The following pub and brewery news was reported at the branch Annual General Meeting on Saturday 9th April 2016.

The CAMRA Discount Scheme enables pubs to promote their business to our members and hopefully encourage more trade. The discount given will be advertised free of charge in our branch magazine, Drake’s Drinker, as well as on this website CAMRA Discount Scheme and the National CAMRA website. We can also provide posters to advertise the offer to visitors. If you are the licensee of a pub and are interested of taking part in this scheme, please contact our Pubs Campaigns Coordinator, Andy Richardson, at ku.gro.armac.htuomylp@swenbup

The pub discount information has been notified to Plymouth CAMRA and is given in good faith, but is liable to change at short notice. Some discounts may be modified or restricted when special promotions are on offer.

PUB NEWS

Bacaro Bites, Barbican, is now trading as Bar Burritos; Lavish, Barbican, is also trading under a new name, Meze Grill Restaurant; Blue Peter is under new licensees and no longer serves any LocAle qualified ales; Royal Oak, Hooe, reopened under new licensees and currently does not serve any real ale; Skylark Inn, Clearbrook, joined the LocAle scheme, as did the Bedford Hotel and Queen’s Head Hotel, both in Tavistock; Drake’s Drum, Plymstock, reopened under new management, and also joined the LocAle Scheme. The LocAle Scheme now has 62 local pubs in the scheme. Enterprise Inns, owners of the Leaping Salmon, Horrabridge, are in discussion with the Co-Op about change of use to a convenience store; Forester’s Arms has closed, with the tenant moving round the corner to take over the London Inn, Plympton St. Maurice, with the previous leaseholders taking over the Stoke Bar and Grill; beer quality at the Golden Hind, Mannamead, has reportedly fallen to a poor level of consistency; new tenants have been identified to re-open the Boringdon Arms, Turnchapel, subject to remedial building work being carried out by Punch Taverns prior to the pub re-opening; Bar Rakuda has been rebranded as Rakuda Kitchen and Cocktails; the Bristol Castle tenant has moved to the Queen’s Dock (Punch Taverns), and taken over the lease; Bristol Castle lease will not be renewed; there is a new club located close to Caffeine Club called Beggar’s Choice Social Club; Tavistock Inn, Tavistock, has closed, pending conversion into a restaurant.

BREWERY NEWS.

The new occupiers of Axna Farm, Horndon, Mary Tavy, Jo & Paul Barton, have recently moved to the area from South Tawton and are in the process of setting up Moorstone micro brewery, along with growing organic heritage fruit and veg. The beers will be handcrafted, using Dartmoor spring water, English hops and local malts. The barn conversion for the brewery has seen the installation of a 2.5 BBL plant and two brews so far, Ruby Ale and Wheal Betty. Plans are already in place to expand after Easter 2016, with the 2.5 BBL kit used for development brews.
Like the proverbial London Bus, another new brewery has been established in our branch area called Stannary Brewing Company Limited. Four very keen home brewers (Christopher John, Laurence Sargent, Garry White and Cameron Woodrow) had been chatting between themselves for about 18 months or so, and came across a 2.5 BBL plant for sale on Ebay. Their offer was accepted and they are based in Unit 5A, Pixon Trading Centre, in Tavistock.
And keeping on the trend, the new 2016 season leaflet from Morewellham Quay states that they have a new brewery and to “sample beer and cider in our traditional brewery, or in the Ship Inn. See the ingredients and learn how beer is produced”. We await further news from Morwellham Quay in the fullness of time.

Post Meeting Note The brewery at Morwellham Quay is not yet in production, but it is hoped it will be by Autumn 2016.