ALE Summer 2003 No. 311

Brewery & Pubco News

The pubs industry is in another period of turmoil, with Scottish & Newcastle selling off their remaining pubs and many others up for grabs.

This is compounded by the collapse (as long expected) in the town centre themed venue fad. Many such places have been converted back to traditional pubs. Fake Irish bars are a particularly notable group.

Managed pubs beer sales in the last year are down 16% whereas tenancies are up 7%.
(Source: AC Nielsen survey) GBBF 2003 5-9 Aug London Olympia

New Localism Campaign

CAMRA will be celebrating the range of beers produced by local brewers around the country with the launch of its new localism campaign during the Great British Beer Festival. Each day will promote different regions with different themes.

There are other aspects of localism: for instance it's now all too common for a brewery's beers to be shipped to a wholesaler's depot hundreds of miles away for distribution back to local pubs.

Sue Doughty (MP for Guildford) has introduced the Local Communities & Sustainability Bill to make local authorities consider local sustainability issues.

East Anglian Brewers is a new cooperative of local brewers, farmers, maltsters and grain merchants to promote the region's great beer, made with the best ingredients and to try to counter the lack of outlets.

Cask Beer Week

The Independent Family Brewers of Britain (IFBB) are holding another Cask Beer Week between 19th and 28th September, supported by CAMRA.

Local news roundup

Milton Brewery's pubs offshoot now has a third pub, The Oakdale Arms in Harringay, London (details below). Richard Naisby of Milton Brewery reports "it used to be yet another keg-only pub in a part of London not overrepresented with real ale. Now it has eight beer handpumps and one real cider. Beers will come from Milton Brewery and other interesting micros. A large selection of Belgian and German bottled beers is carried together with a fine collection of malt whisky.

"For those readers familiar with the Coalheavers Arms in Peterborough, expect something similar (but in a bigger pub, with a wider clientele).

"Food will be available when we have sorted out the kitchen (but in meantime they are some fantastic Turkish places nearby!)"

Greene King's profits are up yet again, with high demand for its beer. The company hopes to expand its brewery - ironic considering its recent spree of closing breweries. Meanwhile for the second year running it's won The Publican newspaper's award for Pub Company of the Year.

The Oakdale Arms

Details from Milton Brewery.

283 Hermitage Road, Harringay, London N4 1NP.
Multimap; Streetmap.
Web site.

Seven Sisters is the most convenient tube station. Manor House is pretty close, but involves more hills. Harringay Green Lanes railway station is also very close.

The pub is on the corner of Hermitage Road and Oakdale Road. If you're coming by car or taxi, bear in mind that Hermitage Road is blocked to traffic in the middle and you should enter from the St Ann's Road end.

The No. 259 bus is pretty convenient too. It runs from Kings Cross to within a couple of hundred yards from the Oakdale, stopping on Seven Sisters Road, at the stop after Vartry Road.

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