What Just Happened? MPs have been debating the details of a new bill in parliament called the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill. The bill is wide ranging and includes details such as measures to help small and medium businesses, guidelines for public sector procurement, and crucially a section titled "The Pubs Code Adjudicator and the Pubs Code". These are the headline points of the original proposal for the pubs section of the bill: Campaigners believed these changes didn't go far enough to help tenants of the big PubCo companies and Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West Greg Mulholland tabled an amendment to the bill that tightened controls on the PubCos and would free up the tenants. MPs voted for the amendment by a majority of 25, including members of government defying the three line whip that had been issued by Michael Gove. What Does it Mean? Traditionally a beer tie for a pub could be a good thing, essentially the cost of entry for the tenant would be low and the rent would be kept artificially low, in return the pub would only be able to sell beer bought from the PubCo who would add on a percentage to regain their losses from the rent. Unfortunately as the PubCos massive debts forced them to squeeze every last drop of income out of their assets, many of the successful pubs in their portfolios were seeing their rents skyrocket to unaffordable levels during rent reviews and the price of their beer could be double what the pub could purchase it for on the open market forcing many publicans at seemingly successful pubs out of business. The new Market Rent Option in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill has a twofold effect. The tenant can ask to pay a fair rent at the market rate This will then break any beer tie, allowing the pub to source its beer from the open market This won't all happen straight away, it is triggered at certain points for example at the rent review (usually every 5 years) or if market conditions change (a new Wetherspoon's pub opens up next door) or the freehold is sold. Is There a Downside? As I see it there is a possibility that this will make...
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Sunday Lunch - Brigantes Served from 12noon to 8pm the Brigantes Sunday Lunch can be found at the top of Micklegate, a street known more for 'trebles for singles' than for traditional pubs, but Brigantes is breaking the mould and waving the banner for real ales and decent pub food. I ventured up in my search for York's Best Sunday Lunch. What's on offer? The Sunday Lunch at Brigantes has three price points for either one (£8.95), two (£11.95), or three courses (£14.95), taking the other dishes from the full menu which is still available on Sundays. The choice was simple: Sunday Lunch Lamb or Beef with a Yorkshire Pudding and mixed veg We got one of each. What worked? I'm a big supporter of the Yorkshire pudding and was overjoyed to see a large Yorkshire acting as a bowl to hold a fair portion of meat rolled into its centre. The lamb was delicious and surprisingly plentiful, the Yorkshire could accommodate quite a bit in its core with space for plenty of gravy to ooze out onto the piping hot plate. My highlight was the sweet baby parsnips that were roasted to perfection alongside a portion of cauliflower cheese, a much ignored Sunday Lunch accompaniment in pubs. What didn't work? I like a crispy shell on my roast potatoes which was nowhere to be seen here. The spuds were tasty enough, but disappointingly soggy. Although the lamb was superb the beef appeared to be a collection of fatty scraps which had been stuffed into the Yorkshire pud to hide their shame, just one nice slice of pink roast beef would have lifted the whole dish but it was nowhere to be seen. Although the Yorkshire pudding looked fantastic and dominated the plate I couldn't help notice the twang of carbonated batter from the burnt rim which unfortunately couldn't be disguised even after a long soak in the gravy. Is it York's Best Sunday Lunch? I'd certainly recommend Brigantes as a venue for Sunday Lunch, the meal was very nice and I like the pub and the staff. There was nothing bad here and I'd be happy to return, but surely I can find...
Read MoreA Fair Deal For Your Local A long running and hard fought campaign to help stop the plague of local pub closures caused by the large PubCos such as Enterprise and Punch is a week away from a crucial vote in parliament, and you can help. Greg Mulholland, Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West, has tabled an amendment to the Small Business Bill that would enshrine in law the right for PubCo tenants to choose a market rent-only option. What this essentially means is that tenants of the large pub companies can buy beer on the open market rather than being forced to buy through their PubCo landlords who inflate the brewery price by around 70%, driving up prices for customers and forcing tenants out of business. The vote is on Tuesday 18th November 2014 and you can email your MP to ask them to back the amendment via the CAMRA website. Email your MP Your (editable) email will read as follows: I am writing as your constituent and as one of 167,000 CAMRA members to ask that you support a cross party amendment to the Small Business Bill (NC2: Pubs Code: Market Rent Only Option) to introduce a market rent only option for tenants of the large pub companies. The Small Business Bill introduces a Pubs Code and Adjudicator which I very much welcome. However I am seriously concerned that the Bill as it stands does not go far enough, and may prove unworkable unless accompanied by a right for tied tenants to choose between a tied agreement and a market rent only option. Please therefore support a cross-party attempt to amend the Small Business Bill to introduce a new clause which will, over time, allow tied tenants of large pub companies to choose between remaining on a tied agreement or opting for a non tied agreement at an open market rent (the market rent only option). Allowing tenants to choose a market rent only option will deliver a fair and sustainable future for Britain’s pubs by increasing licensee profitability, investment in pubs, greater consumer choice and will ultimately result in fewer pub closures. Please support your local publicans, breweries and consumers by: - Adding your name to the market rent only...
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Sunday Lunch - The Fox and Roman Having visited The Fox and Roman a few weeks earlier and being pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food from a chain pub I was keen to return to try out their Sunday Lunch on my quest to find York's Best Sunday Lunch. If you visit their website there is usually a voucher on the homepage and I grabbed the £10 off a £40 spend. What's on offer? You are spoilt for choice on the Sunday Roasts: Sunday Lunch 28 day aged prime rump of beef Roast turkey Herb crusted loin of sweetcure pork Roast half chicken Mushroom, leek and cashew nut suet roly-poly (v) Vintage Sunday Roast Platter These are nestled amongst a full a la carte menu including steaks, fish and chips, and some classic pies. The final option on the Sunday Roasts list is the "Vintage Sunday Roast Platter" which can be ordered for two people to share and includes a couple of slices of the beef, pork, and turkey with stuffing and pigs in blankets. On the side is a Yorkshire pudding each, some "duck fat roast potatoes", seasonal veg, parsnips, and a large jug of gravy. What worked? Sharing from a platter brings a more homely feel to the meal and the huge jug of gravy was very welcome. The trio of meats were delicious, the turkey standing out as being full of flavour and cooked to perfection making up for the well-done beef, I suppose someone has to get the end slice. The Yorkshire pudding was just as I love them, fluffy on the inside with a crisp shell, nothing special but perfectly well made. If I had been at home I would have had at least three of them, so with just one each I had to ration it out. We had just enough room to share a desert and I wouldn't have wanted any larger portions. What didn't work? My mouth watered at the prospect of "duck fat roast potatoes", my mind conjuring images of spuds crisping off in bubbling duck fat creating a shell of tasty crunchiness encasing a fluffy, buttery centre. What arrived were limp, tasteless, waxy quarters with a blackened chewy outer layer. I probably wouldn't have...
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Pubs to Hide in During York Races (... or any weekend) Over 8 weekends every year the people of York see 30,000 racegoers descend on York each day. After their day of drink fuelled gambling fun is over they stream into town and fill up all the pubs. Well, most of the pubs. Once the dust has settled there are enclaves dotted around town that those in the know use as bolt-holes unaffected by the throngs outside, they remain steadfast in their quality and atmosphere. I'm not going to be able to list them all so this is a few suggestions within the walls, I think there are plenty of pubs to go to out of town so won't be covering them. I do welcome comments and suggestions though so if I've missed one off please get in touch and I'll keep the list up to date where I can. Ackhorne The Ackhorne is located right off the main artery into York from the racecourse but cannot be seen from Micklegate, so only those in the know will find it. Two large rooms with masses of seating and a beer garden out the back provide plenty of space to chill out, grab a pint, and escape the madness just around the corner. Blue Bell The Blue Bell will quite often display a "Private Party" sign outside on race days. This is usually only there to put off the large groups that roam town looking for anywhere to squeeze into. Pop your head in, and if there is space grab it while you can as the Blue Bell is tiny. Snickleway Inn The Snickleway Inn is protected on two sides by big pubs that draw in racegoers. At one end of Goodramgate is The Cross Keys, syphoning off anyone approaching from the Minster and a combination of The Golden Lion and The Old White Swan have sucked up the remaining drinkers who approach from town. The Snickleway Inn has plenty of small alcoves to sip a pint in peace. Pivni Tucked down Patrick Pool, Pivni is within earshot of the epicentre of the races chaos in The Quarter but manages to avoid the gaze of the masses and remain a charming craft beer hideout. The...
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Last week someone I follow on twitter retweeted @HonestBrew and as a completely new name to me I instinctively clicked through to their profile to see what they were all about. Their profile blurb seemed straightforward enough 'Great craft beer direct to your door' and I assumed they were another beer home delivery site. What caught my eye was their banner photo showing two bottles of "Honest Brew" beers: "Straight Up Pale Ale" and "Straight Up Amber Ale". So I already knew they were not just another ordinary beer shop but they also brew their own. My interest was now piqued and I found my way to their website. This is where it got interesting and I got quite excited. You can either go straight to their standard shop or you can "Create an Honesty Box" where you are given a choice of typical ale properties for you to define your tastes: Pale, Amber, Dark are the first three, then flavours such as Crisp, Citrusy, or Chocolaty. Then for a fixed price each month Honest Brew will match your choices to the stock of beers they have in and send you either 9, 12 or 18 different beers each month. I plumped for the 9 bottle pack to try out the service and this costs £28 with "free UK delivery", which works out at a little over £3 per bottle. A couple of days later my delivery arrived and I had 9 new beers to try out. £2.20 - BrewDog - Dead Pony Club - Pale Ale 3.8% £2.50 - Honest Brew - Straight Up Amber Ale 4.6% £2.70 - Pressure Drop - Stokey Brown - Brown Ale 5.1% £2.75 - London Fields - Shoreditch Triangle - IPA 6% £2.25 - Camden Town - Hells Can 4.6% £2.50 - Honest Brew - Straight Up Pale Ale 4.7% £2.40 - Fourpure - Amber Ale Can 5.1% £2.75 - Redchurch Brewery – Shoreditch Blonde 4.5% £2.75 - Bristol Beer Factory – Southville Hop- IPA 6.5% A good mix (I didn't filter anything out when ordering my box as I'm happy to try them all!), and certainly a few in there I might not have picked out myself I was very happy overall. I did note the...
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