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Pub Guide

Opening Times

Issue 140 Autumn 2009

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PUB PIECES

The Royal Oak at Warboys has been taken over by Darren Thompson and Sinead Nicholson, owners of the award-winning Mad Cat free house at Pidley. The Royal Oak has already reopened under its new management and will launch a major new high quality food offering there in October, with free samples of all dishes at the opening. Darren and Sinead took over the Mad Cat in 2007 and in the following two years won Huntingdonshire CAMRA’s ‘Most Improved Pub’ award and then ‘Pub of the Year’.

Congratulations are due to Elgoods pub the Boat at Whittlesey which has won CAMRA’s Pub of the Year award for Cambridgeshire. The Boat was nominated by CAMRA’s Peterborough branch and judged against this year’s other branch winners the Mad Cat at Pidley, the West End House in Ely and the White Horse, Swavesey. The Boat now goes on to judging in the East Anglia regional round of the award, won last year by the Chequers at Little Gransden.

The Bell at Sawtry has closed. Owners Punch Taverns refused to give any reasons for the closure of the business by their lessee. Currently this leaves the large village of Sawtry with just one pub, the Greystones, but CAMRA is hopeful that the Bell will reopen.

The Charles Wells pub estate has increased to a total of 260 on their purchase of 26 pubs from Punch Taverns. Fullers, Shepherd Neame and Lees breweries have also been snapping up managed and tenanted pubs from Punch, and Greene King has bought 11 Punch managed houses in the South East of England, London and Scotland for £30.4 million and is selling 11 of its Belhaven pubs in Scotland.

The Windmill at Somersham is back in business with Justine Mackenzie at the helm following work completed there to repair flooding damage which occurred shortly after new leaseholders had taken on the popular village dining destination.

It is also business as usual at the Snooty Tavern, Great Staughton which has been sold on behalf of administrators. Nick and Caroline Benson, who were previously employed by Snooty Inns as the pub’s managers, are still in charge there after owners Snooty Inns went into administration earlier this year.

Elgoods cask beer has been noted on tap at the George in Buckden. Other great choices in Buckden of late have included Adnams Oyster Stout at the Lion, and the ever-popular Taylors Landlord at the Vine.

Marstons cask beers Marstons Pedigree and Banks’s Original have been noted at their Priory pub in St Neots.

Buntingford cask ales are no longer on sale at the Cock, Hemingford Grey. Other regulars remain, including real ales from Wolf, Nethergate and Potbelly breweries. All cask beers at the Cock are sourced from suppliers within an hour’s worth of beer miles. And the Cock also offers Cromwell Cider, produced in the Hemingfords.

The Three Horseshoes, Abbots Ripton has switched from handpumps to serving it’s real ales from a tap room, direct from the cask. Four real ales are regularly available, including local ales from Elgoods, Buntingford, and Oakham.

Pub Beer Festivals

Wyboston Lakes are holding a beer festival from Sat 8th to Sun 16th August, with a selection of up to 10 real ales each day. Live music on the 14th and 15th.

The Waggon and Horses, Steeple Morden beer festival is on Sun 15th August, with 6 real ales, cider and live music.

The White Hart, Godmanchester is running a beer festival from Thu 13th to Sun 16th August, with 20+ local real ales, and 8 ciders, a hog roast and live music.

The Cock, Hemingford Grey has a beer festival August bank holiday weekend from Friday 28th pm to Sunday 30th pm with local bands, a BBQ and 25 real ales.

The Pheasant, Keyston is holding its 4th annual beer festival on August 30th.