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Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery, East Green, Southwold, Suffolk, England, IP18 6JW, tel 01502 727200, GPS: 52.326940o N, 1.680332o E Website: www.adnams.co.uk (all activities); www.beerfromthecoast.co.uk (the brewery, its beers and its outlets). This White Beer Travels Web page covers the Adnams Brewery, the biggest employer in the town of Southwold, in the English County of Suffolk. It is based on a British Guild of Beer Writers' visit to the brewery, in October, 2005, and a family holiday, in Southwold, in May/June, 2006. The photo, above left, was taken on the Guild visit by John White, as were all the others on this Web page, unless indicated otherwise. The statue between the windows is of Southwold Jack (Jack-o-the Clock, Jack-smite-the Clock), who fought in the Wars of the Roses (1455-87); it is modelled on a late 15th Century version, with an axe in one hand that strikes a bell, in the Parish Church of St Edmund in the town, see below. Southwold Jack has been an Adnams brand name and logo for some time, see the photo of the old plaque (taken in the cellarof The King's Head, in Lavenham, by John White, in May, 2006), above right. He is still used today, for example, see below, on the pump clip attached to the handpumps that deliver Adnams Bitter (3.7%), the brewery's truly splendid session Real Ale, More of its exceptional Real Ales are covered in this Web page. There is a companion White Beer Travels Web page covering other breweries in Suffolk, which can be reached by clicking here.

Adnams Brewery and a Small Selection of its Outlets

When many, including myself, think of the seaside town of Southwold (www.visit-southwold.co.uk) on the North Sea, they also think of Adnams and its marvellous, characterful beers that are available in wonderful pubs throughout the town and beyond. This association is much strengthened and propagated by artwork such as the above. It is a reduced size scan of one of a number of postcards, well outstanding and now famous artwork, that are typically available in wall racks in Adnams pubs. They are by renowned artist, Christopher Wormell (1955-). They complement the brewery's slogan of "Adnams. Beer from the Coast". In all of the postcards, there is a subtle indication that they have been commissioned by Adnams, for example, in the one above, three of the pebbles in the left foreground (remember the number!) are actually Adnams bottle tops. On the Home page of both of the Adnams websites (www.adnams.co.uk and www.beerfromthecoast.co.uk), there is an animated Christopher Wormell Adnams, and if one clicks on "WIN ADNAMS PRINTS", you can see them all, if you enter the competition enough times; one is first shown a random set of them and then one is asked questions, such as "How many bottles tops are there in the one with the pebbly beach?".

The visit to Adnams, who are members of IFBB, the Independent Family Brewers of Britain, www.familybrewers.co.uk, was organised by the British Guild of Beer Writers' Tim Hampson, author of Room at the Inn (CAMRA Books, 2003, ISBN 1852491841), and a contributor to numerous publications, including CAMRA's What's Brewing, The Guardian, The Independent and American Brewer. The representatives from the Guild on the trip were, in addition to the organizer: Adrian Tierney-Jones (www.beeralewhatever.com) (freelance journalist and writer, his books include The Big Book of Beer (2005, CAMRA Books, ISBN 1-85249-212-0)); Melissa Cole (freelance journalist and editor of FHO (Freehouse Owner) (www.freehouseowner.com); Ian Hornsey (Nethergate Brewery's founder and ex Head Brewer, and author of an article on the History of Adnams); Roger Protz (1939-) (www.beer-pages.com), CAMRA Good Beer Guide editor and one of the Guild's Beer Writers of the Year and recipient of the Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award; Chris Marchbanks (brewing and beer technologist); Richard Morrice (1950-) (Beer Competition Organiser and Managing Director of the Morrice Partnership, a communication and design consultancy company, www.themorricepartnership.co.uk); and yours truly, John White. People whom we met from the brewery included: Jonathan Adnams (Chairman designate), Andy Wood (Managing Director (MD) designate), Steve Curzon (Marketing Director); Fergus Fitzgerald (Assistant Brewer), Bob Lee (Chief Engineer), Stephen Pugh (Finance Director) and Emma Hibbert (Corporate Affairs Manager) (who did a marvellous job of organising the visit from the Adnams side).

The photo, above left, shows an Adnams delivery vehicle passing the brewery. Hiding behind the trees on East Green is Southwold Jack, but he can be seen at the top of this page. The photo, above right, show some of a number of fermenters that were installed between 2001 and August, 2005, as part of a major upgrading of the brewery. Although looking very sophisticated, which they are, these are essentially traditional top fermenters, albeit closed ones. This means that the carbon dioxide produced can be safely ducted away, and the chance of contamination is much reduced; the company could have gone to cylindro-conical fermenters, and indeed considered them, but a firm belief that top fermentation is best when it comes to producing Real Ale of the finest quality and character made the choice easy for them. The fermenters were manufactured by the Burton upon Trent company, Briggs of Burton (www.briggsplc.co.uk). At Adnams, fermentation in these fermenters takes the classic open fermenter seven days, which clearly shows that they have not been installed to speed up the process, to the detriment of quality.

An interesting part of a walk around the exterior of Adnams Brewery is a row of attractive cottages in Church Street. In fact, these are mere façades, since their interiors, along with that of a pub called The Brickmakers Arms, were incorporated into the brewery in a 1980s expansion.

Topics for discussions at the brewery included the second phase of the brewery's upgrade: the 2007 installation of a new brew house, or wort stream, as it is called, which is expected to make Adnams the most energy efficient brewery in the UK. The wort stream, which will have a high level of automation, is being supplied by Huppmann (www.huppmann.com), a German company, based in Kitzingen, in the famous beer area of Franconia (Franken), in Northern Bavaria. Huppmann are working alongside local companies, such as Duncans of Southwold, who are carrying out the installation and the modifications required to the existing building that will house the new vessels. These include items that are not typically seen in UK breweries (although Higsons installed a Huppmann brew house in what is now Cains Brewery (The Robert Cain Brewery), in Liverpool, in 1982, click here for a photo), such as a Lauter Tun (a Wort Filter that is separate from the traditional Mash Tun, in which both Mashing and Wort Filtration take place). The mashing functionality of the Mash Tun is replaced by a Mash Conversion Vessel, and the Copper (where the wort is boiled with hops after filtration in the Lauter Tun) becomes a Wort Kettle. The combination of Mash Conversion Vessel and Lauter Tun will also provide flexibility for the future, should, for example, highly modified malts become less readily available, and it will also facilitate the mashing of other grains for the production of Speciality Beers. In addition to the traditional infusion mashing, decoction mashing (mashing at more than one temperature) will also be possible. The Mash Conversion Vessel will also dramatically reduce wort oxidation, which will improve the shelf life of bottled beers. The malt itself will be exposed to less air during the milling phase, as "Steep Conditioned Milling" is being introduced. Unlike traditional dry milling, the malt is moist using the new method. It was gratifying to see that the upgrades proposed were not there to speed up the process, but to improve intrinsic quality. The new Wort Stream will also be very compact, i.e. it will be a third the size of the existing brew house, but will produce twice as much beer. This is one of the factors in its energy saving features, since, for example, pipe lengths are significantly shorter, there is less heat loss to the atmosphere; recovering 95% of the heat from the steam that leaves the wort kettle is another example of where major energy savings will be made.

Also discussed was a new Distribution Centre, which will be operational in 2007; it will replace the existing one in Victoria Street, very close to the brewery. An artist's impression of the new centre can be seen at the top of the presentation board, in the photo to the left, which was taken in the Adnams presentation centre, The Cygnet, which is behind the company's famous Swan Hotel, see below. A Distribution Centre would not normally be a topic of much interest, but the nature of this one meant that everyone on the visit was most impressed and attentive. When it wa announced, it was billed as Britain 's Greenest Warehouse, and this description could be just about right. It is being built on the floor of a former gravel pit, in Reydon, just outside Southwold, so it will not be the eyesore that such purely functional buildings typically are, as it will be hidden by the walls of the pit. Furthermore, it will have a roof, which will look like vegetation, which is not surprising, because it is made from Sedum, a ground cover plant. From the road, the building will just look like an undulation in the landscape. The sedum will provide very good thermal insulation, and rainwater stored in it will be used for washing vehicles and flushing toilets, etc. There will also be solar panels on the roof, to provide the bulk of the building's hot water supply. Waste water from the building will be purified by passing through special reed beds.

The walls of the Distribution Centre are made of lime hemp and chalk blocks, which have exceptional thermal insulation properties. All the wood used in the construction, comes, of course, from sustainable sources. There was a premium to pay for such a building, so Adnams are to be applauded for making the decision to go with such an innovative option, but, of course, the energy savings, justify the additional expenditure over a conventional building. This unique building will get a very high BREEAM (the Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method) (www.breeam.org) Excellence Rating, this being a measure of the impact that a building has on the environment, i.e. how green it is. The building was designed by the firm of Architects, Aukett Fitzroy Robinson.

When the new Distribution Centre comes into operation, there will be a dramatic reduction in the number of brewery lorries (drays) moving about the streets of Southwold. Of course, there will still be a shunt lorry between brewery and the Distribution Centre, but this will significantly reduce the number of visits by lorries to the brewery. Adnams are investigating the possibility that this shunt vehicle can be an environmentally friendly electrical one. "Foreign Goods" will also be delivered direct to the Distribution Centre and thus will no longer have a traffic impact on the town.

Also under discussion during the visit were new brews, new packaging, the importation of Bitburger Premium Beer (called Bitburger Premium Pils in its native Germany, www.bitburger.de) and new developments in the pub estate.

From left to right, in the photo to the left, which was taken inside The Sole Bay Inn, are handpumps for four Adnams Real Ales: Fisherman (4.5%); Flagship (4.3%); Broadside (4.7%); and Bitter (3.7%). On the right, is Roger Protz, these four Real Ales and the bottled Adnams Explorer (5.5% in bottle) - there is a bottle in front of Roger - were featured in a beer tasting hosted by Roger. Representatives of the regional press and the Ipswich and East Suffolk Branch of CAMRA (Nigel Smith, the CAMRA BLO (Brewery Liaison Officer) for Adnams) (www.ipswichcamra.com, www.ipswichcamra.blogspot.com), were present.

Adnams Bitter and Broadside (both 80% Maris Otter, 20% Optic Malt in the mash) are permanent members of the Adnams portfolio. These excellent beers are justifiably very highly regarded by Real Ale fans; they are seen alongside each other in most Adnams outlets. Broadside commemorates the Battle of Sole Bay, which took place against the Dutch, in 1672. Adnams Explorer was introduced in 2005. It is also available on draught, indeed, we had it in this form during this visit, in The Harbour Inn, see below. In 2006, it was elevated to the same status as Adnams Bitter and Broadside, in that it typically appears on handpump alongside one or both of these beers in Adnams pubs and outlets throughout the country. The back label on Explorer's trendy, expensive-looking bottle, provides quite a bit of detail about this exceptional Blonde Beer, including the fact that it is hopped with hops from the "New World" - Columbus in the Copper and dry-hopped with Chinook - these providing lovely citric notes to the beer. The label recommends that it served chilled. Adnams Fisherman is a seasonal beer, available from mid October to the end of February. Other seasonal beers include Adnams Regatta (4.3%), which is available from mid March to the end of August, and Adnams Tally-Ho (Extra Strong!) (7%), which is available in selected outlets, including this one, during December. Adnams also produce beers for special events, the Flagship, available at the time of the visit being an example. This was brewed in 2005 to commemorate a most important event in the history of the UK, the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), in which Admiral Lord Nelson lost his life. There are many "Lord Nelson" pubs in the UK, including a particularly splendid one in Southwold, which is covered below. Adnams Flagship has a particularly esoteric mix of ingredients. The bulk of the malt used in the mash is Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt (grown in Suffolk, malted in Norfolk) and Optic, but there is also some Wheat Malt and some Aromatic Malt; the malt is sourced from Simpsons Malt (www.simpsonsmalt.co.uk). Note that "Aromatic" refers to the nature, not the variety of the malt used; it provides a lovely tart, spicy edge to the beer. Aromatic Malt is produced by deliberately allowing part of the germination phase to be anaerobic (without air), this being responsible for the lactic tartness imparted to the beer produced from it. It is hopped with Boadicea (7.9% Alpha in the batch at the brewery), the world's first aphid-resistant hop, which thus can be grown with less pesticides, which means that it can be readily grown organically. The Boadicea hops are supplied by Peter Davies & Son, Claston Farm, Dormington, Herefordshire. Boadicea was bred by Peter Darby at Wye College (HRI, Horticulture Research International, www.hridir.org), in Kent. The Speciality Grains/Malts (i.e. the ones used in addition to "conventional" ones such as Maris Otter and Optic) used in the seasonal Adnams Fisherman are Toasted Pinhead Oats and Rye Crystal Malt.

Accommodation for the Guild visit was in a splendid, historic Adnams Hotel in Southwold, The Swan (Market Place (sea end of High Street), IP18 6EG, tel 01502 722186, GPS: 52.326118^o N, 1.679427^o E), see the photo, above left. There are records of brewing on the site currently occupied by the brewery going back to 1345, when the brewery was the brew house for The Swan, Suffolk's oldest inn. The brothers George and Ernest Adnams acquired the brewery in 1872. We had an excellent evening meal, in the Swan's sister hotel, The Crown , a CAMRA National Inventory entry, at 90 High Street, IP18 6DP, GPS: 52.326465^o N, 1.678673^o E. The Crown, which can be seen in the photo, above right, is a Grade II listed building, with a splendid bar at the back nicknamed "God's Waiting Room"; The Crown is opposite the Tourist Information Office, at 69 High Street, tel 01502 723234. We had the three course menu at £29 (two courses cost £24). The Crown's preference is to source ingredients locally, organic ones when possible. For an additional £10.55, one can have a different suggested Adnams wine with each course. I was very impressed with the menu choices on offer, especially the Cheese option, which was a selection from the renowned Neal's Yard (www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk). The sign in the bottom left of the photo on the right is directing one to the "Adnams Wine Cellar & Kitchen Store", which is just behind The Crown (it also has an entrance on Victoria Street, IP18 6JW). The photo, below left, shows The Crown yard entrance to the Wine Cellar & Kitchen Store.

Note that there is another outlet for Adnams wine in Southwold, The Wine Shop, at 6 Pinkney's Lane (on the corner of Queen Street), IP18 6EW, above which there a nice flat, which can be hired by the general public; The Swan handles the bookings. Next door to The Wine Shop, see the photo, above right, is The Red Lion (South Green (Queen Street), IP18 6ET, tel 01502 722385, GPS: 52.325107^o N, 1.679797^o E), which, of course, is an Adnams pub. Food includes Cod in Adnams Broadside Batter at £6.85 and a politically correct version of a Ploughman's at £4.85, i.e. a Ploughperson's! Click on the photo of The Red Lion to see a higher resolution photo of the Adnams Wine Shop and the flat above it.

Both the above photos feature Southwold Lighthouse (GPS: 52.327322^o N, 1.681252^o E), the town's main landmark. The photo on the left was taken from the town's Pier (IP18 6BN, GPS: 52.330832^o N, 1.684777^o E (entrance), 52.330173^o N, 1.687620^o E (end)), which is in Sole Bay (don't miss the Pier's surprisingly interesting arcade full of slot machines, designed by Tim Hunkin (www.timhunkin.com); it is called "The Under The Pier Show" (www.underthepier.com) and is described as "A mad collection of homemade slot machines); note the pastel beach huts - Britain's most expensive - on the left, which are a big feature of Southwold; they come in many colours. In the foreground, in the photo on the right, is Jonathan Adnams; between Jonathan and the lighthouse can be seen part of the Adnams brewery tap, The Sole Bay Inn (7 East Green, IP18 6JN, tel 01502 723726, GPS: 52.327147^o N, 1.681005^o E, GBG 2005, GBG 2006 page 440), which is across the green from the brewery. This was, of course, visited, see below. Jonathan's top has the discrete lettering "Sole Bay Blue", which is the name of his Yacht. Jonathan is a great fan of the sea, and indeed earned a living from it before starting in the family brewery; he had a commercial fishing boat at the age of thirteen!

Other Adnams pubs visited included: The Lord Nelson, (42 East Street, IP18 6EJ, tel 01502 722079, GPS: 52.325327^o N, 1.680725^o E, GBG 2006, GBG 2007 page 440); The Harbour Inn (Blackshore (near the end of Blackshore Road, the extension to the river Blyth of York Road), IP18 5TA, tel 01502 722381, GPS: 52.321174^o N, 1.662194^o E; and The Kings Head (High Street (on the corner of Barnaby Green), IP18 6AD, tel 01502 724517, GPS: 52.328308^o N, 1.675880^o E, www.southwoldkingshead.co.uk). The Lord Nelson, or The Nellie, as it referred to by the locals, is featured in the two photos above; it is a truly marvellous, don't-miss pub, close to the sea, as can be seen, and the Sailors' Reading Room. The Lord Nelson has much, er, Lord Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) memorabilia; somewhat unusually these days, it has no till. In The Harbour Inn, a famous, Grade II listed pub, see the photo, below left, we enjoyed an excellent lunch (food options include Fish Pie at £9.95, Fish & Chips at the price of the day (in June, 2006, Cod was £9.95, Haddock was £9.75 and Plaice was £10.95), Thai Fish Curry at £11.50, as are Thai Fish Cakes, and Baguettes in the range £4.95 to £5.50), In June, 2006, Adnams Bitter was £2.50 and Broadside and Explorer were both £2.90. The Harbour Inn is to be found in Southwold's most attractive harbour area, along the North bank of the river Blyth, which joins the North Sea at Southwold. As well as fishing and pleasure boats in the harbour, there are things of interest all along the harbour side, including stalls selling top quality fresh fish. The photo, below right, is of Southwold Harbour, taken from Walberswick, which is on the other side of the river Blyth from Southwold, from which it can be reached by ferry (Dani Church's Row Boat Ferry (GPS: 52.316905^o N, 1.667563^o E), £0.60, 10am to 5pm (seasonal)) or the pedestrian Bailey Bridge (GPS: 52.323527^o N, 1.659010^o E) (which is part of the signed footpath reached from Blyth Road); the bridge once carried "Southwold Railway" trains across the river, en route to Halesworth, the nearest present-day railway station to Southwold. Walberswick is eight miles by road from Southwold.

Although, the other pubs allow children in certain parts of them, a better bet if you have children with you and you want to eat, is The Kings Head, which is very spacious, and has a Children's Menu. Adult dishes range from Sandwiches, through to main meals, such as Sirloin Steak and Grilled Sea Bass, which are both £12.95, with the usual trimmings, along with Vegetarian Dishes, such as Tagliatelle at £8.95. Diagonally opposite The Kings Head is the marvellous-looking Mark's Fish and Chips, at 32 High Street, which is both a takeaway and a sit-down, licensed restaurant. Just down from Mark's, the plaque on the wall of Montague House, at 36 High Street, informs one that the famous author George Orwell (1903-50) lived in the house; hence the "The Orwell Bookshop" a litle further down the High Street, at number 64 (for a White Beer Travels Web page featuring George Orwell's favourite pub, click here). Again further down the High Street, Black Olive, 80 High Street, IP18 6DP, is an outstanding Delicatessen. This is a marvellous place to come if you are self-catering with wondeful Pasties, Pastries, Bread, etc, etc. And for Meat, yo can't go wrong, if yo head further down the High Street, and enter the Market Square, where you will find K E Hutson, 23 Market Place, IP18 6ED, a top class Butchers and Delicatessesn, which decalres itself to be "The Oldest Shop in Town". Southwold has many other quality shops, making it an ideal place for a holiday for al the family, in a place where the riff raff don't seem to come, as evidenced by the lack of chewing gum on the pavements.

All the Adnams pubs in Southwold have Adnams wines, all at similar prices, such as Mâcon-Chardonnay at £15. The latter, being a White Burgundy, is a wine made from the Chardonnay grape, which, you might think is obvious from its name, but this is an actual place name in the Mâcon part of Burgundy.

Adnams have a good number of other marvellous pubs in the rest of Suffolk and East Anglia, and one marvellous pub of their own in London, which is covered below. In addition, their beers are available as Guest Beers in pubs all around the UK, and even in one in Paris, The Long Hop, for which there are more details in the White Beer Travels Guide to Paris, which can be obtained from the Downloads page of the site. One that is absolutely not to be missed, for its remarkable interior, which is fairly close to Southwold, is the Grade II listed The Low House (The King's Head), Gorams Mill Lane, Laxfield, IP13 8DW, GPS: 52.302438^o N, 1.367427^o E, (tel 01986 798395, GBG 2005, GBG 2006 page 438, White Beer Travels Web page), where the beers are served direct from the cask by gravity. Further afield, but still in Suffolk, in Great Wratting, around the entrance to The Red Lion, School Road, CB9 7HA, tel 01440 783237, (GBG 2006, GBG 2007, page 435), there is an impressive whale jawbone entrance. These last two examples really exemplify another slogan of the brewery's : "No two Adnams pubs are alike". Some are basic gems, where drinking wine would be frowned upon; others feature wine in abundance, Adnams being a highly regarded importer of quality Wine, as has been hinted at already, see www.adnamswines.co.uk. In addition to the already mentioned Swan, other Adnams establishments provide quality accommodation, such as the Grade II listed Bell Inn, Ferry Road (B1387), Walberswick, IP18 6TN (tel 01502 723109, GPS: 52.314292^o N, 1.665537^o E, www.blythweb.co.uk/bellinn). The original part of this building, at the front, is over 600 years old. This has a marvellous multi-roomed interior, and a nice garden at the back. A path behind The Bell leads to the seafront, via a bridge over a creak, which is popular with crabbers. Food included (June, 2006 prices): Soup of the Day at £3.95; Crayfish in Dill and lime Mayonnaise at £5.50; Cod, Haddock or Plaice in Batter, with Chips at £3.95; Sausages with Mash Potato and Peas at £3.95; and Sweet Potato, Spinach and Cumin Curry, with Rice and Naan Bread at £3.95.

Perhaps the biggest tourist attraction for many who come to Southwold, is the Grade I listed Parish Church of St Edmund, which dates from 1460, although a big hit with the tourists is the Adnams horse-drawn dray. But for me, the marvellous Adnams pubs that it delivers beer to locally, are the jewels in the crown in this most attractive, well-worth-a-stay town.

There is free Internet access in the Library, at 5 North Green, which is off/parallel with Station Road, www.suffolklibraries.co.uk. It is open on Tuesday to Saturday, from 10am to 1pm, and from 2pm to 6pm, and on Sundays from 11am to 4pm.

The Anchor, Main Street, Walberswick, IP18 6UA, tel 01502 722112, GPS: 52.312894^o N, 1.662317^o E, www.anchoratwalberswick.com

Mark Dorber, the world's most famous cellarman, who made his name in The White Horse, Parson's Green, in London (www.whitehorsesw6.com), has a fifteen year tied lease on this pub/restaurant/hotel in Walberswick; the external photos of the place were taken by John White, in October, 2005. Adnams are the freehold owners and landlord of The Anchor. In The Anchor, there will be initiatives that have already proved a great success in The White Horse, such as "Meet the Brewer" and "Meet the Winemaker". The Anchor is sure to become "The White Horse on Sea"! Following Mark's arrival, a trendy board has appeared outside, see the photo, above right, with the wording "The freshest of local, seasonal produce. Organic fruit juices and cordials. Characterful organic and bio-dynamic wines. Speciality Beer from San Francisco to Southwold".

Food on a three generation family visit to The Anchor, in June, 2006, proved to be first rate. Example dishes available on this day included: Soup of the Day at £4.50; Smoked Haddock, Bacon and Prawn Chowder at £6.25/10.25; Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Purée at £7.75/11.75; Beer Battered Cod with Hand-Cut Chips, Jalapeno Tartare Sauce and Pease Pudding at £9.75; Salmon Fishcakes with Creamy Leeks and Hand-Cut Chips, at £9.75; Slow Braised Lamb Shoulder with Cannelli Beans and Crushed New Potatoes at £10.25; and a portion of the excellent Chips at £2.50. On the menu. there is a recommended wine and beer pairing for each dish. Click here for further details of the family holiday in which this visit to The Anchor featured.

The photos above were taken by John White, in The Anchor, in Walberswick, in May and June, 2006. In the one on the left, Mark is checking the clarity of some Adnams Bitter that he has just drawn from one of the casks in the cellar. He is wearing a shirt stating that he was a Judge at the 1997 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) (www.beertown.org/events/gabf/index.htm), in Denver, Colorado, USA. In 2006, it was the 25th anniversary festival, the 16th of June, 2006 was the 25th anniversary of Mark starting at The White Horse, in Parson's Green, in London. In the photo on the right, Mark is behind the servery, with his wife, Sophie, and their children, Harry and Rose. In the foreground, there are handpumps for Adnams Bitter and Broadside; in the main part of the servery, there is also an Adnams Explorer pump. All the beers sampled at The Anchor were magnificent, the Explorer having particularly pronounced citric notes.

Adnams Brewery's London Pub: The Bridge House

The Bridge House (GBG 2006, GBG  2007 page 294) is a really marvellous Adnams pub, their only one in London. The above photo of its exterior was taken by John White, in August, 2005. It is close to the famous London Icon, Tower Bridge, just South of the River Thames, at 218 Tower Bridge Road (A100), SE1 2UP, tel 020 7407 5818, GPS: 51.503088^o N, 0.076246^o W. There is also a rear entrance on Horselydown Lane. When one is sitting in the bar, the combination of a window box and a tree on this lane gives one the impression that The Bridge House has a most attractive garden, but there is no garden; what you see when looking out, is the lane.The Bridge House is a particularly trendy and most attractive place. On my August, 2005 visit, the Adnams Real Ales available were: Bitter at £2.70; Broadside at £2.90; and the Spring/Summer seasonal beer, Regatta at £2.80. There is also a very good selection of Adnams Wines. Food options include: Slow Roasted Norfolk Duck at £9.50; Adnams Broadside Beer Battered Haddock at £8.25; and Cumberland Sausages (with Mash and Gravy) at £7.75. There are also Baguettes in the range £4.95 to £5.75, these coming with Fat Homemade Chips and Salad; the Chips are available, on their own (well, with Garlic Mayonnaise) at £2.50. The nearest Tube Station is London Bridge (Jubilee and Northern Lines). Another Tube Station option, that one has to pass by the impressive Tower of London to get to, is Tower Hill on the Circle and District Lines; there is also Tower Gateway, on the Docklands Light Railway, which has an end stop at Tower Hill.

There are a number of pubs in London, which are not owned by Adnams, but which are permanent outlets for its beers, a classic example being Ye Olde Mitre, 1 Ely Court, 9 Ely Place, EC1N 6SJ, tel 020 7405 4751, www.yeoldemitre.co.uk, (GBG 2006, GBG 2007 page 280). Click here for a White Beer Travels Web page giving more details of Ye Olde Mitre . Another marvellous Adnams outlet, with a superb interior and exterior, is The Nag's Head, 53 Kinnerton Street, SW1X 8ED, tel 020 7235 1135, (GBG 2006, GBG 2007 page 302); it is close to Harrods and Hyde Park Corner. The King & Queen, 1 Foley Street (off Oxford Street), W1W 6DL, tel 020 7636 5619, is an interesting Adnams outlet, with their wines as well as Adnams Bitter and Broadside. Bob Dylan appeared here, in the upstairs function room, without a formal booking, on the 23rd of December, 1962. London pubs of special merit, such as the ones mentioned in this section, are featured in the eighty-three page White Beer Travels Notes on London Pubs that can be obtained from the Downloads page of the site.

John White (1945-), , October, 2005, updated in June, 2007.

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