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Campaigning for Real ALE in North Cumbria |
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Available from all good book stockists £3.95
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SOLWAY CAMRA |
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Cumbria Real Ale Guide (C.R.A.G.) |
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There were excellent Lakeland Real Ale Guides published by CAMRA in 1996 and 1999, but not since May 1993 have the Cumbria Branches attempted to identify all the real ale outlets in the County of Cumbria.
A read through of my predecessors Editorial in the last CRAG, shows that the number of entries has disturbingly fallen by nearly 20%, whereas the number of Cumbrian breweries has increased from 5 to 15, or threefold. We have lost Lakeland Brewing, gained and lost Cartmel, but gained the Bitter End and Coniston in 1995, Derwent in 1996, Barngates and Foxfield in 1997, Tirril in 1999, Great Gable and Hawkshead in 2002, Beckstones and Loweswater in 2003 and Abraham Thompsons in 2004. There is also activity on a brewery at the Watermill Inn at Ings, which will give us number 16 in 2005. All in all, a very healthy situation for real ale production, and availability, in Cumbria. The worrying aspect of the fall in real ale pub entries is that this represents the permanent closure of a number of pubs and a move away from real ale to “fizz” in others. Fortunately even with the reduced numbers Cumbria can still offer a large number of pubs serving a range of excellent beers, many from the superb Cumbrian breweries. For a county with less than half a million residents we are well served with real ale opportunities, but many, particularly the more rural, are only sustainable through the custom of the visitors who swell the population, throughout the year, but particularly at holiday times.
As pubs rely more upon tourism the demands for food also increase, which is turning many into eating places that sell beer, rather than the other way around. In many cases the drinker can feel uncomfortable in an environment where all the seated area is adorned with knifes and forks, vinegar and sauces, and menus. In extreme cases the drinker is openly discouraged by “Reserved” markers on the tables. Whilst we appreciate the economic pressures of offering meals, let us hope that, in time, these pubs will get the balance right, and that we do not finish up with so called pubs that insist upon dining reservations being made to gain entry.
Much consideration has gone into improving this edition of the Guide. It is now a “perfect bound” document, we have increased the content of the entry details and tried to improve the print clarity. The addition of a full colour Brewery Section is merited by the success of the Cumbrian breweries, and we trust it will make for some interesting reading.
Our hope is that this Guide will serve to encourage you to seek out and try many of the excellent pubs and real ales that are on offer, and maybe encourage those of you who are not already members to consider joining CAMRA. With one member per pub in Cumbria at present, doubling our membership would mean that they had someone to go to the pub with!
You should also look out for the local branch newsletters which are published quarterly and distributed to most, if not all, the real ale outlets in the County. These have a “pub crack” section which serves as an update for this Guide.
If you can improve the accuracy of any entries, or, especially, provide details of any pub that we have missed, your comments can be forwarded as email text to jimchapple@msn.com
Cheers!
Jim Chapple Editor April 2005
C Copyright CAMRA Cumbria Branches 2005 33 Castlegate Drive COCKERMOUTH CA13 9HD Tel. 01900 827005 |
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Link to CRAG updates |