The following pub and brewery news was reported at the May 2024 Committee Meeting held in the Fawn Club, Greenbank.

Pub News

It has been reported that the Roundabout, city centre (a Stonegate pub) has removed five in number hand pumps, leaving just the one in place, believed to be serving just St Austell Tribute. The Eagle, City Centre, has reopened after closure for refurbishment. The Ship Inn, Barbican, is surrounded in scaffolding and having some external repairs carried out but is still trading normally. Unfortunately, the , 19, Brook Street, Tavistock, has closed again. The Cornwood Inn, Cornwood, have amended their operating hours and are no longer open Monday to Wednesday due to high trading costs for those days. They are open from 1200 – 1500 and 1700 – 2200 Thursday, 1200 – 1500 and 1700 – 2359 Friday and Saturday, and 1200 – 2000 Sunday. The Lyneham Inn, Plympton, and the Westward Inn, Lee Mill, were reported not to be open on Tuesday lunchtime last week, and the Artillery Arms, Stonehouse, and the Vessel Beer Shop, city centre, were reportedly closed on Saturday afternoon, reported via What Pub feedback. The Edgcumbe Hotel, Bere Alston, may be under new management (according to the pub’s social media account) or may be closed? The Masonic Inn, Stoke, has closed due to the retirement of the licensee, Charmaine Hay, and wish her all the very best in her well-deserved retirement.

If we become aware of any pubs in our branch area serving Marston’s “Fresh Ales” (Wainright Gold and Amber and Hobgoblin IPA), What Pub is to be marked “Pub uses Misleading Dispense” and the comments box annotated FRESH ALE. This does NOT apply to the cask ale versions – see article later in this news.

Beer Scoring

We have received a rolling total of 269 beer scores for 54 different pubs, submitted by 23 members. The 13 Plymouth branch members submitted 223 beer scores; 10 non branch members submitted 46 beers scores. These non-branch members came from branches including Bath, Cardiff, Cornwall, North Devon, Oxford, Reading, South Devon and The Wirral.

The period under analysis is 1st April 2024 until 30th April 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 67 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. Has this work started yet ?

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. Has this work started yet?

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. Granted conditionally, 26/04/2024, on-going work as stated above.

24/00298/ADV, dated Fri 08 Mar 2024, proposed New signage scheme. The Ship, Quay Road Plymouth PL1 2JZ. Awaiting decision. Granted conditionally, 26/04/2024, on-going work as stated above.

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. Still 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. Still awaiting decision. Is this the former River Cottage (NO – River Cottage is listed as Unit 1 The Brewhouse). Where is this within RWY? This is not the former River Cottage (River Cottage is listed as Unit 1 The Brewhouse as listed on the city council licensing register).

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. Still awaiting decision.

24/00413/FUL, dated Tuesday 02 April 2024, Change of use of ground floor from public house (Sui Generis) to 3no. flats (Class C3), Grenville Hotel. Awaiting decision.

Cask Marque Accreditation

The Tamar, Crownhill, is no longer Cask Marque accredited.

Brewery News

Nothing newsworthy locally to report at this time. The SIBA Maltingsfest took place on Osbourne Park, Newton Abbot, last month, and would appear to have been very successful this year!

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 cask conditioned 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.

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 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).

In light of this, The Campaign has launched the Handpump Hijack Campaign.

• Let us know if you come across “Fresh Ale” in your local. You can do this by using the “Send an email to the CAMRA branch” button at the bottom of the relevant WhatPub venue page to alert your local branch.
• Send us photos of “Fresh Ale” pump clips. We need to find examples! Email any photos to ku.gro.armac@sngiapmac .
• If in doubt, Ask if it’s Cask. We need consumers to make licensees aware of the issue of misleading dispense and explain why you won’t be buying it.

As can be seen in the photo shown left, a handpump here has been converted to use with a keg dispense.

I have reproduced an enlarged edited version of the image. The pump clip will state something like “Wainright Gold Fresh Ale” or similar. The keg tap can be seen to the left and just below the pump clip.

Remember, the beers affected are Wainwright Gold and Wainwright Amber and Hobgoblin IPA. If beer continues to flow without the handpump being drawn, then it is probably not cask conditioned live beer.

Beer Festival News

Please see our website Local Beer Festivals page for all details of known future beer and cider festivals. The Prince Maurice Cider and Ale Festival takes place from noon on Friday 10th to Sunday 12th May during the usual pub hours. The food tent and live entertainment will also be available. The South Devon CAMRA Sunshine Beer Festival 2024 returns to Teignmouth on Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th July 2024. The 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, 527 in February, 515 in March and 639 in April – thank you very much !

The Running Total was 9,662 on 01/05/2024.

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