Reviews

Firkin story can help save pubs today

David Bruce built his small change of Firkin pubs in the 1970s and 1980s but their story is still relevant today. He saved failed pubs and turned them into great success by making them attractive to pubgoers of all ages and both sexes. His story shows how pubs can be saved today and maintained for future generations to enjoy
Added: Tuesday, September 9th 2025
Porter & Stout: Cornell's superb legacy

Martyn Cornell, who died in June, spent many years researching the history of Porter and Stout. His distilled his knowledge into a ground-breaking book that removes many of the myth surrounding the birth of a style that created the world's first major commercial brewing industry.
Added: Sunday, August 3rd 2025
Festivals: beer, skittles, fun and frolics

Laura Hadland has written a superbly researched book on the history of British beer festivals. They go back to the 19th century and they were not without controversy, including topless models. CAMRA festivals started in the 1970s and have become the benchmark for today's events, with not only good beer but also food and entertainment
Added: Tuesday, June 24th 2025
Hook Norton, keeping faith with tradition

Hook Norton Brewery dates from the 19th century and has remained true to traditional beer and ways of brewing. It has a Victorian tower brewery and its long and fascinating history -- surviving wars, Covid and a major fire -- is well told by leading beer writer Adrian Tierney-Jones
Added: Tuesday, April 29th 2025
Brand new guide to beer and travel
Digging deep for brewing history in Herts

Hertfordshire grows fine grain for brewing and the county once had a multitude of malting companies. Now there's only one and McMullen is the last remaining major commercial brewer. But in his new book, Martyn Cornell reports there are now a number of new craft breweries using grain from the eastern counties
Added: Monday, March 10th 2025
A love affair with the British pub
How to make brilliant beers at home
Major study of role of women in brewing

In a major study of the history of women brewers, Dr Christina Wade shows how the Black Death of the 14th century diminished their role and men came to dominate commercial beer making. But today many more women are running breweries and they ae supported by women writers and lecturers.
Added: Friday, September 6th 2024
Superb guide to Manchester beer & pubs

Matthew Curtis has written and photographed a fine new guide to the bars, pubs and breweries of Manchester and has linked them to the city's long history of brewing. Several old family breweries have survived and they have been joined by a host of new small producers in recent years. The enjoyment of beer in the city is heightened by the many superb pubs, both ancient and modern
Added: Saturday, November 18th 2023