The following pub and brewery news was reported at the September 2023 Branch Meeting held in the Tamar Inn, Crownhill.

Pub News

Shelly and Martin Jones are back in charge at the Minerva Inn, Barbican – welcome Home! It is strongly rumoured that the Gipsy Moth, The Hoe, will close in September, reasons unknown. The Plume Of Feathers Inn, Princetown, reopened in late July, serving three Dartmoor beers (Dartmoor IPA, Legend and Jail Ale) and one real cider from Sandford Orchards (Devon Red). The food offering is limited to bar snacks including fresh, filled baguettes, jacket potatoes, soup and pasties until the kitchen refurbishment is completed at some time in September. It is not currently open on Mondays. The Waterloo Inn, Devonport, has been formally closed as a pub on What Pub following confirmation that planning permission was sought, and granted, for change of use for public house into additional living accommodation, 21/00317/FUL, refers. This is the application that was submitted for change of use on 22nd February 2021. The Exchange, Ivybridge, is closed and will re-open under the Craft Union branding “soon”. Another Ivybridge pub, the Trehill Arms, will also re-open “soon” under new management. Sadly, Too Hoppy, Tavistock, closed on 30th June. The Blacksmith's Arms, Lamerton, is undergoing refurbishment. The Swallow, Bretonside, no longer serves live beers (real ales). The Jolly Miller, Estover, is under new management. Does anyone know what ales are regularly available in the Chaddlewood Inn ? And finally, is the Copper Penny Inn, Chipshop, open or closed?

Beer Scoring

We have received a total of 1429 (1149 last month) beer scores for 98 different pubs (91 last month), submitted by 65 members (56 last month) from 26 branches (26 last month), including 20 Plymouth branch members (15 last month). The Plymouth members submitted 1199 beer scores (948 last month); 45 non branch members (37 last month) submitted 230 (201 last month). As well as Plymouth, these members came from branches including Bath, Cardiff, Cornwall, Exeter, Leicester, Nottingham, Oxford, South Devon, Swindon and Worcester.

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. Following this, the list of cider pubs in the branch area has now been updating and numbers 56.

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 68 establishments listed as being accredited to the Plymouth CAMRA LocAle Scheme following the closure of the Brewery Tap, Stonehouse. These are listed on the branch website LocAle Scheme. The Odd Wheel, Wembury, and the Plume of Feathers, Princetown, may join the scheme soon with new licensees at the helm. The reduction of one is due to the formal closure of the Waterloo Inn, Devonport.

CAMRA Member Discount Scheme and CAMRA Voucher Scheme

There are currently 11 establishments listed as being members of the CAMRA Member Discount Scheme, after the Seymour Arms and Fareham Inn ceased selling live beers, and a further nine which are part of the CAMRA Voucher Scheme, making 20 in total. Please give these pubs your support if/when you go out! They are listed here CAMRA Discount Scheme.

Planning Applications

The RAOB Club, North Hill, is still being converted into 82 student bed accommodation. Planning application 22/00701/S73 refers. Pre-application for use of land adjacent to the Victualling Office Tavern, 10 Cremyll Street, Stonehouse, Plymouth PL1 3RB, for tables/chairs. Planning application 23/00746/MOR refers. Validated 19 May 2023. The planning application for the Chichester Arms, Chillaton, was again refused. Planning application 2298/22/FUL refers, dated 01 July 2022. This was for change of use from pub to domestic dwelling. West Devon BC gave reasons for the refusal on 06 March 2023:

“The West Devon Borough Council hereby REFUSE permission to carry out the development described [[above]] for the following reason(s): “It has not been formally demonstrated that it is unviable to operate the pub and as such, the proposal is considered contrary to the provisions of DEV18(6) of the JLP and 7-2 of the MACK Neighbourhood Plan and paragraph 84(d) of the National Planning Policy Framework.”

The pub was believed to have been bought by the current owner in 2015 and has been closed ever since.

Cask Marque Accreditation

There are no pubs that we are aware of having gained OR lost CM accreditation recently.

Brewery News

CAMRA’s new Brewery Database – Pilgrim went live on Friday 24th March. This is where The Campaign maintains details about all known UK breweries and the beers that they brew. Up to 20 brewery-related photos can be included for each brewery, such as the brewing equipment, shop, visitor centre and tap rooms. In addition, unlimited pump clip images can also be included for each beer, whether live beer (real ale) or not, including bottle labels.

There is not very much local brewery news to report this month:

Bulletproof and Steel Brew (SW) Limited (BLOs are Alan Warden & Bob Holmes): It is believed that the brewer from Bulletproof is currently brewing beer for Steel Brew on their plant in RWY, along with his own beer occasionally. Tavistock (BLO Vacant): The brewery supplied beer to the JDW Devon Real Ale Festival in May. If any member wishes to volunteer to be the Brewery Liaison Officer, please contact the branch Vice Chair, Ian Dickinson, for details. Skinner’s Betty Stogs, Porthleven, Lushington’s and Cornish Knocker beers have started to reappear in The Trade in Plymouth. Their Brewery Tap re-opened on Saturday 1st July, complete with a new kitchen area.

Beer Festival News

The Walkhampton Inn Sausage and Cider Festival 2023, Walkhampton, took place over the August Bank Holiday weekend, 25th to 28th August.

Abbfest 2023 returns to Fermoy’s Garden Centre, Totnes Road, Newton Abbot, from Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th September. Thursday is billed as Comedy Night, 1900 – 2300; Friday is Beer and Music 1700 – 2300; Saturday is Festival Fever from 1100 – 2300; & Sunday is Family Fun Day 1030 – 1600.

The Prince Maurice Cider and Ale Festival will take place from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th September.

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, 522 in April, 619 in May, 504 in June, 498 in July and 481 in August. Total 5608. We are now averaging over 500 hits a month from January to the end of August 2023!

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