Great British Cheese Festival

Britains biggest cheese festival will be moving to Cardiff Castle and CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale will be supplying the real ales, ciders and perries to wash down the best of British cheeses.
Great British Cheese Festival
Saturday 27th September 1000-1800 • Sunday 28th September 1000-1630
Cardiff Castle

Good Beer Guide Launched

The best 4,500 pubs according to the Campaign for Real Ale

-1227 new pub entries and 73 new breweries listed in the Guide
-CAMRA finds 668 breweries in the UK!
-CAMRA today announce the 16 Regional Pub of the Year Winners
-CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has today launched the 36th edition of its annual Good Beer Guide which features the best 4,500 real ale pubs in Britain according to CAMRA membership.

Despite many pubs struggling in today's current economic climate and research showing that 57 pubs permanently close every month across Britain, this year's Good Beer Guide highlights that the UK real ale pub scene is thriving.

The Guide features both urban and rural pubs, giving details of food, pub history, architecture, transport links, beer gardens, accommodation, disabled access and facilities for families.

Pubs are surveyed by local CAMRA members and scored on a variety of aspects that make a great pub. These include customer service, the clientele mix (i.e the pub appeals to 18 and 80 year olds), value for money, décor and of course the quality of the real ale. CAMRA members therefore guarantee to supply the reader with the most up to date publication to help locate the best pint of real ale.

To view the full list of new pubs and new breweries please visit www.camra.org.uk/gbgmedia. Please note this area of the site will only be live until Friday 12th September 2008.

Good Beer Guide editor Roger Protz said: “CAMRA's Good Beer Guide is Britain's original number-one, independent guide to good beer and pubs. It is great to see that there are now more than 660 real ale breweries in Britain brewing over 2,500 different varieties of real ale and so many wonderful pubs to drink them in.

Mr Protz continued, “The CAMRA members work tirelessly to survey the pubs each year to make sure the reader gets the most updated guide to the best pubs in Britain. I would personally like to thank them for all of their hard work and support.”

In this year's feature section, the book addresses current affairs such as the boom in craft brewing, landmark pubs, and the attempts by the brewing industry to combat global warming. Press releases on these subjects can be viewed at www.camra.org.uk/gbgmedia.


REGIONAL PUB OF THE YEAR 2008 WINNERS:

To celebrate the launch of the Good Beer Guide 2009, CAMRA has announced the 16 CAMRA Regional Pubs of the Year winners. These are the pubs that have been hailed as the very best real ale pubs in the country.

The National Pub of the Year winner will be judged from final 16 Regional Pubs of the Year and announced in February 2009.

Regional Winners:

Central Southern -
Royal Oak Inn, Newbury Street, Wantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 8DF

East Anglia -
Chequers, 71 Main Road, Little Gransden, Cambridgeshire, SG19 3DW

East Midlands -
Arkwright Arms, Chesterfield Road, Sutton Cum Duckmanton, Derbyshire, S44 5JG

Greater London -
Trafalgar, 23 High Path, Greater London, SW19 2JY

Greater Manchester -
Crown, 154 Heaton Lane, Stockport, Greater Manchester, SK4 1AR

Kent -
Butcher's Arms, 29A Herne Street, Herne, Kent, CT6 7HL

Merseyside, Cheshire & North Wales -
Blue Bell, Rhosemor Road, Halkyn, North-East Wales, CH8 8DL

North East -
King's Arms, Beach Street, Deptford, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR4 6BU

Scotland & Northern Ireland -
Marine Hotel, 9-10 Shorehead, Stonehaven, Grampian, AB39 2JY

South & Mid Wales -
Tafarn John y Gwas, Drefach-Felindre, West Wales, SA44 5XG

South West -
Tom Cobley Tavern, Spreyton, Devon, EX17 5AL

Surrey & Sussex -
Royal Oak, Friday Street, Rusper West Sussex, RH12 4QA

Wessex -
Red Lion Inn, Kilmington, Wiltshire, BA12 6RP

West Midlands -
Beacon Hotel, 129 Bilston Street, Sedgley, West Midlands, DY3 1JE

West Pennines -
Manor Arms, Princes Street, Broughton-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA20 6HQ

Yorkshire -
Kelham Island Tavern, 62 Russell Street, Sheffield, Yorkshire, S3 8RW


‘Good Beer Guide' Goes Technical - CAMRA Launches New Sat-Nav and SMS Services

There is now simply no excuse not to find the best real-ale pubs in the UK, as CAMRA will coincide the launch of the ‘Good Beer Guide' publication with new satellite navigation and text message services for mobile phones. The new Sat-Nav POI file will allow users of ‘Tom-Tom' hardware to see the locations of all the 4,500-plus pubs listed in the Guide throughout the UK. Meanwhile, the text message service, compatible with most mobile phones with Internet access, will allow the user to seek out the listed pubs simply by inputting a postcode or place name.

Speaking with regards to the launch of this service, ‘Good Beer Guide' author Roger Protz said: ‘The best-selling pub guide in the UK has now become the most readily accessible with these excellent technological innovations. These services are so simple to use, and really increase the visibility of the publication.'

For further information on both services, visit the CAMRA website at www.camra.org.uk/gbg

Notes to Editors:

The Good Beer Guide 2009 is sponsored by Cask Marque - a non profit making organisation set up to champion quality of cask ale within the industry. www.cask-marque.co.uk

CAMRA now has more than 93,000 members

The Good Beer Guide is available priced £14.99 directly from CAMRA (£12.99 for CAMRA members) or at all good book shops. Further discounts also available through the online CAMRA shop - www.camra.org.uk/shop.

For more information contact:

Jon Howard, CAMRA Press Officer
Tel: 01727 798443 / 07939 425471, email: jon.howard@camra.org.uk

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale
230 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4LW

Carmarthen Beer Festival

The beer and cider list for Carmarthen Beer Festival, St Peters Civic Hall, Nott Square, Carmarthen, SA31 1PG. The venue is situated in the centre of Carmarthen, a short walk uphill from the train station.
40 Real Ales, Country Wines, Cider + Perry. Thursday preview evening with limited selection of ales + no live music, optional fancy dress night.
Music: Fri Backtrax; Sat Somethin' Else.

Open: Thu 25th September 5pm-11pm; Fri 26th/Sat 27th 12noon-11pm. £4 entry fee (fee includes commemorative glass + prog). CAMRA membs free. Basic food available or bring your own. Beer Tokens on sale within.

Tomos Watkin Cwrw Haf 4.2%ABV
Tomos Watkin Cwrw Braf 3.7%ABV
Tomos Watkin OSB 4.5%ABV
Evan Evans 1767 4.7%ABV
Evan Evans Warrior 4.4%ABV
Wychwood Big Bertha 4.0%ABV

Felinfoel Stout 4.1%ABV
Bryncelyn Oh Boy 4.5%ABV
Bryncelyn Buddy Marvellous 4.0%ABV
Swansea Original Wood 5.4%ABV
Swansea Deep Slade Dark 4.0%ABV
Rhymney Hobby Horse 3.8%ABV
Brecon Cribyn 4.5%ABV
Brecon Naked Beacon 4.8%ABV
Brecon Golden Valley 4.2%ABV
Bullmastiff Son of a Bitch 6.0%ABV
Cairngorm Sheepshaggers Ale 4.5%ABV
Outlaw Wild Mule 4.0%ABV
Black Mountain Black 5 4.1%ABV
Jacobi Light Ale 3.8%ABV
Ffos y Ffin Towy Ale 5.0%ABV
Atlas Nimbus 5.0%ABV
Elgoods Black Dog 3.6%ABV
Purple Moose Cwrw Eryri 3.6%ABV
Otley O2 4.2%ABV
Wye Valley Butty Bach 4.2%ABV
Malvern Hills Swedish Nightingale 4.0%ABV
Spinning Dog Hereford Old Bull 3.9%ABV
Orkney Dark Island 4.6%ABV
Castle Rock Elsie Moe 4.7%ABV
Moorehouse Pride of Pendle 4.1%ABV
Fullers London Pride 4.1%ABV
Triple fff Altons Pride 3.8%ABV
Skinners Betty Stogs Ale 4.0%ABV
Wickwar Station Porter 6.1%ABV

Cider
Westons Old Rosie 7.3%ABV
GWR 1st Quailty 5.0%ABV
Gwynt Y Ddraig Farmhouse 5.5%ABV
Haymaker 6.5%ABV
Firey Fox 6.5%ABV
Barnstormer 6.5%ABV
Perry
Gwynt Y Ddraig
Pyder 6.5%ABV
Two Trees 6.5%ABV

A selection of wines will also be available.

Welsh Cider Wins in Great Taste Awards

Gwynt Y Ddraig, the Welsh Cider and Perry Company, have another award to add to their collection. Their Single Variety Yarlington Mill Cider walked off with 2 stars at the Great Taste Awards. This golden-coloured, medium-dry cider is rich in tannins with a pleasant mature aroma and is available at Tescos, Fillco (Vale of Glamorgan) and Harry Tuffin (Powys). Members of the Gwent Branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale sampled the Yarlington Mill earlier this year at the Tredegar House Folk Festival and it will be available on the CAMRA bar at the Abergavenny Food Festival in September.


More information
Gwynt Y Ddraig
Guild of Fine Food

Abergavenny Food Festival - Beer & Cider List

The provisional Beer list for the CAMRA bar at the Abergavenny Beer Festival is as follows:
BRECONSHIRE BREWERY (BRECON)
County (ABV 3.7%) A pale amber beer, well hopped, best described as a traditional south-eastern bitter. Three hops provide a refreshing more-ish beer, with a distinct hoppy bitterness.
Golden Valley (ABV 4.2%) A deep, golden coloured beer using only UK grown malt and hops with a gentle but pervasive bitterness, making it a very drinkable and thirst quenching beer.
Ramblers Ruin (ABV 5%) Dark amber, malty and well hopped with a beautifully balanced aftertaste; a traditional Old Ale. Crystal and Black Malt create the malt/biscuit undertones; bitterness and aroma are provided by Goldings and First Gold amongst others.

CWMBRAN BREWERY (UPPER CWMBRAN)
Blackcurrant Stout (ABV 4%) Rich dark stout with a hint of blackberry
Pink Panther (ABV 4.8%) Aromatic refreshing bitter with soft raspberry and hop notes.

CELT EXPERIENCE (CAERPHILLY)
Bronze (ABV 4.5%)An organic ale with a rich bronze colour and a full bodied character. A delicate sweetness develops into a long hop finish through the traditional blend of hops.
Golden (ABV 4.2%) A golden organic ale, with a rich full-bodied texture accompanied by a unique blend of traditional and fruity hops, with a taste of citrus fruits and a slightly spicy aroma.

KINGSTONE BREWERY (TINTERN)
Three Castles (ABV 3.8%) An excellent quenching bitter named after the Three Castles Walk of north Monmouthshire.
Kinson’s Gold (ABV4%) Aptly named ale, very drinkable and bursting with a hoppy fruity flavour.
Classic (ABV 4.5%) A tasty finely crafted best bitter with a good mouth feel.

OTLEY BREWING CO LTD (CILFYNYDD)
O1 (ABV 4%) A pale golden beer with a hoppy aroma that has quickly established an excellent reputation. Champion Beer Britain, Golden Ale Category 2008
O-Garden (ABV 4.8%) A tongue in cheek take on a wheat beer, flavoured with roast orange peel, coriander and cloves. Champion Beer of Britain, Speciality Category 2008
OBB (ABV 4.5%) Tawny red coloured ale. A gentle blend of pale, wheat and crystal malts bittered with Centennial and Mount Hood hops

RHYMNEY BREWERY (DOWLAIS)
Dark (ABV 4%) Delicious full flavoured mild ale developing a good following in the region. Champion Beer of Wales 2007/8. Champion Beer of Britain, Bronze award-winner, Mild Category 2008
Bitter (ABV 4.5%) Brewed using the best quality barley and hops to give a slightly fruity taste Full bodied and well balanced,
Bevans Bitter (ABV4.2%) A complex beer using 4 types of Warminster malt with the bitterness of Target hops and the slightly citrus Northdown variety, to give a bold, refreshing bitter .

SPINNING DOG BREWERY (HEREFORD)
Hereford Organic Bitter (ABV 3.7%) Pale flavoursome, totally organic brew, using German Spalt hops to give a dry smooth aftertaste.
Celtic Gold (ABV 4.5%) Golden yellow beer with a biscuit malt, slightly sweet, tangy orangy flavour followed by a dry aftertaste.
Mutts Nuts (ABV 5%) A dark strong ale named in honour of the brewer’s sadly deceased dog,, full bodied with a hint of chocolate aftertaste.

TUDOR BREWERY (ABERGAVENNY)
Blorenge (ABV 3.8%) Refreshing golden summer ale with slight citrus notes from Fuggles hops
Skirrid (ABV 4.2%) Hoppy darkish ale using Goldings hops to give delicate hoppy aftertaste

WYE VALLEY BREWERY (STOKE LACY)
Dorothy Goodbody’s Golden Ale (ABV4.2%) A light gold coloured ale with good hop character throughout.
HPA (ABV4%) Pale, hoppy, malty brew with a hint of sweetness before a dry finish.
Prince’s Pride (ABV4.0%) Brewed with a combination of cara and pale malts and hopped with Fuggles. A golden ale with a hint of toffee and a late hop finish

All our real ales have been sourced from within a 30 mile radius of Abergavenny.

What is CAMRA LocAle?

CAMRA LocAle is a new initiative that promotes pubs stocking locally brewed real ale. The scheme builds on a growing consumer demand for quality local produce and an increased awareness of 'green' issues.
Everyone benefits from local pubs stocking locally-brewed real ale…

-Public houses as stocking local real ales can increase pub visits
-Consumers who enjoy greater beer choice and diversity
-Local brewers who gain from increased sales
-The local economy because more money is spent and retained locally
-The environment due to fewer ‘beer miles' resulting in less road congestion and pollution
-Tourism due to an increased sense of local identity and pride - let's celebrate what makes our locality different
If the Campaign for Real Ale can source 24 real ales from within 30 miles of Abergavenny then let's see what the pubs can do.
For more information on Locale visit the CAMRA website

Souvenir festival glass available
Open Saturday and Sunday 20th & 21st September 1000-1700hrs
Admission (to the whole festival) Adult Sat £5.50
Sun £4.50
Weekend £9.00
More information on the Abergavenny Food Festival website
or from the Gwent CAMRA Facebook site
The Gwent CAMRA bar will be in the rear market car park, the former site of Faceys brewery.


The ciders and perries on the CAMRA bar will be supplied by award-winning local producer Gwynt Y Ddraig

Champion Beer of Britain

Alton's Pride brewed by the Triple fff brewery in Hampshire has been chosen as the Champion Beer of Britain at the 2008 Great British Beer Festival. Mark Phillips spoke to Graham Trott, the head brewer moments after the winner was announced.

Whilst CNN covered the Festival as well.


As well as British Satellite News


And Steven Goodwin from the Beer Crate with his video podcast

Thousands Flock to Beer Festival

Thousands flocked to the Great British Beer Festival this week at Earls Court but there was still plenty of room to move around the huge hall and plenty of real ales, ciders, perries are still available. festival Ends saturday night so head off their if you're in the city tomorrow.

Cains Brewery

Famous Liverpool Brewer's ‘last stand' at the Great British Beer Festival

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has responded to the news that Cains Beer Company has been placed in administration with a pledge to support a buyer who will keep the historic Liverpool brewery in production.

The brewer has a stand at the Great British Beer Festival, where its beers, including IPA, Raisin Beer and 2008 Culture Beer, brewed to celebrate Liverpool as the European City of Culture, are proving popular with Festival visitors.

Mike Benner, Chief Executive, said, “Beer drinkers in Liverpool should not lose out because of the credit crunch and we will support any company that puts forward a rescue plan for the ailing brewer to ensure great beer continues to be brewed at the Stanhope Street Brewery. We hope that the Cains stand at the Great British Beer Festival won't be the ‘last stand' for Cains' beers.”

ENDS

For more information

Press office - 020 7244 3925
Mike Benner, Chief Executive - 07971 591224
Iain Loe - 07801 706607

The Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court, London, 5th-9th August 2008

Podcasting @ the Great British Beer Festival

The GBBF Beercast Podcasts

Get all the flavour of the Great British Beer Festival in our handy, free audio podcasts.

Beercast presenter Mark Phillips will be going behind the scenes and talking to the people that make the festival happen, and (he hopes!) tasting all sorts of beer, cider and perry too.

One reviewer said "Brings so much of the spirit of beer festivals to podcasting. You could almost be there. Great interviewing style brings out some of those funny stories from the volunteer workers that make the event happen."

You don't need an ipod to listen to the beercasts. Just go to www.beercast.btpodshow.com to listen on line, or just type "beercast" into the iTunes store and you can subscribe for free.

You can listen to the beercast archive from the 2007 GBBF, and new shows will be added before and during the 2008 festival.

CNN @ the Great British Beer Festival

American TV Station CNN filmed this at the Great British Beer Festival

Grateful Deaf Beer at the Great British Beer Festival

American home brewer Ken Fisher, brewer of the Grateful Deaf Beer, was filmed by Deafilmotion Productions at the Great British Beer Festival this week.


Deafmotion Director Francisco Betoncourt takes a break from filming to sample the Grateful Deaf Beer.....................


..................whilst Jared has too keep on filming!

The completed film is available on the Deafilmotion you tube site

Great British Beer Festival 2008 - Wednesday

Wednesday saw ITV Wales turn up in the form of the Food Programme with presenter Hywel James. The programme will be broadcast in the autumn and will be available online from the ITV Local website after broadcasting.


The above image shows Hywel interviewing Italian Beer Supremo Lorenzo Dabove and tasting some of the 26 different Italian Beers at the Great British Beer Festival this weekend.


Whilst later in the day, Justin "Buster" Grant, Brewer at Breconshire Brewery and Bar Manager of the Welsh and Scottish Bars takes time out from his mallet dancing practise (don't ask) to answer some questions for the Food Show.

Alastair Darling Beer Protest

Tuesday at the Great British beer festival saw CAMRA members protesting over Badger Darling's increase in Beer Duty.

Great British Beer Festival - Tuesday

The Welsh Bar at the Great British Beer Festival.

And a bevy? or eisteffordii of Welsh Brewers or should that be brewers of Wales were present at the Festival. Pictured above are Don Jeffries of Brains (also Champion Beer of Britain judge) alongside Bob Jenkins of Bullmastiff Brewery

HAMPSHIRE ALE IS BEST BEER IN BRITAIN

Alton's Pride is named Champion Beer of Britain 2008 at the Great British Beer Festival

The Great British Beer Festival
Tuesday 5th - Saturday 9th August, Earls Court, London
www.camra.org.uk/gbbfmedia

Alton's Pride brewed by Triple fff Brewery in Hampshire was today judged to be the best beer in Britain by a panel of brewers, beer writers and journalists.

Alton's Pride, which has an ABV of 3.8%, is described in the 2008 edition of CAMRA's Good Beer Guide as, “Clean-tasting, golden brown beer, full-bodied for its strength with an aroma of floral hops. An initial malty flavour fades as citrus notes and hoppiness take over, leading to a hoppy, bitter finish.”

The Hampshire brewed beer was chosen as the overall winner from over sixty finalists in seven categories (Best Bitters, Bitters, Golden Ales, Milds, Speciality, Winter Beer and Strong Bitters) including beers from tiny micros to major regional brewers.

Roger Protz, one of the finalist judges and Editor of the Good Beer Guide said, “A magnificent victory for a craft brewery that opened in 1997 with a five barrel plant and has just opened a new brewhouse with a 50 barrel kit. It has grown due to consumer demand for its rich and complex beer and proves that the future for real ale in Britain is assured.”

Graham Trott, Head Brewer of Triple fff Brewery said, “We are over the moon and delighted to put Alton as a brewery back on the map. I would like to thank everyone who is connected with the brewery and we look forward to more people enjoying our winning beer.”

The Silver award went to Black Dog Freddy from Beckstones (Cumbria).

Bronze went to CAMRA's current National Winter Beer of Britain winner Station Porter from the Wickar Brewery (Gloucestershire).

ENDS

Complete List Winners

Champion Beer of Britain: TRIPLE FFF, ALTON'S PRIDE (Hampshire)

Second: Beckstones, Black Dog Freddy (Cumbria)

Third: Wickwar, Station Porter (Gloucestershire)

Mild Category
Gold - Beckstones, Black Dog Freddy (Cumbria)
Silver - Rudgate, Ruby Mild (York)
Bronze - Rhymney, Dark (Merthyr Tydfil)

Bitter Category Gold - Triple fff, Alton's Pride (Hampshire) Silver - Lees, Bitter (Manchester) Joint Bronze - Jarrow, Rivet Catcher (Tyne & Wear) and Surrey Hills, Ranmore Ale (Surrey)

Best Bitter Category
Gold - Skinner's, Betty Stogs (Cornwall)
Silver - Highland, Scapa Special (Orkney)
Bronze - Cairngorm, Nessies Monster Mash (Highlands) and Timothy Taylor, Landlord (West Yorkshire)

Strong Bitter Category
Gold - Thornbridge, Jaipur IPA (Derbyshire)
Silver - Fuller's, ESB (London)
Bronze - Highland, Orkney Blast (Orkney)

Golden Ale Category
Gold - Otley, O1 (Mid Glamorgan)
Silver - Loddon, Ferryman's Gold (Oxfordshire)
Bronze - Skinner's, Cornish Knocker Ale (Cornwall)

Speciality Beer Category
Gold - Otley, OGarden (Mid Glamorgan)
Silver - Wentworth, Bumble Beer (South Yorkshire)
Bronze - Nethergate, Umbel Magna (Essex)

CAMRA Bottled-Conditioned Beers
Gold - Wye Valley, Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout
Silver - Fullers, 1845
Bronze - Wells and Young's, Special London Ale

Winter Beer of Britain Winner (announced in Jan 2008)
Wickwar, Station Porter

For more information

Festival Press Office - 020 7244 3925
Jon Howard - Press Officer - 07939 425471
Mike Benner - Chief Executive - 07971 591224
Tony Jerome - Press Manager - 07736 948186
Chris Western, General Manager, Triple fff brewery - 07920 755242