Pub Bitch: Has Tuppen joined the Spiders from Mars?
Mine-tasting
Perhaps the most bizarre charity tie-up of the week landed on my desk recently. A wine-tasting event to fund the removal of landmines from war-torn countries. The removal of mines from war-torn countries around the world is essential — and bloomin' dangerous — work. And raising money in such a way to fund this vital undertaking is laudable enough, and as such is being called for by the Mines Advisory Group (MAG). But call me old fashioned, linking wine-tasting evenings and landmines seems a bit, well, I don't know… odd. But if you wanted to host a 'Wine at Mine' (geddit?) event MAG will provide official invitations, wine-tasting tips for less experienced connoisseurs and a quiz. Hmm, nice.
Stars in bars
Mike Bell, licensee, founding father of the Fair Pint campaign and Enterprise Inns bête noire, celebrated 25 years of being in his West London pub, the Portobello Gold, the other week. Bell said in that time a variety of customers had been "attracted by the irrepressible atmosphere, good food and fine wines", not to mention the "charming eight-bedroom hotel upstairs". Furthermore he said none other than Daniel '007' Craig had worked as a barman in the pub in 1990 and Seal (who he? Ed.) was a doorman during a Notting Hill Carnival back in the late '80s. Even at the height of a recent rent review dispute Bell's landlord, the aforementioned pubco, acknowledged he ran a good operation. Albeit after it had won its case, it has to be said…
Just for one day
Talking of Enterprise Inns, I rang the company recently and was put 'on hold' while the nice lady on the switchboard hunted down the person with whom I wished to converse. Being put 'on hold' can be an exasperating experience, often made worse by the sort of music that companies deem fit for the purpose. On this occasion however I was able to listen to a personal favourite coming down the telephone line from Solihull: David Bowie's 1977 classic Heroes. I'll leave whether there was a hidden agenda in the choice of this particular song to the conspiracy theorists out there. Still, it could've been worse. It could've been the Rolling Stones' It's All Over Now. Or Justin Timberlake's What Goes Around (Comes Around). Or (that's enough. Ed.)
Carry On Champing
The lovely people at the Dark Star brewery invited a select bunch of beer-lovers down to the rather enjoyable opening of its new brewery in darkest West Sussex last week, which saw Roger 'Hammers forever' Protz officiate after waxing lyrical about brewing and the price of fish. However, logistical hiccups — minibuses going AWOL and local taxi drivers' apparent ignorance of the brewer's exact location — meant pitching up at the premises was a rather fraught affair, a situation exacerbated by the near-zero temperatures on the day. And as you can see, having thawed out in the entrance area of Dark Star's building the bloke who covers business news for The Publican was clearly delighted to receive his name badge…
Bonkers City rumour of the week
Bedford brewer Charles Wells was the other day being linked with taking a tilt at none other than its Midlands-based counterpart Marston's, according to some rumour mills in the Square Mile. "Surely shome mistake", said I to the bearer of such tittle-tattle, who in fairness agreed it sounded a tad far-fetched. That said, I thought it worth politely inquiring of Paul Wells, guv'nor of the Bedford lot, whether there was any truth in the speculation that the family brewer might be about to take on one of the Big Boys. "That's a lovely thought but no, we are not," came the reply. Well, you never know, do you?
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