For those of you that don’t know the Castle pub, around the corner from the brewery, it is a bit of a local institution.  Busy most days of the week and run by a charming New Zealand couple – Aaron & Cate.  Like many others, I have regularly enjoyed a pint of Wandle there with friends and family alike.  So I find it amazing that a property developer is now attempting to bulldoze the building and may create new flats.  Once a pub is gone, it’s heritage goes, as does the services to the local community and with pubs still closing around the country at a rate of 20 a week, it seems bizarre to try to demolish such a successful establishment.

Having a local community pub, where you can meet friends, family and neighbours is part of our British Culture and this wanton destruction of such a successful pub is an affront to our culture.

Luckily to date, many of you agree with our sentiments and with well over 100 objections already lodged against the planning application, I hope that this will be an example of Power to the People!  We will certainly be putting our support behind the campaign to Save the Castle and if the opportunity arose, we would certainly consider making an offer to ensure this thriving and successful pub remains open and serving the local community.

If you want to lend your help,  then please lodge an objection before 29th February, on the Wandsworth Council website for Application Number: 2012/0341. To lodge a planning protest, you need to quote planning policies.  It is not enough to protest about the loss of a loved and popular pub on its own.  So have a look at other objections and use these as a guide to helping to post an objection.  I’ll be posting mine. Read more information about the campaign on SaveTheCastle.co.uk

Watch this video of the Save the Castle pub rally, held on 31st January.

We were delighted to sponsor the Battersea Beer Festival this year.  I managed to get down to the Battersea Arts Centre on Thursday afternoon, where I spoke to lots of people about brewing and our plans for the brewery, at a specially organised “Meet the Brewer” event.

2012 is an exciting year in London and it looks like the Battersea Beer Festival has got it off to a great start with a record attendance and some exciting beers on offer.

The Sambrook’s team arrived after I had finished my Meet the Brewer session. After introducing the team to a selection of beers from Langhams Brewery, Dark Star Brewery and of course having a refreshing pint of Junction, I left them to sample the delights of the cider room downstairs.  Needless to say there were a few bleary eyes in the morning and much excitement about the London Drinker Beer Festival next month.

See the CAMRA photo album of the event here.

See our photos of the Battersea Beer Festival on Facebook here.

Its hops season, what a great season.  So to celebrate I took the team down to Kent to see the farms producing the fine hops that go into our wonderful ales.  Here are a few photos from our trip:

To mark our third birthday we are launching a membership scheme for fans of our beer and the brewery.  Join up to become a member of the brewery and receive fantastic discounts on our products, personalised merchandise and the chance to take part in our member only events which will run through the year.

Details are on our website but if you are interested in becoming a member, please phone the brewery and ask to speak to Al or Mary.

I can’t believe that we are almost three years young!  So to celebrate the fact we are holding a party at the brewery on 1 October 12 noon until 5pm.  For those of you who managed to make it down for the porter launch last year, then you’ll know that we can do parties.

There will be a selection of our beers, as well as a few from outside of London, some great food and entertainment.  The first 50 people get free entry so give Mary a call on 0207 228 0598 to book your place now.  Here are a few memories from last year to whet your appetite:

Summer is passing but that is no reason to be sad, with so many fantastic events in the diary for autumn.  Here are just a few at a pub near you:

East London – Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub in Walthamstow is hosting their inaugural beer festival 16th -18th September.  With over 40 cask ales featuring why not take a trip to the newly crowned East London pub of the year. http://www.roseandcrowntheatrepub.webeden.co.uk/

South West London – Bricklayers Arms Derbyshire Beer Festival – If you have not yet visited Waterman Street in Putney for one of Becky’s now infamous beer festivals then take a trip down between 21st and 25th September.  http://www.bricklayers-arms.co.uk/real-ale-at-the-bricklayers-arms/

North London – Sambrook’s Brewery Beer and Food matching at the Old Dairy in Crouch End – If the hustle and bustle of a beer festival is not your thing, then why not join me for an evening of food and beer at the Old Dairy. Adam and the team at the Old Dairy have created a fantastic menu to match with each of our bottled beers. http://www.theolddairyn4.co.uk/aboutus.html

St Albans – Hertfordshire CAMRA are staging the 11th annual St Alban’s Beer Festival at the Alban Arena from Wednesday 28th September until Saturday 1st October.  Tickets available on the door only. http://www.hertsale.org.uk/beerfest/index.php

We were invited by our friends at caught by the river to bring some of our ales along to the Port Eliot Literary Festival in July. Firstly a big thank you to Jeff, Andrew and Robin for inviting us along and secondly a big thank you to all of the thirsty festival goers who helped to devour almost 2,000 pints over the course of the week-end.

We are hoping to be back again next year with more of our ales and to see more words and music at the caught by the river tent

We are delighted to announce that our Powerhouse Porter has won a bronze medal in the recent SIBA South East Beer Festival.  This year our porter will be released in October, to coincide with cask ale week.  We will be advertising this nearer the time so look out for the porter in a pub near you.

Our eagerly anticipated summer seasonal – Pale Ale – has been released.  If you are seeking a pub with the beer on look no further than:

Centre Page (St Pauls)

Draft Houses (Northcote & Tower Bridge)

Harp (Covent Garden)

Howl at the Moon (Islington)

Nightingale (Balham)

We are delighted that Pete Brown – 2009 Beer Writer of the Year – has voted Wandle Ale in his top 50 beers.  Click here for the full list:

www.william-reed.net/proofs/ma_petebrown_microsite/index.html