The following pub and brewery news was reported at the November 2023 Branch Meeting held in the Minerva Inn, Barbican.

Pub News

Both the Exchange and the Trehill Arms, both in Ivybridge, have now reopened. Does anyone know what ales are regularly available in the Chaddlewood Inn? The Copper Penny Inn, Chipshop, is open: Mon – Sat 1700 – 2300, Sun 1200 – 1500. Peter Tavy Inn is now serving two Tavistock Brewery ales. The Plume Of Feathers Inn, Princetown, reopened recently and is serving excellent live beer (real ales), including Dartmoor IPA, Legend and Jail Ale. The licensee of the Royal Oak Inn, Meavy, Stephen Earp, left the pub in early November – we wish Stephen all the very best for the future. The Tavistock Inn (Tavistock Inn?), Tavistock, is under new management wef 01/11/23. The sign advertising for a new publican for the Volunteer, Yealmpton, has been taken down (of has fallen down!). There are new licensees at the Seymour Arms, Greenbank, Danielle and Simon Parker, and also at the Anchorage, Billacombe. There will be a cask lager on sale at the Vessel, Exeter Street, on Friday 17th November, from Ideal Day brewery, of St Mellion, Cornwall.

Beer Scoring

We have received a total of 1973 (1674 last month) beer scores for 109 different pubs (98 last month), submitted by 79 members (65 last month) from 38 branches (26 last month), including 20 Plymouth branch members (20 last month). The Plymouth members submitted 1664 beer scores (1411 last month); 59 non branch members (53 last month) submitted 309 (263 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 No known news this month.

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. 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!

Planning Applications

23/01287/FUL. Change of use from dance studio (Class E) to brewery and tap haus (Sui Generis) inc. creation of rear beer garden and installation of extraction system, 4 – 8 Sawrey Street, Stonehouse, Plymouth PL1 3LA. This is believed to have been submitted on behalf of Bulletproof Brewing.

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. Stannary Brewery, Tavistock, will shortly be moving to larger premises within the Pixon Trading Centre in Tavistock. Bulletproof Brewing are actively seeking a new brewing site, the premises of the former Octagon Brewery, just off Union Street in Stonehouse, subject to planning approval. They also plan to open a new Tap Room on that site, whilst maintaining their Tap Haus in Mutley. Summerskills are supplying the last cask of their excellent beer, Bravo Zulu, to the Queen’s Arms, Brixham, for their beer festival soon.

Beer Festival News

The Exeter Festival of Beer 2024 will take place from 1630 on Thursday 18 January until 2200 on Saturday 20 January 2024. There will be around 60 live beers plus real cider/perry and country wines available.

Great British Beer Festival Winter 2024 will again take place at Burton Town Hall, Burton-Upon-Trent from 1200 on Thursday 15th February until 2200 on Saturday 17th February 2024.

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, 481 in August, in 487 in September and 389 in October. However, there was a technical issue with the hit counter not being available for five days (16th to 20th). Total 6478. We are now averaging about 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.