Hastings Tap Takeover 11-13 October 2019

This weekend, to help kick off Hastings Week (website), 12 venues in Hastings, from The Dolphin Inn in the East to The Tower in the West, will be holding 'tap takeovers' (Hastings Tap Takeover facebook page). That means each venue will be celebrating 'exceptional independent breweries' from near and far, not necessarily just cask conditioned ales, but crafty kegs too! 

Venues and breweries involved:

• The Dolphin Inn (facebook) - Kent Brewery (website)
• The Crown (website) - Burning Sky (website)
• The Jenny Lind (website) - One Mile End (website)
• The Jolly Fisherman (website) - Wylam (website)
• The Albion (website) - Harveys (website)
• The Imperial (website) - Cloudwater (website)
• The Drift In (facebook) - Good Things (website)
• Eel & Bear (website) - Pressure Drop (website)
• The Pig's Palace (facebook) - Battle (website)
• The St Leonard (website) - Franklins (website)
• Farmyard (website)  -  Three Legs (website)
• The Tower (facebook) - Downlands (website)

CAMRA National Pub of the Year Contenders

The 16 Regional winners will be judged for the CAMRA National Pub of the Year (CAMRA website), and I have to own up to feeling a wee bit inadequate... I've only ever been to one of them, as far as I can remember! So, if you want to know about the others, have a look at the CAMRA website, and now I shall discuss the one I do know about...

I haven't been for a while, but the East Midlands winner, The Smithfield Ale House, Meadow Road, Derby DE1 2BH (website) is certainly an excellent choice of pub for us real ale lovers, so no surprise it is the reigning CAMRA East Midlands Pub of the Year! Positioned by the River Derwent, I previously reported it as being a great freehouse, with a good selection of varying ales, plus decent food too, not to mention friendly and knowledgeable bar staff, well worth a visit indeed, cheers and good luck in the national competition!