Now and Then, Red Lion, Llangorse

The Red Lion, Llangorse, Powys, a former Rhymney Brewery pub, still trading as a pub and recently owned by CH Marlow, the company behind the now defunct Breconshire Brewery

Now and Then, Usk Inn, Talybont-on-Usk

The Usk Hotel, Station Road, Talybont-on-Usk, Powys, a former Rhymney Brewery pub dates back to the 1840s and was built opposite the now long-gone train station. Now known as the Usk Inn.

Brecon pub to improve

A run-down hotel and bar in the centre of Brecon is set to get a new lease of life next year when it reopens as a Wetherspoons pub in February 2017. The George Hotel, once a regular entry in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide shut in January this year and was in such a bad state of repair the refurbishment works will take over a year before the building is once again suitable for use. The hotel was dropped from the Good Beer Guide after the dramatic drop in beer quality when the hotel was purchased by the later disqualified company director and former gay nightclub owner, Simon Buckley.



Some of the reviews from Trip Advisor are worth repeating:

“Not recommended Terrible & rude customer service”
I would not recommend this pub or hotel as the staff are extremely rude and unhelpful and obviously do not need customers.

“apathetic”
We had an 8 month old and an 11 month old with us who were excellently behaved throughout, which is more than can be said for the female member of staff there.

“Disorganised”
Everything seemed very disorganised and lots of people were moaning. I will not be going back there again. If this is the service you get for a meal, I dread to think what it would be like to be a guest at this hotel.

“Dreadful Sunday Lunch - Avoid this place!!!!”

Avoid this place at all costs or you will waste your money and be left disappointed, hungry and annoyed. So much so it has prompted me to deliver this critical but honest review for the benefit of others.

Visited on a Bank holiday. They were short staffed, waited hour and a half for our food which they had forgotten about!! Food very disappointing when it eventually arrived. Will Not be visiting again.

“Wetherspoons with bad service. ”

Service was short, snappy, rude and when the chef came out to tell the staff the wait was now 1hr I was neglected to be told (I merely overheard). My partner ordered a mixed grill and was laughed at in the face with no explanation. 
When another table came to sit near us they closed the kitchen clearly unable to cope with a medium busy Saturday night. 
And most of the food was obviously bought in frozen!

Although there are a few good reviews, it does raise suspicions when they are posted by staff members!

Back in 2011, The George Hotel scored a zero out of 5 for food hygiene

The George Hotel in Brecon scored so low because:

Compliance Food Hygiene and Safety 

Some major non-compliance with statutory obligations

"Repeat issue re fridge. High risk stored"  

Structural

Some major non-compliance with stat obligations

"Grease to walls. Cleaning issues" 

Confidence in Management Systems 

Poor track record of compliance, little or no technical knowledge. Little or no appreciation of hazards or quality control. 

"No food safety management".

Not the type of place you'd really want to eat in is it?

Still at least when Wetherspoons opens there the George will improve dramatically.

Elsewhere in Brecon, the Bull's Head pub is still shut and has been since 2010 apart from brief openings during Brecon Jazz Festival. Another pub owned by Simon Buckley, this was once a successful and thriving pub until he turned his reverse Midas touch to the premises and drove the customers away with his barely drinkable beer and attitude of the staff. So that's two former CAMRA Good Beer Guide pubs shut in the market town of Brecon. The Temperance Movement did not even manage that!

Oh and in a recent email from Buckley to the Brew Wales editor, he claims now that he is in communication with the dead! He is clearly bonkers!

 

Mid-Wales Beer festival starts this weekend

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The smallest town in Britain, Llanwrtyd Wells, will be playing host to the 10-day Mid-Wales Beer Festival this weekend. The festival is centered on the Neuadd Arms Hotel and brewery but other pubs in the town do take part.
Starting on the 18th and going on until the 27th November, this long-stablished beer festival will feature around 60 real ales on tap from breweries all over Wales, it is a true showcase of Welsh brewing talent.

The 60 ales are those just available in the Neuadd there are as many ales again available at other establishments in the town, and with no entry charges it is simply a case of turning up and enjoying as many as you can cope with. There is live music each Friday and Saturday evening, or visit during the week for quieter enjoyment of the ales.

No beer list but Sue from Waen Brewery tells me that their Blackberry Stout, Chilli Plum Porter and Festival Gold will all be available
The beer festival also has a couple of fringe events:
Real Ale Wobble
The Wobble is a mountain biking event where participants down free fresh pints of ale from the local Heart of Wales Brewery. The three trails are 15 miles, 20 miles and 35 miles long, through the Cambrian Mountainside. Riding is mostly off-road due to the alcohol consumption.

Routes change from year to year or sometimes just run backwards. Trails used in the past few years have run towards Coed Trallwyn and the Woolen Mill. Riders used to go near the LLyn Brianne reservoir, but not in recent years. A video of the 2010 event shows the trail highlights, stops and after-party.

Checkpoints are located throughout routes and are where the free drinks are tapped. These stops are also used make sure no one has gone astray during the adventure.

Around 700 riders joined the Saturday ride in 2010 and about 70 the next day.

Real Ale Ramble
The Ramble is similar to the Wobble, only stomped out on foot. Think of it as a pub crawl through the Welsh countryside. The routes begin at the town center and are a tad bit shorter. The three distance options are 10 miles, 15 miles and 20 miles.

While in anticipation of their next pint of Felinfoel's Double Dragon, ramblers will walk clearly marked trails through the mountains, moors and forests of Mid Wales. Medals are awarded to those who complete the trek, although badges have to be purchased.

Traveline Information:
Llanwrtyd Wells is on the Heart of Wales line, a very scenic journey that runs through the mountainous countryside between Llanelli and Shrewsbury.

Boozing Brothers have bash at the Bell

This weekend is promising to be a busy one locally with plenty of beer festivals to choose from around South Wales.

The Bell at Glangrwyney, near Crickhowell, NP8 1EH, will be holding their first ever beer festival this weekend. Situated just outside of Abergavenny this is sure to be a good event.
The pub was taken over last year by brothers Tony and Dave Griffiths. Tony had worked for years at the WDA and has been a familiar site promoting local food and drink from Wales, even occasionally judging at the CAMRA Champion Beer of Wales Competition so we expect his beers to be spot on!
Beer list, subject to availability etc:
Jennings Stickle Pike, 

Butcombe Bitter, 

Skinners Betty Stoggs, 

Beer Rocks Nailers Pinnacle, 

Bath Gem, 

Hop Back Crop Circle, 

Batemans Jewel in the Crown, 

Bombardier, 

Wadworth 6x , 

Adnams Broadside, 

Brains, IPA, dark, SA gold, bitter, 

Otley O2 and Motely Brew 

 Breconshire Golden Valley and Ramblers Ruin

Ciders are Black Rat, Old Rosie, Westons Traditional with bottles of Orchard Gold and hopefully some others from Gwynt y Ddraig

 Bell Inn, Glangrwyney, Crickhowell, NP8 1EH

Goole Map:

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The Bell is in on a bus route - the Abergavenny-Brecon-Cardiff X43 Beacons Bus run by Sixty Sixty Coaches runs past the pub and a timetable can be downloaded from here (pdf).

Journey Planner:

Roast Ox and Cider!

The Roast Ox Inn at Painscastle, near Builth Wells will be holding their annual cider and perry festival this weekend and its a double celebration as the pub has been judged Brecknock CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year. The award will be presented by Nick Bourne AM.

 As well as the festival there will be:

 
Apple-pressing demonstration
Real Ciders & Perries to taste,
Traditional Cider & Beer Menu
FOLK SINGING from noon on Saturday October 9th with the
Cwmbach Quire
Roast Ox Inn, Painscastle, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3J

Google Map:

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Ale trail in Newtown

Newtown in Powys is looking like the place to be this weekend as the 2010 Ale Trail gets under way with all 12 of the market town's pubs getting involved.
Pub such as the Elephant & Castle will be joining in together with the Sportsman, run by the local Monty's Brewery, to bring a wide selection of real ales to the thirsty visitors and residents of Newtown. A food and drink market is also happening in the town this weekend.

Newtown is easily reached by train and is on the Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury line.

Journey Planner:

Beerex at the Roast Ox

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For those of you in or around Builth Wells this weekend (3rd-4th July), the Roast Ox at Painscastle is holding a beer festival with over 30 different real ales on as well as cider.
The Roast Ox Inn
Painscastle
Builth Wells
Powys
LD2 3JL
Tel: 01497 851398
Google Map:

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Beer Festival at The Star

After a day of picking apples, time to go to a beer Festival. A short drive from Abergavenny is the Star Inn at Talybont on Usk and their first beer Festival is this weekend. The marquee is in the canalside beer garden and features Penlon brewery beer on draught as well as ales from Otley, Newmans and even Harviestoun and Cairngorm from Scotland. Brew Wales is on for the light hoppy ales so a pint of Tudor brewery Blorenge is going down very well. Just so happened that Anthony the brewer was also here today. The first Star Inn beer Festival looks to be a success, the last warm rays of the autumn sun will slowly vanish behind the bank of the Monmouthshire-Brecon canal and the band are about to start playing. Time for another pint I think before going to Cowbridge to press the apples.

Beer Festival at the Star

The Star Inn, Talybont-on-Usk will be holding their first beer festival this weekend, the 17th & 18th October. The pub will also be celebrating their Pub of the Year 2009 award from Brecknock CAMRA.
Real ales from local breweries such as Breconshire, Kingstone, Celt Experiance an Wye Valley will be available along with live music and food. Although the Star is a small, roadside inn, not too far from the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal, there will be a large marquee in the beer garden.



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The Star is reachable by public transport, the Cardiff-Merthyr-Brecon-Abergavenny bus passes the door


Star Inn
Talybont-on-Usk
Brecon
Powys
LD3 7YX
Tel: 01874 676635

Cider at the Roast Ox

The Roast Ox Inn, Painscastle, Builth Wells will be holding their third cider and beer festival next weekend, the 10th-11th October. The Inn previously held a beer and cider festival in August. The cider festival will feature a display of apple pressing as well as live entertainment and a cider menu.
The Roast Ox is a traditional country public house but with the added attraction of a restaurant seating 60 persons, 10 fully en-suite letting rooms and superb conference facilities with full audio-visual equipment.

Recently completely renovated and refurbished following a disastrous fire some years ago, the Inn is steeped in history and is known to have been in existence for at least 500 years.









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The Roast Ox Inn
Painscastle
Builth Wells
Powys
LD2 3JL

Tel: 01497 851398

Second beer festival for Hay-on-Wye

The award-winning pub Kilverts Inn, Hay-on-Wye will be hosting their second beer festival this weekend with a focus on a seasonal speciality - green-hopped beers, that is beers brewed with the first hops of the season.
The beer menu: shamelessly ripped from the festival blog
Beers in bright green are green-hopped

Breconshire Brewery:

1) Green Dragon 4.6% HP

Brewed with malted wheat and fresh Goldings hops

2) Ysprid Y Ddraig, 6.5%

Matured in whisky casks for a good few months, this is a beautifully well rounded ale

3) Cribyn 4.5%

A very pale, straw coloured aromatic ale, hopped with Bramling Cross, Northdown and Challenger hops

Corvedale

4)Green Hop 4.5% HP

Brewed with Fresh Fuggle hops

Golden Valley Ales

5) Hop, Stock & Barrel 4.6%

A new brewery located at the back of the Bull-Ring pub, this is their flagship ale

Hobson's Brewery

6) Hobson's Mild, 3.2%

Champion Beer of Britain 2007

Don't be fooled by the low a.b.v. this is full of flavour

Kinver

7) Green Edge 4.2% HP

Green hopped beer!

Malvern Hills

8)Green Pear 4.4% HP

9)Priessnitz Plzen Lager 4.3%

Marstons

10) Old Empire 5.7%

With it's pale appearance, strong hoppy taste and higher alcoholic strength Marston's Old Empire comprises all the genuine characteristics of a true India Pale Ale, which were necessary to last the 3 month long journey from Burton to Bombay.

11) Milestone

Raspberry Wheat, 5.6%

Continental Style Fruit Beer, mouth filling fruit with a zingy finish!

Otley

12) Columbo 4.0%

A dry hopped, very pale, summer ale, bittered with colombus hops with aromas of cascade and columbus

13) O8 8.0%

Pale golden strong ale. Deceptively smooth and drinker

friendly, in moderation! Hoppy aromas and good bitterness

with Willamette hops dominating.

Champion Beer of Wales GWBCF 2006 and 2008

Gold Medal CAMRA GWBCF Barley Wine 2006 and 2007

Rhymney

14) Rhymney Export 5.0%

A heady flavour, full bodied yet rounded, serious yet quaffable

Rudgate

15) Ruby Mild 4.4%

Champion Beer of Britain 09, this is a nutty, rich mild

Teme Valley

16) Early Bird Fuggles* 4.1% HP

17) Early Bird Challenger*, 4.1%HP

A brewery that is surrounded by hop farms? These beers are brewed using single strain of fresh hops - the clue is in their names!

Thwaites

18) Golden Wunder, 4.6% HP

Brewed to celebrate the Munich Beer Festival, this is straw coloured ale with a distinctive continental hoppiness balanced with a smooth dry finish.

Wye Valley Brewery

19) Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout, 4.6% HP

1 of only 2 ales to gain 5 stars on Roger Protz's Beer-pages.com

Confirmed Ciders:

Brook Farm

Kingstone Black, 6.8% Dry

Just won silver at the Worcester Beer Festival

Perry,

6%, Dry

Orgasmic Ciders

Sweet 6%

Medium 6%

Dry 6%

Gwynt Y Ddraig

Happy Daze 4.5% Medium

Barnstormer 6.5% Dry

Fiery Fox 6.5% Medium

Two Trees Perry 4.5% Medium

Pyder 6% Medium

Moles

Black Rat Cider 6% Dry

Kilverts are also on Twitter, follow @kilverts for comments from Ed as to how the festival is going, if he has time to tweet!
Full details of how to find the pub are on their website or festival blog
Kilverts Inn
The Bullring
Hay-on-Wye
Hereford
HR3 5AG

Traveline Cymru provide details of getting to Hay on Wye

Regional Pub of the Year

Severn Arms, Penybont is South & Mid-Wales CAMRA Pub of the Year 2009.
With the launch of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide today, comes the eagerly awaited announcement as to the winner of the South & Mid-Wales Pub of the Year and this year the award goes to Powys and the Severn Arms Hotel in Penybont, near Llandrindod Wells. The Severn Arms serves up 5 different real ales, sourced from independent breweries and also offers good food and accomodation.
Further North, the Mersyside, Cheshire and North Wales winner is the Golden Lion Inn,Llangynhafal, LL16 4LN.
A full list of the Regional winners can be found on the CAMRA website here. These pubs will now compete against each other in the national final of the Pub of the Year Competition.