Opinion
Topical articles and pieces from a personal point of view.
In a gadda da vida
As I write these words, the sky outside my window is the most vivid shade of blue. There is a handful of the laziest, fluffy clouds you can imagine fl...
Standing up for what’s right
Introduced in May 1988 by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government, Section 28 is a piece of legislation that is now, thankfully, consigned to the...
Make mine mixed on VE day
It’s good news for our beleaguered pubs that they will be able to stay open until one in the morning on 8 May as the country celebrates VE Day – the 8...
Generation game
A couple of weeks ago my phone pinged as a press release dropped into my inbox. It told me the story of Steve Birch, the head brewer of Mauldons brewe...
Jay Rayner’s wrong on pubs
While it might lack the same grandeur shared by some of the buildings along Liverpool’s Dale Street, there’s a faded elegance to the exterior of the S...
You always hurt the one you love
The prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, told the Daily Mirror he supported their campaign to save the country’s pubs as he recognised they were at the h...
Wheeling out the sexist tropes
As some of you will know, I’ve just finished writing a book on beer festivals (available through CAMRA Books from 8 May). As a result, I’m naturally a...
Missed opportunity
Heineken returning its cherished Beamish Irish stout to British pubs is unlikely to come as a surprise to anyone not living under a rock at the moment...
Can beer break Britain?
Well according to something called an AI Overview (thanks Mr Google), the answer is “Beer is part of the British culture and economy, and it's unlikel...
Ask a silly question…
The gentle hubbub of voices rises to greet me as I walk into the Malt Shovel. The fire is lit to ward off the February cold and the small, two-roomed...
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