Opinion
Topical articles and pieces from a personal point of view.
The slaughtered orchard
It’s Cider & Perry Month. Let’s talk about Heineken grubbing up 300 acres of cider apple trees in Llantilio Crossenny, near Abergavenny. It’s taken lo...
Cider-glazed pulled pork with apple slaw
Last weekend I was lucky enough to visit Guernsey for a christening and enjoyed the first really lovely spring evening of the year, sipping the local...
Don't frighten the ponies
Britain is a great brewing country but, shush, please keep quiet about it. It’s not something spoken about in polite company. In late April I joined s...
Is everything okay with Adnams?
I often think about Adnams beers with fondness. The Southwold-based brewer has a particular knack for making delicious cask ales with a rich barley ma...
A bitter sweet symphony
It’s June 1997, and The Verve released their hit single Bitter Sweet Symphony. It is really quite a bleak song to be honest, but the title perfectly c...
Keeping balance in a bitter world
I’m conscious that I use the word “balance” a lot when I’m writing about beer. It’s not because I lack the ability to stand on two feet or am apt to f...
When is a pub not a pub?
I’m fascinated by pubs. One of the main reasons I love them so much is because they are all different (not counting the dull repetition of bland chain...
Licensing hours bill progress
In January, my Licensing Hours Extension Bill moved another step closer to becoming an Act of Parliament, passing its second reading. The bill will en...
Adnams’ arrow in the heart
You can tell things are getting serious when Adnams says it has financial problems and urgently needs fresh investment. A threat to the future of any...
So long, Meantime, I barely knew you
By the time the plucky, Bavarian-trained brewmaster Alistair Hook left his position at ill-fated Manchester restaurant Mash and Air to set up Meantime...
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