Ted Bruning understands the ciders of France as he explores the Contentin peninsula in Normandy
All that British tourists usually saw of the Cotentin peninsula – Normandy’s cheery little thumbs-up in the English Channel – was the N13 trunk road.
After a seven-hour crossing, the Cotentin was never more than the first leg of the slog from Cherbourg to the sun.
But Brittany Ferries’ Fastcraft c...
Cider Special
from Issue 18 published on 19/06/2008
High House Farm is a microbrewery and working farm in rural Northumberland. Ted Bruning went there.
Steve Urwin never really planned to become a brewer. He was quite happy running the 200-acre family farm at Matfen on Hadrian’s Wall, which he was just taking over from his dad, Geoff, and where he grew wheat and barley and ran a small beef herd and a flock of sheep.
But in 2001 foot and mouth dise...
Beer Micro
from Issue 18 published on 19/06/2008
Ted Bruning visits Brasserie Coreff, a microbrwery making waves in Brittany
It’s an unexpected treat to be offered a pint of well-kept ale in a hotel bar. It’s doubly unexpected if the hotel in question happens to be in France. But head for Carhaix in the middle of western Brittany, and book yourself into the Hotel Noz Vad (it’s Breton for “goodnight”) right next to the chu...
Beer Micro
from Issue 17 published on 30/04/2008
Ted Bruning talks to Martin Sykes from Selby, the Yorkshire brewer that kick started the microbrewing revolution
You might be in a brewpub anywhere in the world, sipping a beer freshly made on the premises. You might be at your local, ordering yet another tasty treat from its ever-changing guest-list. Or you might be at home in front of the television, uncapping a bottle-conditioned ale...
Wherever you are in...
Spotlight
from Issue 14 published on 04/10/2007
Ted Bruning picks out a few pubs in the Borough
Great place for pubs, London. Not so great for beer, though. But before sundry London brewers (sorry, Mr Keeling) get apoplexy, let’s qualify that.
Yes, London has Fuller’s. It used to have Young’s, too, although that belongs to Bedford now. And lots of other regional brewers also maintain a presen...
Beer Journeys
from Issue 12 published on 25/05/2007
Gastropubs have the reputation for prioritising food above beer, but is that necessarily true? Ted Bruning reports
Heston Blumenthal’s got one, and so has Jean-Christophe Novelli, although he wants nine more. Gordon Ramsay’s got two. And Anthony Worrall-Thompson has just got his third. So it seems that buying pubs is all the rage for television’s top toques these days. But is it a good thing?
We’ve lived for so...
Beer Trends
from Issue 11 published on 23/03/2007
