Another nail in the coffin of the British pub

[EggFace]

Fat Ox Whiley Bay who have cover bands on weekends it was John Smiths and Worthington's £2.20 on weekends and £2 throught the week and I know it's not the best but beats paying the silly prices esp as it's a pub that plays music, Sport Football, Racing, League and Union and Cricket...fair play.

[The Masked Poster]

13 hours ago, EggFace said:

Fat Ox Whiley Bay who have cover bands on weekends it was John Smiths and Worthington's £2.20 on weekends and £2 throught the week and I know it's not the best but beats paying the silly prices esp as it's a pub that plays music, Sport Football, Racing, League and Union and Cricket...fair play.

I thought the Fat Ox was a mythical pub in the Likely Lads?

To be serious, I have family up that way so I will have a wander over there next time I'm in the area. I won't however be drinking JS or Worthingtons - at any price. I'd rather have two pints of something I really like for a tenner, rather than 5 of something I couldn't stand. 

Disclaimer: that is exactly what I used to do when I was young and skint! 

[EggFace]

48 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

I thought the Fat Ox was a mythical pub in the Likely Lads?

To be serious, I have family up that way so I will have a wander over there next time I'm in the area. I won't however be drinking JS or Worthingtons - at any price. I'd rather have two pints of something I really like for a tenner, rather than 5 of something I couldn't stand. 

Disclaimer: that is exactly what I used to do when I was young and skint! 

What type of beer do you like.

[Wolford6]

I'm up for this:

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23795052.music-beer-festival-keighley-worth-valley-railway/

The Beer & Music Festival 2023!

Just under a month until the festival, over 170 beers are expected across the weekend and 30 live music artists. On 'track' for a sell-out, don't leave it too late to get your ticket.#kwvr // https://t.co/xlDi78DBVb pic.twitter.com/ol3FPBJzlB

— Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (@WorthValley) September 16, 2023

[The Masked Poster]

1 hour ago, EggFace said:

What type of beer do you like.

Depending on mood....a nice IPA, or Guinness more likely. Or if a bit warmer, Morreti or some such premium lager. 

[Wolford6]

One thing I can't do with is all these citrus beers. Even if the first one tastes sort-of-okay, having any more leaves a sickly sweet taste.

We brewed beer in this country perfectly well for a thousand years before the first citrus fruit turned up.

It's like putting a Dacia engine in a Landrover then painting it pink.

[Futtocks]

34 minutes ago, Wolford6 said:

One thing I can't do with is all these citrus beers. Even if the first one tastes sort-of-okay, having any more leaves a sickly sweet taste.

We brewed beer in this country perfectly well for a thousand years before the first citrus fruit turned up.

It's like putting a Dacia engine in a Landrover then painting it pink.

They don't do it for me either, but many people seem to like them.

My recent discovery is Damm's Inedit, a hybrid malt/wheat beer which is different without tasting weird or gimmicky. Although there are spices and orange peel involved, it is subtle and doesn't dominate the actual beer flavour.

https://www.damm.com/en/beers/inedit 

Edited September 20 by Futtocks

[graveyard johnny]

this thread seems to have turned in to a real ale review 

[Old Frightful]

On 12/09/2023 at 19:20, Shadow said:

I was in Spoons in Neath in July

£1.77 a pint for Ruddles

Wetherspoons have, rather marvellously, taken over the students' bar at Hull University, about 8/9 mins walk from mine. The Ruddles is 99p a pint and some guest beers are £1.49p a pint. It's the cheapest Wetherspoons in the UK apparently.

But, the best thing is, when you're ordering food most meals cost £1.49 (I think) extra if you include an alcoholic drink, and you can pick any alcoholic drink.

So I usually walk down with the lad and he often wants a diet coke or summat as he's off to the Uni gym later. Our food order is always 2 x meals and 2 x Leffe Blonde (£4.60 odd a pint) at 6.5% ABV...oh, and a diet Pepsi.

It would be rude not to.

[gazza77]

On 21/09/2023 at 23:44, Old Frightful said:

Wetherspoons have, rather marvellously, taken over the students' bar at Hull University, about 8/9 mins walk from mine. The Ruddles is 99p a pint and some guest beers are £1.49p a pint. It's the cheapest Wetherspoons in the UK apparently.

But, the best thing is, when you're ordering food most meals cost £1.49 (I think) extra if you include an alcoholic drink, and you can pick any alcoholic drink.

So I usually walk down with the lad and he often wants a diet coke or summat as he's off to the Uni gym later. Our food order is always 2 x meals and 2 x Leffe Blonde (£4.60 odd a pint) at 6.5% ABV...oh, and a diet Pepsi.

It would be rude not to.

That's interesting. That makes a pint the same cost now as it was when I arrived in Hull as a fresh faced 18 year old, late in the last century. Wasn't Ruddles though, but my mind is blank to what it actually was.

[Robin Evans]

On 14/09/2023 at 14:34, Bostik Bailey said:

No doubt Camra will be putting their oar into this, completely ignoring the discount schemes that they insist on to even consider you for the Good Bear Guild, nor their love in with Wetherspoon which drives local  pubs out of business. Camra go on about Real Ale being a premium product, but it has a short shelf life therefore they should expect to pay more for a decent pint, not get 50p discount.

My young un owns his own micropub at Stag, Rovrum.

Now, if there is a middle class enclave in Rovrum its the stag to Wickersley run.

My young un refused to offer discount to Camera. He has 6 beers on almost all less than £4/pint and won't differentiate one customer from another regardless of what organisation they belong to.

This meant he was "over looked" for the pub of the year four years on the trot.

However, he sold £3.5k of tickers for the Camera beer fest so last year he told Camera to "shove it", he wasn't selling anymore tickets.

Outcome:- Simon won pub of the year and is again selling tickets.

Camera are a strange organisation locally. I'm limited also to what I can post on a public forum.

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Robin Evans said:

My young un owns his own micropub at Stag, Rovrum.

Now, if there is a middle class enclave in Rovrum its the stag to Wickersley run.

My young un refused to offer discount to Camera. He has 6 beers on almost all less than £4/pint and won't differentiate one customer from another regardless of what organisation they belong to.

This meant he was "over looked" for the pub of the year four years on the trot.

However, he sold £3.5k of tickers for the Camera beer fest so last year he told Camera to "shove it", he wasn't selling anymore tickets.

Outcome:- Simon won pub of the year and is again selling tickets.

Camera are a strange organisation locally. I'm limited also to what I can post on a public forum.

My Dad joined Camra not long after moving to Oxfordshire. Mainly for the vouchers.

He likes beer and he likes a discount.

He is no longer a member of Camra as, apparently, the sheer volume of weird emails, strange petitions and odd pronouncements being made in his name made him think that he'd rather pay full price.

[Robin Evans]

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

My Dad joined Camra not long after moving to Oxfordshire. Mainly for the vouchers.

He likes beer and he likes a discount.

He is no longer a member of Camra as, apparently, the sheer volume of weird emails, strange petitions and odd pronouncements being made in his name made him think that he'd rather pay full price.

That was Simon's feelings way before he opened his boozer.

The demands of preferential treatment because of a camera membership only served to fuel his distance with that organisation. 

I was once a member myself. It was a long time ago. I have little in common with how the local branch behave. 

I genuinely think it's an organisation well past its sell by date now.

I'm still happy to pay for a decent pint.

[Futtocks]

50 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

That was Simon's feelings way before he opened his boozer.

The demands of preferential treatment because of a camera membership only served to fuel his distance with that organisation. 

I was once a member myself. It was a long time ago. I have little in common with how the local branch behave. 

I genuinely think it's an organisation well past its sell by date now.

I'm still happy to pay for a decent pint.

CAMRA did a great service to the nation, several decades ago. Now the quality beer movement in the UK has achieved critical mass, thanks to Gordon Brown making it possible for small brewers and distillers to set up businesses. Most of this chimes pretty well with CAMRA's aims.

However, I have been cornered and droned at by CAMRA members more than once over the years. Their shared characteristics included a jingoism about foreign brewers, general fogeyism and an intolerance of change or innovation. I can imagine some of their other beliefs being a bit... iffy.

[Old Frightful]

4 hours ago, Futtocks said:

CAMRA did a great service to the nation, several decades ago. Now the quality beer movement in the UK has achieved critical mass, thanks to Gordon Brown making it possible for small brewers and distillers to set up businesses. Most of this chimes pretty well with CAMRA's aims.

However, I have been cornered and droned at by CAMRA members more than once over the years. Their shared characteristics included a jingoism about foreign brewers, general fogeyism and an intolerance of change or innovation. I can imagine some of their other beliefs being a bit... iffy.

Every time I see a Camra representative they seem to be balding with what hair left being very long, couple with a full gingerish beard and enormous beer belly.

I think Viz are missing out on a cartoon opportunity.

[Futtocks]

8 minutes ago, Old Frightful said:

I think Viz are missing out on a cartoon opportunity.

[EggFace]

On 28/09/2023 at 17:00, Robin Evans said:

That was Simon's feelings way before he opened his boozer.

The demands of preferential treatment because of a camera membership only served to fuel his distance with that organisation. 

I was once a member myself. It was a long time ago. I have little in common with how the local branch behave. 

I genuinely think it's an organisation well past its sell by date now.

I'm still happy to pay for a decent pint.

I thought one of Camera's aim's was to drop the price of Ale and I have yet to see that happen and I can hardly find any pubs that offer the discount's nut the only worth thing about is the Spoons Vouchers and the magazine every quarter.

[Spidey]

St Albans must exist in a different world. Every time i visit there’s a new pub open

[Ullman]

On 27/09/2023 at 18:14, gazza77 said:

That's interesting. That makes a pint the same cost now as it was when I arrived in Hull as a fresh faced 18 year old, late in the last century. Wasn't Ruddles though, but my mind is blank to what it actually was.

If your mind's blank it was probably Dogbolter at Mainbrace.

[gingerjon]

On 01/10/2023 at 20:29, Spidey said:

St Albans must exist in a different world. Every time i visit there’s a new pub open

It looks like Hastings had a bunch close in the 90s and 00s but since moving here (ten years ago) I think it's in balance - a couple have closed and a couple have opened, plus one that had been shut for a while has reopened and is doing pretty well. And there are a few new 'tap room' places in the town centre and arcades that weren't here before.

[JohnM]

I sincerely hope we don't lose any more pubs. If we do, where will I go if I want a car stereo, DVD player, mobile phone, sat nav or cheap ciggies?

Edited October 3 by JohnM

[gingerjon]

19 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

It looks like Hastings had a bunch close in the 90s and 00s but since moving here (ten years ago) I think it's in balance - a couple have closed and a couple have opened, plus one that had been shut for a while has reopened and is doing pretty well. And there are a few new 'tap room' places in the town centre and arcades that weren't here before.

Thinking about this, and quoting myself, there are actually quite a few new places on the seafront itself where you can get merrily and legally stewed watching the sun set (and/or wait for your dealer to complete his walk along from St Leonards) which weren't here even five years ago.

If you stretch 'pub' to 'any place where you can sit with friends and have drinky drinks' then the town is doing pretty well indeed.