The following pub and brewery news was reported during the May 2021 virtual Branch Committee meeting on Google Meet.

Pub News

From these last few weeks, it would appear that Bistro 35, Modbury, has closed and is up for sale at £600k; The Brewery Tap, Stonehouse, Facebook page did not appear to work; this is the new one: https://www.facebook.com/99TheTapStonehouse; The Victualling Office Tavern, Stonehouse, is also reportedly for sale at £525k; an old report from the Herald appeared to show that the Maritime Inn, Barbican, was for sale in September 2019; Roam Brewing have advertised for a new manager for the Roam Brewery Tap, and intend to open on Thursdays – Sundays from 27th May when the new manager has been appointed; the Cherry Tree, Pennycross, has a new manager, Michelle Lee – we wish her well in her new position; Peter Tavy Inn, Peter Tavy, started outside service from Friday 30th April; Queens Head Hotel, Tavistock, also started outside service from Saturday 24th April; the Tavi Inn, Tavistock, has a new licensee; Trout 'N' Tipple, Tavistock, are open for outside service, food purchase is required; Too Hoppy bar and bottle shop, also in Tavistock, has also reopened; & Stannary Arms, Tavistock, has been refurbished inside ready to reopen when inside service is permitted (17th May TBC).

Pub Re-Opening Lists

As at 2359 on Monday 3rd May, we had details of 208 branch area pubs either open for outside service (118), or confirmation that they would only open when inside service would be permitted (82) or were providing takeaway service or planning to reopen later (June or July) (8). This leaves 200 pubs where we have no details!

These details are now provided on the branch website on a new dedicated page (Alphabetical Pub Reopening Lists) Alphabetical Pub Reopening Lists-April 2021, which contains an alphabetical list of all pubs, including either their Facebook link, if known, or website link, if available. This has taken an extremely long time to produce, but should now make it much easier to track in the future, should we find ourselves in Lockdown again.

The Webmaster would like to thank those Committee Members who have helped me to populate these details. However, I would like to remind everyone that the Primary Method of flagging reopening dates for pubs is always What Pub, first and foremost.

There are a number of pubs without any weblinks (currently 118), so please take some time and conduct some research to help me populate these pubs – I can’t do it all by myself!

I will not assume anything wrt pubs reopening; several will not reopen in May, such as the Plume of Feathers (21st June). All pubs will need to be surveyed again, as none have been since early 2020. We should concentrate on the 35 GBG pubs as a priority and should be surveyed by the end of May, please. All survey forms are available in the members area of our website (sign in required). They will be out of date, so please print them off and explain to the publican (not bar staff or table service staff).

Post Meeting Notes: the Nowhere Inn, Gilwell Street, will now reopen from Monday 17th May; the long-closed Coach House Hotel, Ottery, and the Dartmoor Union, Holbeton, have both had Planning Applications submitted for change of use to domestic dwellings.

Pub Ownership (of the building)

What Pub Management Tool, Pubzilla, has received numerous updates/enhancements during the last few months. PZ Admin have also made some major auto updates to pub data records, mainly correctly populating the pub ownership and pub operator details. Who actually owns the building and who actually runs the business are very often confused to mean the same thing – they are not, and will affect the cost of a pint and/or food. Basically, very high prices means that at least two companies need to make a profit (plus the brewery and food suppliers, obviously).

This breaks down to the large National operators, as follows:

• Admiral Taverns: 3 pubs
• Ei Group (including Craft Union): 20 pubs, including 3 Craft Union
• Greene King: 4 pubs
• Heineken UK: 11 pubs, including 3 run by Inn Management
• Mitchell’s and Butlers: 5 pubs
• Punch Taverns: 11 pubs
• Red Oak Taverns: 1 pub
• St Austell Brewery: 9 pubs
• Stonegate: 5 pubs
• Wellington Pub Co: 4 pubs
• JD Wetherspoon: 6 pubs
• Whitbread: 2 pubs
• Individually owned (pub actually owned by a named individual): 34 pubs
• Other Owners (not an individual person: such as Treford Inns, Duchy of Cornwall, Cornwood Inn Action Group, Parish Councils, etc): 28 pubs

Plymouth CAMRA would like to wish all publicans, old and new, all the very best as Lockdown restrictions are eased

Brewery News

As stated above, Roam Brewing have advertised for a new Brewery Tap Room Manager, and, when appointed, will be opening on Thursdays from 27th May, as well as Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; Ivybridge Brewery have now moved into their new premises in Ivybridge, and are now brewing beer again. Dartmoor Brewery have produced a new Limited Edition beer, Ice Warrior (6.0%), available in bottles direct from the brewery. Two new breweries may be coming soon, both in Cornwall. Lowlands Brewing, from St Minver near Wadebridge, and Mussel Shoal Brewery, from Porthleven. Both are at the planning/building stage at this moment in time and not currently brewing.