Pub and Club of the Year 2018 Results
Congratulations to our Pub and Club of the year winners:
Town Pub - The Vic, Durham
Country Pub - Three Horseshoes, Leamside
Club - Tanfield Lea WMC
Town Cider - The Station House, Durham
Country Cider - The Black Lion, Wolsingham
Runner up for Town Pub was The Station House, Durham
2nd place in the Country Pub was The Surtees Arms in Ferryhill Station with The Ship at Middlestone in 3rd place
Press Release: A Festival of Celebrations
Lots to celebrate at the 37th Durham Beer Festival that will be open from 12 noon to 10.30pm on Thursday 31st August, Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd September 2017 at the Durham Students Union building, Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham City!
This year's festival will be opened around 6.00pm by Mark Anderson, Managing Director of Maxim Brewery, a major sponsor of the beer festival for many years, who is celebrating the tenth anniversary of start of brewing in Maxim's brewery in Houghton-le-Spring.
Also being celebrated this year is the 30th anniversary of Big Lamp Brewery creating their highly drinkable and popular Prince Bishop Ale for the re-starting of the Durham Beer Festivals after a short break in their continuity. To mark the occasion, Michael Webster, landlord of The Victoria in Durham, instead of donating his usual (and much appreciated) Big Lamp Bitter, is donating a cask of Prince Bishop to the festival (with a suitably designed celebratory pump clip) and Big Lamp Brewery will be making another nine gallons of Prince Bishop to be raffled amongst everyone attending the festival!
A third anniversary being celebrated this year is the 15th for Hill Island Brewery in Fowler's Yard, Durham. Michael, the brewer, will be (again) hoping to win the festival's Battle of the Beers - a competition amongst local brewers to produce a beer made to given standards set by the organisers, that has to be launched at the festival - it can't have been on sale anywhere beforehand, i.e. all new beers. This year, the beers can be any style, but have to be made with only English hops and have a strength between 3.7% and 4.5%abv. The other breweries who are submitting brand new beers to this year's competition are Durham Brewery, George Samuels, Yard of Ale, Tyne Bank, Consett Ale Works, Three Brothers and Blackhill. The judging of Battle of the Beers will be undertaken on Thursday afternoon and the results announced when Mark Anderson officially opens the festival around 6.00pm.
Yet another cause for celebration at the festival is the arrival of a brand new Stables Brewery beer, unlike anything else that the great John Taylor has produced. This one is Beamish Rauchig Red - a 4.5%abv made with German beech-smoked malt giving the beer, we're told, a full rich sweet malt smoked flavour with a delicate bitter back taste.
Can't wait to try it? Well come and join us at this year's festival with many things to celebrate!
Notice of AGM
CAMRA Durham hereby give notice that their AGM will take place on Tuesday 25th April 2017 at The Ship Inn in Middlestone commencing at 19:30.
All members are invited to attend the meeting which will receive reports of the Committee, receive the Branch accounts for the year 2016 and to elect the Committee which will serve to the next AGM. The following committee positions are to be elected:
- Chair
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Membership Secretary
- Pub Campaigns Co-Ordinator
- Minutes Secretary
- Public Affairs Officer
- Pub Protection Officer
- Club Campaigns Officer
- Social Secretary
- Publications Co-Ordinator
- Website Officer
- Beer Festival Director
- Young Members' Officer
- Apple Representative
- Women's Officer
- Campaigns Officer
- Technical and Equipment Officer
- LocALE Co-Ordinator
- NBSS Coordinator
- Pub Database Coordinator
Nominations must be received in writing, proposed and seconded, and submitted at any time prior to the election of that position. If you are interested in standing for a position but would like to know more, please see the contacts page on our website to find out who to talk to.
Transportation will be available (details provided nearer the time) and a buffet is provided.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Surtees Arms Yard of Ale beer festival
Wednesday April 19th to Sunday April 23rd.
Please note that the dates in Durham Drinker 124 diary dates are incorrect.
April 19th to 23rd are the correct dates
Tyne Bank - Meet The Brewer
The Water House (Wetherspoon’s) on Durham’s North Road is being “taken over” by the Tyne Bank brewery. Starting with a meet the brewer session at 6:30pm on Wednesday 15th February, the pub will be featuring a range of ales from the brewery until Sunday 19th.