We’re delighted to announce the launch of CAMRA’s LocAle scheme in Western Sussex. Currently we have five pubs signed up, but will be rolling the scheme out across the branch area over 2012. (Sadly, we weren’t able to get LocAle surveying classified as an Olympic event…)

Pubs that commit to keeping at least one local real ale available — where “local” is defined as “within a 25 mile radius of the branch boundary” — will receive posters and other material, and will be listed on the Western Sussex CAMRA LocAle page.

If you’re looking to reduce your “beer miles”, why not look for the LocAle symbol on the handpump?

The Globe Inn, Chichester (just outside the station) is having another beer festival, running from Thursday December 1 to Sunday December 4. We currently don’t know which ales are going to be on — based on experience with Yapton, any list this far out would end up changing anyway — but hopefully we’ll have more details nearer the time.

They’re also having a fifth hand pump installed to add to their current range of Brakspear, Hobgoblin, Doom Bar and Pedigree.

Congratulations to the Globe on the recent success in the Great British Pub Awards, too: it’s now officially Britain’s best sports pub!

The Beer of the Festival votes have been tallied, and the results are:

And the Brewery of the Festival:

Many congratulations to Langham, especially since they have not only won Beer of the Festival twice now, but they have also done the same with the Brewery of the Festival award!

(Sorry, this should have gone up long ago! My apologies…)

The Globe Inn by Chichester railway station is having a beer festival over the Bank Holiday weekend (May 27–30) with 12 Sussex beers.

They’ve also got various entertainments lined up: a 70s/80s/90s pop disco on the Friday evening, Spirit FM broadcasting live from the pub from 10am to 2pm on the Saturday, followed by the UEFA Champions League final on their 103″ TV. Sunday from 6pm to 9pm will have music from Masterplan (an Oasis/Noel Gallagher tribute band) and Monday will have karaoke from 8pm.

The Western Sussex CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year for 2011 is the Maypole Inn, Yapton.

Congratulations to Kelly and Stuart on a well-earned win!

The presentation evening is Friday, May 20 (just enough time to recover from a certain beer festival…) All are welcome!

The information page for the 2011 Yapton Beerex is now up; tickets are not yet available (but mail order customers are welcome to send their cheques and SAEs and we’ll send the tickets out when they’re released…)

John Simpson at Adur Brewery has passed this on to us; please contact him at the address below if you’re interested.

Ever dreamed of owning, or working in, a Brewery?

Most real ale fans will have had such thoughts at one time or another, but probably dismissed it as an impossible dream. Now there is a way in which you may be able to realise it, in a more convenient and less costly way than you might ever have imagined.

Read on for full details, then email us if interested.

[Read more...]

A bit out of our area, this, but the 6th Wickham Charity Beer Festival will be held on April 16, at the Wickham Centre, Wickham, Hampshire. The list looks to be 32 local beers (including Downton Chocolate Orange!) and two ciders.

Also reopening under new management is the Olive Branch in Yapton, with local landlord Nick Botting. The plan is to turn round the pub’s fortunes by talking to locals and asking what they want from their pub.

Once the kitchen has been refurbished — hopefully in the next few days — the pub will be offering traditional pub food from 12:00 – 14:30 and 18:00 – 21:30, plus breakfast from 08:30 (no alcohol sales this early, though!)

Plans include a weekly pub quiz on Thursdays (with free food for participants), a poker league, darts and pool, plus karaoke on two Saturdays a month and a monthly open mic event on a Sunday. A Christmas raffle and New Year’s Eve party are also coming up.

An extensive range of beers, wines and spirits is promised, with up to four real ales — no word on what they might be yet, but Nick says the Olive Branch will accommodate your needs if you prefer a tipple “not traditionally sold and generally available in other pubs”. (Thornbridge Jaipur IPA always seems to sell very quickly at Yapton Beerex, so here’s hoping for some of that — Ed)

The pub’s has a website: the Olive Branch, Yapton and a Facebook page

The Bull in Chichester has reopened on a free-of-tie lease, currently with Harvey’s Best and Hepworth Prospect on handpump, plus Sharps Doom Bar and Hepworth Sussex on gravity dispense. Hopefully another Sussex beer will be joining them on gravity in the near future.

Keith Dixon (formerly of the Rainbow) and Bill O’Hagan (of sausage fame) are behind the reopening, so beer quality should be assured…