On Saturday 7th December 2024, we made our annual pilgrimage to The Surrey Oaks in Newdigate for our branch Christmas meal.

Whilst we were there, we presented the venue with a special award to celebrate their 30 years of inclusion in The Good Beer Guide.

Pictured below is our branch treasurer, Martin Longhurst presenting the award to Matt, the current landlord who has now been responsible for the pub appearing for the past eight years.

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Right on the edge of our branch area, Saturday the 30th November saw a new micropub open on Warlingham Village Green.

Ales On the Green is based in a former charity shop directly facing the Green itself and is within a few metres of local bus stops.

As well as serving real ale, the venue also offers cider, wines and soft drinks. There’s a strong community focus with a vinyl record exchange plus a meeting room at the back of the pub which can be hired for free by local community groups.

There’s four hand pumps in total, on opening day three were occupied with Westerham 1965, Oakham Citra and Titanic Plum Porter.

Opening hours are likely to be fluid for the next few weeks whilst they find their feet but, at the time of writing, the pub will open at 1100 Monday to Saturday and 1200 on Sundays. Closing times are again likely to vary dependant on custom.

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The Titsey Brewing Co Taproom have announced their first ever beer festival, due to be held on the 4th, 5th and 6th October 2024. Organised as a celebration of green hops, they will be producing a couple of their own Green Hop Beers plus another four from other breweries. They should have 18 beers in total at the event.

There’s a special offer for CAMRA members - the normal entry fee is £6 per person which includes a glass and a token for one beer. If a CAMRA membership card is shown upon arrival, members will get a second beer token for free - that’s £6 for a glass and two beers.

More details and tickets available at:

https://titseybrewingco.com/event/beer-festival-2024

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Pilgrim Brewery have had their planning application for the redevelopment of the brewery at its current site approved.

They will need to raise substantial funds to turn the current brewery site into an efficient, state-of-the-art brewing facility, with a larger indoor space and a dedicated community/event space. They aim to launch a rewards based Crowdfunder campaign shortly to help funding.

If you have any ideas, please contact them directly at ku.oc.mirglip@foorperutuf.

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We'd like to offer our biggest congratulations to The Three Horseshoes in Cranleigh for winning our branch Pub of the Year Award for 2024.

The branch committee and a number of members met at the pub on the evening of 17th June 2024 for our monthly business meeting and to present the award. As part of their celebrations, the pub had run a beer festival over the preceding weekend and we were lucky that there was still a range of ales remaining on the bar for us to sample.

We found the locally produced Dorking Brewery DB One, Session IPA from Langham, Black Beauty Porter from Vale and JHB from Oakham to name but a few.

The presentation was accompanied with an ode to real ale, entitled “The Love of Beer”, specially written by landlord Peter for the event:

I love my beer – I really do – I’ve loved it all my life. I’ve loved it more than any girl and more than either wife! I’ve loved it with a vigour which I thought would never end. But nowadays I love it as a good and faithful friend.

It’s funny how our passion burns so hot when love is young. How evenings last forever, filled with love’s romantic song. But sadly, what was daily, turns to weekly far too soon. Then weakly spelled another way, then once in a blue moon.

But as I come to 50 years of drinking undeterred (My golden anniversary and never a cross word). It’s still a daily thing for me – my passion burns as bright. And my heart still skips a beat before my first pint of the night.

Now, if you are a lager man who drinks cold, fizzy beer. Your marriage in monogamous – that fact is mighty clear. You’re faithful, loyal good and true – in fact you’re quite alright. And, proving that, you come home to the same beer every night.

Now once there was a lager man, quite faithful to his Carling. Who went off with a Fosters unbeknown to his old darling. But he rushed home, he held her close, he hugged her and he kissed her. ‘Cuz lagers taste so similar, he thought he’d bedded the wife’s twin sister.

But look at me, a real ale man who likes beer warm and flat. I am the Sheik of Arabie – there is no doubt of that. When I come home each evening and the bonds of work are freed. A harem of real ale awaits to meet my every need.

I might just want a tall blond beer or one that’s short and brown. A weak one or a strong one – they never let me down. A beer’s not unattractive just because that beer is stout. Or even if it’s old, and there’s a lot of that about.

The boys at Marstons know these things where they still brew their Owd Roger. A drink to warm the cockles of this beer inspired old codger. And if you’re feeling fruity and I want a certain thrill. Then Theakston’s Old Peculier quite neatly fits the bill.

So come on Mr lager man and take me by the hand. I’ll lead you into paradise and through the Promised Land. I’ll show you things you’ve never seen, we’ll visit pastures new. And whilst we’re there we might as well just try a beer or two.

Please have no fear about your wife, whose name we know is Stella. A smashing girl who’ll love you still no matter what you tell her. So, if you hate the option which is bitter stout and old. She’ll have you back, although you might feel she’s a little cold.

But think about these things and get it right for goodness sake. The bed you get to lie in is the one you’ll have to make. The ones who get it right end up on holidays with SAGA. But those of us who marry in haste, they say, repent at lager.

Pictured below is branch chair, Rob Wells, handing over the certificate to Peter alongside his team.

Monday the 13th May 2024 saw the branch meet at Kingswood Village Club for our monthly meeting and to present the venue with their certificate for winning our 2024 Club of the Year competition.

On the bar we found Pilgrim Brewery Progress and Dark Star Hophead.

The Club has won the award on 12 occasions since 2011, and there's always a warm welcome for us when we visit. Card-carrying CAMRA members are always happily admitted for free.

Pictured is our branch chairman, Rob Wells, handing over the certificate.

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Launching on Thursday 25th April 2024, and in collaboration with The Godstone Brewers, is a display on Pubs and Brewing in East Surrey at The East Surrey Museum.

The museum is located at 1 Stafford Road in Caterham (adjacent to the rail station), and is open on Wednesday and Thursday from 1000 to 1700, and on Saturday from 1030 until 1600. Admission is free.

For more details, check out the museum’s website at http://www.eastsurreymuseum.org.uk/

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This year's Pilgrim Ale Trail is taking place across 10 outlets in Reigate and Redhill between 1st - 31st March.

Pick up your passport from any of the participating outlets:

• Old Chestnut
• Blue Anchor
• Market Stores
• Skimmington Castle
• Plough Inn
• Garibaldi
• Hop Stop Bar
• Black Horse
• Hatch
• Pilgrim Brewery Tap Room

Buy a pint of Pilgrim ale and receive a stamp on your passport and then, when you've collected all 10 stamps, you can pick up your limited edition Ale Trail finisher's t-shirt.

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Drop Kick Brewing opened in December 2023, taking over the site and kit of Trailhead Brewing.

The owner, Fin, is a keen rugby fan and is a former brewer at Pilgrim. Beers are mainly keg but the occasional cask is produced.

The Drop Kick Brewing Tap Room is currently open Wednesday and Thursday 1600-1830, Friday and Saturday 1200-2230, and Sunday 1200-1700.

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A big thank you to all those who attended the 2023 Redhill Beer Festival and made it such a success.

We welcomed nearly 900 people through the doors and served around 3,600 pints over the three days of the event.

The joint winners of the Beer of the Festival were Surrey Hills Brewery Collusion XXX and New Bristol Cinder Toffee Stout. The Cider of the Festival was Barnards Surrey Medium Cyder, made in the branch area at Abinger Hammer.

We also raised £811 for our festival charity, St. Catherine’s Hospice.

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The evening of Monday 9th of October saw us at Kingswood Village Club not only for our branch meeting, but also to present the Club with our branch 2023 Club of the Year certificate.

The Club has now won this award 11 times, so is well worth a visit. CAMRA members can gain access by showing their membership card.

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Members of the branch paid an evening visit to Cobbett's in Dorking on Tuesday 5th September 2023 to present them with the branch’s 2023 Cider Pub of the Year certificate. This is Cobbett’s first win of the award.

We found 4 draught ciders available, including one from local cider maker Barnard’s, who are based in Abinger.

Pictured are our branch chairman, Rob Wells, handing over the certificate to Helen and Tim from Cobbett’s. Helen commented that they always tried to avoid mass produced ciders when making their selections.

Luckily as it was a Tuesday, all drinks were 10% off - a regular offer at the venue.

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The 2023 Oxted Festival committee is offering all CAMRA members discounted entry tickets for Friday 7th July.

Please visit https://www.oxtedfest.co.uk, select the booking page and input the discount code "CAMRAOF23" and you will receive 30% off the price of your admission ticket.

Kim Cooper from the Festival says "We have the best real ale bar in the country and a great selection of locally brewed craft lagers. Come try them all and support our fun festival!"

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The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the CAMRA East & Mid Surrey Branch will be held at 20:00 on Wednesday 22nd February 2023 at the Pilgrim Brewery Tap Room, 11 West Street, Reigate RH2 9BL.

The agenda for the AGM and minutes of the 2022 AGM can be found in the Members' Area of our website. (You will need to use your CAMRA website login to gain access to this area).

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