DECEMBER 2018

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NOVEMBER 2018

Blackburn with Darwen

The Golden Cup in Darwen have been holding a competition to name their house beer (assumed to be Thwaites TBC) and from a shortlist of Golden Chalice, Cup of Gold and Cupped Up, the winner was Cupped Up.

Demolition work is expected to commence soon on the former Thwaites brewery in the centre of Blackburn - including the iconic tower dating back to the mid sixties.

Burnley

Worsthorne Brewery have opened up a brewery tap in central Burnley. The Tap at No.1 on the corner of Hargreaves Street and Ormerod Street is serving 4 Worsthorne brewed beers plus two guests (one of which was Masterpiece 5.6% from Heritage Brewing on opening night - this is the cask version of Worthington White Shield!).

The official opening ceremony was on Friday 9th November and the opening was performed by former Burnley FC Manager Stan Ternent.

Hyndburn

The Canine WMC in Accrington has reached the last four of CAMRA's Club of the Year (COTY) awards! The club was voted Hyndburn, then East Lancashire, then Lancashire and then West Pennine COTY, which meant that it was in the last sixteen of this annual national CAMRA competition. The winning club should be announced early in the new year. Good luck to the Canine!

In the Thwaites Brewery Hospitality Awards, the Grey Mare at Belthorn won both the Pub of the Year and the Best Investment Award whilst the Black Dog at Oswaldtwistle won the award for Best Business Builder

Pendle

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Ribble Valley

Thwaites have confirmed that Original is now only brewed at Mellor Brook. As regards packaged beers, Marston's are still brewing 13 Guns under licence. The plan is for a core range of four cask beers to be launched into the company's estate in due course. These will be Original, an IPA, a golden ale and a dark beer (mild). The LocAle section of this website has now been updated to list the pubs serving Original now locally brewed once again. Ann Yerburgh, Chairman of Thwaites for the last 18 years, has announced that she is stepping down at the end of March 2019. She will be replaced by Chief Executive Rick Bailey.

Bowland Brewery in Clitheroe currently have two seasonal beers - Bumble at 4% is a lightly hopped bonde ale with the addition of honey, whilst Rugger at 4.2% is another golden ale for the autumn rugby internationals. Also, Deer Stalker is a dark, rich stout at 4.5% and should be available throughout the winter months. A new beer, Mullered Monk, infused with Benedictine is currently in preparation!

The former Myerscough Arms on the A59 opposite Samlesbury Aerodrome is to be demolished. This former Robinson's pub featured in the GBG many years ago. Meanwhile next door the former Boddington Arms is now a JW Lees house and naturally it had to change its name and is now the Bluebird.

Rossendale

The Cotton House in Helmshore (formerly the Bridge End pub but now a restaurant) is now serving a real ale - usually locally brewed.

Northern Whisper Brewery have introduced Rum Bugger, a rum & raisin winter ale served from the wood at 5% - it should be available in December.

Beyond Whitworth!

Timothy Taylor, the Keighley based brewery are now advertising on the London underground! They are also promising that their delicious Poulter's Porter will be available throughout December.

Mitchells's PubCo based in Lancaster who own the York Brewery have gone into administration. It isn't everyday that CAMRA welcomes a brewery takeover but the York Brewery and four of its pubs have been bought by Black Sheep Brewery of Masham and around 40 jobs have been saved! The four pubs are the Last Drop, the Tap Room, the Three Lagged Mare (all in York) and Mr Foley's Tap House in Leeds.

OCTOBER 2018

Blackburn with Darwen

Good Beer Guide regular the Royal at Tockholes has been put up for sale - let's hope that any new owners have sympathy for the real ale cause.

Burnley

The Cross Keys on St James's Street in Burnley has reopened with two real ales on tap. Young's Special seems to be a regular. There a few pictures of Massey's Brewery on the walls. On Hargreaves Street there are two new real ale outlets! The Bees Knees (formerly Pharaoh's) has three pumps which were dispensing Wainwright and Hobgoblin with two Moorhouse beers due on soon.

Directly across the road in the old GPO building Carnivoro has opened. At the rear it's an upmarket Brazilian style steakhouse. At the front it's a cafe style bar with no fewer than four pumps serving beers from JW Lees - Bitter, Founders, Gold and a beer badged up in the name of Sean Dyche, the Burnley FC manager - given its strength it was assumed to be MPA.

Hyndburn

The Old England Forever in Clayton-le-Moors had been put up for sale and it was feared that yet another pub would close. However, Bank Top Brewery of Bolton have bought it and if it turns out as good as their other two pubs, in Bolton and Horwich, then it should be a huge success and asset for the local community.

The Walton Arms at Altham has been given the best refurbishment award for pubs within the JW Lees estate of pubs.

Pendle

The White Swan at Fence, Timothy Taylor's only tied house in Lancashire, has recently been given a Michelin star. Chef Tom Parker, who appeared on last year's Great British Menu, serves top quality food together with up to four Taylor's real ales - always including Landlord, Boltmaker and Golden Best.

Ribble Valley

Well known beer writer Jeff Evans is reporting on his website www.insidebeer.com that Thwaites are once again brewing their Original Bitter at their new brewery at Mellor. Original has been brewed by Marston's at their Banks's Brewery in Wolverhampton for several years. We all look forward to tasting the beer now that it's back being brewed here in East Lancs.

Rossendale

The Griffin at Haslingden together with the downstairs Rossendale Brewery has been put up for sale together with its sister pub, the Sportsman in Hyde. Also on the market is the Red Lion at Crawshawbooth.

Beyond Whitworth!

Nicky Reid, former player with Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers (for whom he played between 1987 & 1992) took over the Masons Arms in Harpers Lane, Chorley in the middle of 2017. Always an enthusiast of real ale, Nicky, in conjunction with Joe Coulson of Leyland Home Brew, has produced Mason's Pale Ale on a small micro-brewery at the pub.

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