BRANCH NEWS
White Horse, Duns Tew
After many changes of licensees, we hope that this delightful, spacious pub will prosper in the care of Rupert and Kate Leigh-Wood. With a background of working for Bass and Six Continents, Rupert has a wealth of experience. His last pub was The Seal in Woodbridge, Suffolk. While serving good food is high on his list, he also wants the pub to be a friendly village local for drinkers. Three well kept Greene King beers are always available.
| The Cock , Combe It was good to meet licensees Paul and Lezley Wakefield when planning this issue’s ‘Walk’. They have good experience in the trade and have the help of their daughter Kelly and her husband Gerry to make a great family team. Greene King beers, good food and a friendly welcome are a good combination for this lovely village pub. |
Another pub which has been crying out for stability, is now in the care of James Edwards, who has taken over after five and half years at The Bat and Ball, Cuddesdon. With a new chef and a wide selection of fresh food, things look promising at this attractive and comfortable pub.
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The Crown, Finstock We are glad to welcome John and Sandra Bagshaw as the new licensees. They live close by at Wilcote and have had forty years experience running pubs, including the West Sussex Pub of the Year 1991. They hope to create a popular village local, family oriented, with good food and well kept real ales. Walkers and dogs are welcome. Sounds like some good news at last. |
After encouragement from us and some of his customers, this Charles Wells landlord has introduced guest beers, which are proving to be very popular. So far Castle Eden Nimmos, St Austell HSB, Okells Bitter to name a few, with Lees Scorcher in the cellar at the time of writing, and about to come on, the prospect looks good. And, we have to remember, no sparklers!
The pub re-opened on 30th August with new licensees Bill and Charmaine Leadbetter. They have experience in the trade and have recently spent six months managing The Marlborough in Witney.They are aiming to provide good quality food in a relaxed atmosphere, and have two real ales available: Hook Norton Bitter and Theakstons XB. We are pleased to welcome them and wish them well.
A new website for the North Oxfordshire Branch is under construction and it is hoped to have it up and running before Christmas. This is thanks to Derek Stowe, enterprising son of Glen, our Membership Secretary. Full details will be posted in ‘What’s Brewing’ and the December issue of ‘Beer on Tap’, so, watch this space!
Good reports have been received about this festival held in early August at The Plough in Bodicote. Our only micro-brewery is located there, and Jimmy Blencowe is the Landlord, Owner and Brewer. He has asked me to thank all those who supported the festival and made it a great success.
The Woodman, North Leigh: 26th Beer Festival
Congratulations to Colin and Jackie Dickenson on completing their 26th Beer Festival on August Bank Holiday weekend. Branch Vice Chairman, John Merriman, reports that he thoroughly enjoyed his visit and noted that all the beers and the cost of the Marquee were fully sponsored and that all the profits were going towards Witney & District Mencap. A wonderful effort.
Apologies to the organisers for not listing this festival in the June issue of ‘Beer on Tap’. This was due to technical problems with electronic copy. Reports indicate that it was a great success and that the flow of beer was great, with last year’s queueing problems largely overcome.
| Dun Cow, Hornton, Beer
Festival This was a new venture by landlord Martin Gelling in early August. The beers were served from a very attractive and large tent in the garden of this thatched pub in the delightful village of Hornton. Martin specialises in beers that are brewed especially for him to Medieval recipes. He had a range of 12 beers including Bog Myrtle 4.2%; Nettle Thrasher 4.4%; Kelpie, an organic Somerset ale at 4.4%; MBH Brewery’s Black Pear 4.4%; Schiehallion at 4.8%; and Umble Magna at 5%. The quality was excellent, although the turnout for this extraordinary range of beers was rather slow on the Saturday pm. I have to say that we had no difficulty in helping to keep the beer flowing! A festival to be savoured. |
The winner of the Regional Pub of the Year for the Southern Central Region was The Bell at Waltham St Lawrence, with the White Horse at Hedgerley in second place and the Kings Arms at Tring a close third. Quite how many people managed to get round and judge all ten pubs is not revealed. Branch Vice-Chairman, John Merriman, and Editor, Geoff Clifford, did achieve this and at the same time covered a huge mileage taking in Wokingham, Milton Keynes, Shrivenham to name but a few. Not for the faint hearted!