Hastings Tap Takeover at 15 Venues!

Hastings Tap Takeover 2024 I can herald for this weekend, 4th to the 6th of October 2024 (website), in 15 venues right across Hastings & St Leonards, with ales and crafty keg beers, from 15 different breweries from across the country! 🍺 In Hastings Old Town: The Crown, 64-66 All Saints Street TN34 3BN (website) has beers from Fauna Brewing; The Jenny Lind, 69 High Street TN34 3EW (website) has beers from Loud Shirt Brewing; The Jolly Fisherman, 3 East Beach Street TN34 3AR (above image - website) has beers from Left Handed Giant; and The Albion, 33 George Street TN34 3EA (website) has beers from Three Acre Brewery.

In Hastings Town Centre: The Imperial, 119 Queens Road TN34 1RL (website) has beers from Rivington Brewing; 1200 Postcards, 80 Queens Road TN34 1RL (facebook) has beers from Dark Revolution; The Prince Albert, 28 Cornwallis Street, Hastings TN34 1SS (above image - website) has beers from Cloudwater Brew Co; Eel & Bear, 28 Waldegrave Street TN34 1SJ (website) has beers from Pomona Island Brew Co; The Courtyard, White Rock TN34 1JA (facebook) has beers from Chain House Brewing; and The Seadog, 32 Station Road TN34 1NJ (website) has beers from State of Kind Brew Co.

In St Leonards: Collected Fictions, Unit 1, 6-8 London Road TN37 6AE (instagram), and no, I don't use instagram either 😣 with beers from Baron Brewing Co; Heist Market, 22-26 Norman Road TN37 6NH (website) with beers from Three Blind Mice; The Piper, 1 Norman Road TN37 6NH (website) with beers from The Kernel Brewery; Goat Ledge, Lower Promenade, Warrior Square TN37 6FA (website) with beers from Earth Ale; and at The Tower, 251 London Road TN37 6NB (above image - facebook) with beers from the excellent Bristol Beer Factory.

More details of breweries etc at Steve the Beermeister. Enjoy your weekend folks! 🍻

H.O.T. Carnival Procession et al... Plus.

OK, this is a library photograph of mine as the current Hastings Lifeboat can no longer get around the island in front of Iceland, with it's tractor it is just too long. However, images of the procession yesterday can be found on the H.O.T. Carnival facebook page (I was away due to the reintroduction of football in England following the inter seasons break, my bad!).

The image immediately above, however, was Hastings Lifeboat contribution yesterday (image thanks to their facebook page), trusting they raised serious money, and trusting others taking part did similarly too, Respect to Hastings! Things are still happening in connection with the Carnival Week; see website for today (Sunday), and tomorrow, Monday 12th, sees the annual Fancy Dress Litter Pick (website) organised, as ever, by local councillor James Bacon, and meeting at The Stade Open Space at 10.30. Many thanks in anticipation of their effort.

Steve the Beermeister says to not forget that there are some rather interesting Polish beers still available at The Jolly Fisherman, East Beach Street (blog), enjoy folks!

Hastings Tap Takeover 2022!

By Steve the Beermeister...

This weekend, Friday 7th to Sunday 9th, is the 2022 Hastings Tap Takeover (website), which, in effect, means that there is a beer festival, but at 15 different venues in Hastings & St Leonards, with each venue having its taps taken over by a different independent brewery!

I'll list the breweries below in alphabetical order, as the organisers have on their website, with the corresponding venue; opening times will vary so check with the venue as appropriate. Cheers!

Abyss (website) of Lewes will be at The Piper, 1 Norman Road TN37 6NH (facebook).

Arbor (website) of Bristol at The Tower, 251 London Road TN37 6NB (facebook).

Beak (website) of Lewes at Collected Fictions, Unit 1, 6-8 London Road TN37 6AE (Nicelocal).

Drop Project (website) of Mitcham at The Seadog, 32 Station Road TN34 1NJ (website).

Floc (website) of Canterbury at The Imperial, 119 Queens Road TN34 1RL (website).

Good Chemistry (website) of Bristol at The Jenny Lind, 69 High Street TN34 3EW (website).

Hand (website) of Worthing at The St Leonard, 16-18 London Road TN37 6AN (website).

Only With Love (website) of Uckfield at The Crown, 64-66 All Saints Street TN34 3BN (website).

Overtone (website) of Glasgow at Eel & Bear, 28 Waldegrave Street TN34 1SJ (website).

Pig & Porter (website) of Tunbridge Wells at the Albion, 33 George Street TN34 3EA (website).

Pohjala (website) of Estonia at The Jolly Fisherman, 3 E Beach Street TN34 3AR (website).

Revolutions (website) of Castleford at 1200 Postcards, 80 Queens Road TN34 1RL (facebook).

Sureshot (website) of Manchester at The Courtyard, White Rock TN34 1JA (website).

Track (website) of Manchester at Heist Market, 22-26 Norman Road TN37 6NH (website).

Verdant (website) of Penryn at The Marina Fountain, 26 Caves Road TN38 0BY (website).

Cheers!

Shop & Buy Local...

 

Of course we all want to shop and buy local, as has been encouraged by Love Hastings (website), and also by Hastings Borough Council, but I fear for local businesses, not just shops and artisans, but hairdressers, pubs, bars, restaurants, and many other local businesses. I added such a comment to a post on a social media page, and was informed that many businesses are delivering or providing click & collect, as I discussed in a recent blog that included The Jolly Fisherman. 

These were the businesses I was informed of: Soak, Mame's Place, Red Gallery, Warp & Weft, Butler & George, Courthouse Cooperative, Reste, and my thanks to Soak for that information, cheers!

If anyone wishes to add about other local businesses offering similar services during these strange times please feel free to add about them in comments and I will include any I am told about in a future blog (providing they are legal, of course 😉)

Out for a Weekend Walk & Beer to Your Door!

I had to get out for a bit of exercise and to stop myself climbing the walls this morning, living alone can lead you to do suchlike, particularly if you don't see anyone else you know for too long. So I got out and managed to wave and/or say 'hello' to a few people I know, and a couple I don't know, as that face in my bathroom mirror gets a wee bit boring when the only other person I see. 😉 Anyway, a bit windy, high waters and waves, like above at Rock-a-Nore, where a couple of lads were actually fishing at the end of the east harbour arm, having to jump up for every high wave; I would have published a photograph of them, but I was giggling and the one above came out better.

I had managed to see a few people I know, thankfully, and had short very socially distanced chats, and on my way back I noticed that the Jolly Fisherman was again making Friday deliveries (blog from the first lockdown), and this lockdown the rules allow for click & collect too; above are the ales, keg beers and ciders/perry available; they also have numerous bottles and cans. Go to their website for further details, I have to admit to being tempted, particularly by the Angels & Demons brew, but... 😈

Notice anything different in the photograph above? Well, the footpath 'widening' has gone a few weeks earlier than originally planned (blog), there were a few complaints that it was effecting local businesses because of less parking, although with the lockdown until the beginning of December, at least, did it really matter? Anyway, now I'll have to walk in the road proper to avoid cycles on the footpath, or do as I did earlier and use the cycle path, much safer and less likely to get hit by a cycle! 😏

Talking of parking, was there an Optivo convention on Pelham Beach this morning?

Anyway, please look after yourselves folks, wash your hands regularly, maintain social distancing of at least 2 metres, wear face coverings where required, and let's respect and be considerate to each other, cheers m'dears!

Another Weekend & More Open!

Good to see The Albion, 33 George Street (and opposite the Minigolf) TN34 3EA, back open again (facebook). As with Guidance, seating throughout and table service only for now. The large Scottish Bar, George Street side, is now used solely as a restaurant, and in the Seafront Bar and the outside area you may sit and just enjoy a few drinks, or eat there as well of course; tables can be booked at their website.

The Jolly Fisherman, 3 East Beach Street TN34 3AR (website) is now open for takeaway drinks, Thursday 6-8pm, Friday/Saturday 3-7pm, Sunday 1-5pm, plus they are now making deliveries on Thursday afternoons. They are open for table service too, Thursday to Sunday I believe, but you need to book a table, their website tells you how.

The Ferris Wheel has been in action for a while, and Flamingo Park (facebook), East Beach Street (opposite the Jolly Fisherman) has reopened too. It looks like all the amusement arcades are open as well, and the children's playground in-between Hastings Adventure Golf and the beach is open again, and not to forget the minigolf has been going for a few weeks now, so a bit more for children to do again!

Hastings Pier, 1-10 White Rock TN34 1JY, is open again (apologies for older photograph, but I've not visited for a while now, but I do need to get there very soon, maybe this weekend!) and under new management; the structure is still owned by the dodgy bloke from Eastbourne, however, the business is apparently now run by an operating consortium led by James & Mustapha/Music First (facebook), and very friendly to all locals again! Also, there is now a HUGE beer garden area, or Bier Garden (what they call it), and open air live music... I have to visit!

And am I still maintaining my daily walking exercise? Well most days anyway, this was a photograph I took from Fairlight this morning, looking back across Warren Glen.

Whatever you do, have a good weekend, but remember to maintain social distancing etc, as it's not over yet, be careful folks!

A pint in a pub and Covid-19

By Steve the Beermeister:

As we said recently (blog), it is the personal choice of every one of us, from the 4th of July 2020, whether we go to a pub, restaurant or bar, providing we take into account Government Guidance (website). Our opinion, expressed in that blog, is that, shamefully, the Government is passing the buck, indeed, passing on as much responsibility as they can, and Government Policy and Guidance is a Pig's Ear!

Whatever! I drank a wonderful pint from Kent Brewery (website) on Monday, their gorgeous 4.8% version of an American Pale Ale, Prohibition, a finalist in the 2019 CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain contest, and up there with the best. I have drunk it since lockdown and the Coronavirus Crisis began, recently thanks to the life preserving delivery service of The Jolly Fisherman (website) a couple of weeks ago, but that first pint, fresh from the cask, was wonderful. Prohibition is a very pale golden bitter, straw coloured even, with a big citrus/tropical fruit aroma and taste, particularly grapefruit flavour. A good strength and body ensures you know you have had a drink, and it finishes with what I always rave about, a dry bitter aftertaste, gorgeous!

And, knowing I can't travel far these days because of travelling restrictions brought in by the Government thanks to the Coronavirus Crisis, my drinking has to be in Hastings, or within walking distance of Hastings. So where did I have my first post-lockdown ale in a pub? The Dolphin Inn (website) at 11-12 Rock a Nore Road TN34 3DW, reopened on Monday (I stayed in at the weekend), and it was great to meet up with people I'd not seen for a while, appropriate social distancing of course, and table service! As you can see from the interior photograph above, they have redecorated and re-planned the inside to a warm hospitable environment, not that it hasn't always been so.

Everything has been reorganized so that only one person can use each toilet at a time, during busy periods there will be someone on the door to ensure the numbers of customers in the pub are restricted at any one time, and service is to the tables inside, although customers sitting outside have to go inside to a set point for their drinks, and there is off sales provision too. 

In the short-term there will be just the 4 ales on at any one time, including their 3 regulars still, Dark Star Hophead, Young's Special and Harvey's Sussex Best. This week the guest ales at the 4th pump will be from Kent Brewery (website), and as I said, they started off with Prohibition, of which they had 2 firkins, hurry if you want to drink Prohibition, as it is going quickly, but if you do miss it, it will be replaced by another excellent ale from that brewery, so no real concern. Oh yes, and they have a new chef, Tim, who many of us know from elsewhere, dishing up some very interesting looking food (website), specials on the menus are to be introduced as reopening lengthens, and a Japanese Evening is planned to be held soon.

(Ed) Not all licensed premises in Hastings are open yet, but a few reopened on Monday in addition to the Dolphin, and some will be open again very soon, but during my early morning walks (I have continued this institution!) I noticed that The Retreat Bar up at Shear Barn in Barley Lane, has reopened, although not at the hour I pass. 😉 Indeed, I noted their opening times for now as 4pm to 7pm Mon/Tuesday; closed Wednesdays; 4pm to 7pm Thursday; 5pm to 9pm Fri/Saturdays; 2pm to 6pm Sunday. Their restaurant is closed until further notice.

Whatever, wherever, remember to be careful folks!

Hastings Virtual Jack and May Day!

Happy May Day 2020! Well, as we are all already well aware, the usual festivities in Hastings aren't going ahead this year, but, as I said in a blog last week, Hastings Virtual Jack 2020 has been organised by Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green (facebook page), and has 'kicked off' today! This morning, on my way home from my (Government approved) daily exercise in Hastings Country Park, appropriate decorations are already in abundance, noticeably in All Saints Street (just a small sample of shown above, and following, but there's much more).

Indeed, even on my way back, walking along Barley Lane before entering the Old Town, I noticed the flag below, not a great image, sorry, it was a wee bit damp...

And, after walking down All Saints Street, and crossing over The Bourne, the front, and back, of The Jolly Fisherman were both adorned appropriately for the occasion (images below), nice one Becky and Oliver!

I love the back of the pub, around in East Street (below), and particularly its wee door, it makes even me feel tall! Again, great decorations, and another flag too. 

And, opposite the rear of The Jolly Fisherman in East Street there are many more decorations, but I particularly liked the relevant collection below...

Nice one Hastings, always ensuring we party even if not allowed to do so overtly 😉 but certainly ensuring we don't forget Jack in the Green this year, and with the promise of more to come over the weekend... Check with the facebook page for the virtual events, or just look about you at beautiful Hastings and the May Day decorations.

Happy May Day to you all!

#HastingsVirtualJack2020 

Beer and Cider to Your Door Update!

By Steve the Beermeister:

I have undergone some more research and appear to have found quite a few extra ways of getting locally brewed ales, plus quality beers, cider & wine, and in some instances food, delivered to your door from pubs AND from local breweries. As I said before, The Jolly Fisherman is offering a delivery service for beers, ciders and perry on Friday afternoons, please go to their website to order: delivery is free of charge in Hastings & St Leonards, and £2 to Bexhill and within 7 miles of Hastings. Last week the draught beers available were a Citra and Eldorado hopped 4.1% Pale brewed by North Brewing, a 4.2% Best bitter from 360 Degrees, and a 5.9% keg IPA from Belgian brewers The Musketeers. Go to their website for this weeks offerings.

In addition, Rod has advised me that Bob from the Albion (website) is also delivering cask ale, for £3 a pint, on Friday afternoon/evening: last week a 3.9% 'American Extra Pale Ale' Phoenix from Bedlam Brewery. Payment is by PayPal and I presume you need to telephone to order (I can see no link on their website or facebook page to place orders), which is 01424 439156.

Further, I have since discovered that the Eel & Bear is providing a local delivery service, Click & Collect (pre-ordered) at 28 Waldegrave Street TN34 1SJ, and nationwide courier deliveries (website). This does not include cask-conditioned ales, but they do have an excellent and wide range of interesting and exceptional craft beers.

In addition locally, around the corner from the Eel & Bear in Queens Road TN34 1RL, at The Imperial, the Brewing Brothers also appear to be offering a takeaway service, and delivery, including their delicious pizzas as well as beer (website).

I have also discovered that a further 3 breweries are advertising delivering to your door, unsurprisingly. bearing in mind I have published the image above, Battle Brewery (website) is one of them. Indeed they offer free local delivery, I would guess they expect a minimum expenditure by their customers (but within 10 miles of the brewery, well within the Hastings area!) and a courier service nationwide (at cost).

Furthermore, Three Legs Brewing Co (website) offer to deliver their own beers, and unique wine and food produce, and 1648 Brewing Co (website) their own beers.

So, very decent beer is still available to the folk of Hastings, cheers!

Beer, Cider & Perry to Your Door!

By Steve the Beermeister:

The Jolly Fisherman is offering a delivery service for beers, ciders and perry on Friday afternoons, please go to their website to order: delivery free of charge in Hastings & St Leonards, and £2 to Bexhill and within 7 miles of Hastings. This week the draught beers available are a Citra and Eldorado hopped 4.1% Pale brewed by North Brewing (website), a 4.2% Best bitter from 360 Degrees (website), and a 5.9% keg IPA from Belgian brewers The Musketeers (website). Excellent, cheers!

In addition, Rod has advised me that Bob from the Albion (website) is also delivering cask ale, for £3 a pint, on Friday afternoon/evening: this week a 3.9% 'American Extra Pale Ale' Phoenix from Bedlam Brewery (website). Payment is by PayPal and I presume you need to telephone to order (I can see no link on their website or facebook page to place orders), which is 01424 439156. Nice one, cheers!

Rainbow Windows

This has been going on for a while now (you website), initially encouraged by school teachers I believe, but rainbows in windows, to help spread cheer in recent worrying days and weeks, now months... But I thought I'd share this one, just a shame the bar can't be open, that would spread even more cheer for me! 😉

Indeed, when out taking my daily exercise (Government approved) I noticed another 11 similar exhibitions, a few business premises, but mainly private residences.

Stay careful!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

So, despite all that's going on, I haven't forgotten St Patrick's Day, but what is on in Hastings today? Well, there's a wee Irish Beer Festival at The Jolly Fisherman micropub, 3 East Beach Street TN34 3AR (I have written about this hostelry before, but see blog if you want to read more about this lovely wee bar and its history). I have already enjoyed drinking 2 of those beers, Black is the Colour and Stouts Out! and a grand Irish Whiskey too, Pogues, not to forget that they are serving up a wonderful Irish Stew. Go to their facebook page for more details of the day.

This evening, 8.00 to 11.30 pm, and down the seafront a wee bit to the west, at The Albion, 33 George Street TN34 3EA, is a nice bit of appropriate folk music with St Patrick's Day at the Albion With The Garry Blakeley Band (facebook).

Enjoy the Craic, and Sláinte!

Jolly Fisherman FESTIVALS!

The Jolly Fisherman (website) is this evening holding a special Cider and Perry festival with 7 real ciders and 2 real perries, and with tasting guidance from Albert from Ross on Wye; I enjoyed an excellent perry from them earlier today, Bartestree Squash, 8.2%, and much to easy too drink! Costs a wee bit with drinks involved and food, but just turn up anyway, though the beer and food deal looks great value, not to mention great quality (facebook)!

The above photograph shows what is available today, then tomorrow starts a St Patrick's festival with beers from Ireland, and soon a Belgian Beer Festival too! What's not to like?!? 

Dark Beer Festival this weekend

By Steve the Beermeister:

Much nicer than potential traffic holdups in Hastings, this weekend there is a Dark Beer Festival (3-5 January) on at The Jolly Fisherman  micropub at East Beach Street TN34 3AR (facebook), open from midday: this will include up to 5 dark real ales and 5 dark crafty keg beers at any one time. Now, the image above was taken on Thursday, so I had a crafty early drink with 2/3rds of a pint of The Kernel Brewery Export Stout (7.0%), and it was smooth dark and gorgeous. You will not be disappointed, but it could well be very busy in the evening, I have little doubt, but do enjoy, and cheers! 

Burning Sky Tap Takeover at the Jolly Fisherman

By Steve the Beermeister:

This weekend, at The Jolly Fisherman, 3  East Beach Street, Hastings TN34 3AR, there will be a tap takeover by Sussex brewery Burning Sky (website), 9 Burning Sky ales and crafty kegs available! Indeed, yesterday I had to drink their rather wonderful Aurora, a 5.6% pale golden ale with plenty of hops from the USA producing a fruity aroma and taste with plenty of body, please may I have another, cheers!

Hastings Tap Takeover 11-13 October 2019

By Steve the Beermeister:

This weekend, to help kick off Hastings Week (website) with a bang, twelve venues in Hastings, from The Dolphin Inn in the east to The Tower in the west, will be holding 'tap takeovers' by twelve different breweries (Hastings Tap Takeover facebook page). Each venue will be helping to celebrate 'exceptional independent breweries'  from near and far, with great real ales, and crafty keg beers too!

For full details of the venues and breweries involved, either go to the Steve the Beermeister blogspot, or to the Hastings Taptakeover facebook page. 

Midsummer Fish Festival 2019

The Hastings Midsummer Fish Festival 2019 will be starting tomorrow at 11.00am, 22-23 June 2019, at The Stade (website). As always, food, drink and music all day, both days, with admission in advance from the Tourist Information Centre, Breeds Place, for £1.50 the whole weekend; at the 'gate' £3.00, and under 18s free. There will be a bar with crafty keg beers, and Harveys Brewery (website) will have a real ale bar (no FILO this year), if you would prefer ales from local microbreweries, try the Jolly Fisherman or the Dolphin Inn, the nearest free houses.

A weekend wander East and West...

I ensured I got out early, before it became too warm, but we do have a few steep hills in Hastings, notably these 2, and it wasn't chilly at all! As I live in the centre of town I began by walking up the West Hill, first of all to take this photograph from outside Hastings Castle (images within are included in my older blog).

Taken of the 'old town' looking down from the West Hill, most will already be well aware that the 'old town' is actually the Norman New Hastings. This became the new centre following the great storms of the 13th century, which altered the local coastline, depositing a vast bank of shingle which helped to create the America Ground at the west of the new town centre, and filled in the old harbour over which the castle stood, got that? Maybe it's better explained in an older blog about the America Ground.

I then headed down to the 'old town' and passed one of our two Norman churches on the corner of the High Street and opposite Swan Terrace, St Clement Church (blog).

I then crossed The Bourne, now a road, but once a river running through the centre of the old town, and part of local drains I do believe. I walked up to and along Tackleway to above All Saints Church, the other Norman church, where I took this photograph (more about this church, and photographs inside and out, on this older blog).

I then walked up the East Hill, from where I took this photograph looking down into the 'old town' and across to the West Hill. Oh yes, by the way, there are iron age forts at the top of both hills too!

Before I had an early drink at the Dolphin Inn, and then visited the Sussex Street Food Festival on the Stade Open Space (blog), and then had a drink at the Jolly Fisherman (I was thirsty!), I wandered down the steps that start by the top of the East Hill Lift, and down to Tackleway, and then turned left down to Rock-a-Nore Road.

It's that time of year again...

I was reminded, not that I needed reminding, that we are fast approaching the May Day public holiday, by this representation of the Jack, or Green Man, hanging in the Jolly Fisherman, Hastings first micropub (blog). Of course you'll be reading more about this over the next week, and not just here, but a wee reminder that Hastings Jack in the Green festival runs from this Friday 3rd May to Monday 6th May 2019, when the climatic procession is held (website).

Normans Bay Return, on foot...

I had a wee walk along the seafront to Normans Bay, accompanied by my brother Dan, and back, and, surprise surprise (not), Hastings Pier was closed...

Just past the Azur Pavilion and we spotted some of the regular 5km Park Run (blog), a fun run carried out around the country, our 'park' just happens to be the seafront. If you would like to know more about this healthy event, which really does cater for all levels of fitness, go to their website.

There was a very strong wind from the west (Storm Eric), though not quite as bad as up north, but still gusts of over 40mph, and the first to finish was Mark Coates (in red), congratulations to him, with the first woman to finish being Abianne Coates, I'm guessing related, whatever, congratulations to her, and to all of those who took part!

When we arrived at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill (website), this wonderful 1930s building where art deco meets the modern, we had to stop for our 'institutional' cup of coffee and sit on the balcony enjoying the view and the coffee, thank you very much!

Then we carried on along to Normans Bay, now appearing ahead of us (above).

The great 'metropolis' that is Normans Bay

After eating one of our sandwiches each, lovingly created by me before we left, we stopped at the, also 1930s and once owned by the De La Warrs, Cooden Beach Hotel.

Then walking into this part of the complex, that is, a bar, and brought outside with us to enjoy, a well deserved pint each of Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter, cheers!

When we returned to Hastings it was just getting dark, but we felt we also deserved another couple of pints each at The Jolly Fisherman (blog), the micropub at East Beach Street, before heading home for dinner, and did enjoy an excellent couple of ales each, and saw a few friends too, cheers again, a good day was had!