The Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage, was elected our Branch "Pub of the Year". Having been a close runner up for several years, the combination of well kept beers and the range now available since it has been supplied by SIBA (the Society of Independent Brewers) meant that the decision did not pose any problem for the Branch Committee this year! The landlord has already advertised the fact, by putting a huge banner on the side of his pub, which cannot be missed by anyone approaching Wantage from the Didcot direction. It reads "Pub of the Year / No Greene King Beer"!

Well, not so old, really - but some of the faces on this photos will be familier, having been prominent in the Oxfordshire CAMRA scene for some years. Indeed, this photo was taken a few years ago at a pub in Oxford. Standing, Sarah Durham (CAMRA Exec. Committee member, and Chair of the Publications Committee) and Matt Bullock (Oxford City Branch Chairman and News Letter Editor); sitting facing the camera, Neil Hoggarth (Oxford City Branch Secretary); and far right, Chris, and Nick Gould (designer of this web site and former Web Manager). Any suggestions for what Sarah might be saying? No prizes, but email your Web Manager if you have any ideas! © Geoff Grayer.

The White Horse Brewery, a micro located in our Branch area at Stanford-in-the-Vale, has been brewing since October 2004. Set up by two former Wychwood employees (Stuart Wastie and Andrew Wilson); their former boss, Ian Rogers (no relation to our Branch Chairman, Lawrence Rogers) chairs the company. They currently produce two beers: Oxfordshire Bitter (3.7%) and Wayland Smithy (4.4%). Apart from finding these beers at Ian's pub (the White Horse, Fyfield), they are now popular in many local pubs.
The Branch recently arranged a tour of this brewery, at which several of our Oxford City friends joined us. We thank the Brewery for their extensive hospitality. All were impressed with the modern, ergonomic, and above all impeccably clean design of their plant, particular attention having been made to floor surfacing and drainage to retain superb hygene.

Located just outside our Branch area in neighbouring Wiltshire, the Ramsbury Brewery has also been in production since October 2004. The head brewer, Joe Gibbs, comes from a different local brewery, this time it is Archers. The brewery is a 10-barrel plant located on an extensive estate some distance from Ramsbury village, and can be difficult to find (especially in the dark). The building housing the brewery started off by being a modification of an existing building, but finished up by being effectively a rebuild. The plant was purchased from an extant brewery. Their production (using barley grown on the estate, and sent away for malting) includes Ramsbury Bitter (3.6% ABV), Kennet Valley (4.1% ABV), Flintnapper (4.2% ABV), Ramsbury Gold (4.5% ABV), and Deerstalker (5.2%). Some of these are available bottled, Ramsbury Gold being a favourite.
Members and friends of the Branch visited the brewery in February 2006, and received a warm welcome and a really informative and interactive tour, followed by a buffet in a Ramsbury pub serving their ale.

Butts Brewery is located on the Wantage - Hungerford road (A338) in a Dutch Barn formerly part of Northfield Farm, on the right about a mile before you reach Gt. Shefford (SU391766). I include these details, because you can go and collect their bottled products direct from the Brewery at a discount, provided someone is there to serve you - best 'phone first, 01488 648133.
Set up by Chris Butts in 1994, ably assisted by Dave Price, their regular brews are Jester Organic (3.5%), Traditional (4%), Blackguard (4.5%), Barbus Barbus (4.6%), Golden Brown (5%), and the infamous Le Butts (5%). The latter is an EU-style beer using lager yeast and hops, and featuring a frog on the label! Always an innovator, in 2002 they decided to use organic materials whenever available, and (as indicated) some brews are certified organic. They have managed to penetrate local supermarkets, and you will find Butts bottle-conditioned brews in local Waitrose supermarkets, and on draft regularly at our 2006 Pub-of-the-Year, The Shoulder of Mutton at Wantage, as well as guest ale at many pubs in our Branch area. Visits by arrangement - this is a plant with character, and you can be assured of a friendly welcome!

West Berkshire Brewery Company (WBB) was originally set up by Dave Maggs and his wife Helen in 1995 at premises behind the Pot Kiln pub, Frilsham. He soon outgrew the 5-gallon plant, and built an additional 25-barrel plant in nearby Yattenden on the premises of a defunct bakery. It is fronted by a crafts shop where WBB related goods can be purchased, as well as the beer! The staff is now 6, and production often exceeds 50 barrels per week. Plans include expansion of the present plant, installation of a new bottling plant, and purchase of pubs as outlets. The first of these, the Rising Sun to the west of Newbury at Stockcross opened at the end of 2005.
Dave has brewed so many different beers it is impossible to list them all here. Indeed, he brews a new one every month (though the more popular are being re-cycled). Noteable however are Dr Hexter's Healer (5% ABV), winner of several awards; Full Circle (4.5% ABV), winner of the Silver Medal for Best Bitter at the GBBF 2003; and Maggs Magnificent Mild (3.5% ABV), again an award winner. To sample the WBB beers in our branch area, we recommend the Royal Oak at Wantage, which has three always on tap, and regularly guests from the same source.

Copyright (C) 2000-2006, CAMRA Ltd Campaign for Real Ale Vale of the White Horse Branch

Last updated: 2006 February 24 Comments to: mail@geoffgrayer.force9.co.uk URL: http://www.oocities.org/vowhcamra/horsense.htm