News
- Butchers Arms, Winterton Has Closed
Sunday 18 January 2026
The Butchers Arms at Winterton closed on 16 January blaming rising costs making the pub no longer viable. Chef and licensee Craig Goulden, together with Tracey and Sam Goulden, have now taken over at the newly named Blue Dog (formerly the Butchers Arms) at West Halton, which has been closed since January 2025. The pub reopened on 16 December. FACEBOOK
- New Licensees at the Wheatsheaf, Hibaldstow
Sunday 18 January 2026
New licensees at the Wheatsheaf, Hibaldstow. Daryl and Lauren bring years of experience between them and aim to bring a community feel to the venue with a relaxed atmosphere for all to enjoy. The pub will be open seven days a week (3 pm opening on Mon/Tues, 12 noon Wed - Sun), offering fresh homemade traditional pub grub from Wednesday to Sunday. FACEBOOK
- Guinness brings brewing back to London
Tuesday 23 December 2025
Guinness has opened a new £73m brewing centre in Covent Garden, London. The building includes a 20,000 barrel brewery producing a wide range of beers including Porter. The centre is based on the site of the historic Combe Brewery, one of the capitals leading Porter producers in the 18th and 19th century. The Combe plant was closed by Watney in 1905. The beers include Lager (4.9% ABV), IPA (4.4%), Pale Ale (5.2%) and Porter (4.7%), although all are keg beers. Open Gate also has two restaurants and several bars and follows the blueprint of the successful Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, now the most visited tourist attraction in the Republic. PROTZ ON BEER
- Rogue Brewery Closes
Saturday 15 November 2025
The iconic Rogue Brewery of Newport, Oregon, one of the main drivers of the American craft beer revolution, announced the closure of its brewery and all its pubs on 15 November. The closure was abrupt, but trouble had been brewing for some time and it recently shut down its distilling operation. Reports suggested that the company had significant rent and tax arrears. It was not clear if this marks the end for Rogue. Rogue was founded in Ashland, Oregon in 1988, but quickly relocated to Newport. It was America's 50th largest craft brewery by volume in 2024. WASHINGTON BEER BLOG
- Champion Beer of Britain Results
Monday 1 September 2025
The Champion Beer of Britain competition concluded at the Great British Beer Festival held at the NEC in Birmingham in August. The Champion Beer of Britain, selected from a series of blind tastings, was Penzance Mild, 3.6% ABV. Described as having chocolate and sweet cocoa on the nose and chocolate, sultanas and dry roast on the palate, where the gentle sweetness is balanced by a roasty, dry bitterness. It packs a lot of flavour into a 3.6% beer. Runner up was Sarah Hughes Snowflake, an 8% ABV barley wine and third was Church End Fallen Angel, 5% ABV, a rich pale ale with honey notes. CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
- Co-founder Martin Dickie Steps Down at Brewdog
Monday 1 September 2025
Martin Dickie, co-founder of Brewdog and largely responsible for the development of Jaipur when working at Thornbridge, has stepped down from the company citing personal reasons. Dickie founded the company with friend James Watt in 2007 and from very small beginnings allied to an aggressive marketing campaign influenced by that of Stone Brewing in the USA, they grew at a rapid rate to become the global behemoth they are today. Their deliberately controversial promotional stunts enthused many but alienated others. Watt, never far from controversy himself, stepped down from his role in Brewdog in 2024, although he remains as a board member. Dickie preferred to largely remain in the background helping to develop the company's products including a distilling arm which brewed Lone Wolf gin among others. He has now left brewing altogether and has started a new business producing licensed medical cannabis. Based on news features in the MORNING ADVERTISER