The following pub and brewery news was reported at the November 2022 Committee Meeting held in the Providence Inn, Greenbank.

Pub News

The Minerva Inn Barbican, is now open on Wednesdays again, after a couple of weeks of Wednesday closing. The Victualling Office Tavern Stonehouse, is due to reopen on Wednesday 9th November. It has been completely refurbished from top to bottom – new bar, kitchen, toilets and garden. It will serve food and two real ales (unknown at present). It will be run by father and son, one of whom is named Owen! Brunel View 7, Barne Road, St Budeaux, now serves one real live beer regularly, and have served Doom Bar in very good condition, one beer score of four. Duchy of Cornwall 14, Anstis Place, Stonehouse, has served Salcombe Gold, Dartmoor Legend, Jail Ale, Greene King Abbot Ale, Summerskills Blondie, Bolt Head, Devon Dew and Indiana’s Bones during August and September – one to watch! Eighteen87 Laira Bridge, closed in late October, hopefully for a short period of refurbishment to welcome in new owners? Chichester Arms near Lifton, has been closed “for years” – we have a closure date of June 2015. The current owners appear to have left the building and car park into disrepair and have applied for a change of use to domestic dwelling – but the owner of “several years” now appears to be applying for change of use from public house to dwelling with demolition of some parts. The Fortescue Hotel Mutley Plain, no longer serves food on Sundays. Parish councillors are asking for a boarded up pub to be designated as a community asset. The Pickwick Inn, St Ann's Chapel, has been closed since January and is on the market. Councillor Stuart Watts said making it a community asset would "buy us breathing space" to keep it as a pub. A decision is due soon. For further details, please see Pickwick Inn, St Ann's Chapel

Beer Scoring

The following brief details cover the period from 1st April to 31st October 2022 inclusive.

We have received a total of 1, 628 beer scores for 124 different pubs (averaging 13 beer scores per pub), submitted by 60 CAMRA members (average of 27 each) from 30 branches, including 21 Plymouth branch members. The Plymouth members submitted 1, 421 beer scores (averaging 67 each); 39 non branch members submitted 207 scores (averaging 5 each). These members came from local branches including Cornwall, Exeter, South Devon and Somerset, and from further afield including Gloucestershire, Birmingham, Oxford and Bath.

Thank You all very much! Beer Scoring informs the Branch that those named pubs are open and serving cask conditioned real ale (or not, if zero scored). It also helps us to monitor the quality and consistency of the real ales available, and to help keep What Pub as up-to-date as possible.

Cider News

Summerskills are now offering Devon Dabber cider in their drink’s portfolio, available in the Minerva Inn, Barbican, recently. Countryman Vintage Gold Label won Cider of the Festival at Poole Beer Festival 2022 on 28th and 29th October – many congratulations to Vernon and all at Countryman Cider! Please see our Real Cider and Perry Pubs Guide.

Plymouth CAMRA LocAle Scheme

There are currently 70 establishments listed as being accredited to the Plymouth CAMRA LocAle Scheme. These are listed on the branch website, LocAle Scheme

CAMRA Member Discount Scheme and CAMRA Voucher Scheme

There are currently 21 establishments listed as being members of the CAMRA Member Discount Scheme, and a further nine which are part of the CAMRA Voucher Scheme, making 30 in total. Please give these pubs your support if/when you go out! These are listed on the branch website, CAMRA Discount Scheme

Planning Applications

Chichester Arms, Chillaton near Lifton, has been closed “for years” – we have a closure date of June 2015. The current owners appear to have left the building and car park into disrepair and applied for a change of use to domestic dwelling on 05 September 2022. The owner of “several years” now appears to be applying for change of use from public house to dwelling with demolition of some parts. The Target Date was 31 October 2022, decision awaited (appears to have been supported by the Parish Council). The pubs officer will update on any further planning applications re pubs.

Cask Marque Accreditation

We are not aware of any pubs that have gained or lost accreditation in the last month or so.

Brewery News

Anchor House: Nothing has been seen nor heard from Anchor House since a Facebook post in early May 2021. I can only assume that they have ceased trading, sadly. Bere (BLO Bob Holmes): Nothing to report. Bulletproof (BLO Alan Warden): Bulletproof are open as normal nothing new to report. Dartmoor (BLO Ian Packham): No real updates to the brewery in terms of real ales brewed, although the brewery is continuing to monitor the current situation regarding pubs in the current economic climate. As a result of this, there is no current confirmation that Dragons Breath will appear in the Autumn. Ivybridge (BLO Andrew Richardson): Their new Tap and Bottle Shop opened during the summer. Morwell (BLO Bob Holmes): 12-Sep-2022: they are still brewing their three regular beers (Adit, Hop and Miner) with Morwell Gold appearing occasionally. These are available at Morwellham and some other places sell their bottled beers, one being Bicton Botanical Gardens. They now have a couple of ciders under the title of Morwellham Orchards. The ciders are called Medium Cider and Tamar Drop. Noss Beer Works (BLO Andrew Richardson): Nothing newsworthy this month. Roam (BLO Andrew Richardson): Roam Brewery Oktoberfest 2022 took place on Friday 30 September and Saturday 1 October, at Roam Brewery Tap. Stannary (BLO Ian Daniels): Nothing newsworthy to report this month. Steel Brew Co (BLO Bob Holmes): Sadly, the company announced that they had ceased trading “with immediate effect” in late August. Summerskills (BLO George McCarron): Summerskills have contracted a cider producer to produce a cider for them for the summer – Devon Dabber ABV 6.0% – possibly for longer, depending on how things go. It is currently available in the Minerva Inn, Barbican. They are also supplying JDW with Tamar for the Autumn. Tavistock Brewery (BLO Vacant): New brewery located in Dartmoor National Park and overlooking Peter Tavy. Tavistock Brewery is a family run business which has been 5 years in the planning and design. They set about renovating a farm building previously used as an old dairy and brewing commenced in mid-2022. They brew three beers currently, Golden Ale ABV 4.3%, English Ale ABV 4.5% and Master Ale ABV 4.9%, which are available in a small but growing number of local pubs and bars.

Beer Festival News

Bristol CAMRA Beer Festival 2022, City Hall, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR, from Thursday 17th until Sunday 20th November 2022. Please note this is ADVANCED TICKET ONLY!

Exeter CAMRA Festival of Beers 2023 Exeter CAMRA Festival of Beer 2023, Corn Exchange, Market Street, Exeter EX1 1BW from Thursday 19th until Saturday 21st January 2023.

SIBA Matltingsfest 2023 will take place at Osbourne Park, Newton Abbot TQ12 4AA (on the green opposite the former Tucker’s Maltings building) from Thursday 21st to Saturday 23rd April 2023. Details here SIBA Matlingsfest 2023

Plymouth CAMRA would like to wish all new Publicans and Brewers all the very best in their ventures.