SOUTH WEST ESSEX BRANCH CAMRA

Campaigning for Real Ale and Real Pubs in Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Brentwood & Thurrock.

On 12th January 1976 a group of dedicated fans of everything that is good and traditional in pubs and beer got together to form the local Romford & District Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). We later became known as the South West Essex Branch, due to the expansion of the area covered, and we now have more than 1,100 Branch Members. The 30th Anniversary of the Branch was celebrated on Friday, 13th January 2006 at The Lodge, Corbets Tey Road, Upminster, with more than 100 people attending.

What we do best – namely looking at pubs and checking the beer - is quite a task, as we have such a large area, and so many pubs to cover - 348 at the last count! However, we are trying (as part of the National Campaign) to draw attention to Quality – the Quality of the Pubs, and the Quality of the Beer! Why not support your local Branch by joining us at our regular weekly ’Social Events’. The Branch has joined the LocAle campaign to reduce ‘Beer Miles’ and support Local Breweries, by encouraging our Pubs & Clubs to consistently-take at least one Real Ale from a Brewery within 30 Miles (by road). We are currently working out the distances between our Good Beer Guide Pubs and Local Breweries and will be progressively rolling-out details of those Pubs that have ‘signed-up’.

We have a Branch Weekend away each year. In 2007 we stayed at the Corinium Hotel, Cirencester, with a visit to the Battledown Brewery in Cheltenham. In 2008 we were at the Shrewsbury Hotel in Shrewsbury & visited the Dow Bridge Brewery in Leicestershire and the Salopian Brewery in Shrewsbury. We also had a visit to nearby Bishops Castle, which is home to two Brewpubs - the Three Tuns & Six Bells. Last October we went to Barnstaple, Devon, visiting Keystone & Country Life Breweries. This autumn we plan to visit Manchester.

The Thurrock Beer Festival is held each June and a big thank you to all the people who came and drank the beer this year - Click here for details of Thurrock Beer Festival, Pictures from the Last Festival and the Essex CAMRA Beer Festival Calendar

The 2010 edition of the Good Beer Guide was published in September 2009 and is available from the CAMRA Website and at CAMRA Beer Festivals, usually at a special discount price for CAMRA Members!

Nominations were accepted from Branch Members for new entries to the Good Beer Guide 2011 up to and including our Double-Header Social on November 26th at the Kings Arms & the Foxhound in Orsett, Members had to be willing to survey their Nominations. Our Selection Meetings for the Good Beer Guide 2011 and for the Branch ‘Pubs of the Year 2010’ were held in February.

The SW Essex Branch ‘Pubs of the Year 2010’ are the:

· Traitors Gate, Little Thurrock – ‘Essex Area’ - Presented: Wed 19th May

· Traveller’s Friend, Woodford Green – ‘London Area’ - Presented: Thu 24th June

The ‘Essex County Pub of the Year 2010’ is the:

Bell, Castle Hedingham - Pub details

The ‘East Anglia Regional Pub of the Year 2009’ is the:

Wheatsheaf, Writtle - Pub details

The ‘London Regional Pub of the Year 2009’ Is the:

Bricklayers Arms, Putney (SW15) - Pub details

If pubs are important as places to enjoy drinking beer, then Breweries are just as important for producing the stuff and very enjoyable to visit - See ‘Brewery Trips’ for details

The BRITANNIA (Barking) has Closed

The Britannia has Closed, its last day was Sunday 11th October.

It had been expected that a customer of the pub would purchase

the freehold from Young’s (when Rita & John retired) and would

continue to run it as a pub. Sadly, we understand that he was

outbid for the property and the pub has closed. It is expected that

it will become part of the adjoining hotel.

The MASONS ARMS (Upminster) is threatened with closure

The Masons Arms in St Mary’s Lane may be demolished and

replaced by 8 flats if developers plans are approved, and that would

be a sad end to a local pub that had been much-improved by its

new managers.