Some recent beer experiences.
PLIP! Sainsbury's at Nine Elms. At the checkout. I'm wearing a Moonlight Brewing 'Death & Taxes' tee shirt. The old(ish) dear on the checkout notices the shirt and asks what it means. It's an American brewery, I inform her. "American? Have you had that Goose Green beer?" Would that be Goose Island, I venture. Her face lights up. "That's it! I don't usually like beer, but I like the flavour of that one!"
See? Craft beer isn't just for da kidz. And I bet my checkout operator didn't have to spend £13 for it. I don't know where the lady got hers - I haven't seen it in Sainsbury's, though Tesco's lists it, along with the other 2 members of the US Craft Trinity of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Brooklyn Lager (I'm overlooking Blue Moon on purpose, before you comment). I wonder how long it will be before interesting UK beers in bottles start showing up in supermarkets, and yes, I'm also overlooking BrewDog. But they have the right idea, seems to me.
PLOP! Smart Phones. A lot of people have 'em. Not me - I'm habitually 3 or 4 generations behind the current technology. I'm That Bloke who bought a netbook. Anyway, Smart Phones are the thing. And the 'apps' that stamp your personality on them.
At The Harp at the weekend, somebody shows me a beer app. It's called YourRound, and it's a database that allows the drinker to search beers, pubs and even festivals. Say your favourite beer is Dark Star APA. You can search your locale to see who is selling it. Or you can check in at your local to see what they have. The app relies on brewers and pubs to sign up and keep the database current, but Binnie's son Alan was enthusiastic about it being quick and simple for staff to change the listing at the pub when they change a barrel, and if a fast-turnover pub like The Harp can do it...
You also get tasting notes and info on the brewery. I believe other apps are available that do similar things, and it seemed a clever way to simplify finding the beer you want. And it would save the pub or bar having to take to social media every time they change their beers. I think the YourRound app is free to download at the moment.
PLAP! I'm not sure if anybody else picked up on this in the Independent in mid-June. Beer is on the verge of a breakthrough in India, with a tiny but fast-growing brewpub niche. Another sign of the global reach of craft beer? How long before they have tickers and spoogebeerians? Hopefully they're a long way from that.
PLOOP! The Mansion House licence application is up before the Lambeth Licensing Sub-Committee on 17th July. The application doesn't appear to have been modified, so they still seem to be asking for that 24/7 4am closing.
Showing posts with label mansion house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mansion house. Show all posts
Sunday 8 July 2012
Wednesday 13 June 2012
Oakham In Kennington? Not Just Yet...
London Borough of Lambeth has published the minutes of the most recent licensing sub-committee meeting. Therein we find
In the meantime, the pub remains a building site. I'll keep an eye on future meetings for updates.
THE MANSION HOUSE, 48 KENNINGTON PARK ROAD,They don't say why, but I can imagine somebody at Oaka got jittery, considering the depth of opposition to their proposed opening hours.
LONDON SE11 4RS (PRINCE'S WARD)
This application was deferred to a future meeting at the request of the applicant’s representative.
In the meantime, the pub remains a building site. I'll keep an eye on future meetings for updates.
Sunday 27 May 2012
Oakham In Kennington: Licence Application Decision This Week
In the last gripping instalment, Lambeth Council had put the Mansion House licence application out for consultation, with the local scuttlebutt revealing public nuisance concerns which could delay opening.
The licensing sub-committee will be considering the application from OAKA on Wednesday of this coming week, with 27 representations dealing with public nuisance to consider, including one with 12 signatories from the Guinness Trust estate across Kennington Park Road. The local Police Licensing Team have also made representation on similar grounds.
I had a chat with John, who manages the Antic-operated Old Red Lion next door, and he appeared unfazed by the likely craft beer competition. His licence is 9 to 12 but weeknight closing is 11pm, and he thought OAKA might get a 1am finish at weekends, which he said would suit him as he would be able to close on time.
In the meantime, the Mansion House is still a building site, so if they are refused a licence this time around, I don't suppose there'll be a problem with loss of trade.
I'll update this post after Wednesday's meeting, once decision is made public.
The licensing sub-committee will be considering the application from OAKA on Wednesday of this coming week, with 27 representations dealing with public nuisance to consider, including one with 12 signatories from the Guinness Trust estate across Kennington Park Road. The local Police Licensing Team have also made representation on similar grounds.
I had a chat with John, who manages the Antic-operated Old Red Lion next door, and he appeared unfazed by the likely craft beer competition. His licence is 9 to 12 but weeknight closing is 11pm, and he thought OAKA might get a 1am finish at weekends, which he said would suit him as he would be able to close on time.
In the meantime, the Mansion House is still a building site, so if they are refused a licence this time around, I don't suppose there'll be a problem with loss of trade.
I'll update this post after Wednesday's meeting, once decision is made public.
Thursday 26 April 2012
Oakham In Kennington: More News...
It's been a couple of months since I wrote anything - life intrudes. The last thing I blogged about is the next, and it concerns the new Oakham pub in Kennington.
I contacted Oakham, who told me that their pubs are actually operated by a sister business, the Oaka Group. Oaka never got back to me with any info about opening etc. I wasn't asking for anything confidential - after all, there's a ten foot banner on the hoarding outside the building site that will eventually reveal, chrysalis-like, their pub. However, I did uncover a weird quirk which suggests that Oakham won't directly supply their pub. Instead, the lovely beer will come via Borough market's Utobeer.
Then I saw that their licence application to Lambeth Council had gone in. It appears as if the pub name will remain as The Mansion House, and that they are asking for a late licence to 4am. The offer will be real ale with pan-Asian cuisine and a range of entertainment, including dancing, film shows, live and piped music. They intend to have pavement seating as well.
My council insider said that some misgivings had already been expressed over the late licence, which could delay the application. This bit of Kennington has the tube station, but you need to walk 10 minutes towards the river to get to what would be the town centre, so it's possible the council would consider a 4am licence in a mostly residential part of the neighbourhood to be too much. I don't know what time Antic's Old Red Lion are licenced until, but their latest closing time is midnight. I'll keep my ear to the ground.
In the meantime, there's no sign of work being completed, so the May opening doesn't look likely right now.
Update: Neighbourhood blogger Lurking About SE11 has also picked up on the story. He notes a previous attempt to get late opening in a pub on Kennington Cross fell to opposition from locals. Lurking's call to action might be a bit too late (deadline for representations closed yesterday), but this one may run a while.
I contacted Oakham, who told me that their pubs are actually operated by a sister business, the Oaka Group. Oaka never got back to me with any info about opening etc. I wasn't asking for anything confidential - after all, there's a ten foot banner on the hoarding outside the building site that will eventually reveal, chrysalis-like, their pub. However, I did uncover a weird quirk which suggests that Oakham won't directly supply their pub. Instead, the lovely beer will come via Borough market's Utobeer.
Then I saw that their licence application to Lambeth Council had gone in. It appears as if the pub name will remain as The Mansion House, and that they are asking for a late licence to 4am. The offer will be real ale with pan-Asian cuisine and a range of entertainment, including dancing, film shows, live and piped music. They intend to have pavement seating as well.
My council insider said that some misgivings had already been expressed over the late licence, which could delay the application. This bit of Kennington has the tube station, but you need to walk 10 minutes towards the river to get to what would be the town centre, so it's possible the council would consider a 4am licence in a mostly residential part of the neighbourhood to be too much. I don't know what time Antic's Old Red Lion are licenced until, but their latest closing time is midnight. I'll keep my ear to the ground.
In the meantime, there's no sign of work being completed, so the May opening doesn't look likely right now.
Update: Neighbourhood blogger Lurking About SE11 has also picked up on the story. He notes a previous attempt to get late opening in a pub on Kennington Cross fell to opposition from locals. Lurking's call to action might be a bit too late (deadline for representations closed yesterday), but this one may run a while.
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