The 2016 Good Beer Guide is published today by the Campaign for Real Ale [CAMRA,] listing more than 4,500 real ale pubs in the UK and all 1,424 real ale breweries in the country.
In Dorset, 66 real ale pubs are recommended and 20 breweries are identified within the county boundaries. From the White Lion at Bourton in North Dorset to the George Inn at Portland in the far south, from the Volunteer at Lyme Regis in the west to the Ship in Distress at Mudeford in the far east of Dorset, all 66 pubs have been surveyed and inspected independently by local CAMRA members.
In Weymouth, four pubs are listed- The Boot- Weymouth’s oldest pub dating from around 1600- the Royal Oak on Custom House Quay, the Wyke Smugglers and the Globe Inn, situated in East Street by the harbour.
For jubilant licensee Mike Carter, it is his fifth year that the Globe Inn has been in the “real ale bible,” Rebuilt in 1896 after a fire, the Globe Inn was once owned by Devenish. Mike Carter bought the freehold from Enterprise Inns six years ago., when the pub was on the verge of closure.
Mike Carter offers six different real ales from the West Country- this week he has Palmers 200 from Bridport and Cerne Abbas Ale from Dorset, his customers’ most popular tipple Jail Ale from Princetown in Devon and three from Cornwall- St. Austell Proper Job, St. Austell Cornish and Sharp’s Doom Bar.
Born in Poole, Mike Carter grew-up in Chippenham and has run five pubs, starting in Combe Martin, North Devon, before moving on to Somerton and Cheltenham, a total of 35 years in the licensed trade. His last three pubs have been listed in the Good Beer Guide.
“Real ale sales are increasing steadily, keg beer has died a death,” says Mike Carter. “I am very proud to be in the prestigious Good Beer Guide for a fifth year. That shows customers appreciate good real ale, both the quality and the variety.”
The Globe is unusual in not serving food, “my customers prefer to enjoy their ale without the smell of chips and vinegar,” quips Mike Carter.
In Dorchester, the Blue Raddle in Church Street, the Brewhouse & Kitchen by the South station and Tom Browns in High West Street have been listed. Palmers’ brewery pubs the Ropemakers Arms and the Crown Inn are recommended in Bridport, along with the Tiger Inn. Other listings include the Fox Inn at Corscombe, the Bottle Inn near the Devon border at Marshwood, the Crown at Puncknowle, the Quarterdeck Tavern at West Bayand the Castle Inn at West Lulworth- winner of CAMRA’s national cider pub of the year award. In Sherborne, the Digby Tap is in the book, as is the Greyhound at Beaminster and the 16th. century Spyway Inn atAskerswell.
“The 2016 Good Beer Guide is an iconic annual publication which CAMRA’s 174,752 members and the discerning drinking public use to find the best pubs in the area,” comments CAMRA spokesman Michel Hooper-Immins. “The guide is completely independent, pubs are regularly checked by local CAMRA volunteers and unlike many other guides, no charge is made for entries.” CAMRA is one of the most successful consumer organisations in Europe.
The 2016 Good Beer Guide costs £15.99 and is available from bookshops, Amazon or by post from CAMRA’s website- https://shop.camra.org.uk/books.html
The book will also be on sale at the October CAMRA Beer Festival at Weymouth’s Ocean Room on 16/17 October.
Michel Hooper-Immins
