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

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