Branch Meeting Minutes 1st July 2015

NORTH NOTTS CAMRA BRANCH  MEETING THE GREY HORSE INN CARLTON IN LINDRICK 8-30pm WEDNESDAY  1st July 2015

·           PERSONS ATTENDING

Steve Bownes, John Bowden, Clare Brown, Lynn Snowdon, Keith Snowdon, Colin Tweed, James Baker, Susan Baker, John Bull, Doug Clark, Michael Oates, Alan Duffy, Barbara Duffy, Terry Johnson, Wayne Cadman, David French, Tom Roe, Clare Monk.

 

·           APOLOGIES

Brian George, Roger Smith, Nick Matthews, Sue Johnson, Joe Catlin, David Brown, John Hutton, Jeff Battram, Suzi Hale, Richard Hale.

·           MATTERS ARISING FROM LAST MINUTES

No matters raised

·           TREASURERS REPORT

Bank account £496.58

Promotional Social fund £52.00

·           MEMBERSHIP REPORT

Our membership continues to grow, we now have a total of 356 members compared to 276 on this day last year. The average age is 52 which would suggest that members joining are generally becoming younger.

·           MAGAZINE UPDATE

The printing of the North Notts drinker has been delayed and delivery is now expected to arrive at the Mallard by Monday 6^th July. Distribution arrangements are now in hand and it is anticipated that the majority of venues will be completed within 2 weeks.

·           WHAT PUB UPDATE

115 real ale pubs now listed, 100% with full information, 90% with part information.

·           PUB/CLUB NEWS

Carlton in Lindrick WMC is hosting a Glastonbury type festival. A new venue to be known as ‘Spencers on the Square’ will soon be opening in Retford.

·           FORTHCOMING BRANCH SOCIALS

July 11th - Saturday 12-30 onwards at the  Grafton.	Grafton Beer festival Beer festival at the brewery tap of the award winning Grafton brewery, celebrating 150 years since the pub opened.
August 14th Friday Bus from Retford 18.55. Market Square Worksop 19.15 The Mallard	The Worksop Walk. A walk through Worksop visiting the better pubs starting at the White Lion (Top House to most) and finishing at Nottinghamshire Pub of the Year, The Mallard.
August 29th Saturday 14-00 at Beerheadz.	Retford Pub Hunt.    A light hearted quiz around Retford pubs and the town centre.  Teams of up to 4 people welcome.
September 5th Sat.      10-53 train from Retford. 20-03 train return from York.	York and the Slip/Swan Summer Beer Festival. A visit to some of the fine York pubs also calling at the Slip/Swan Summer beer festival with 50 beers.  Tickets now available from Virgin East Coast Mainline and the cost will only go up.
September 26th Saturday.  11.00 meet at the Mallard for Worksop people, Retford people contact D French.	Terry's Thankyou Trip. TBC. As a way of a thankyou to Terry who has done the Social Secretary's job for a number of years we are going to ask Terry to chose a secret destination to be revealed on the day.
October 9th Friday.   09-38 train from Worksop  or meet at the festival.	Nottingham Beer Festival. Friday early bird session at a festival with over 1000 cask ales. Advance tickets available. http://www.seetickets.com/event/robin-hood-beer-and-cider-festival/nottingham-castle/879851 Prices vary.
October 16th Friday.    16.14 train from Worksop  or meet at the festival.	Gainsborough Beer Festival. Friday afternoon/evening session, held in the historic Old Hall. Usually 60 beers available.
November 7th Saturday.      11-02 train from Retford 11-13 from Worksop November 28th Saturday.                                                             Meet at the Mallard   11-38 train to Nottingham	Sheffield City Centre Pubs. A walk around some of Sheffield's pubs in or close to the city centre. Nottingham Canning Circus Pubs. Visiting the county capital and one of the best areas for real ale pubs anywhere and maybe pick up a few Christmas presents

·           BREWERY LIAISON OFFICER REPORTS

Double Top – Wayne Cadman the owner of The Double Top brewery and the Mallard attended the meeting and gave a personal report on recent successes. He said we have had an incredible month, The Mallard has recently been awarded Nottinghamshire ‘Pub of the Year’ which culminates various previous seasonal awards gained over the last 15 years. The Double Top brewery won the East Midlands Champion Mild award, and has now been entered in the Mild category for national champion beer. This accolade has now resulted in being invited to supply beers for the GBBF in August. The brewery now has the capacity to produce 2000 pints each week. The brewery is currently being rebranded and has a new website, for more information visit www.doubletopbrewery.com or www.doubletopbrewery.co.uk

Dukeries – Recently we have introduced new products including Bess of Hardwick  5.7%,   Farmers Branch 5%, Castle Hill 4.2% and a Vanilla Gunsmoke 5.5%. It’s the time of year where we are involved in many local beer festivals. Just gone was Carlton in Lindrick WMC which went great for their first ever beer festival. Wortley WMC 17^th 18^th 19^th July. Over 60 real ale and cider. UK Club of the Year.  Blue Bell Ranskill 31th July – 2^nd August.

The Pebley 14^th 15^th 16^th August. Great Northern Newton on Trent Inn 14^th 15^th 16^th August

White Horse Inn Barnby Moor 28^th 29^th 30^th August. Also we shall be staging a beer festival at the Osberton International Horse Trails 1^st week in October.

Grafton – The brewery tap at the Grafton Hotel is just getting stronger with sales up on last year. Getting visitors from all over. Busy preparing for the upcoming beer festival at the Grafton which is happening on the 10/11/12th  July. The brewery is exceptionally busy having taken on a part time member of staff to work alongside the current 2 full time staff. Have set on a Sales Rep for 3 days a week. Have just purchased 2x5 barrel FV Conditioning tanks to prepare for a new project at the end of August. Also preparing for the Great British Beer Festival in August with Apricot Jungle to appear in the Champions Bar.    

Hales -Things are going very well. Sales are very strong and have secured contracts until after Christmas. Busy brewing seasonal beers at the moment along side ‘The Punk Collection’ Getting lots of repeat custom and a new business venture has been launched with another in the wings, just waiting to finalize details.

Idle - Idle Brewery is still going strong with Idle Bee & Idle Bodger going really well. The stronger beers like Black Abbot & Idle Landlord are also selling. The brewery tap which is The White Hart at West Stockwith is very busy at all times with drinkers & diners. 

Idle Valley - The brewery continues to run at full capacity and will soon need upgrading to meet with anticipated demand. The newly constructed warm room has been completed. The on line store selling bottled beers and essential brewing ingredients and equipment, continues to be developed and the home brew shop is now well stocked and open for business.

Pheasantry – no report.

Springhead – The report is basically the same as last months, but with the following additions. The Ginger Pig is ready to open but has met with a rather unusual problem in as much as the external pub sign has been questioned by the authorities. This has now escalated to involve both the Local Council and the County Heritage department. It looks therefore that the sign will have to be redesigned and remanufactured. To make matters worse the request to erect a temporary banner type sign was refused permission, “watch this space”. The brewery was recently awarded a silver medal by East Midlands CAMRA. A new brew called Double Jeopardy abv 7.5% which is described as an american pale ale, is now in production. The brewery would like north notts members to let them or Roger Smith know if they should visit a pub which is selling Springhead beers in locations other than the usual.

Welbeck – Clare Monk the head brewer attended the meeting and personally announced the following news: We have an exciting new partnership on our hands! The Roman   Southwell      Archaeology Community Project was established in January 2014 and  since then has quickly gathered pace. They have not only conducted field walking and aerial surveys, but are now well on their way to conducting an excavation.To help raise awareness of this project, and perhaps a little cash too, we are teaming up to brew a Roman-style beer. The community group have researched the style of beer which would have been brewed back then, and we have formulated a recipe. We will be brewing a 3.8%  British barley focused pale ale using the aptly named British Boadicea hops. The beer is to be called ‘Roman Southwell Gladiator’. These hops are named after the famous Queen of the Iceni tribe, who led a rebellion against the Romans in the 1st century AD. They have a distinctively fresh British meadow aroma of herb and fresh grass - a truly Romano-British beer!  The beer will be brewed on Monday 8^th June at Welbeck with the help of the volunteer archaeologists. They will be able to measure out all the raw ingredients and add them to the brewing process, just as our ancestors have done for centuries. We will be launching this beer at the Hearty Goodfellow in Southwell on Thursday 25th June at 7pm. Please join us on the day for a taster and to meet the group.The beer will be available to purchase in most of the Southwell pubs after this date. If you miss it on cask, or would like to try the bottled version, the group will be retailing the beer at all their events from the start of July.For further details about the project please contact Matt Beresford
matt@mbarchaeology.co.uk

·           ANY OTHER BUSINESS

The committee are to discuss at the next committee meeting the level of subsidy to be allocated to social outings involving coach hire, the first subsidised trip is to be the Welbeck Brewery tour.  

·           DATE & VENUE OF NEXT MEETING

The Bees Knees Laneham Wed 5^th August 8:30

 

Mallard wins Nottinghamshire Pub of the Year!

Mallard wins Nottinghamshire POTY

The Mallard in Worksop has just been announced as the winner of the Nottinghamshire CAMRA Pub of the Year, the first pub from North Notts CAMRA to receive this prestigious award. The Mallard beat off some excellent opposition including The Final Whistle from Southwell and The Robin Hood & Little John in Arnold.

Owner & Landlord Wayne Cadman’s reaction to the news ‘’we are delighted to be recognized by CAMRA for our efforts. This is as much an award to our customers who help create the pubs uniquely warm & welcoming atmosphere’’

The award is justly deserved for not only fitting the criteria but as reward for the hard work & effort put in by Wayne, Mel & staff over the 14 years since purchasing the Mallard.

The Mallard is also home to Double Top Brewery which is situated close to the pub where Wayne is also the Brewer, producing beers such as Bad Boy, Old Stoneface & the award winning Nelson Mild.

The Mallard is situated on Worksop railway station, in what was the old waiting room. If you enter the pub from the railway car park the first thing you notice is the chalkboard by the entrance door which politely states ‘No Mobile Phones’ ,So no annoying ring tones here then! The theme continues inside with no music or gaming machines, there is a TV above the entrance door but the sound is muted, so you can engage in pleasant conversation while having an excellent beer.

Once inside you will realize you are in what is probably the second smallest pub in Nottinghamshire, The Beehive in Maplebeck reputed to be the smallest. On the bar there are always 4 handpulls,which includes a Double Top beer & guests from a wide area of the country. A real Cider is always available as well as a craft beer, behind the bar you will find a selection of continental bottled beers’Oh! And 3 Lager fonts for the more discerning drinker!!

The walls are adorned by photographs of the Mallard….126 m.p.h. locomotive not the feathered variety that accompanies orange sauce. Downstairs is a larger area with bar that is only used for meetings, social events & Beer festivals. The Mallard hosts 4 festivals a year normally with 20 beers available, the next festival being The Summer Beer Festival which runs from Thursday 23^rd July until Sunday 26^th July.            

So the next time you are on Worksop Station or in Worksop allow time to call in & have a drink, you won’t be disappointed.

From all at North Notts CAMRA a very well deserved pat on the back & congratulations to all at the Mallard, well done.

Brian George     

If you are reading this blog and you aren't a CAMRA member (why not!?) go to www.camra.org.uk and join the 170,000 other people who think that Beer (and Cider and Perry) is something worth getting excited about!

Pub of the Season : Spring 2015

This month brings us the Pub of the Season voting for Spring 2015.  This is your chance to vote for the pub which you believe is the best within the North Notts area.    Closing date for votes is 28th July and the full results and winners will be announced on Aug 5th. You can vote by visiting:  https://eSurv.org?u=Spring_PotY Enter your membership number, select your nomination and hit “finish survey” at the bottom of the page.   If you don't have internet access, you can also vote by completing a voting form which you will be able to find in pubs around the area.  You can either hand them to a committee member, or return to the address provided on the form.  You are limited to one vote per member and it is only open to members of North Nottinghamshire branch of CAMRA.  All the real ale pubs in our Branch area are eligiable so look for your favourite on the list If you are reading this and you are not a CAMRA member (why not?!) and you want to support your favourite pub then you will need to join first.  As soon as you get your membership number you will be able to vote.  Follow this link: http://www.camra.org.uk/join to the membership pages of the main CAMRA website or look for a membership form inside the back pages of a copy of the North Notts Drinker. Voting for Pub of the Season is important as Seasonal winners will go forward for Pub of the Year, and the Branch Pub of the Year is then eligible for the Regional competition and ultimately the National Competition! So click the link, go to the website, show your support for your favourite pub and get voting.   Your vote really does matter! If you are reading this blog and you aren't a CAMRA member (why not!?) go to www.camra.org.uk and join the 170,000 other people who think that Beer (and Cider and Perry) is something worth getting excited about!

Branch Meeting Minutes 3rd June 2015

NORTH NOTTS CAMRA BRANCH  MEETING THE BLACKSMITHS ARMS EVERTON 8-30pm WEDNESDAY  3rd June 2015

·           PERSONS ATTENDING

John Bowden, Colin Tweed, Geoff Batrum, Joe Catlin, David French, Keith Snowden, Lynn Snowden, Alan Duffy, Barbara Duffy, Terry Johnson, John Bull, Clare Brown, Mark Clarke.

·           APOLOGIES

Steve Bownes, Dave Brown, Brian George, Mike Oates, Roger Smith, John Hutton, Nick Matthews, Gordon Town, Sue Johnson.

·           MATTERS ARISING FROM LAST MINUTES

No matters raised

·           TREASURERS REPORT

The branch bank balance is currently £496.58.

The social event promotional discount fund is currently £35.00.

·           MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

We have a total of 352 members which is an overall increase of 1from the previous month. 70 members are currently not signed up for email. Clare will be corresponding with this group via the new monthly newsletter in an effort to encourage the use of email and reduce postage costs.

·           MAGAZINE UPDATE

The deadline for articles of interest is Friday 5^th June. The magazine editor Dave Brown requested a copy of the quarterly BLO report for insertion. Distributors are urgently required to assist with circulation.  

·           WHAT PUB UPDATE

The latest data for What Pub is a total of 113 real ale pubs recorded, 100% with basis details, 90% with full details, however regular updates are required and more volunteers are needed to update on a regular basis.

·           PUB/CLUB NEWS

Springhead brewery, have run into difficulties with the refurbishment of the Ginger Pig in Retford apparently construction work ceased about 2 weeks ago. 

·           BLO REPORTS

Double Top The brewery will be under-going a rebranding exercise during the coming months. A web site, brand merchandise & the re-badging of 5core brands will be the main gist of the deal. The brewery has instructed Harper Creative, who have a track record in the industry for rebranding breweries like Wensleydale & Great Newsome. An event will take place at The Mallard to launch the changes in due course. It is hoped that the re-branding will be completed in time for us to start bottling by autumn in time for the festive period. Our Champion Mild of the East Midlands will be up against the other category winners in judging for the Champion Beer of the East Midlands at Derby Charter Beer festival next month. Orders for the brand are off the scale, but production continues in house as we have implemented additional brewing through the use of an extra tank.

Dukeries  no report.

Hales  no report.

Idle All is well on the brewing scene. Brian has reintroduced ldle Landlord due to popular demand and also Idle Bee for the summer season.

Idle Valley The brewing plant is running at full capacity and is undergoing some refinement, in particular the pumps are being upgraded to cope with ever increasing demand. New warm & cold rooms are being added and the overall brewing area is being expanded.

  

Grafton no report.

Pheasantry  Very little to report this month, the beer festival is taking place 26th 27th & 28th of this month and both Mark & I hope to see as many of you there as possible. The July artisan beer, a 4.3% American Style IPA is currently being brewed.

Springhead no report

Welbeck  no report

·           FUTURE EVENTS (SOCIAL SECRETARY)

The Grey Horses Beer Festival 12^th 13^th 14^th June

Pheasantry Beer Festival 26^th 27^th 28^th June

Grafton 1^st Independent Bassetlaw Beer Festival 11^th 12^th July

·           ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Alan Duffy stated he had difficulty locating last month’s minutes from the website, other members agreed that they also could not find them. Webmaster to investigate the possibility of expanding the site, by introducing more, sub sections and refining the route map.

All BLO’s are requested to email monthly reports to the Branch Secretary should they be unable to attend.

BLO vacancy for Dukeries Brewery, volunteer required.

·           DATE & VENUE OF NEXT MEETING

The Grey Horses Inn Carlton in Lindrick Wed 1^st July 8:30