Wetherspoons Wine Tasting

Guinness and wine don't normally go together but they did at the Tom Toya Lewis the other day when the JD Wetherspoons pub company attempted to break the world record for the largest wine tasting. Naturally the Brew Wales editorial team were out in force for this event, drinking Moorhouses Blonde Witch, Holdens XB and other real ales of course!

Welsh Cidermaker wins more awards

At the International Cider Competion held recently in Hereford, Gwynt Y Ddraig, the Welsh Cider and Perry company walked off with a handful of awards. Their Malvern Hills Perry came second in the perry category against Denis Gwatkin's perry. It was a battle of the Welsh as Denis was born in Pontypool but now farms over the border at Abbey Dore in Herefordshire.
The new bottled Yarlington Mill cider from Gwynt Y Ddraig came in third in the Best Presented Cider or Perry competition.
Bill George, Operations Director of Gwynt Y Ddraig said, "It cam as a surprise to us all here at the farm to win so many awards, after all we know we make award-winning cidrs and perries so it's good to get the aclaim from our fellow makers".

Results in full, International Cider Competition.
Dry Cider
1. Once Upon a Tree, Putley
2. Thatchers Cider Sandford
3. Wrenbury Cider, Nantwich, Cheshire

Medium Cider
1. Once Upon a Tree, Putley
2. Thatchers Cider Sandford
3. Burrow Hill Cider, Somerset

Sweet Cider
1. Healey's Cornish Cyder Farm, Truro
2. Farmhouse Sweet, Ralphs Cider
3. Burrow Hill Cider, Somerset

Perry
1. Gwatkin Cider, Abbey Dore, Herefordshire
2. Malvern Hills,Gwynt Y Ddraig, the Welsh Cider & Perry, Pontypridd
3. Weston's, Much Marcle

Single Variety Cider

1. Wrenbury Cider, Nantwich, Cheshire
2. Thatchers Cider Sandford
2. The Boston Beer Co, USA

In-bottle fermented Cider or Perry
1. Butford Organics, Bodenham, Herefordshire
2. Gregg's Pit Cider & Perry, Much Marcle
3. Ashridge Cider, Staverton, Devon

Best Presented Cider or Perry
1. Once Upon a Tree, Putley
2. Thatchers Cider Sandford
3. Yarlington Mill, Gwynt Y Ddraig, the Welsh Cider & Perry, Pontypridd

Overall Champion
Gwatkin Perry

http://www.gwyntcider.com/

BIGGEST BEER FESTIVAL IN WALES MOVES TO CIA

The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival, organised by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, will this year be held in June in the larger surroundings of Cardiff International Arena. The 3-day event has moved from the usual autumn date to the summer, but festival goers will not have to worry about their real ales being too warm as a state-of-the-art cooling system will be used to ensure that all the beers will served at the correct temperature. Over 250 real ales, ciders, parries and foreign beers will be available at the 3-day event.

The 2008 Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival will be the biggest event of its kind in Wales and one of the largest beer festivals in the UK. CAMRA will aim to have every Welsh real ale brewery represented supplemented with other breweries from across Britain.

Entertainment will also be available at the CIA this year, apart from Thursday night which will be a quiet night. Friday night will see Sheelanigig who offer an eclectic blend of folk, jazz and world music as well as an outstanding 7-piece UK soul band called Soul miners. Saturday will see the Fore Shadows and later on in the early evening the Treorchy Male Voice Choir will be raising the rafters of the CIA with their renditions of old favourites.

Highpoint of the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival for the breweries in Wales will be the Champion Beer of Wales competition which will be announced on Friday afternoon. All 35 real ale breweries, who between them produce over 250 different real ales throughout the year will be hoping to win this prestigious award. Last year the winner was Rhymney dark and the brewery will be hoping to repeat that success.

According to James “Arfur” Daley, CAMRA publicity manager for the festival, “All the CAMRA volunteers are looking forward to this new venue and we are grateful to the financial help we have received from the Welsh Assembly Government to help us create not just the biggest but what we hope to be the best beer festival in Wales. With more breweries now in Wales than we have had for 80 years this is going to be the showcase event for beer in Wales”.

Festival Facts:

· Over 28,000 pints of real ale, cider and perry will be sold at the festival, all at cellar temperature.

· That’s over 15 tons of beer, cider and perry!

· Over 5000 customers will be attending the 3-day festival.

· 170 different real ales will be available at the Festival.

· An average of 13 pints every minute will be sold when the Festival is open.

· Around 50 ciders and perries (pear ciders), many from Welsh producers, will also be available to complement the real ales.

· Over 100 staff, all CAMRA volunteers, will be staffing the Festival.

· A range of beers from Germany will also be on sale.

· Pub games, stalls and food will be available at the Festival.


The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival

Cardiff International Arena, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff CF10 2EQ

Open Thursday 12th June 11-11,

Friday 13th & Saturday 14th June 11-11

Admission £5 includes souvenir glass and programme

This event is supported by the Welsh Assembly Government

Further Information:

www.gwbcf.org.uk

James ‘Arfur’ Daley, CAMRA Publicity, 0794 185 9902

arfurdaley@hotmail.com

Brewing at Tredegar House

The Gwent Branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, may be running a real ale bar at the Newport Folk Festival this weekend but the story of beer at the historic house goes back further. Nowadays visitors to the house can enjoy a meal in “The Old Brewhouse” which as its name suggests was the brewery for the house and estate. An unusual two-story building, it is more reminiscent of a maltings than a brewery – the long, wide profile would give a large surface area for kilning barley. But then again most of us are used to seeing 19th Century tower breweries – the brewhouse here is far older – it is clearly marked on a map of 1770, along with the barn opposite and brewing was carried out here at least 100 years earlier. The present facade of Tredegar House dates from the 17th Century but there are parts dating from the medieval period so brewing was likely to have been carried out here from that time.
An inventory of 1688 lists the contents of the cellar underneath the house. There were 30 hogsheads for cider and 16 for ale, table beer and small beer as well as 3 vessels holding 4 barrels of ale, 1 vessel holding 3 barrels of ale and one large vessel containing 6 barrels of cider. In 1704 the brewer was called David and was on a wage of £2 10s a year.
In 1688 the brewing equipment consisited of 2 furnaces, 1 cooler, 3 vats, 2 trinds, 3 tubs, 2 lappers, 1 ladle lapper, 20 pails, 1 kettle and 1 iron shovel.
The beer that was brewed here would have been made for both the house and the estate workers, even a funeral of one of the Morgan family in 1719 stipulated a barrel of ale for the mourners.
There are springs nearby providing water for the brewery and the barley and hops were grown on the estate which was about 1000 acres in 1770. A cider mill was also situated on the estate and there were orchards here as well.
There we have it then, a few hundred years ago, if you were a guest of the Morgan family then you would have been offered locally brewed ales and cider at your visit to the house. At the present day Newport Folk Festival, the Campaign for Real Ale offers you a choice of 15 different ales and 10 different ciders. I think the Morgan Family would approve.




The Old Brewhouse

Tredegar House Update

The beer are stillaged and tapped, just waiting for the customers now when we open friday. One small change to the beer list is that Mutts Nuts did not arrive but we've replaced it with Spinning Dog Hereford Cathedral.
Cider from Gwynt Y Ddraig will be arriving shortly, along with a fridge to chill the bottles of Black Dragon, Orchard Gold and the new Perry Vale.
Further Information:
Newport Folk Festival, Tredegar House,
CAMRA bar open Friday 9th May 7-12,
Saturday 10th May 1200-1200,
Sunday 11th May 12-5
www.gwentcamra.org.uk

SPINNING DOG AT NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL

Beers from the Spinning Dog Brewery in Hereford will feature at the real ale bar at the Newport Folk Festival at Tredegar House on the weekend of the 9-11th May. The Gwent Branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, will once again be running the bar at the 19th Folk Festival. Gwent CAMRA are aiming to put on a range of the best beers and ciders from the local area and as far away as Herefordshire. Spinning Dog beers will include an Organic beer as well as Celtic Gold and the unusually named Mutt's Nuts, alongside other Herefordshire brewery Wye Valley with their HPA, Butty Bach and Bitter.

Local brews are not left out either with beers from Cwmbran Brewery with their fruity award-winning Blackcurrant Stout on the bar along with Pink Panther – a pink beer, and their malty Four Seasons.
Beers from Rhymney Brewery will also be served – this is a relatively new brewery which takes it's name from an old South Wales brewery that once dominated the area. The current Champion Beer of Wales, Rhymney Dark, will be featured alongside Bevan's Bitter.
A former Champion Beer of Wales winner, Breconshire Brewery will also be at the festival with their Ramblers Ruin, County and Cribyn – an unusual beer in that it's a light mild.
To round off the beer range, another award-winning Welsh brewery, Otley from Pontypridd, will be supplying their OBB and O1.

For those who prefer the apple or pear to the grain and the hop then you will not be left out as multi award-winning Gwynt y Ddraig cider will be bringing their ciders and perries along to the festival. Their ciders are available throughout Wales in supermarkets and pubs but at this festival both bottled and draught products will be available together.

According to James Daley, Gwent CAMRA bar manager, “We have sourced the best Welsh beers and ciders for this festival and we hope we've found something to suit everyone's taste. Newport Folk Festival is our first beer festival of the year and hopefully it will be a good start to the real ale year as next month we have the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival at Cardiff International Arena”.

Further Information:
Newport Folk Festival, Tredegar House,
CAMRA bar open Friday 9th May 7-12,
Saturday 10th May 1200-1200,
Sunday 11th May 12-5

James ‘Arfur’ Daley, Gwent CAMRA , 0794 185 9902
www.gwentcamra.org.uk

Welsh Cider Company Appoints New Directors

Gwynt Y Ddraig, the Welsh Cider company, has announced the appointment of two new directors to the board, Ian Evans has been appointed Chairman and Lyn Casling has taken over as Finance Director of the biggest cidermaker in Wales.

Ian Evans, originally from the Rhondda Valley, is a graduate of the Polytechnic of Wales, after which he worked in the drinks industry for Scottish & Newcastle where his jobs included Group Logistics Director and Production Director at the Newcastle and Fountainbridge Breweries, as well as Operations Director for the Scottish Courage Brands. He was also involved in the merger of The Beer Cellar and Waverley Vintners and the sale of Scottish &Newcastle’s pubs to the Spirit Pub Group. Ian currently works for William Grant & Sons as Operations Development and Compliance Director.

Currently, Ian is a non-executive director of the Scotch Whisky Research Institute and a member of the Scotch Whisky Association Environmental Committee and chairs a sub group of this committee dealing with energy efficiency and carbon footprint reduction.


“Despite spending most of my working life in Scotland, I always enjoy coming back to Wales to support the Welsh Rugby team and of course sampling the superb ciders from Wales”, said Ian Evans.

Lyn Casling joins the board of Gwynt Y Ddraig as non-executive Finance Director. He is also from the Rhondda and is a graduate of the Polytechnic of Wales. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and a Member of the Compliance Institute. Lyn is a past president of the South Wales District Society of Chartered Certified Accountants. In 1986 Lyn joined the Julian Hodge Bank Group as Chief Accountant, progressing to Managing Director of Hodge Life Assurance Company Limited in 1990 and remained in that position until November 1999. Lyn was Finance Director of Challenger Group Services (UK) Limited, and Challenger Life (UK) Limited from December 2001 until July 2007 and is currently Head of Product Development of Living Time Limited.

Andrew Gronow and Bill George, Directors of Gwynt Y Ddraig cider, are quoted “We have proved in the past that we make award-winning ciders and perries and now we have the experience of Ian and Lyn on the board, we can take Gwynt Y Ddraig ciders and perries to the next level.”

Further Information:

Bill George, Operations Director, 0779 106 6240

or

Andy Gronow, Production Director, 0779 106 6257

Gwynt y Ddraig Cider Ltd

Llest Farm, Llantwit Fardre, Pontypridd, RCT, CF38 2PW

www.gwyntcider.com

Church wants to compete with the pub

A failing church in Pennal, near Machynlleth is trying to steal customers from struggling local pubs by applying for an alcohol license. As well as serving pints and spirits (not just holy) the Rev Geraint ap Iorwerth wants to put a plasma screen in place of the rood screen. With the full backing of the Church in Wales the Rev Geri wants to create a community pub instead of a church. With pub closures hitting 4 a day in the UK, the last thing the pub industry needs is some trendy vicar competing face-to-face with struggling pubs. Where will it all end - the Tintern Abbey Nightclub? How about the Strata Florida Superpub? Although it would be good to see brewing return to those premises they are not controlled by the try-to-be trendy church in Wales. Mind you turning a church into a pub might not be a bad thing - the crypts would make perfect cellars but will we see the Rev James on handpump? Or even a pint of Bishop's Finger?



A bevy of vicars celebrate the Reverend James Buckley

Cider Open Day

Gwynt Opens Doors on Cidermaking.

Wales' largest cidermaker, Gwynt Y Ddraig will be opening their doors to the public over the weekend of the 26th and 27th April for a cider making and tasting weekend. Over the course of the weekend at Llest Farm, Llantwit Fardre, 12 of Gwynt Y Ddraig's award-winning ciders and perries (fermented pear juice) will be available on their bar at Wales' only ciderhouse.

According to Andy and Bill, cider makers at Gwynt Y Ddraig, “This is the third year we have opened our doors to our fans and it's always a popular event with ciderlovers even coming over from England to see how we make our award-winning products. It's also a chance for us to meet our customers and explain the effort that goes into making ciders and perries that have won awards from CAMRA, the Welsh Perry & Cider Society and Taste of Wales”.

As well as cider and perry being available there will also be an apple-pressing demo using the equipment that makes the award-winning Gwynt Y Ddraig ciders and perries. Welsh food will be available at the farm including bread and cheese as well as 100% handmade pork sausages, and beef and Wild Boar burgers from Cegin Crincae. Even homemade cider cakes will be available.

This year will see a number of “single variety” types of cider available at the open day. As the name suggests these are made from only one variety of fruit, often from a single orchard. The most familiar single variety is Kingston Black, which originated in Somerset but has been grown in the Welsh Marches, especially Monmouthshire for well over a century. “We try and source all our fruit from Wales”, continued Bill, “but we can only get three quarters of it from Welsh orchards, the rest comes from Herefordshire and Somerset.”
Other single varieties that will be available at the open day are Strawberry Norman, Brown Snout and Yarlington Mill. Gwynt Y Ddraig will also be showcasing a “Pider” - fermented from both apple and pear fruit.

One cider that cider enthusiasts will be looking forward to is a special 3 year old vintage that has been matured in oak barrels. “It's something special”, says Bill, “We have not tried ageing for this long before but maturing in oak will give this cider a certain flavour and colour that you cannot get normally. We think it's one for the connoisseur”.

As well as the single varieties and the perries, Gwynt Y Ddraig's range of ciders is completed by names such as Dog Dancer, Haymaker, Fiery Fox, Black Dragon, Orchard Gold and Barnstormer. If you are unable to make the open weekend, Gwynt Y Ddraig's products are available throughout Wales at food shows as well as at Tesco, Waitrose and in Brains and Wetherspoons pubs.

Gwynt Y Ddraig Facts:
Gwynt Y Ddraig was founded in 2001 by local farmer Bill George and his nephew Andrew Gronow
450 tons of fruit were pressed last year
Orchard Gold Cider was commended in the True Taste Drink (Alcoholic) awards 2007/8
Gwynt Y Ddraig Farmhouse Sweet was judged “Best Sweet Cider” at the Bath Cider Festival 2008
Gwynt Y Ddraig have previously won Champion Cider and Perry of Britain, as judged by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale.

Further Information:
Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider Making and Tasting Weekend
Saturday 26th April 11am-7pm
Sunday 27th April 11-5pm
Llest Farm, Llantwit Fardre, Pontypridd, RCT, CF38 2PW
www.gwyntcider.com

Andy Gronow, Production Director Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider, 0779 106 6257
or
Bill George, Operations Director Gwynt y Ddraig Cider, 0779 106 6240

Budget Price rise in Merthyr!

Seen on the wall of the Winchester pub in Merthyr Tydfil. 4 real ales on and the best place to drink for miles.




I've seen some souvenirs in pubs including the odd stags head but the coat of arms from the company that closed down the original Rhymney Brewery, now that's just being sarcastic.

Hereford Arms Update

It seems odd that the comapny that wants to close the Hereford Arms appears not to be trading itself. A quick check on Companies House website reveals that Alderbourne Limited are registered as a dormant company. Odd then that they seem to be trading by putting in a planning application for change of use as well as collecting the rent for the pub and others which they own. Perhaps Alaistar Darlings huge department of Customs and Inland Revenue would like to look into the accounts of Alderbourne and see if the company is really "dormant" or not?

Below is taken from Companies House:
ALDERBOURNE LIMITED
GABLE END 29 CHRISTCHURCH
CRESCENT RADLETT
HERTS
WD7 8AQ
Company No. 05747989
Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 20/03/2006
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Company Type: Private Limited Company
Nature of Business (SIC(03)):
9999 - Dormant Company
Accounting Reference Date: 31/03
Last Accounts Made Up To: 31/03/2007 (DORMANT)
Next Accounts Due: 31/01/2009
Last Return Made Up To: 20/03/2007
Next Return Due: 17/04/2008
Last Members List: 20/03/2007


We still have time to write to Newport council opposing this change of use so get your letters in before thursday please.

Bill brings in the barrel at Wetherspoons!

Bill George, award-winning cider-maker at Gwynt Y Ddraig helps out delivering barrels during the Wetherspoons beer festival at the Sirhowy, Blackwood. The pub manager, Steve Rouse, thought a few wooden barrels would add atmosphere to the beer festival and asked Gwynt Y Ddraig to supply them. The pub, on Blackwood High Street always sells the Welsh ciders Black Dragon, Orchard Gold and Gold Medal. Gwynt Y Ddraig cider have also held a cider tasting in the pub and will hopefully hold one in the future.
For updates on Gwynt Y Ddraig events check out their Facebook site


Photo below shows Gwynt Y Ddraig operations director Bill George and the Sirhowy Manager Steve Rouse.

Alaistair Darling gets banned.

So what do cigarettes, gypsies and Alaistair Darling all have in common?
Yes they are all banned from British pubs.

Support this campaign to get the magpie-like Chancellor banned from every pub in the UK. He's ruining our pub industry. Okay the tax hike in the budget won't actually hit him - he's more of a white wine spritzer drinker than real ale. Also if he is banned he still has the 15 or so bars in Parliament to drink in. After this last budget actually finding a pub that will still be open will be difficult enough.

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?articleid=59148

Save the Hereford Arms!

One of the last back-street local pubs in Newport is set to be turned into flats. The popular Hereford Arms in Maindee, the only true free house in the area is under threat of closure. This friendly community pub is popular with bikers and offers 1 real ale from independent breweries such as Wye Valley, Brains and Freeminer. It also offers bottled real ales from other breweries such as Fullers. The pub also has traditional pub games such as Shove Ha'penny and a pool table. The company owning this pub now want this Victorian corner pub to be turned into flats. Help us save the pub by writing to Newport Council objecting to the closure.

Mr Ian Carter
Planning Officer
Newport City Council
Civic Centre
Newport,
Gwent,NP20 4UR
South Wales,

quoting reference number 08/0336

Budget 'Charter for smugglers and cheap suppermarket booze'

CAMRA slams inflation-busting beer duty increase as ‘a charter for smugglers and cheap supermarket booze’
Four penny tax increase will do nothing to curb binge drinking but will hit poorest the hardest

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has hit out at the Chancellor’s decision to increase beer duty by 4 pence a pint in today’s Budget, together with annual increases of 2% above inflation for the next four years. The consumer group claims that the increase will lead to at least 20 pence on a pint over the bar, fuelling pub closures and increasing unregulated drinking as more choose to drink at home or on the streets. This is the first time ever that beer tax has increased by 4 pence – a rise of 13%!

CAMRA recently announced that 57 pubs are lost permanently every month as the price differential between pubs and supermarkets widens. Pubs provide a regulated environment for people to enjoy alcohol socially and responsibly.

Mike Benner, Chief Executive of CAMRA said, “The Chancellor has failed to recognise that well-run community pubs are the solution to Britain’s binge drinking problems. This budget will do nothing to stop binge drinking, but it will lead to pub closures on a huge scale, widen the gap between supermarket and pub prices and encourage smuggling and cross-border shopping. It’s a great big nail whacked ruthlessly into the coffin of the British pub.”

The 90,000 strong consumer group has condemned the announcement that beer tax will increase above inflation for the next four years, despite what happens to UK pubs and the beer market.

Mike Benner added, “Pubs are defined as local services (1) yet this tax rise alongside other market pressures will accelerate closures to unprecedented levels. The budget shows a disregard for our national drink and for the 15 million people who enjoy it responsibly.

CAMRA called for a cut in beer duty in the Budget to help pubs compete with supermarket prices. CAMRA believes that supermarket prices of beer are unlikely to be affected significantly by the tax increase, but pubs as small businesses, will have no choice but to increase prices at the bar.

Latest survey on pubs prices released today

The latest survey of pub prices across Britain is also released by CAMRA today. It shows that real ale prices across the UK have increased by 4.6% in the last year and the average price of a pint now sits at £2.45. CAMRA claims that average post-budget pub prices will now hit at least £2.65 for real ale and £2.85 for lager.

Before Budget increases apply, the most expensive region for a pint is London at £2.64 for real ale and £2.84 for lager. The best value pint of real ale was in the North at £2.15, with the best value lager in the North West at £2.40.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

CAMRA’s annual survey of pub process was conducted between 24th January and 24th February 2008. Over 1,000 pubs were surveyed.

Key findings of the survey:

The average price of real ale rose by 11 pence to £2.45 – a 4.6% increase
The average price of lager rose by eight pence to £2.65 – a 3,3% increase
The highest price rises were in Scotland where real ale jumped by 7.8% to £2.55 a pint and lager by an inflation-busting 10.7% to £2.59 a pint
Average price of real cider has increased by 7% to £2.63, but this is still better value than keg ciders at £2.67 a pint
Real ales from Britain’s small independent brewers are the least expensive on average at £2.39 a pint

Full results of the survey are available at www.camra.org.uk/budget2008

CAMRA Pub Watch Survey shows that 57 pubs closed permanently in 2007 with 1567 closed with an uncertain future.

A summary of CAMRA’s Budget Submission to the Chancellor can be found at www.camra.org.uk/budget2008 together with diagrams of tax rates in the EU and percentage of beer sold in pubs compared to shops.

CAMRA Budget Hotline – 01727 798443

For more information:

CAMRA press office: 01727 798443
Mike Benner: 01727 798441 mob: 07971 591224
Head of Public Affairs Jonathan Mail: 01727 798448. mob: 07720 724733
Research and Information Manager Iain Loe: 01727 798449. mob: 07801 706607

(1) The Sustainable Communities Act 2007