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

Pub News

Does anyone know if the Miners Arms, Hemerdon, has reopened after their water leak? [post meeting note - yes it has, although the kitchen is still closed]. The Plume Of Feathers Inn, Princetown, have extended the opening hours from Wednesday to Sunday following completion of the kitchen refurbishment. They are now open from noon-2300 and Sunday noon-1800 (may be later?). Food is now served from noon-1500 and 1730 – 2000. The Jack Rabbit, Derriford, reopened after its own refurbishment recently. 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 Abel. 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. It has been reported that the Roundabout, city centre (a Stonegate pub) have removed five in number of hand pumps, leaving just the one in place believed to be serving just St Austell Tribute.

Beer Scoring

The period under analysis is 1st April 2023 until 31st March 2024.

We have received a rolling total of 3503 (3177 last month) beer scores for the last 12-month period, for 128 different pubs (127 last month), submitted by 123 members (119 last month) from 56 branches (49 last month), including 24 Plymouth branch members (24 last month). The Plymouth members submitted 2873 beer scores (2590 last month); 99 non branch members (95 last month) submitted 630 (587 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 67 establishments listed as being accredited to the Plymouth CAMRA LocAle Scheme. These are listed on the branch website, LocAle Scheme. The Stoke Inn, Stoke, has been removed due to being closed.

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! They are listed on the branch website here, CAMRA 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. 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. Granted conditionally 09/02/2024.

The following planning applications refer to pubs or might do. Royal William Yard is a maze. Full address details held may not be as accurate as we would hope.

24/00297/LBC, dated Fri 08 Mar 2024, proposed "External signage and lighting scheme, repair and replacement of rainwater goods, repaint external render and replacement external speakers". The Ship, Quay Road Plymouth PL1 2JZ. Awaiting decision.

24/00298/ADV, dated Fri 08 Mar 2024, proposed "New signage scheme". The Ship, Quay Road Plymouth PL1 2JZ. Awaiting decision.

24/00317/FUL, dated Tue 12 Mar 2024, proposed "Construction of entrance lobby, D.P.W.C. and ramped access. Continuation of boundary wall and fence". Cattedown Social Club South Milton Street Plymouth PL4 0QD. Awaiting decision.

24/00391/LBC, dated Wed 27 Mar 2024, proposed "Removal of internal fittings and new fit out works". Brewhouse, 8 Royal William Yard Plymouth PL1 3QQ. Awaiting decision. Is this the former River Cottage. Please investigate someone.

24/00334/LBC, dated Fri 15 Mar 2024, proposed "Timber terrace decking with external seating and overhead lighting to front of existing public house (Waterfront, retrospective)". 9 Grand Parade Plymouth PL1 3DF. 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 locally to report at this time.

However, the announcement by Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) on 7th March 2024 stated that they would be introducing “Fresh Ale”.

Their website stated that these would be for Wainwright Gold and Wainwright Amber and Hobgoblin IPA. This fake handpump is to be situated on the side of the bar close to handpumps which customers have long known to dispense and serve real ale. They also stated that these would be brewery conditioned beers and served by a fake handpump on the bar. This obviously comes under the description of misleading dispense and is against CAMRA principles. See photo on the left for the unnamed beer on the right of the photo.

CMBC do not own any pubs; pubs are operated by various Marston’s Pub Companies. From CAMRA records, it would appear that Marston’s Pub Company (under the various operating names) are:-

The freeholder of 1,351 pubs.
The leaseholder of another 72 pubs.
The operator of a further 196 pubs & Marston’s Carveries (Marston’s) are the operator of another 37 pubs.

Cask conditioned ale (real ale) is pumped to the glass on every draw of the hand pump (i.e. is not a continuous flow of beer), whereas brewery conditioned keg beer is “pushed to the glass by gas pressure” via a flick of a switch (or similar device) and is a continuous flow to the glass.

We therefore believe that this is a very misleading situation where customers will be confused at the point of sale, i.e. at the bar. We must try and encourage Carlsberg Marston’s Brewery Company to think again about this attempt to totally confuse customers wishing to drink good quality live beers (real ale).

Beer Festival News

Please see our website beer festival page for all details of known future beer and cider festivals. Maltingsfest will again take place at Osbourne Park, Newton Abott, from Thursday 18th until Saturday 20th April with over 250 ales and ciders, details SIBA Maltingsfest 2024.

The Clovelly Bay Inn, Turnchapel, are holding an Ale and Pie Festival on Friday 19th April from 1800-2300 and Saturday from noon-2300, details here Clovelly Bay Ale and Pie Festival 2024.

The South Devon CAMRA Sunshine Beer Festival returns to Teignmouth on Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th July 2024, details here South Devon CAMRA Sunshine Beer Festival 2024.

The Walkhampton Inn Sausage and Cider Festival is planned for August Bank Holiday weekend, Fri 23rd to Mon 26th August 2024, details here .

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, 527 in February and 515 in March – thank you very much!

The Running Total was 9,023 on 01/04/2024.

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