The following pub and brewery news was reported at the January 2024 Branch Meeting held in the Providence Inn, Greenbank.

Pub News

The Mildmay Colours, Holbeton, reopened on Thursday 14th December with up to three Devon live ales, a Devon cider and also serves food. Their website, Mildmay Colours Pub states they are open Wednesday to Saturday 1100 – 2300 and Sunday 1200 – 1500, closed Mondays & Tuesdays. Food hours TBA. The licensees are Ian, Charlie and Sharon (no surname, sorry). The Morley Arms, Laira Bridge, is closed for refurbishment and is due to reopen in late January, as Eighteen87, under the management of Alicia Harding and Jordan Turfrey. The Plume Of Feathers Inn, Princetown, is only open on Friday (1500 – 2300), Saturday (noon – 2300) and Sunday (noon – 1800) during January and February, due to the ongoing kitchen refurbishment. The Blacksmith's Arms, Lamerton, has reopened after extensive internal and external renovations by new licensees, Emma and John Hooker, who also run the Cornish Arms Cornish Arms, Tavistock. Expect some lovely food and great beers! The Brass Monkey, city centre, now employs a Dynamic Pricy Policy, which means that prices increase for certain pub-held events. Does anyone know if the Miners Arms, Hemerdon, has reopened after their water leak? Has the pub been sold? Drakes Cafe, formerly the Halfway House, at Grenofen, has closed (retirement). Horse & Groom, Bittaford, is offering 20% off main courses until end of Jan. New licensees are thought to be required for the Ford Inn, Stoke, and the Imperial, Ivybridge.

Beer Scoring

We have received a total of 2525 (2264 last month) beer scores for 120 different pubs (115 last month), submitted by 100 members (91 last month) from 49 branches (42 last month), including 22 Plymouth branch members (21 last month). The Plymouth members submitted 2090 beer scores (1910 last month); 77 non branch members (70 last month) submitted 435 (354 last month). 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. Scores of zero should not be submitted if the pub has simply “run out of live beer today” and didn’t put a new barrel on five minutes before closing time! JD Wetherspoon pubs all serve live beer!

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. These are listed on the branch website here, LocAle Scheme. The Odd Wheel, Wembury, and the Plume of Feathers, Princetown, may join the scheme soon with new licensees at the helm.

CAMRA Member Discount Scheme and CAMRA Voucher Scheme

There are currently 11 establishments listed as being members of the CAMRA Member Discount Scheme, and a further nine which are part of the CAMRA Voucher Scheme, making 20 in total. Please give these pubs your support when you go out! Discount Scheme.

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.

23/01578/FUL. Change of use of ground floor of a former public house (Prince Albert), 35, Marlborough Street, Devonport, in to two flats.

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 2023. 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 be moving to larger premises within the Pixon Trading Centre in Tavistock soon. 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 Bulletproof Brewing Taphaus in Mutley.

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 and perry and country wines available. GBBF Winter 2024 will again take place in Burton Upon Trent at the Town Hall 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, 389 in October, 583 in November and 342 in December. However, there was a technical issue with the hit counter not being available for five days in October, totalling 5798 for the year 2023. The Running Total is 7563 on 10/1/2024. We are now averaging about 483 hits a month from January to the end of December 2023!

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