Yearly Archives: 2016

Pub of The Season – Autumn 2016

Prairie Schooner Tap House logoTrafford and Hulme’s Autumn Pub of the Season is the Prairie Schooner Taphouse on Flixton Road in Urmston.

Ostensibly a micro pub but actually a decent size, with two distinct seating areas either side of an island bar. Owner Robert MacRae opened the bar two years ago and was named the branch’s best Newcomer in 2015. It’s second anniversary will coincide with the presentation of the award.

One recent reviewer likened the premises to bringing a bit of Chorlton or Didsbury to Urmston. Can make of that what you will but it has certainly enhanced an area which is up and coming on the leisure front where along with numerous restaurants many real ale outlets have sprung up in recent years.

The premises were formerly a shop selling golfing tackle. The emphasis now is on fermented malt and fruit, consumed in a tranquil atmosphere (no TV or background music). No meals are available but nuts and nibbles are available. Lovers of whisky and wine will also find something of interest and small batch gin is a recent addition.

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Flixton Conservative Club named Greater Manchester Club Of The Year for second time

Flixton Conservative Club has been named CAMRA Greater Manchester Club Of The Year for the second year running. The club which is on the corner of Flixton Road and Chassen Road between Urmston & Flixton has retained the title it first took in 2015, beating off six other private members clubs from across CAMRA Greater Manchester’s branches.

The club has been named Club Of The Year by Trafford & Hulme branch for four consecutive years and after winning the regional title, the club will now go forward to be judged against 15 other regional winners for the National Club Of The Year title.

Mystery shopper judges visited all the finalists over the summer, scoring each club on a range of attributes including the range and quality of beer & cider, customer service, warmth of welcome, and value for money. Judges praised Flixton Conservative Club for the devotion of its staff, the wide range of beers on offer and the warm welcome extended to non-member visitors.

Club stewards Nigel and Sharon Porter have transformed the beer range at the club from two real ales when they arrived five years ago to six on the bar at one time and the club is reaping the benefits with membership flourishing. Nigel said “Feedback I get from the committee is that many new members cite the beer as their main reason for joining the club with others stating that they come here because they find it a welcoming, safe and secure place to enjoy a good beer”.

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Read more about the article When is a keg not a keg? Real ale from key-kegs explained
Key-keg

When is a keg not a keg? Real ale from key-kegs explained

When is a keg not a keg? Real ale from key-kegs explained.

Back in April 2015, when delegates at CAMRA’s Members Weekend in Nottingham passed a motion about the labelling of “real ale in a key-keg”, many commentators saw it as a major step in CAMRA modernising and recognising what is popularly known as “craft keg”.

In fact, whiKey-kegle the motion was the first to be passed by CAMRA’s highest body to positively recognise the sector, it actually came four years after CAMRA’s Technical Advisory Group first recognised that key-kegs can contain beer meeting CAMRA’s definition of real ale, a decision which followed trials held at The Great British Beer Festival. Even in a hall full of CAMRA activists in Nottingham, it was clear that many were unaware of CAMRA’s position nor what key-kegs are all about.

When CAMRA was established in 1971 it fought against a sweeping trend for what came to be known as “real-ale” being replaced by bland “keg” beers. Forty-four years later the word keg still has massive negative connotations for many CAMRA members with any beers associated with the “k” word being dismissed as “fizz”. However, what those pioneering members were really fighting against wasn’t the physical containers the beer was served from, it was the product in them which was made with low quality ingredients and universally filtered & pasteurised, killing so much of the flavour in the process.

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