On 27 October, CAMRA’s Greater London Region officially launched the Good Beer Guide for 2023, its 50th edition, at the Star Tavern in Belgravia. The Star, a Fuller’s house, is one of only five pubs to have been included in all fifty editions. The event was hosted by CAMRA’s Regional Director for Greater London, Geoff Strawbridge, and the guests included Paul Nunny, director of Cask Marque, Simon Emeny, the chief executive of Fuller’s (pubs), and CAMRA’s chief executive, Tom Stainer. Cask Marque have sponsored the 2023 edition and Mr Nunny commented, “Cask Marque has sponsored the Good Beer Guide for a number of years because it is important that we recognise great pubs with a CAMRA endorsement. Fifty years of actively supporting our industry is a great achievement and coincides with Cask Marque championing beer quality for 25 years!”
The 2023 edition lists 292 pubs in London, as against 115 in the somewhat smaller 1974 edition. Of the latter, 77% are still open and selling real ale and 11 appear in the 2023 edition.
Mr Nunny also commented on the current situation as regards sales of cask beer, “a lot of pubs are destocking, which is not a bad thing, because if they’re not serious about it, the quality deteriorates and the consumer’s going to be disappointed.” Tom Stainer, added, “Every pub should be offering really well-made cask beer. That’s what CAMRA wants to see, and so it should be the carrot, not the stick. Get the quality of cask ale right, serve it well and people will love it. We should support pubs to do that.”
He added that, rather than simply call for cask to be sold at a higher price, as some brewers have, pubs should approach it as they do the wine list, with ascending price points. “Cask ale doesn’t always have to be the cheapest beer on the bar but it should have accessible pricing, and really well-made, special beers should be priced in the same way as specialist lagers or wines.”
Geoff Strawbridge commented, “It’s a hard time for pubs at the moment. Like many businesses, they are being hit by high fuel bills, staff shortages and business rates. Now some, such as the Compton Arms in Islington, have had the added burden of being taken to a licence review by local residents, simply for having customers who like to talk! Our nighttime economy is under threat.”
Commenting on the Star’s constant presence in the GBG, Simon Emeny noted that the current manager, Daffyd Thomas, is only the pub’s sixth manager in 25 years. Mr Emeny also commented on beer quality, “People choose where to go and, if the cask beer is not good, they will give that pub a wide berth. We are committed to quality; we want cask beer to turn over within 2.5 days or taken off. And we continue to invest in cellar training and cellar audits. Asahi have been outstanding partners and they care about cask”.
This is an appropriate moment to take a look back, with the aid of some analysis put together by Christine Cryne. The story of London’s beer and pubs over these fifty years is a mix of celebration and sorrow. London had eight breweries listed in the 1974 edition. Only Fuller’s still exist and they have undergone a major change. Those lost are:
• Charrington (Mile End); closed 1975
• Courage (Southwark); closed 1986
• Trumans (Brick Lane); closed 1989
• Watneys (Mortlake); closed 2015
• Whitbread (Islington); closed 1976
• Young’s (Wandsworth); closed 2006
• Guinness (Park Royal); closed 2005
Geoff continued, “London was late to the party but, like most of the country, we have seen a huge increase in the number of breweries over the last few years. Although we have lost eleven this last year, we have had five new breweries opening, bringing the total to 127.”
Of the pubs that were in the 1974 edition but have since been lost, six were turned into accommodation (usually after being demolished), five converted to restaurants and five are now retail outlets. Of the 92 survivors from the 1974 Guide, 20% have changed their name.
As well as the Star, these are the pubs in London that appear in both the 1974 and 2023 editions:
• Anglesea Arms, South Kensington
• Buckingham Arms, Westminster (also in all 50 GBGs)
• Dog and Bull, Croydon
• Express Tavern, Brentford
• Golden Eagle, Marylebone
• Hand in Hand, Wimbledon Common
• Mitre, Richmond
• Oporto (now Craft Beer Co) Covent Garden
• Queens Head, Cranford
• Royal Standard, Croydon
The full address of the Star is 6 Belgrave Mews West
To order a copy of the new Good Beer Guide, visit https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/the-good-beer-guide-2023. There is also a Good Beer Guide ‘app’ available on iOs and as a web-based app.