South Devon

Campaign for Real Ale

Campaign for Real Ale

News

Here is the latest news about what's happening in the branch area.

The minutes of the latest Branch Meeting can be found here (CAMRA log in required)

  • Handpump “hijack” will confuse consumers says CAMRA Thursday 7 March 2024

    Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company risks confusing drinkers about cask conditioned beers, warns the Campaign for Real Ale, in reaction to a new beer launch which plans to hijack the iconic handpump.

    CMBC has announced its plans to start serving keg beer through handpumps, which beer drinkers widely understand as usually being exclusively used for cask conditioned beer.

    Keg beer is not a “live” beer, in that once it leaves the brewery it contains no viable yeast, and does not undergo further conditioning, unlike cask-conditioned beers which continue to develop flavour and carbonation in the pub cellar.

    While CMBC has indicated that, following feedback from CAMRA, it will label so-called “fresh ale” served through handpumps as “brewery conditioned beer”, the Campaign fears this will still confuse customers and erode their long-held understanding that only cask beer is served in this way.

    The Campaign is also concerned that CMBC’s plan will reduce choice to consumers and by taking up handpump space elbows out genuine cask beers produced by smaller, independent brewers.

    Beer handpumps on bars have long been the easily recognisable sign of the freshness and quality of cask beer – and CAMRA fully intends to enforce its long-standing policy that beer drinkers should not be misled at the point of dispense through the sale of non-live, non-cask beer through handpumps.

    CAMRA National Director and Chair of the Real Ale, Cider and Perry Campaigns Committee, Gillian Hough said: “It’s baffling why CMBC feels the need to serve a keg beer through cask ale handpumps in the first place, when it would seem to be simpler and more honest to simply serve it through keg taps, as with all other keg products.

    “It would be even better if this company, despite claiming to be incredibly proud to be a leading brewer of cask ale, actually invested in producing new cask ales and supporting its existing beers. It’s particularly ironic that instead it has spent time closing the historic breweries in their portfolio and now wants to cash in on that cask heritage with a keg product which hijacks the handpump.

    “Even with additional labelling, our fear is customers – especially those who perhaps don’t understand a term like “brewery conditioned” or don’t notice the small print- will be confused. It also seems likely that over time this potentially misleading approach will erode the image of the iconic beer handpump as a clear symbol of cask conditioned beer.

    “We believe that beer drinkers should be fully informed at the point of dispense and we will continue to condemn dispense practices that seek to mislead the consumer, particularly by selling non-live, non-cask beers through cask beer handpumps.

    “CAMRA calls on CMBC to either provide a genuinely live and fresh beer to be served through handpumps, to give the drinker what they expect and want, or to be honest and serve this so-called “fresh beer” through keg taps

  • Talk of the Town Paignton Wednesday 6 March 2024


    Progress at the Talk of the Town, Paignton can be seen here

  • The Inn Sign Society Tuesday 20 February 2024

    Are you interested in pubs and inns, especially the history and meaning of their names, also inn signs and their history?
    If so, this could be for you!
    The Inn Sign Society
    For ONLY £15 a year, you receive 4 quarterly 32 page full colour illustrated Journals packed with articles on all types of inn and pub signs. Members can access our Archives, plus feature pages; ‘Signs of the Month’, 'Sign of the Year’ award, & 'Lost Signs'.

    More information is available here

  • Elland Brewery faces liquidation Saturday 17 February 2024

    CAMRA says government support is vital following the news that Elland brewery is facing liquidation and Adnams is looking for financial support.
    CAMRA national chairman Nik Antona said: “To hear that Elland brewery is facing liquidation just six months after its 1872 Porter was crowned CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain 2023 [pictured] is a major cause for concern. This, coupled with the reports that Adnams has been working with a management consultancy to explore options to shore up its finances – including the possibility of an injection of private capital – is a one-two punch at the heart of the UK brewing industry.
    More information here

  • Champion Winter Beer of Britain announced Friday 16 February 2024

    Congratulations to Sarah Hughes Brewery, who has won overall Gold in CAMRA’s Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition at the Great British Beer Festival Winter for their Snowflake barley wine!
    Judges described the beer as a “beautiful amber barley wine. The fruity, slightly spiced nose invited the drinker to indulge. The rich, smooth, sweet palate had orange spicy notes balanced by a growing bitterness, leading to a spicy dry bitterness. Remarkably moreish.”
    Congratulations also go to Joint Silver runner ups:
    Elland Brewery – 1872 Porter
    Muirhouse brewery - Magnum Mild

  • Minutes of February Branch Meeting Thursday 15 February 2024

    Minutes of February Branch Meeting can be found here
    CAMRA log in required

  • Bays Brewery Charity Brews for 2024 Saturday 10 February 2024

    Bays Charity Beers 2024 Bays Brewery is saying ‘cheers’ to some top Devon charities throughout 2024 with the launch of four brand new limited-edition ‘Charity Brews’.

    Available at various times throughout the year in bottles, cask and beer boxes, each brew will support a worthy local cause in a bid to give something back to the community.

    The first charity brew ‘Tracker Ale’ will be available from February, with 5% of proceeds going towards Dartmoor Search & Rescue (Ashburton).

    More details of other beers available here

  • National Pub of the Year 2023 Announced Saturday 13 January 2024

    CAMRA is very happy to announce that the Tamworth Tap in Tamworth, West Midlands has won a second consecutive National Pub of the Year title.

    Tamworth Tap bar The judges described it as an "excellent example of a pub at the centre of its community that supports a wide variety of diverse local activity groups, with knowledgeable, helpful staff to help you find a real ale or cider to suit your taste"

    More details of the winner and the runners up can be found here

    BBC report can be found here

  • December Meeting Minutes now available Monday 8 January 2024

    The minutes can be found here
    Login is required

  • Ringwood sales process slammed as a 'sham' Monday 1 January 2024

    Carlsberg Marston’s attempts to find a buyer for the iconic Ringwood Brewery prior to announcing its closure have been branded a “sham”.

    More details can be found here

  • The Drewe Arms Drewsteignton Thursday 14 December 2023

    Good news for the CAMRA community and congratulations to The Drewsteignton Community Society Limited!

    The Drewe Arms

    1. Drewe Arms passes into private ownership as the locals unite to save the pub.
    2. The Drewe Arms was once home to Britain’s longest serving landlady, Mabel Mudge who served behind the bar for 75 years!
    3. The community has bought the historic Grade ll pub.

    The Drewe Arms on Dartmoor is a thatched grade II inn dating from the 17th Century and included in CAMRA’s national list for historic pub interiors, has been sold to the local community
    The inn has been bought by The Drewsteignton Community Society Limited which was created by a number of the local residents who are keen to save the pub and protect it for future generations. The group established a crowd-funding initiative to raise funds to not only purchase the venue, but to start making the necessary repairs and improvements to create a sustainable model and to celebrate the pub’s rich history, location and layout.
    Speaking on behalf of the new owners, Toby Rubbra comments: ‘We have all known The Drewe for many years and it had been devastating to see its decline and eventual closure in 2022. Some of us were involved in helping Mabel Mudge with the site when she retired in the early nineties after 75 years behind the bar! Knowing what a great venue it has been and could be, a few of us got together and talked about how we might secure the pub and keep the village as a local hub. These conversations evolved and with considerable help, guidance and community support we are now in the happy position we are in today.’

    South-West commercial agents Vickery Holman acted for the previous owners of the inn and handling the process, Mike Easton comments, ‘This was truly a rare opportunity to own a piece of Dartmoor’s history and to invest in what we consider a sleeping giant of a venue. Our understanding is that this may be the first time the Drewe has been owned by a private individual, having been under brewery ownership for as long as anyone can remember. The venue offers much, particularly with the underused Long Room (function room) at the rear and the location on the edge of the Moor, right on the Two Moors Way and within 20 minutes of Exeter. I look forward to seeing the pub up and running again and the community’s plans develop, and I would like to thank the community steering group in the positive way they have approached the process.’
    It is reported that a public house stood on the site earlier than the current building and there have been various names over the years. It was recorded as the New Inn in the 1890’s and the Druid’s Inn until the 1920’s when it changed again to the name it holds today, The Drewe Arms. This latest name derived from Julius Drewe, the tea merchant who built Castle Drogo nearby. From 1919 until 1994 the Drewe Arms was run by Mabel Mudge, who retired aged 99 after 75 years in situ.
    Glyn and Jane Martin, part of the steering group add ‘Now we have completed the purchase, the initial plan will be to open in March next year with ‘pop-up’ events in the meantime. We have engaged Simon Saunders who is a well-respected publican and known to many on Dartmoor. He plans to manage the pub while retaining his own successful business in Chagford. In addition, we will be looking at a better use of the Long room and creating a more efficient use of the kitchen and dining facilities whilst maintaining the key ingredient – that of the heritage of the pub. Longer term we have plans to reintroduce accommodation so that customers can stay and get the true Dartmoor community experience.’

    Toby concludes ‘In short, we could not have achieved any of this without the financial support of the hundreds of people who have bought shares and donated to the cause and for that we are very thankful. We already know that there will be support for our working parties to start to repair and restore this fantastic Devon Inn and to see our local and wider community give so generously is heartwarming indeed.’

    The Drewe Arms was sold off a guide price of £500,000 via www.vickeryholman

  • News & Brews Winter edition 2023 Tuesday 12 December 2023

    The Winter edition of our popular free branch magazine, News & Brews is published and will be available in a pub near you in the next few days. It contains details of What's On in our area, news of pubs and breweries plus reports of past events and trips concluding with the thoughts of our Grumpy Old Man. If you cannot wait for a hard copy, you can view it on-line here

  • October Meeting Minutes & December Meeting Agenda Wednesday 6 December 2023

    The October Meeting Minutes and December Meeting Agenda are now available here in the Members' Area of our website (Login required)

  • Big Beer dominates cask beer sales in 2023 Tuesday 5 December 2023

  • More Pub News Saturday 11 November 2023

    TQ handpumps TQ Beerworks have started to offer cask conditioned beers and real cider. Four new handpumps have been installed, three for cask ales and one for cider

    TQ are also generously offering a 10% discount to CAMRA members off both cask and keg beers.

    The Old Firestation Not in our branch area, but close, there is a new brewery tap opened in Topsham. Called the Old Firestation it is the brewery tap for Crossed Anchors Brewery.

  • CAMRA Christmas Raffle tickets now available Saturday 4 November 2023
  • Pub News Thursday 2 November 2023

    The Teign Cellars The Bad News: The Teign Cellars in Newton Abbot is reported to have closed last Sunday (29th October 2023)

    The Good News: A new bar, The Upside Beer Bar in Paignton is due to open on Wednesday 15th November - Licensee is Stuart O'Dell, who was the licesee of the Teign Cellars
    It is conveniently situated on Victoria Street, handy for both the railway and bus stations; it appears to have two hand pumps for cask ales

  • News from the Queen's Arms Brixham Wednesday 1 November 2023

    The Queen's Arms The Queen's Arms currently has two special offers running:
    Mondays - Cask ales £3 per pint
    Thursdays - 10% discount on all drinks when paying cash

  • Champion Beer of Britain Friday 27 October 2023

    CHAMPION BEER OF BRITAIN
    time is running out to have your say!
    Submissions close 1 November 2023.

    Vote Here


    Find out more here about #CBOB here:

  • Exeter Festival of Beer 2024 Monday 16 October 2023

    Staffing forms are now available for the Exeter Festival 18-20 January 2024
    Exeter branch are always very supportive of our Sunshine Beer & Cider Festival, this is our chance to repay them.....
    Staffing forms etc. are available here

  • Good Beer Guide 2024 Wednesday 11 October 2023

    Congratulations to all 29 of our pubs that appear in the 2024 Good Beer Guide recently published.
    Copies of the 2024 guide can be purchased here in paperback or digital format.

    Georgie & Alan at the Green Dragon Stoke Fleming Beverley at the Hermitage Inn Kingsbridge

    Tricia Clark at the Cherub Dartmouth Mike Rowland of The Palk Arms Hennock Chris and Simon of the Queen's Arms Brixham with Philip German Henry's Bar Paignton Vigilance Brixham Tally Ho Littlehempston Zoe & Tina at Two Mile Oak Teign House Inn

  • Kingsbridge Inn Totnes Wednesday 11 October 2023

    The efforts of local residents to prevent the Kingsbridge Inn becoming a residential property continue. South Hams District Council have listed the Kingsbridge Inn, Totnes as an Asset of Community Value.
    This restriction will now be registered with Land Charges and with the Land Registry. It will be added to the list of ACVs on the SHDC website.. This listing will last for a period of 5 years until 28/9/2028

    .

  • National Cider & Perry Pub of the Year 2023 announced Thursday 5 October 2023

    The Tom Cobley Tavern in Spreyton, has been crowned National Cider & Perry Pub of the Year 2023 by the Campaign for Real Ale.
    This prestigious national award recognises the best pub or club that promotes and encourages the sale of quality real cider and perry across the UK.
    Featuring around 25 real ciders and perries, the newly crowned pub is a worthy winner, attracting visitors from far and wide.
    The other three finalists in the competition were Hops d'Amour in Coventry; The Three Bs in Bridlington, and the White Lion, in Norwich

    Congratulations to them all

    More information about cider can be found here

  • South Hams pub available Leasehold Tuesday 26 September 2023

    Bettesworths are advertising the George Inn at Blackawton
    Details are available here

  • Cider News from Hunt's and South Hams Drinks Tuesday 19 September 2023

  • September Branch Meeting Minutes now available Tuesday 19 September 2023

    September Branch Meeting Minutes now available here
    CAMRA log in required

  • News & Brews Autumn 2023 Friday 15 September 2023

    The Autumn edition of our popular branch magazine, News & Brews is published and wll be available in a pub near you in the next few days. It contains details of What's On in our area, news of pubs and breweries plus reports of past events and trips concluding with the thoughts of our Grumpy Old Man. If you cannot wait for a hard copy, you can view it on-line here

  • 2023 Sunshine Festival 'Beer of the Festival' Award Sunday 10 September 2023

    The presentation was made on 9th September during the 'Thank You' trip, details can be found here

  • CAMRA Pub Design Awards announced Sunday 3 September 2023

    CAMRA Pub Design Awards announced
    Details of the winners can be found here

    More details about CAMRA's Heritage pubs can be found here

  • Changes to bus services across Devon from 3rd September 2023 Saturday 2 September 2023

    Latest news and service updates from Devon County Council can be found here

    Details from Stagecoach of what’s changing and links to download the new timetables can be found here

  • CAMRA National Club of the Year 2023 Finalists announced Thursday 31 August 2023

    Club of the Year 2022 CAMRA campaigns to protect and promote clubs, which are important community assets that promote the social well being of their local area.

    The Club of the Year competition is run in conjunction with Club Mirror magazine with the simple aim of finding the best clubs with the greatest commitment to quality real ale – those which offer a fantastic atmosphere, welcoming surroundings and most importantly, top quality real ale served in great condition.
    Clubs are nominated by CAMRA branches, and are then independently assessed by a panel of CAMRA volunteers throughout the year.
    Regional finalists are available here

  • Pub Heritage Bulletin Thursday 31 August 2023

    Pub heritage news countrywide including news of the Drewe Arms
    More details here

  • CAMRA National Pub of the Year 2023 Finalists announced Sunday 27 August 2023

    The top 16 pubs in the country have been announced following a year of rigorous judging in the National Pub of the Year competition.
    Covering the entire UK, the regional finalists battled it out with thousands of pubs across the country to be crowned the winner in their area.
    The cream of the crop will now go forward to the grand final for the National Pub of the Year 2023 crown – the highest accolade afforded to British pubs. The final four will be announced in October, before the overall winner is announced early 2024.

    Details of all regional finalists, including the South West, can be found here

    Details of the current National Pub of the Year, pictured right, can be found here

  • A National Tragedy - The Crooked House, Himley Sunday 13 August 2023

    Commenting on the case of the Crooked House, South Staffordshire, CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said:
    “The case of the Crooked House is a national tragedy, and we have now learnt that the full demolition of the building was not required following the safety inspection. The police and Council must both act swiftly to investigate the fire and subsequent demolition of the building.
    “The destruction of this iconic pub has brought a nationwide scandal to the forefront of people’s minds.
    More details here

    Calls for destroyed historic gem to be rebuilt. Article in Whats Brewing here

  • GBBF - The Champions Wednesday 2 August 2023

    The overall winners at this year's Great British Beer Festival are shown below:
    Our congratulations go to St. Austell Brewery for being awarded 3rd place in the Premium Pale Blond & Golden Ales category.
    The full list of award winners can be found here

    Champion Beer of Great Britain Champion Bottled Beer of Great Britain

  • Cost of a pint more expensive in the UK than other countries Saturday 29 July 2023

    A pint of beer in the UK is 127% more expensive than the worldwide average cost, new research from Finder UK has revealed.

    More details can be found here

  • Sunshine Beer & Cider Festival -It's all over now! Monday 24 July 2023

    This year's festival has been and gone. For those who missed it completely or can't remember much about it, there is a report available here

  • Sunshine Beer & Cider Festival Thursday 13 July 2023

    Another Important Notice!

    We regret that due to licensing issues and the rail strike we will be unable to open on Thursday 20th.
    However the rest of the festival will run as planned

  • The Beer List for Sunshine 2023 is now available Sunday 2 July 2023

    The list is available in Excel and PDF formats here

  • Possible Rail Strikes over the Sunshine Festival weekend Thursday 29 June 2023

    It is probable that there will be rail strikes on the Thursday and Saturday of the Sunshine Beer & Cider Festival. This will also impact services on the Friday. This will affect visitors travelling from further afield. One alternative may be Stagecoach buses, click the link below for more details:

    In The Event of a Rail Strike

  • Sunshine Beer & Cider Festival 20-22 July - Important Information Sunday 25 June 2023

    Our only festival of the year is now less than one month away, at the moment we do not have enough volunteers to run the event! Can we please ask members to please consider if they can help make the event the great success it was last year. Please let the organisers know if and when you can help. The organisers have plenty of problems just putting the event together without having sleepless nights worrying about sufficient volunteers!

    Staffing forms can be found here

  • Branch Website of the Year Award 2023 Saturday 17 June 2023

    Peter Bridle (right) presents the certificate to Alan At our recent AGM our regional Director, Peter Bridle, presented the branch with a certificate to confirm 1st Place in the annual Website of the Year competition. The certificate is pictured being received by Alan Cooke our Website Coordinator.

    There is no truth in the rumour that they both buy their shirts in the same charity shop.....

  • Real Ale Finder App Sunday 11 June 2023

    A free app for pubs and people who love real ales and cider. Inventory management and sharing for the pub, real time notifications for the customer. TV screen feed for only £30 a year!

    There is only one pub registered in our area at present, along with one in Exeter and one in Plymouth, however the ability to view beers currently available may prove useful in the future if more pubs register.
    Real Ale Finder App

  • English pubs forced to close after owners demand full rent for lockdown Thursday 8 June 2023

    A pub landlord company has been accused of pushing pubs into bankruptcy after demanding tenants pay full rent owed from the months during the Covid lockdowns.
    The Wellington Pub Company, which has a portfolio of 750 pubs and is owned by the billionaire Reuben brothers is demanding full rent from some of its pub tenants who have not traded since March. The pub group has now been accused by many tenants of being ruthless in refusing to cut rents due on premises closed as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Regional media outlets all over the UK are reporting on pub closures resulting directly from the intransigence. .
    More details here

  • News & Brews Summer 2023 Wednesday 7 June 2023

    The keenly awaited Summer edition of our popular News & Brews branch magazine will be hitting the pubs this week. It is also available online and can be read by clicking Summer 2023

  • CAMRA Southwest Region - Cider Pub of the Year announced Monday 22 May 2023

    The Tom Cobley The Tom Cobley Tavern, Spreyton has won the CAMRA Southwest Region - Cider Pub of the Year

    They now go forward for national judging and the winner will be announced at the beginning of October (CAMRA’s next Cider month)

    Congratulations to all concerned!

  • DevonLive have discovered pubs in Newton Abbot Tuesday 16 May 2023

    Described as the ultimate guide to an all-day Newton Abbot bar crawl

    DevonLive's take on where to drink in Newton Abbot, click here

  • Great British Beer Festival 1-5 August Olympia, London - Volunteering Friday 12 May 2023

    The GBBF volunteering application portal is now open.
    The festival attracts CAMRA volunteers from all over the UK and there are many benefits for those taking part.
    • Free entry for festival volunteers
    • Free festival glass
    • Free or subsidised accommodation
    • Subsidised canteen
    • Discounts on selected stalls
    • Free staff bar
    You can sign up here and the Staffing team will let you know what’s involved and more about the role/s you’ve selected. If you’re new to volunteering and want to know more, please read our Guidelines and FAQs.

    Thanks in advance.

  • Summer of Pub is back! Sunday 30 April 2023

    Summer of Pub aims to support and promote pub-going throughout the summer and getting involved is as easy as planning a trip down your local!
    The past few years have presented an enormous challenge for the whole sector, and venues and producers need support like never before. Pubs are at the heart of so many communities across the UK, serving a huge range of beers, ciders and perries and hosting events that cater for every taste.
    There’s something for everyone so check out the listings here to find events in your area, or submit your own events and begin your Summer of Pub!

  • Members' Benefits Friday 28 April 2023

    In addition to the obvious benefits of being a CAMRA member, there are an increasing number of additional benefits available.
    These include such items as discounts on:
    Beer, cider and wine deliveries
    Outdoor items
    Computers
    Cruises
    Medical and travel Insurance
    UK attractions
    Travel
    New cars and car hire

    More details can be found here

  • National chairman’s speech at Members’ Weekend Thursday 27 April 2023

    For those of you that are interested and did not get to the members' Weekend, Nik Antona's speech can be found here

  • Branch Website of the Year 2023 Wednesday 26 April 2023

    I am pleased to be able to report that our website has been chosen as CAMRA's Branch Website of the Year 2023.
    The runners up were the Aberdeen, Grampian & Northern Isles branch and the Wigan branch.

    Other awards including Campaigner of the Year and Branch Magazine of the Year, all of which were awarded at the recent Members' Weekend in Sheffield, can be found here
    Congratulations to them all

  • Winners at the 2023 MaltingsFest Saturday 22 April 2023

    Eight Arch Brewing Co & Yonder Brewing named Champions of the South West in SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2023
    Eight Arch Brewing Co and Yonder Brewing have taken home the two Overall Champion awards in the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) South West Independent Beer Awards, which took place last night at the MaltingsFest beer festival in Newton Abbot.
    Square Logic by Eight Arch, an aromatic and fruity pale ale using buckets of American hops, was named the best cask beer in the competition after a final round judging against all other beer style category winners. In the separate keg beer competition it was Yonder Brewing’s Raspberry Gose that took the top spot, wowing judges with huge fruit flavours, subtle sourness and a refreshing, balanced finished.

    Nuttycombe Brewery wins class
    Nuttycombe Brewery's Doonicans wins Gold in its class and Snow Leopard wins Silver

    South Hams Brewery win two awards
    South Hams Brewery win Bronze for the Devon Porter in cask & a Silver for The Sundown IPA in keg.

  • An important announcement from the Board of New Lion Brewery Thursday 20 April 2023

    This is an important announcement from the Board of New Lion Brewery. In this time of unprecedented hardship for craft brewing and hospitality businesses, the Board of New Lion Brewery has reached the difficult decision that in order to continue trading, it is no longer viable for us to manage both our brewery and Taproom as a single business.
    Small and medium-sized breweries across the UK have been going out of business in large numbers, as have pubs and bars, partly as a result of the impacts of COVID, the cost of living crisis and the huge rise in energy bills.
    Therefore, as of yesterday, the board of New Lion Brewery have made the decision to cease trading at the New Lion Brewery Taproom in Dartington in order to consult with our members on a new approach for the future of our currently mothballed brewery. 279 members of the community invested in our brewery and we feel this is the correct decision to try and ensure the brewery that initially inspired them remains viable. We will be holding an AGM with them soon to explore this.
    We as a Board, alongside the Taproom’s landlords the Dartington Recreation Association (DRA) who we have worked with in a very positive manner over the past year and a half, recognise that the Taproom has become an important part of the local community which would be much missed if it were to close.
    To that end, the Board, with the support of the DRA, have entered into an agreement with the New Lion Brewery management team for them to operate the taproom independently. We are pleased to be able to say that that the management team of Ed, Jac and Jasmine will be running the Taproom as a new business, Things Happen Here, providing the same great selection of beers and events for the community to enjoy. If you would like to receive news about Things Happen Here you can subscribe to their mailing list at https://mailchi.mp/89018c13684e/things-happen-here)
    You may have noticed the lack of New Lion Brewery beers in the Taproom and in local shops over the past few months. This was because we were forced, for now at least, to suspend brewing operations due to the factors already noted. It is our hope that, if our investors feel they want to step up and bring about a New Lion Brewery once again focused purely on brewing, that our fine beers will find a way to remain as a part of your life.
    We would like to thank you for your understanding and support and we will aim to update you all further following our AGM, which will be held in two weeks. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank you so much for your support, love, custom and belief.

  • Changes at the Crabshell, Kingsbridge Thursday 20 April 2023

    More details here

  • Bays Brewery Launches Charity Brew With A Bite Tuesday 18 April 2023

    Director of Bays Brewery Peter Salmon with Wild 100 Bays Brewery in Paignton has once again teamed up with its friends at Paignton Zoo to mark their 100th anniversary with the launch of a ‘roarsome’ charity brew called Wild 100.
    Available in bottles, cask and beer boxes, the crisp, copper-coloured pale ale made using Slovenian and American hops is roaring with character, with 5% of all proceeds going to wildlife conservation.
    The special-edition ale is a fitting tribute to Paignton Zoo’s centenary celebrations, with the zoo’s founder Herbert Whitley the son of a successful brewer from the Greenall Whitley brewery.
    Wild 100 is one of four new ales being served up by the big-hearted team at Bays Brewery who are supporting a number of top Devon charities throughout 2023 with its brand new ‘charity brews’.
    More details are available here

  • National Pub of the Year 2022 Winner Announced Wednesday 5 April 2023

    The Tamworth Tap, Tamworth
    The Tamworth Tap The impressive brewpub located in a 16th century shop front falling within the shadow of Tamworth’s historic Norman castle has been named the best pub in the country in CAMRA’s Pub of the Year 2022 competition.

    Runners Up
    Station House, Durham
    Horse & Jockey, Stapleford
    Kings Head, Norwich
    More details can be found here

  • MaltingsFest beer list announced Tuesday 28 March 2023

    A downloadable list of beers is available here

  • 2023 Branch Pubs & Club of the Year announced Monday 27 March 2023

    Queen's Arms bar The winners for this year are:
    Overall Pub of the Year - The Queen's Arms, Brixham
    Rural Pub of the Year - The Durant Arms, Ashprington
    Cider Pub of the Year - The Queen's Arms, Brixham
    Club of the Year - Preston Conservative Club

    Congratulations to all

    Details of presentation times and dates can be found here
    Everyone,members and non-members are welcome to attend

    Link to Devon Live article here

    Link to Torbay Weekly article here