The following pub and brewery news was reported at the May 2023 Committee Meeting held in the Fortescue, Mutley Plain.

Pub News

Fishermans Arms, Barbican, and Nowhere Inn, City Centre, are no longer members of the Plymouth CAMRA Discount Scheme. The Brewery Tap, Stonehouse, closed on Saturday 15th April. However, the Steel Brew Co Taproom re-opened on Saturday 15th April; it is unclear when brewing will recommence, but it is believed to be a condition of tenancy to recommence brewing. The Pickwick Inn, St Anns Chapel near Kingsbridge, reopened in November 2022 after being closed since January 2022. We wish the new publicans all the very best in their new venture. We have very few up to date details for the pub at this time. The Odd Wheel, Wembury, will reopen in June under new licensees, Lucy and Jack Fry, along with Jon Pilkington and his financee Hannah, after some renovations. The Seymour Arms, Greenbank, has closed again. The Trehill Arms, Ivybridge, is closed with the lease available for offer.

Brewery Tap social media post, 14/4/23: Pub Closing…… Today will be myself and Tina’s last day as tenants of the pub. Our yearlong lease has come to an end and due to circumstances out of our control we are happy not be renewing a new lease. We will leave the pub game alone for now and concentrate on some serious fishing.

The pub will be open today as usual for Saturday sports and this evenings Karaoke. The staff and I will be there having closing drinks and there will be some drinks deals going on for our regulars and locals.

I personally would like to thank my staff who are brilliant and especially liane who has been with me many years now from the start, she has also just taken over as manager of the Keyham Vaults where most of our pubs darts and pool teams now reside along with Nigel the Karaoke King. Well done to the teams for a cracking couple of seasons, especially our Tuesday Pool A Team who have just won division 2.

But lastly, I would like to say a big thank you to our old and new regulars who have supported us through the last 12 months, we have made some good friends and met some characters along the way. Please keep supporting your locals in Stonehouse as they are being run by some great guys trying to make a living. All the best, have a great summer. Tom & Tina

Beer Scoring

April 2023

We have received a total of 286 beer scores for the period 1st to 30th April 2023, for 54 pubs submitted by 28 members, including 14 Plymouth branch members. The 14 Plymouth members submitted 214 scores, whilst the 14 non branch members submitted 72 scores and came from branches including Bath, Cornwall, Exeter and South Devon.

1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023.

The following analysis covers the period from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 inclusive. We have received a total of 3 172 beer scores for 146 different pubs, submitted by 90 members from 39 branches, including 26 Plymouth branch members. The Plymouth members submitted 2 795 beer scores; 64 non branch members submitted 377. 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 Live Beer (real ale), or not, if zero scored. It also helps us to monitor the quality and consistency of the Live Beers (real ales) available, and to help us to keep What Pub as up-to-date as possible.

Cider News

The Real Ale, Cider and Perry Campaigns Committee, of CAMRA, have issued a new list of known real cider and perry producers. The list of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset producers are in the latest edition of Drake’s Drinker. The branch website Devon Cider Producers page has been updated. Rock Hill Cider is listed, but there are no known details for them – the Deputy Regional Cider Coordinator is investigating.

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. The Seymour Arms may join the scheme soon.

CAMRA Member Discount Scheme and CAMRA Voucher Scheme

There are currently 21 establishments listed as being members of the CAMRA Member Discount Scheme, after the Seymour Arms joined, and a further nine which are part of the CAMRA Voucher Scheme, making 31 in total. Please give these pubs your support if/when you go out! These are listed on the branch website. However, the Seymour Arms appears to be closed again – more details to follow when confirmed.

Planning Applications

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

Cask Marque Accreditation

The West Hoe, Plymouth, and Bedford Hotel, Tavistock, are no longer CM accredited.

Brewery News

CAMRA’s new Brewery Database – Pilgrim went live on Friday 24th March. BLOs were asked to check that the Data Transfer has correctly transferred all Brewery and Beer data. What Pub updates were temporarily suspended for a short time (about 10 days) during the initial first few days.

Anchor House BLO Vacant): 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): Ceased trading on 30 April 2023. Bulletproof (BLO Alan Warden): Beers are being brewed in London as a “Drop Project”. Beer is £5.70/pint! Dartmoor (BLO Ian Packham): None. Ivybridge (BLO Andrew Richardson): None. Morwell (BLO Bob Holmes): None. Noss Beer Works (BLO Andrew Richardson): None. Roam (BLO Andrew Richardson): They brewed a beer, Run The World, for International Women’s Day on 9th March. Stannary (BLO Ian Daniels): None. Summerskills (BLO George McCarron): They have brewed Coronation Ale, a 4.2% amber-coloured beer, available in cask in the Minerva Inn, Barbican.

Sam Congdon, of The Vessel, hopes to get his new brewery up and running by June. The delay has been down to the flooring needing to be re-laid. Hunter’s and Black Tor entered voluntary liquidation during March. As did Epic Beers, or RCH/Pitchfork, but unconfirmed rumours indicate that the Pitchfork Ales beers may have been sold to a local Somerset brewery. Unconfirmed rumours also indicate that Red Rock, of South Devon, may also have ceased production.

Steel Brew, Mills Bakery, RWY, Stonehouse. A new company has been established, Steel Brew (SW) Limited, and have taken over the running of the Steel Brew Tap Room. It is understood that brewing will recommence in the not-too-distant future, hopefully! It is believed to be a condition of the license at RWY that beer is brewed on the premises. There are two people who are believed to be running the Tap Room, Jacob Corlett and Neil Carrol – we wish them all the best.

Beer Festival News

The Walkhampton Inn Easter Ale & Cider Festival 2023 took place from Thursday 6th until Monday 10th April with 20+ ales and ciders available. SIBA Matltingsfest 2023 also took place at Osbourne Park, Newton Abbot TQ12 4AA between Thursday 21st to Saturday 23rd April 2023. There were some 225 Live Beers (real ales) and 60-odd craft beers available, along with some cider and local gins. The Prince Maurice Ale and Cider Festival 2023 took place from Friday 5th until Sunday 7th May with live entertainment and food available all weekend. The JDW Devon Real Ale and Cider Festival 2023 will take place from Monday 22nd until Monday 29th May in all six JDW pubs in our branch area. It is expected to showcase live beers from Branscombe, Red Rock, Salcombe, South Hams and Tavistock Breweries, plus real cider from Sandford Orchards.

There will also be a sponsored pub crawl in aid of Young Lives vs Cancer, starting at the Stannary Court, Plympton, at 1200 noon on Tuesday 23rd, then visiting the Mannamead, Mutley, Gog & Magog, Barbican, Union Rooms, City Centre, and finishing at the Britannia Inn, Milehouse.

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, 453 hits in January 2023, 478 in February, 442 in March and 522 in April (Total 3506).

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