Wells and Youngs have announced a series of seasonal ales to join their regular portfolio of Young's, Courage and Charles Wells beers.
The first will be a welcome return in cask for Ram Rod, the bottled beer that was legendary in the Young's boozers of a bygone age. The mixture of Ram and Special marked a right of passage for any youthful Young's drinker - a light and bitter for grown ups !
Since the Young's pubs in London have gradually scrubbed up in recent years, bottles of Ram Rod have become scarce. My local refused to stock it as it attracted custom that they were trying to move on. The reason also that they turned the public bar into a Bellini Bar and the gents toilet into a "Ladies Pamper Room"
So I guess that the new cask Ram Rod will not be seen in my neck of the woods.
It should be around during September but also Wetherspoons will have it exclusively in October as part of their beer festival.
Ram Rod is described as a 5% amber beer, with a fruity, vinous and hoppy nose, packed full of flavour. It is full bodied with a fine balance between malt and hops.
I look forward to meeting this old friend again.
Showing posts with label Wetherspoons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wetherspoons. Show all posts
Monday, 6 September 2010
Friday, 16 April 2010
Just because I wear a hoodie, it doesn't make me a bad person.
I gotta share this pic which goes a long way to describing how much I am enjoying the current Wetherspoons Beer Festival. This was taken at the JDW in Aberystwyth over the Easter weekend where I was on a family trip and by good fortune found some early festival beers.
First up was the Maui Coconut Porter (5%), brewed by Garrett Marrero from Maui Brewery, Hawaii who travelled to Bank's at Wolverhampton to brew a cask version of his beer. Look out for this, it is delicious - a classic stout with roast flavours mellowed by the smooth silky coconut with chocolate and coffee notes. Not to most of my family's taste but perfection for me.
After a couple of those next up was the Herold Black Chalice (4.8%) another stout imported this time from Czech Republic. Another winner.
I am not a particularly regular visitor to Wetherspoons, preferring a more traditional pub, but I really do enjoy the beer festivals - 50 odd beers over three weeks with some spectacular efforts brewed by visiting brewers (I am still looking for Honkers by Goose Island, Chicago) and some really good British beers brewed specially for the event - check out Sharp's Gentle Jane if you see it, a fruity and spicy 4.8% pale beer brewed using Belgian yeast.
Wetherspoon's beer festival goes on to the 25th April.
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
A pound a pint
On my way to Wells and Youngs Brewery in Bedford this week, I took a detour via the local Wetherspoons in the town centre having arrived somewhat early.
The pub this week is showcasing the beers from Great Oakley Brewery, a new one on me and probably one I won't see again for a while. The beer was good, both the mild and the stronger Tailshaker. They weren't the best beers I had tasted recently but but they certainly were the cheapest. The promotion was selling the beers at £1.50 a pint and by the time I had volunteered one of my CAMRA vouchers, it was a pound.
Of course there are many who say this is not a good thing, there are many pubs in Bedford already boarded up and plenty more on the breadline. For me, on that day, I thought it was excellent value.
This is an opportune time to pass on the information that the Wetherspoon in Surbiton, The Cap in Hand, will be showcasing the range of eight beers from Twickenham Brewery over this coming weekend. Take a bit of extra money though as the price there will be £1.59 a pint.
The Kings Arms, Albion Road, Twickenham is also showcasing Twickenham Brewery beers this weekend. As this is not a Wetherspoons, the beer will not be a cheap as £1.59 but is a good pub and worthy of a visit all the same.
The pub this week is showcasing the beers from Great Oakley Brewery, a new one on me and probably one I won't see again for a while. The beer was good, both the mild and the stronger Tailshaker. They weren't the best beers I had tasted recently but but they certainly were the cheapest. The promotion was selling the beers at £1.50 a pint and by the time I had volunteered one of my CAMRA vouchers, it was a pound.
Of course there are many who say this is not a good thing, there are many pubs in Bedford already boarded up and plenty more on the breadline. For me, on that day, I thought it was excellent value.
This is an opportune time to pass on the information that the Wetherspoon in Surbiton, The Cap in Hand, will be showcasing the range of eight beers from Twickenham Brewery over this coming weekend. Take a bit of extra money though as the price there will be £1.59 a pint.
The Kings Arms, Albion Road, Twickenham is also showcasing Twickenham Brewery beers this weekend. As this is not a Wetherspoons, the beer will not be a cheap as £1.59 but is a good pub and worthy of a visit all the same.
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Nothing is certain but death and ...
Taxes.
My copy of the JD Wetherspoon plc interim accounts arrived today and, for once, I have taken time to read the Chairman's report.
While interest rate swaps and accounts "marked to market" is part of a previous life for me there is something from the report that is worth sharing on this blog.
"In the six months ended 25 January 2009, the Company made profit after tax of £17.3 million, yet taxes generated were £190 million (this includes VAT (£79 million); Excise Duty (£53 million); PAYE and National Insurance (£30 million; property taxes (£18 million) and corporation tax (£10 million)."
"On an annualised basis, this equates to the Company making £50,000 after-tax profit per pub while generating tax of about £530,000 per pub......"
"...Even the closure of one small pub results in a far greater loss of revenue to the Government than it does to the publican or pub-owner"
Hopefully the Chancellor is taking notice of his reducing tax revenues (not all, of course, from the pub trade) and will do something to relieve the ever increasing burden to give pubs and beer drinkers a fairer chance.
Don't hold your breath though.
Nice story about Axe the Tax's Mr Pinty and his friends here.
My copy of the JD Wetherspoon plc interim accounts arrived today and, for once, I have taken time to read the Chairman's report.
While interest rate swaps and accounts "marked to market" is part of a previous life for me there is something from the report that is worth sharing on this blog.
"In the six months ended 25 January 2009, the Company made profit after tax of £17.3 million, yet taxes generated were £190 million (this includes VAT (£79 million); Excise Duty (£53 million); PAYE and National Insurance (£30 million; property taxes (£18 million) and corporation tax (£10 million)."
"On an annualised basis, this equates to the Company making £50,000 after-tax profit per pub while generating tax of about £530,000 per pub......"
"...Even the closure of one small pub results in a far greater loss of revenue to the Government than it does to the publican or pub-owner"
Hopefully the Chancellor is taking notice of his reducing tax revenues (not all, of course, from the pub trade) and will do something to relieve the ever increasing burden to give pubs and beer drinkers a fairer chance.
Don't hold your breath though.
Nice story about Axe the Tax's Mr Pinty and his friends here.
Friday, 13 February 2009
Good Beer Guide
Some analysis of Good Beer Guide pubs in London reached me a while ago and I think it worthy of sharing and comment.
The last three guides have the following numbers of Youngs pubs :
2007 = 53 pubs
2008 = 44 pubs
2009 = 35 pubs
The following is the same total for Fullers pubs :
2006 = 40
2007 = 38
2008 = 36
2009 = 36
The total number of Fullers pubs in the last four years has remained relatively stable, but there are very few that have been in for all of the four years, with most only being in one or two of those years. There is a lot more change as to which pub is in which year.
And finally Wetherspoons :
2006 = 26
2007 = 30
2008 = 24
2009 = 34
Wetherspoons has increased in number steadily over the years apart from a glitch in 2008 which relates to the end of the poor eras around 2006 & 2007 when real ale was less of a priority before its current policy and much improved availability and quality. I believe that Wetherspoons managers are on a bonus scheme that includes extra benefit if the pub makes it into the Guide.
Nothing really significant to add. I don't suppose Youngs will be too bothered by this statistic as it could be argued that this shows that their pubs are moving away from being beer led to a more mixed offering - a deliberate movement for them that has had significant investment since the brewery sale.
Although Fuller has the current largest number, I believe there is the potential to do much better. It is clear that they have many pubs on the fringe of the guide. Some more deliberate focus could improve their number.
Wetherspoons are improving (No sh*t Sherlock). Their excellent beer festivals and deliberate focus on CAMRA campaigning has done much to ingratiate them with CAMRA branches around the country. Reports are often mixed but the figures cannot lie.
The last three guides have the following numbers of Youngs pubs :
2007 = 53 pubs
2008 = 44 pubs
2009 = 35 pubs
The following is the same total for Fullers pubs :
2006 = 40
2007 = 38
2008 = 36
2009 = 36
The total number of Fullers pubs in the last four years has remained relatively stable, but there are very few that have been in for all of the four years, with most only being in one or two of those years. There is a lot more change as to which pub is in which year.
And finally Wetherspoons :
2006 = 26
2007 = 30
2008 = 24
2009 = 34
Wetherspoons has increased in number steadily over the years apart from a glitch in 2008 which relates to the end of the poor eras around 2006 & 2007 when real ale was less of a priority before its current policy and much improved availability and quality. I believe that Wetherspoons managers are on a bonus scheme that includes extra benefit if the pub makes it into the Guide.
Nothing really significant to add. I don't suppose Youngs will be too bothered by this statistic as it could be argued that this shows that their pubs are moving away from being beer led to a more mixed offering - a deliberate movement for them that has had significant investment since the brewery sale.
Although Fuller has the current largest number, I believe there is the potential to do much better. It is clear that they have many pubs on the fringe of the guide. Some more deliberate focus could improve their number.
Wetherspoons are improving (No sh*t Sherlock). Their excellent beer festivals and deliberate focus on CAMRA campaigning has done much to ingratiate them with CAMRA branches around the country. Reports are often mixed but the figures cannot lie.
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