen & Wig, Newport and discovered this new beer from Celt Experiance/Newmans Brewery in Caerphilly. The 4.4% ABV Autumn Valley Flower is a mid-to-light brown ale (its night time so cannot judge colour too accuratly) with a distinctive hoppy nose. A smooth taste leads to an increasingly bitter and astringdent aftertaste that lingers. More of a bitter than hoppy ale, should be good with a strong cheese. Good pumpclip as well with an attractive picture of an oast house on it.
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