The following pub and brewery news was reported at the February 2023 Committee Meeting held in the Providence Inn, Greenbank.

Pub News

The Odd Wheel, Wembury, has closed, with all furniture being removed just before Christmas. The building is owned by the Wellington Pub Company, the largest free-of-tie pub estate in the UK with approximately 850 tenanted pubs. The Mary Tavy Inn, Mary Tavy, was serving Dartmoor Jail Ale, St Austell HSD and Greene King Abbot Ale on 29th December. Also on the 29th, just up the road, the Elephants Nest Inn, Horndon, was still operating as a B & B only – this has now been reflected in WP as temporarily closed. However, all bar stock and furniture still appears to be in place.

Beer Scoring

The following brief details covers the period from 1st April 2022 to 31st January 2023 inclusive.

We have received a total of 2 616 (2 326 last month) beer scores for 138 different pubs (135 last month), submitted by 80 members (78 last month) from 37 branches (36 last month), including 25 Plymouth branch members (25 last month). The Plymouth members submitted 2, 312 beer scores (2, 036 last month); 55 non branch members (53 last month) submitted 304 (290 last month). These members came from 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

None this month.

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.

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.

Planning Applications

The RAOB Club, RAOB Club & Institute North Hill, is being converted into 82 student bed accommodation. Planning application 22/00701/S73 refers.

Cask Marque Accreditation

The Elburton Inn, Elburton, and the Prince Maurice, Eggbuckland, are no longer CM Accredited.

Brewery News

Anchor House: Nothing has been seen nor heard from Anchor House since a Facebook post in early May 2021. We can only assume that they have ceased trading, sadly. Bere (BLO Bob Holmes); Bulletproof (BLO Alan Warden); Dartmoor (BLO Ian Packham):Ivybridge (BLO Andrew Richardson); Morwell (BLO Bob Holmes); Noss Beer Works (BLO Andrew Richardson); Roam (BLO Andrew Richardson); Stannary (BLO Ian Daniels): Nothing newsworthy reported for these breweries at this time. Summerskills (BLO George McCarron): Summerskills are brewing Devon Dew for JDW for this quarter. Their Core Cask Beers are: Start point 3.7%, Westward Ho! 4.1%, Tamar Best Bitter 4.3%, Devon Dew 4.5%, Bolt Head 4.7% and Indiana’s Bones 5.6%. Other Regular Cask Beers: Stout 4.4%, Devon Frost 4.5%, Whistle Belly Vengeance 4.7%, Dragon Pioneer IPA 4.8%, Plymouth Porter 5.0% and Bunker Hill 5.1%. Some Seasonal and Occasional Beers: St George’s Ale 4.0%, Scrum-Half Nectar 4.1%, Urban Brew Coffee Stout 4.1%, Plymhop Ale 4.3%, Menacing Dennis 4.5%, Blondie 4.6%, Winter Warmer 4.6%, Ninja 5.0%, Christmouse 5.1% and First Light 5.5%. 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

Exeter CAMRA Festival of Beers 2023, Corn Exchange, Market Street, Exeter EX1 1BW took place 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.

Website Hit Counter

The free-to-use Visitor Hit Counter was installed on the branch website Home, Diary, Beer Festival and Drake’s Drinker Pages on Thursday 8th September 2022, with a reading of, erm, zero! We had 345 hits in September, 336 hits in October, 541 hits in November, 389 hits in December and 453 hits in January 2023 (total 2064).

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