Unfortunately I don’t have any more details at the moment; I’ll update this article when I get them.

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?

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!

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…)

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.

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!

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. Jeannette and I recently attended a meeting to discuss options for the future development of the Adur Brewery. It was reported that with the massive increases in duty over recent years the brewery’s present reason for existence seems to be solely to pay taxes, and did not provide enough scope to employ additional assistance. All present wanted to see a situation where the brewery could start to offer new jobs, but to do that, it would need to grow and the meeting discussed various ways to achieve the desired growth. The favoured scenario involved a gradual stepping up of production, a move to larger premises, followed by the installation of new equipment with greater brewing capacity to achieve economies of scale, and the employment of a trainee brewer and an administrative manager.

One way of financing these plans would be to reconstitute the brewery as a form of co-operative, which would allow a greater number of people the opportunity to purchase shares for relatively small amounts (probably in the order of £250 for ‘consumer members’, though there may be scope for a category of ‘gold membership’ for anyone who wants to invest more capital or contribute in the form of work – ‘worker members’). It was agreed that the first step would be to assess the likely amount of interest in the local beer enthusiasts community for participating in such a scheme. We agreed to publicise the concept and collate replies on behalf of the brewery.

The advantages to anyone holding a share would be:

• You would have VIP access to the brewery – at present group visits are not practical but co-owners would have the facility to visit and even gain some ‘hands on’ experience if they wished.
• You would participate in the formation of policy through the annual meeting.
• Your views would be sought on proposals for new beers, the recipes and names for them, and you would be among the first to taste them.
• You would be able to buy the brewery’s beers at discounted prices.
• You would receive priority invitations to brewery events.
• You would be showing your support for the concept of a local brewery for your area, in line with CAMRA’s LocAle scheme, which tries to ensure that beers are not transported over great distances.

A personal perspective:

In the past Jeannette and I have paid £400 for a single weekend course where we could gain some brewing experience, but we obtained substantially greater value from our investment in the Adur Brewery. We have had a small stake in the brewery since it started. We were not looking for returns in the way of dividends, but rather expressing support for a new local enterprise and a concept we believe in. Since then we have reaped enormous, though intangible, rewards in the amount of fun, interest and experience we have gained through being involved with the brewery.

The pleasure of tasting a new beer, sampled straight from the foaming fermentation vessel, knowing that you have had input into its recipe; helping carry out buckets of spent hops and malt as the mash tun is emptied, with the wonderful aromas all around you; playing an active part in brewery events, such as the two Church Ales and the First Birthday events, when we met famous beer writer, Pete Brown; the satisfaction of seeing stacks of bottles carrying names and labels in which you have helped design. How can you put a price on experiences like that?

Personnel wanted:

If you are looking for a change of career and would like to consider working as a trainee brewer or brewery administrator, please get in touch. The pay would not be great, some days might involve long hours, and the work can be tiring, but the potential satisfaction is enormous! Please also get in touch if you are between jobs and would want to do some voluntary work at the brewery to fill the gap on your CV, to learn new skills – or just for the fun of it. One person who did just that, and spent several months at the brewery, has told us that of all his distinguished work career, that is the part of his CV which attracts most interest. He has also found that it gives him a great deal of ’street cred’ – at parties everyone wants to talk to the person who is an authority on how a brewery works!

The small print:

You are doubtless aware that investment in any small business is a risk and should not be regarded as a safe haven for your pension fund! There are no gilt-edged guarantees of dividends, and. if you are interested in the jobs, you should understand that employment in this sector is far from being a life-time job with a pension scheme. An investment of this nature is all about the fun of being involved. and supporting a cause you believe in.

Email if interested:

At present the brewery is only seeking to find out if this particular scenario is viable, so we need to gauge how many people might be interested in participating in such a scheme. Please email John Simpson if you think you would like to join in this venture. Expressing interest at this stage will not commit you. If development plans go forward in this form you would receive firm proposals and only then would you need to make a binding commitment.

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

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

Second place went to Saltaire Triple Chocoholic, with Langham Hip Hop in third.

The Brewery of the Festival was also Ballard’s — looks like we should have a 21st anniversary more often! Saltaire came second and Thornbridge third.

We’ll be presenting Ballard’s with their awards at some point in the future; details will appear here nearer the time.

Sessions are Friday (6–11:30pm), Saturday (12–5pm, 6–11:30pm) and Sunday (12–6pm) — evening sessions are £5 advance, £6 on the door, while lunchtime sessions are £4 advance, £5 on the door. There are only 300 tickets for each session, so advance booking’s recommended. Evening sessions have live music.

You can buy tickets from the Stand Up Inn in Lindfield, or at the Martlets Hall; you can also get them, and more information, from the Festival of Sussex Tipples website. The price includes a programme and a souvenir pint glass.

Camping will also be available: handy since the nearest station is a fair walk away!

Contact Fred Gordon on 01243 372393 for more details.

Details of the campaign to save the White Swan, Bosham are available at the Bosham Community website.

(The White Swan is a former branch pub of the year: another local example of a community-owned pub is the current branch pub of the year, the Duke of Cumberland Arms, Henley.)