Bird’s Eye View: A Breath of Fresh Air?

So there I was, sitting in one of the ‘best beer gardens in the UK’ (according to the Daily Telegraph), after having been dragged on a ten-mile trek by The Chap.  I was hot.  I was tired.  My feet were sore.  In fact I looked a right mess.  Why had I agreed to this?  Ah yes, the pub stop at the end of the walk.  After a lovely pint of Adnam’s Oyster Stout and a light lunch of homemade hummus, olives and pitta bread my spirits lifted.  The pub in question was the Eel’s Foot in Eastbridge, and it did indeed have a glorious garden; a large grassed area which included a ‘Ghost Ship’ for kids, a landscaped section, and a sheltered patio.  All within walking distance of the RSPB’s Minsmere Nature Reserve - ideal for a bit of twitching, if that’s your thing.  But this was Suffolk.   We have equally lovely pubs and gardens in Norfolk, don’t we?

I’m a city girl, and when the sun comes out you’ll often find me in one of Norwich’s truly wonderful pub gardens; shorts on, beer in hand, topping up my tan.  For the benefit of visitors to the city who are reading this, or Norfolk drinkers that are not familiar with Norwich pubs, here are the Beer Bird’s Top Norwich Pub Gardens (in no particular order):

The Plough; an upper grassed garden, a lower patio with sheltered booths, and outdoor heaters! 

The Playhouse; a groovy riverside location, some fancy lighting, and colorful furniture! 

The York; a large grassed garden, a great kid’s play area, and hammocks! 

The Georgian Townhouse; a walled garden, a croquette lawn, and herbs! 

The Garden House; a big lawn with picnic benches, plenty of patio seating, and a water feature! 

The Eagle; a tree-lined garden, a climbing frame, and a dog menu! 

There are more; the fabulous riverside locations of The River Garden, The Town House and The Rushcutters. And then the inner-city gems like The Wig and Pen where you can just sit outside and watch the world go by, or The Sir Garnet, an ideal spot for people watching, or The Lamb, an oasis of quiet and calm, only a stone’s throw from all hustle and bustle of Primark (other retailers are available). 

If you like a cigarette with your beer, whilst you’re out in the fresh air, you may have been disturbed by recent headlines that suggested local councils may soon ban smoking in pub gardens.  The sensationalist reporting of Haringey Council’s investigation into improving mental health by strengthening licensing powers around alcohol and tobacco had smokers up in arms.  The smokers’ rights group Forest claimed that “.... extending the smoking ban to beer gardens would be an outrageous attack on people’s rights to smoke in the places where they are not harming anyone else.”  And the Minister for Local Government, Marcus Jones, called Haringey Council ‘municipal killjoys’.   The council responded by saying they hoped to “…extend smoke-free areas" to protect public health, and added their policy would involve pub gardens and restaurant 'alfresco dining areas', saying 82% of Brits back current "smoke-free" legislation.

So where do I stand on this one?  Well I admit, I used to smoke.  Not 40 a day, but I did enjoy lighting-up with my mates.  A few drinks, a bit of a giggle, a couple of ciggies.  These days I really don’t appreciate cigarette smoke, particularly when I’m eating, something that I love doing in a pub garden in the summer months whilst topping up my tan (see above!).  However, I don't think it is reasonable to ban smoking entirely.  With apparently one in five people still smoking it wouldn’t be right, nor fair, nor proper.  But I do think that if a pub has a kid’s playground, or a designated outdoor dining area, it would be fair to ask folk not to smoke in the vicinity.  Most of the top Norwich pubs I’ve mentioned have gardens large enough to be able to allocate smoking and non-smoking areas.  That’s where I stand.  What d’ya reckon?

My shorts are on, I’m off to the pub.  “A packet of crisps and a pint of suntan lotion please landlord!”

Cheers

The Beer Bird

(first published in Norfolk Nips May 2017)

My First Time

Confessions of a beer festival volunteer  

  

For years I'd been thinking about volunteering at the Norwich Beer Festival but always found a reason not too.  However, when I saw a CAMRA email asking for volunteers at the Winter Ale Festival I thought….why not!

As I was responding to the email, entering the dates and times I would be available, I was thinking; “Do I really want to do this?”  Even after I had clicked send, I thought - they won't pick me - I have no experience.  So you can imagine my surprise when I received a reply informing me of the shifts I had been selected for. 

My first session was on Tuesday, this was a session for CAMRA members only.  As I was walking to St Andrews Hall the nerves started to kick in. On arrival at the staff entrance,  I was greeted with a smile and escorted to the staffing area.  There sat the lovely Jane Edrupt who gave me a badge, pointed me towards the t-shirt, and most importantly of all,  gave me my beer glass for the evening.  Boy was I desperate for a drink! 

On arrival at the St Andrews bar, I listened to the bar manager who told me what to do.  I then made my way to an area of the bar to start my shift.  The other staff who were working on the night were very friendly and helpful.  I got to work.  In between serving we chatted about volunteering and my colleagues discussed the beers they’d had tasted.  It wasn't until that moment I realised I had not yet sampled any beer - disaster.  This was soon rectified by my first tipple; Electric Milk Stout.  What a lovely beer - dark, creamy, smooth and tasty.  My next beer was Thornbridge Vanilla Stout, this was a whopping 6 4% but it certainly didn't taste like other 6.4% beers I had sampled in the past.  My third ale was Harvey's XXXX, another outstanding beer.  Before I knew it, it was 10.30pm and my shift was nearly over.  A clean down of the bar area and cooling of the barrels and I would be off.  It had been fun and I was actually looking forward to my next shift. 

So many beers....

On the Wednesday I returned keen and eager to get stuck in. When I arrived I was informed that the turnout during the the day had been low and that it was still not busy.  As I was walking to the bar, I was surprised by the low turnout and wondered why it was so quiet. This time round I was more outgoing during my shift, and began to chat to the customers.  I asked about their favourite beers, why they had come to the festival, and why they thought it was so poorly attended, at least in comparism with the annual October festival which is always jam-ppacked.  Throughout my conversations it became apparent that many people assumed a Winter Ale fest would only feature porters and stouts, and even a lot of real ale drinkers don’t dark beers.  In actual fact, the event had the usual vast array of different beer types from all over the country, it’s just that there were more beers of the darker variety than you’d expect at a traditional festival.

So for all of you who have ever thought about volunteering, stop thinking about it and do it. I met and worked with a nice bunch of people and sampled some excellent beers.  Roll on October so I can once again serve all you wonderful beer drinkers!

Cheers

The Beer Bird

(first published in Norfolk Nips May 2017)

Oh What a night!

The Norfolk and Norwich CAMRA Awards  

At the Epic studios in March I had the pleasure to present an award to Winters Brewery for their wonderful Winters Mild. 

Yep, that's me on stage

It was a top night; good food, lovely company, excellent beers.  The ticket price included a lovely buffet and a pint of award winning quality ale - with all subsequent beers being only £3 a pint.

The Chap had a 4.30 alarm the following morning so we decided to leave the party at about 10.00-ish.  As we made for the door we heard an announcement over the PA that all beers had to go, and were selling for a £1 a pint.  Should we stay or should we go……..?

Cheers!

Bird’s Eye View: Blonde Moments

I’m writing this article at the end of January, hoping that 2017 turns out to be a better year than the last.  2016 was a crazy year, for sure.  But putting celebrity deaths, momentous political change, and my inexplicable wait gain over the Christmas period aside for a minute, let’s look back to a couple of items of women-related beer news that caught my eye in 2016.

Mallorca brewery Sargantana came out with a beer aimed specifically aimed at women called…… Woman.  Marketed in a very attractive purple bottle with the slogan “For you Woman, you’re special”, the beer is a ‘lighter, softer, less alcoholic’ brew for the ladies.  Really???  The brewers call it an ‘exquisite’ ale.  So is it just women that want exquisite beer?  Don’t blokes demand that too?  And am I such a delicate little flower that I can only sup light, soft beers? (are you having a laugh?).  Sargantana also released a beer called Queen especially for the LGBT community.  It has a very nice rainbow design on the label.  Lovely.

I was more impressed by the story of the Brazilian brewery that launched Feminista Red Ale, a brand that aims to challenge the sexist marketing of beer. The packaging is simple, with a symbol for gender equality on the label.  The brewery chose an Irish red ale instead of a lighter, softer, ‘feminine’ beer usually associated with women (see above!).  Founder and creative director Thais Fabris explained the thinking behind it: “The typical Brazilian beer ad shows a semi-naked standard-beauty woman being harassed by men.  She is either the waitress in the bar, a girl on the beach, or a prize the men get for drinking that beer.  The effects of the messages we create go way beyond driving sales, they drive behaviour.  Grab a feminist beer, join the conversation and make a toast to equality."  I’ll certainly drink to that.

It’s been a while since we’ve had overtly sexist images on our beer pumps locally (please tell me if you know otherwise), and I think nationally we’ve seen a decline in the offensive marketing of ale.  But it still exists.  I recently came across Broxbourne Brewery’s Cowgirl Gold and Gardener’s Delight (a bottled cider).  Both display images that many women will find offensive, and let’s be honest, it’s all a bit 1970s, isn’t it?  I don’t mind a bit of Carry On humour (“Nurse Bell?  Ding Dong!”), and I appreciate there is a fine line between what is funny and what is offensive, but marketing based on gender stereotypes that offend, objectify women, and encourage harassment have no place in today’s leisure industry. 

I did spot a lovely pump clip the other day in The Beehive, Norwich, for Posh Blonde, a 4.3% golden ale from Grantham’s Oldershaw Brewery.  The image featured an elegantly turned-out woman with a fine hat and black gloves.  Admittedly, the woman is a blonde and she is holding one of those ‘girly’ stemmed glasses I can’t stand, but hey, it looked classy.  And cool.   Oldershaw have a whole range of Blonde ales, and I must say, the pump clips are all very tasteful.  Just like their beers.

Here in Norfolk we have some wonderful women in the beer industry.  Let’s drink a toast to them all. 

Cheers!

(first published in the Norfolk Nips March 2017)

Hove, actually

A beery weekend in the city of Brighton and Hove

I know Brighton quite well.  My other half hails from Sussex so we’ve spent a fair bit of time on the south coast in recent years.  We’ve found great pubs, some real gems, with favourites being The Evening Star, The Basketmakers and The Mitre.  On our last visit, we were staying in Hove, the ‘posh bit’ to the West of the city.  Hove originally developed around the impressive Brunswick Square, and in Victorian times grew to become the polar opposite of Brighton.  Where Brighton was showy and a tad seedy, Hove was eminently respectable.  When accused of living in Brighton, Hove residents allegedly replied “Hove, actually”.  Neither of us know Hove very well, so armed with our CAMRA beer app we went in search of new pubs, new beers, new adventures.

Our first stop, before we’d even reached the coast, was Dark Star’s new pub, The Lockheart Tavern in Haywards Heath, about 30 minutes or so from Brighton.   It is a nice bright venue but more of a bar than a pub.  Certainly a far cry from The Evening Star in Brighton, the jewel in the Dark Star crown.  The Lockheart has cask and keg beer but it seemed to be bottled beers that most punters were drinking on our visit.  To be fair they had an impressive selection, not just their own ales but also beers from Magic Rock, Wild Beer, Siren and many more.   But pricey!  A 330ml bottle of Dark Star’s Revelation would set you back £4.00.  A great little place, located along Hayward’s Heath’s trendy Broadway strip.  After a couple of pints of Sunburst Golden Ale (4.8%) it was time to head South.

Our first full day in Hove was bitterly cold, so an ideal day to warm up in the pub.  Our first hostelry was the Westbourne, a re-vamped Victorian building with a great selection of local ales.  The pub has two bars, one of which, The Cider Shack, was closed for refurbishment.  Despite this, the pub still served half a dozen local ciders from the main bar, along with a good range of cask ales.  The lovely Josie served us great pints of Downlands Old (4.4%) and Bedlam Golden Ale (4.2%), together with snacks of parsnip bhajis and cheesy chips.   A splendid way to spend our first afternoon by the seaside.

Our next port of call was The Watchmakers Arms near Hove station.  I’ve been fascinated reading about micro-pubs but until now hadn’t visited one.  This was a first.  The pub has been converted from a washing-machine repair shop, although in days past the premises did indeed house a watchmaker.  I guess The Washing-Machine Repairman’s Arms just doesn’t have the same ring to it. So the pub’s theme is clocks.  And there are lots of them.   All over the walls.   Big clocks, small clocks, wristwatches, even a cuckoo clock.  But none with the correct time!  How do they call time I wonder?  The venture is run by Ruth and Ali.  We spoke to Ruth who came across as very passionate about pubs and local ale.  As you’d expect, The Watchmakers isn’t a large pub but it is certainly not cramped.  There is room for a microbrewery on the premises, and plenty of space to sit by the window and watch the world go by.   Whilst the winter sun warmed us through the windows we supped Long Man Best (4%) and 360 Pale (4.2%) and pondered the exciting sausage roll menu.  A wonderful pub.

That night we visited The Neptune.  A good old fashioned, proper boozer, a real drinkers pub. Known to its regulars as ‘The Nep’, the pub hosts regular live music nights, more often jazz and blues by the look of things, with its walls covered with fascinating music-related posters and pictures.  We arrived quite late in the evening (The Neptune is open til 1 am week nights and 2 am Fridays and Saturdays) and found it busy with what seemed to be a crowd of regulars.  We could have stayed all night (or at least until 1.00 am!), the pub was so cosy, but we had big plans for the following day.  After a few pints of really quite wonderful Harvey’s Best (4%) we decided to call it a night, after vowing to return on our next visit down South.

Our second day in Brighton and Hove was a full-on day of culture and shopping.  Well, more shopping than culture if I’m honest, but the city is great for both.  Shopping in Brighton enabled us to visit one of our favourite pubs; The Evening Star.  This is where it all began for the Dark Star Brewery back in 1994.  It’s a basic pub, but massively popular with locals and real ale enthusiasts who travel from afar to visit.  It is bang outside the train station so it’s just about possible to get there from Norwich for a lunchtime session!   The beer selection is superb; a great range of Dark Star’s own ales as you’d expect, together with other interesting beers from near and far, including a great array of bottled and canned beers to take away.  It was the middle of the day so not the best time to sample one of my favourite winter beers; Crème Brulee.  Instead, I settled for that excellent session ale, Hophead (3.8%).  It went down a treat and set me up for an afternoon of museums and culture.  Oh, and more shopping.

For a big beery evening (well it was our last night!) we chose The Mitre.  It isn’t in the CAMRA guide but don’t let that stop you visiting.  It is another ‘locals’ pub, tucked away in a quiet back street off the London Road; no frills, just a friendly welcome and good beer.  It’s a Harvey’s pub so it was Harvey’s we drank.  The Best Bitter (4%) was in tip top condition, as was Armada (4.5%) and the Old Ale (4.3%).  This is a pub we visit several times a year, and the beer is always excellent.  And the chip shop along the road is good too.

And then it was time to come home.  Unfortunately, there was no time on this trip to pop in to The Victory or The Basketmakers Arms, another couple of pubs that we’ve got to know well over the last few years, but there’s always next time…….  

(first published in the Norfolk Nips March 2017)

Bird’s Eye View:  I’ll have half

Question: Which TV character had the catchphrase “I’ll have half”?  

Award yourself one bag of pork scratchings if you correctly answered ‘Jacko’ from the 70’s TV comedy “Love Thy Neighbour”.  They don’t make shows like that anymore.  Thank goodness.  Jacko’s response to almost every question was “I’ll have half”.  My response is usually “Mine’s a pint”.  Until recently that is.  At this year’s Norwich Beer Festival I drank mainly halves and thirds (yes, thirds!).  It’s a great way to be adventurous and try as many beers as you can.  I’m all for being adventurous.  And I’m all for trying as many beers as I can.

Michele Needleman wrote an interesting article in the October issue of What’s Brewing, which told the story behind the decision to offer souvenir glasses lined at one-third, two-thirds, and three-thirds at the Maidenhead Beer Festival.  Apparently the most popular measure was a third, followed by two-thirds.  The CAMRA survey, back in the summer of 2015, backs this up.  The survey revealed that 34% of people would rather drink their beer from a half-pint glass.  As Tim Page (Chief Exec of CAMRA) said at the time: “"People are becoming more open to trying new beers and moving away from the mentality of drinking pint-after-pint of the same brew.”

Personally, I do like my tipple in a pint glass.  Beer just doesn’t seem right in a small glass.  So, at the beer festival, my halves and thirds went straight into my souvenir pint glass.  I might be a girl, but I don’t like ‘girly’ stemmed glasses.  Or standard half-pint glasses come to that.  I need a large one.

There are times however, when I don’t want to be drinking pint after pint (Yes, really).  Times when perhaps I have a big day in front of me.  Or maybe I’m the designated driver for the night (no, that doesn’t happen very often).  Or more likely when I’m just a teeny bit hung-over.  What to drink then?  Halves don’t last long enough and I’m way past the age when I’d be satisfied with a glass of orange squash and a couple of straws.  Where are all the non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beers?  And I don’t mean Kaliber or Barbican.  Good low-alcohol beers are hard to find.  Adnam’s Sole Star at 2.8 is probably the only one I see locally.  It’s a fine beer but is that the only choice?  Surely with the number of brewers we now have locally, both real and craft, it is possible to create a half-decent drink with little or no alcohol that tastes like beer. 

In September this year the BBC reported that Professor Nutt, a British psychiatrist and neuropsychopharmacologist (try saying that after a couple of pints of Old Stoatwobbler), had developed hang-over free alcohol.  It targets specific parts of the brain to receive: “…the good effects of alcohol, without the toxicity that damages liver heart and other organs of the body.”  Currently the professor is waiting for people to come forward and share investment costs.

In the meantime, while I’m waiting for the good professor to launch his alco-synth……. mine’s a pint!

Cheers!

The Beer Bird

(First published in Norfolk Nips October 2016)

Bird's Eye View: It's not just about the beer

So there I was.  All on my own.  Again.  Siting in the corner of my local, waiting for The Chap to arrive.  It’s not such a bad place to be.  A pint of Dark Star American Pale in my hand and a packet of dry roasted peanuts to nibble on.  I was happy; in the pub, on my own, drinking and nibbling, not being harassed. 

It hasn’t always been this way.  A generation ago few women went to the pub alone, and if they did it certainly wasn’t for the beer.  Or the peanuts.  At the very least you could expect raised eyebrows, and at worst, abuse and harassment.  It would have been rare for women to be seen at the bar, they were usually banished to the snug or the off-license (behind that glass door in the corner).  Many pubs would not have even had female toilets.  Until recently women didn’t really drink much beer, let alone real ale.  Our favourite tipple would most likely to have a spirit, a soft drink or perhaps a half of lager.  Beer in a pint glass?  Unthinkable!

So yes, we’ve come a long way.  And yet lots of women still feel uncomfortable in pubs.  Many have had unpleasant experiences, often involving the drunken bore, but sometimes it is just the little things that need improving.  So what makes a pub female friendly?  A welcoming environment would be a start.  More seating.  An absence of sexist and offensive displays and marketing.  Cleanliness.  Healthy, good-value food (but keep those dry roasted peanuts!).  Books and magazines to peruse.  Soft furnishings (a cushion or two perhaps?).  Outside seating.  Clear signage for toilets.  Ah yes, toilets.  Don’t get me started on toilets.

Those dark, smelly, neglected loos with wet floors and doors that don’t shut.  Toilets that have no hot water, no hand wash, and dryers that don’t work.  I could go on.  Now I’m not a delicate little flower that gets easily distressed or distraught.  I’ve used festival loos – overflowing cubicles, long-drop tanks, and those funny ones where you take a shovel-full of sawdust in with you.  But I don’t want to experience any of that in a pub thank you very much.  And talking of festivals, I’ve been in some pub loos where I’ve regretted not wearing my festival wellies!  Some subjects are best not dwelt on….

I’ve heard of one or two pubs that have offered back massages and beauty treatments to entice women to their pubs.  Now I’m not sure my landlord would go that far (and I’m not sure I fancy a back rub from him either), but women do want a friendly welcome and good manners, and a relaxing, safe environment to meet your mates in.   Don’t blokes want that too?

Now, where’s that toilet?

Cheers!

The Beer Bird

(This article first appeared in the Norfolk Nips October 2016)