Wednesday 30 November 2011
Cardiff Pubs in the 1980s
A lot has changed in 30 years, for instance the booklet mentions Brains have 103 pubs, they now have 270 and have expanded their empire into England and West Wales. The retail development of the City Centre saw a few pubs demolished as well.
Where the pubs have gone:
NB if the pub does not have a website of their own I have linked to the relevant page on the fantastic Cardiff Pubs site.
A. Albert Hotel, now The Yard
B. Angel Hotel, still there, although the downstairs bar closed some years ago.
C. Bluebell Hotel, still open, renamed The Goat Major.
D. Borough Arms, still open
E. Cambrian Hotel, still open renamed Kitty Flynn's
F. Cardiff Cottage, still open, now just The Cottage
G. Centre Hotel, Gatehouse Tavern, now Callaghans, part of the Holiday Inn
H. City Arms, still open
I. Duke of Wellington, still open
J. Fishguard Arms, demolished, was next door to the Golden Cross
K. Glastonbury, demolished, Radisson Blue Hotel now on site
L. Globe Inn, renamed Dempseys
M. Golden Cross, still open
N. Great Western Hotel, still open, now Lloyds No1 (Wetherspoons)
O. Greyhound Hotel, demolished, St David's 2 shopping centre on the site
P. Horse & Groom, closed, building still there
Q. Model Inn, closed in 2010, due to reopen December 2011 as Greenwood & Brown restaurant
R. New Market Tavern, renamed O'Neils
S. Old Arcade, still open
T. Owain Glyndwr, still open
U. Park Lane Bar, later known as the Park Vaults, now closed and converted into a bookmakers.
V. Philharmonic, closed.
W. Red Dragon Bar, closed now Marks & Spencer Simply Food!
X. Rose & Crown, known as Barfly recently and now Bogiez.
Y. Rummer Tavern, still open
Z. Salutation Hotel, demolished, John Lewis department store on site now
ZZ. York Hotel, closed, awaiting demolition
The pub descriptions are a little sparse to say the least:
Tuesday 29 November 2011
Zero Degrees Cider
Thought I'd give this cider a try as its only recently made an appearance on the bar in the Cardiff Zero Degrees.
Golden yellow in colour and with a noticeable aroma, not unpleasant but of fresh green apples and freshly mown hay. I'm not used to ciders that smell of apples! The aroma does start to mellow after a while, with some vanilla coming through.
The taste is of, well really nothing much with some slight tanin notes coming through at the end together with some apple flavour.
I'd guess this cider is made from desert/eating fruit by its flavour, its not too unpleasant but when you are used to making your own cider using proper cider fruit the blandness of commercial ciders is noticeable. Getting to the end of my pint now and a sweet cloyingness is beginning to creep in. Not to my taste but I'm sure some people will like it.
4.5% ABV
Baglan Hotel, Treherbert
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Traveline Information:
The Baglan is a short walk from Ynyswen train station or there is a bus stop (No 130) Pontypridd - Blaenrhondda nearby.
Monday 28 November 2011
Beer and Food Matching at Kilverts
to put together a 5 course meal matched with food.
This will take place at Kilverts, on Friday 2nd December, as a part of the Hay Winter Festival. The evening will be as follows :
Thursday 24 November 2011
Winter Ale Festival at the Coach
The Coach in Bridgend will be holding a mini-Winter ale festival this weekend, starting Friday
25 November and continuing until Sunday 27 November.
Facebook Event here
No full list yet but here are a few beers they have:
Amber Ales 'Chocolate Orange Stout'
Purple Moose 'Dark Side of the Moose'
Dark Star 'Winter Meltdown'
Titanic 'Plum Porter'
Skinners 'Betty's Big Sister'
Black Mountain, Smoked Porter, Marvelous Maple Mild
Winter Meltdown, Chocolate & Vanilla Stout, Dark Age
Otley O5, O8, KowHai
Google Map:
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Coach
37 Cowbridge Road,
CF31 3DH,
Bridgend
Traveline Information:
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Bunch of Grapes celebrates Thanksgiving
As well as American specials on the menu such as Clam Chowder and Southern fried chicken thighs with sweet potato steak fries and coleslaw, there is also an extensive American Beer List.
Draught on the Festival bar:
Celebration Ale
Porter
Kolsch
Barley Wine
Pilsner
Doggie Style
Cut Throat Porter
5 Barrel Pale
IPA
Prima Pils
Odell
Goose Island
Brooklyn
Anchor
Flying Dog
Victory
Maui
Coronado
Indigo Imp
U.S.O American Pale Ale
Utobeer American Red
Oxymoron American Black
O3 Boss dry hopped with cascade and Chinook American Red style
Trio dry hopped with Centennial
Tri-O dry hopped with Nugget
Ynysangharad Road
Pontypridd
CF37 4DA
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Tuesday 22 November 2011
M & B announces profits up
- Total sales up 4.9% including food sales up 7.8%
- Operating profit up 1.1% and operating margin at 16.3%
- EBITDA returns of 21% achieved on expansionary capex invested over the last two years
- Net debt reduced by over £400m; net debt:EBITDA now at 4.7 times
- Like-for-like sales in FY 2011 of +2.6% with food like-for-like sales of +4.8%
- Like-for-like sales growth of 2.0% in first 8 weeks of FY 2
M & B run a diverse collection of pubs, mainly left over from the former Bass Empire:
They don't tend to brand themselves as M & B but as one of their 'flavours' above.The Conway, Pontcanna
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Stout & Porter Festival for the City Arms
The premier ale house of Cardiff, the City Arms will be holding a stout and porter festival starting Wednesday November 23rd and finishing on the 30th. A week of these dark and delicious beers from across the UK have been hand-picked by manager Chris and include a few award-winning beers as well:
Purbeck, Studland Bay Wrecked
Blackwater Brewery, Pre-Raphaelite
Thornbridge, SeaForth
Banks and Taylor, SOS
Brentwood, Lumberjack
Brentwood, Spooky Moon
Brentwood, The Dodo
Salopian, Vortex
Salopian, Shropshire Gold Stout and Porter Fest 2011
Brentwood Weald Porter 4.9%
Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild 6%
RCH Old Slug Porter 4.5%
Banks & Taylor Black Dragon Mild 4.3%
Burton Bridge Damson Porter 4.5%
Blindmans ,Icarus 4.5%
Amber Winter Ruby 5%
Neathergate Umbel Magna 5%
Titantic Plum Porter 4.9%
Montys Midnight Stout 4%
Waen Blackberry Stout 3.8%
Waen chilli Plum Porter 6.1%
Bristol Beer Stout 4%
B&T Edwin Taylors Stout 4.5%
Mighty oak Oscar Wild 3.7% Dark
Otley Oxy moron 5.5%
Have previously written about the City Arms here, a pub previously known as the 'Van of Flesh Tavern' due to its proximity to the cattle market and slaughterhouse. This Brains pub now has regular beer festivals, American and German so far this year and offers the most interesting guest beers in the City Centre.
Monday 21 November 2011
Beer & Food Festival on the Gower
Live music Friday night, Saturday Night and Sunday Night!
Bands confirmed are:-
Friday night:- 'The Fleas Massive'
Saturday Night:- 'Nimble Limbs'
- 'I Scream For Crow'
Sunday Night:- 'Stu's Gastric band'
The Kings will be Selling their award winning selection of cheeses and will have hampers for the festive season.
Welsh Cheeses
Welsh Whiskies
Welsh Chocolate
Welsh Preserves
Home-made Christmas cup cakes/ Biscuits/ Mince Pies
Home-made Christmas Yule Chocolate Logs
It is also the same weekend as the Christmas Produce Market in the Hall so plenty going on in Llangennith.Kings Head Inn, Llangennith, Swansea, West Glamorgan SA3 1HX
Facebook Event here
Journey Planner:
The Kings Head can be reached by bus from Swansea, though its a somewhat infrequent service from the City Centre on bus number 116
Google Map:
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Saturday 19 November 2011
Save the Pub with UKIP
The United Kingdom Independence Party have recognised the problems facing British pubs and have launched a campaign to save them.
Head over to their site, to sign the petition
There is also a booklet to download which gives some British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) facts:
- A net total of 1,013 pubs shut their doors for the last time between July and December 2009,
- 2,365 pubs closing during the whole of 2009
- This has led to the loss of over 10,000 jobs in local communities across Britain,
- This costs the government an additional £1.53 million a week in job seekers allowance.
- As every pub contributes £107,000 in tax a year – 30% of turnover - pub closures in 2010,therefore cost the government more than £254 million in lost taxes, a loss that is increasing by more than £5.5m a week.
- There are still approximately 52,000 pubs across the UK.
- The average closure rate of pubs currently stands at a stupendous 28 per week.
supermarkets. This pricing makes the cost of wholesale prices, from tied sales from a pubco or even independent wholesalers, more expensive than some retail beer prices in supermarkets. UKIP will insist on reduced differentials and a fairer balance in beer pricing between on and off-trade beer sales.
• UKIP would cut duty and taxes on traditional draught beers such as real ale, ciders and some lagers. UKIP would also allow landlords to write off against tax promotional costs for traditional beers through pub posters, beer mats and giveaways.
• UKIP would reduce both EU derived regulations and UK regulations /controls. Will tone down enforcement regimes, involving various licences, permits, certificates, surveys, reports, audits, contracts, procedures, assessments and policies. This would free up landlords/managers and reduce
costs. In so doing, it will allow the landlord/owner more time for the marketing of their pub/club and the organising of promotions.
• UKIP would amend the smoking ban to allow pub landlords and club managers to provide contained and ventilated 'smoking rooms' within pubs and clubs. This is in pubs and clubs where the customers desire it and the landlords or pub companies wish to invest in such a facility. This proposal also brings benefits to residents in reducing noise and intrusion from outside smoking areas, which can be uncomfortable and antisocial for users. It also removes the risk for landlords/managers of sizeable fines being levied by local councils.
Friday 18 November 2011
Tomos Watkin launch new beer
Tomos Watkin on Facebook
Tomos Watkin on Twitter
Beerex in Trellech
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The historic Monmouthshire village of Trellech will play host to be a beer festival this weekend in the equally historic and multi-award winning Lion Inn.
Beers available:
Bath Ales Festivity,
Otley O8,
Wye Valley Butty Bach,
Felinfoel Double Dragon,
Butcombe Bitter -
2 local ciders and 2 local perries
19 different bottled beers including Chimay, Pen Lon, Leffe Blonde, Fruli
Lion Inn, Trellech, Monmouth, Monmouthshire, NP25 4PA
Traveline information:
Trellech is accessible by public transport, the Chepstow-Monmouth service 65stops by the pub though this being rural Monmouthshire, not at night.
Thursday 17 November 2011
Up for sale
So Punch refuse to tell anyone what the pub is trading at? No surprise they have had to knock down the price by £15,000 in a month.
This could be a very successful pub once again, given the right ownership and management, opening the pub lunchtimes would be a start. Lighting the real fire in Winter would also help - the miserable git of a landlord could not be bothered one Christmas a few years ago.
There is a small area out the front for smokers and a larger unused rear courtyard and a passageway - this was the first pub I noticed when the smoking ban came in - noticed the smell of stale beer in the carpets as well as the smell from the toilets - tobacco smoking did have its advantages in some shit pubs!
Can't see anyone wanting to buy a Newport pub at the moment, looks like another auction property on the cards and conversion to flats?