Posts by: Matthew Curtis
Bright young things
People are drinking less. But don’t just take my word for it, there’s plenty of data to back it up. According to a report published by the BBC in Janu...
Something’s brewing in Bedford
To the rear of the packaging hall at the Eagle brewery in Bedford is one of the largest cask racking systems I’ve ever seen. As it happens, it’s also...
VAT’s brewing
A coalition of hospitality leaders has launched a campaign to reduce the VAT threshold for their sector from 20 per cent to 10. The VAT’s the Problem...
Is AI leaving a bad taste?
Standing at the bar in Sheffield’s Rutland Arms, I scan the beer list before deciding what to order. Settling on a pint of pale ale from Derbyshire’s...
The nitro man cometh
West Yorkshire’s Ossett brewery has released a nitrogenated version of its popular golden ale White Rat. Launched in March at Leeds pub-of-the-moment,...
Did BrewDog put cask beer back a decade?
It genuinely does feel like cask beer is having its moment on the bar. Bass, Boddington’s, Landlord, it feels like they’re everywhere. Dare I say it,...
Manchester’s better
The Hare and Hounds serves two beers on cask: Ossett White Rat and Holt’s Bitter. The latter – brewed less than a mile away at the Joseph Holt brewery...
Reasons to be cheerful
Speak to the owner of any small, independent brewery and I’ll bet you 50p they’ve got feelings on how tough things are at the moment. Honestly, everyt...
Return to form
When I think back to how I first became enthusiastic about cask beer, I fondly remember two distinct experiences. When I was aged about 21, just over...
Bare minimum
Taking a seat inside a popular central Manchester bar, I scroll my finger down the menu, deciding what to order for lunch. Opting for a double cheeseb...
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