The following pub and brewery news was reported at the March 2024 Branch Meeting held in the Plymouth Hoe Club, The Hoe.

Pub News

Eighteen87, formally the Morley Arms, at Laira Bridge, reopened on Saturday 17th January, and serves Sharp’s Doom Bar and Salcombe Lifesaver on cask, plus a rotating guest ale. The Royal Oak Inn, Meavy, reopened just before Christmas under a new tenant, Jo Rowe. Does anyone know if the Miners Arms, Hemerdon, has reopened after their water leak? Has the pub been sold? The Plume Of Feathers Inn, Princetown, remains open on Friday (1500 – 2300), Saturday (noon – 2300) and Sunday (noon – 1800) during February, due to the ongoing kitchen refurbishment. The Jack Rabbit, Derriford, is undergoing outside refurbishment and is surrounded in scaffolding! It is due to reopen on Sunday 10th March. The Brass Monkey, Royal Parade, now employs a Dynamic Pricing Policy, which means that prices increase for certain pub-held events. The Imperial Inn, Ivybridge, changed hands last October, as did the Ship Inn, Noss Mayo. The Minerva Inn, Barbican, reopened on Wednesday 28th February, under new licensees, Rose and Jake. They looked after the pub for about a fortnight in August last year. We await their choice of live beers, as none were available at the time of my visit. The change of Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) has not yet been filed on the online Premises License Register by Plymouth City Council. The pub is owned by Red Oak Taverns Ltd.

Beer Scoring

We have received a rolling total of 3177 (2920 last month) beer scores for 127 different pubs (120 last month), submitted by 119 members (112 last month) from 49 branches (49 last month), including 24 Plymouth branch members (22 last month). The Plymouth members submitted 2590 beer scores (2396 last month); 95 non branch members (90 last month) submitted 587 (524 last month). These members came from branches including Bath, Cardiff, Cornwall, Exeter, Leicester, Nottingham, Oxford, South Devon, Swindon and Worcester.

The period under analysis is 1st April 2023 until 29th February 2024.

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.

CAMRA Member Discount Scheme and CAMRA Voucher Scheme

There are currently 12 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. There is now a 10% discount per pint of live beer in the Hyde Park, Mutley Plain. Please give these pubs your support 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. Granted with conditions 14/12/23.

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

Cask Marque Accreditation

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

Brewery News

Nothing newsworthy to report at this time.

Beer Festival News

The London Inn Cider, Ale & Cheese Festival, PSM, took place from Friday 23rd Feb until Sunday 25th February. The JDW March 2024 Beer Festival takes place from Wednesday 6th until Sunday 17th March 2024 at all six JDW pubs in the branch area. The Walkhampton Inn Ale & Cider Festival, Walkhampton, will take place from Thursday 28th March until Monday 1st April. The Odd Wheel Easter 2024 Cider & Ale Festival, Wembury, will take place between Friday 29th and Sunday 31st March. SIBA Maltingsfest 2024 will again take place at Osbourne Park, Newton Abott, from Thursday 18th until Saturday 20th April with over 250 ales and ciders – see our website beer festival page for all details of known future beer and cider festivals. The Clovelly Bay Ale and Pie Festival 2024, Turnchapel, will take place on Friday 19th April from 1800-2300 and Saturday from noon-2300. Further details to follow when known. The South Devon CAMRA Sunshine Beer Festival 2024 returns to Teignmouth on Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th July 2024. The Walkhampton Inn Sausage and Cider Festival is planned for August Bank Holiday weekend, Fri 23rd to Mon 26th August 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 a total of 5,798 hits for the year 2023, averaging about 483 hits a month! In January 2024, we had 562 hits and 527 in February – thank you very much!

The Running Total was 8,508 on 01/03/2024.

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