Opinion
Topical articles and pieces from a personal point of view.
Pubsâ business rates blow
A post-Budget business rates bombshell could see scores of pubs closing as they face massive hikes in the amount they pay. The increases fly in the fa...
Long road back for Bass
Draught Bass may be in a pub near you. If I had written that 20 years ago, I would have been carried off to the funny farm, as Bass was the leading pr...
Beer poached pears with beer caramel sauce
A couple of weeks ago I spent some time sampling cask beer along the south coast of England. I tried some delightful new beers as well as revisiting o...
One beer does not a good pub make
Last month Timeout published its annual â50 best pubs in Londonâ list. Compiled by a handful of writers, including editor Leonie Cooper and bonafide p...
Coopers and casks
The Burton union sets were not the only ones to retire from the Carlsberg Marstonâs Brewing Company (CMBC), now Carlsberg Britvic, on 31 May 2024. The...
Freebies tax could be a gift to indies
In news that will have seen some beer writers crying into their gifted Fullerâs Vintage Ales, HMRC has recently clarified that content creators must d...
Steamed mussels with Burning Sky Petite Farmhouse Beer
When I am researching for these recipes, I try to follow the basic rule to use a beer that is great as both an ingredient and when drunk alongside the...
Small is beautiful
The sale in mid-October of the former Ringwood site in Hampshire to a property developer marks the sad end of a brewery that played a pivotal role in...
Boddingtons is back
I rarely take the opportunity to review a beer properly. However, the recent relaunch of Boddingtons Bitter on cask â brewed in Manchester by JW Lees...
Travel is good but home can be best
I write a lot about the importance of pubs within communities, but the truth is that most of my visits to one are made alone. Thatâs not to say that I...
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