North Surrey

Campaign for Real Ale

News

  • NEWS & ALE - WINTER 2023 Thursday 7 December 2023

    Ho Ho Ho - too early? - the latest addition of our local CAMRA magazine News & Ale Magazine Winter 2023 is out now, and should be available from a pub or maybe club near you, or online via the above link. It is Issue 150, and packed with articles, pub and brewery news, and community events from across the county. Our thanks to Brian Bourne from Surrey Hants Borders Branch for putting it all together.

  • ENGLEFIELD GREEN WANDER Tuesday 28 November 2023

    Image courtesy of Royal Holloway University of London

    On Saturday 25th November 2023, several members set out in bright if chilly sunshine to explore some Englefield Green pubs. See Englefield Green Walkabout to find out what happened.

  • EGHAM BEER FESTIVAL SOCIAL Monday 13 November 2023

    A good turnout for some great beer

    Pleased we had a great turnout at the 41st Egham Beer Festival Branch Social on 8th November. There were around 40 ales on the beer list, including some excellent dark ales for this Autumn festival, and also several top notch real ciders. The range was so popular, many members paid further visits over the following days. Our thanks also go the RMT and ASLEF rail unions for not having any industrial action during this festival ;-)

    Since starting in December 2008, the 3 times a year Egham Beer Festival has raised around £25,000 for good causes including Help for Heroes, Coming Home, White Lodge Centre, Dementia Carers Support and many many more. The recipients this time were Thames Sailability who provide accessible boating for wheelchair users, people with reduced mobility, and those with learning challenges.

    So when's the next one I hear you say? Answer is we can look forward to EBF42 running from 27th to 30th March 2024.

    PS My thanks to Simon Grist from our neighbouring CAMRA Berkshire South East Branch for taking the photo.

  • GOOD BEER GUIDE 2024 Monday 2 October 2023

    The 2024 edition of CAMRA's best-selling Good Beer Guide was launched on Thursday 28th September 2023. Congratulations to all the pubs that made it in this time.

    In The Good Beer Guide, you’ll find over 4500 listings across the UK’s best pubs, bars and breweries, chosen by local CAMRA volunteers as having the best cask beers available – or you can check out the special brewery section to discover new breweries setting the scene alight with interesting, exciting new brews.

  • NEWS & ALE MAGAZINE Monday 11 September 2023

    The latest addition of our local CAMRA magazine News & Ale Autumn 2023 is out now, and should be available from a pub or maybe club near you, or online via the above link..

  • UPDATE - TWO LOCAL PUBS REOPENED Sunday 20 August 2023

    My thanks to two CAMRA members who contacted the Branch with information on the following.

    Firstly local member Rob contacted us with a photo showing that the Rose & Olive Branch in Callow Hill, Virginia Water is re-opening on Saturday 19th August. I've checked it out and fully updated it's WhatPub entry. Windsor and Eton Brewery still seem to have an involvement, as W&E Guardsman is available on cask, and also sever of their keg beers.

    Following this, James from Huddersfield Branch contacted us to say the Golden Grove near St. Anne's Hill, Chertsey had re-opened following their extensive refurbishment. It it reopened on the Wednesday the 9th, and a visit confirmed an extensive refurbishment. Bar is now in a different place, and London Pride is available on cask, as well as Beavertown Neck Oil on keg.

    Always good to get updates of any sort. These can be done via WhatPub, or via Chair.

  • PUB TAKEAWAY SALES TO CONTINUE Sunday 13 August 2023

    It was announced today that pubs in England and Wales will be able to continue selling takeaway drinks, after the government decided to keep Covid licensing rules. These were due to expire on 30 September, but they will now be continued until March 2025. The move - aimed at saving the trade from financial ruin - was previously extended twice during the pandemic. Please see BBC Pub Takeaway Rules for more information.

    This threat was subject of a vigorous campaign by CAMRA, and is really great news. Maybe Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's recent visit to the GBBF the Great British Beer Festival did some good after all.

  • GBBF 2023 REPORT Monday 7 August 2023

    Happy North Surrey Branch members at the Great British Beer Festival 2023

    The 2023 CAMRA Great British Beer Festival was another success, with thousands of visitors again this year, to one of the biggest, exciting and well-known annual events in the beer and cider world. it brings hundreds of UK and international beers, ciders and perries under the iconic magnificent Kensington Olympia roof. Mind you this year there was a huge amount of building work in and around the site, with entry via a different side entrance. Fortunately the overtime ban by ASLEF as part of the ongoing industrial action on the railways, did not impact too badly on people's journeys.

    Like all CAMRA events, it would not happen without the help of hundreds of volunteers, including many from this Branch. Mind you, they also need customers to turn up and drink all the wonderful produce, and again our Branch was well represented, as you can see from the photo. It was good to bump into Andy Hayward and his team from our very own Thames Side Brewery.

    There are many activities during the Festival, including the final of the Champion Beer of Britain competition. This year it was won by Elland Brewery 1872 Porter.

    We now look forward to GBBF 2024, but meanwhile, why not visit some more local festivals, some of which are shown on our Diary & What's On page. Cheers!

  • LONDON DRINKER Wednesday 2 August 2023

    The latest edition of the London Drinker for August-September, published by the London Region of CAMRA, is now available in hard copy form from some local pubs and clubs. A PDF version is also available from the following link London Drinker August-September 2023.

  • MEMBERSHIP UPDATE Monday 31 July 2023

    Our Branch Membership for July stands at 400 members, with one newbie joining. New Members often join as a result of attending an event like a Beer Festival. With the national Great British Beer Festival taking place at Olympia starting tomorrow, let's hope we pick up a few more.

    If you're new to the Branch, you're hopefully getting our occasional Branch email newsletters. If not, or you just want to say hello, please Contact Branch at any time.