Topic: Beer

[Bob DeBilda]

 

What's the opinion on the beer brewed in Westbury?

Of all the micro breweries in the area, which one, if any, brews the best beer?

 

[baldy]

I have not come across the beers from the new micro-brewery yet.


I've tried most of the beers from the Twisted and Three Daggers breweries and thought they are mostly quite OK, though there is one from both breweries which I like most. I can't remember the names but they would be the ones most like their best bitter / 6x.

[Bob DeBilda]

The new micro brewery is called Brotherhood Brewery. Although they brew on the industrial estate I think their beer goes to Seend. I've not tasted it yet.

I agree about the Twisted and Dagger beer. Both have improved from their first attempts. Especially the Dagger beer. I disliked it when they first started.

Neither are as good as Stonehenge beer. Brewed in Netheravon by a Dane. All their beer is excellent.

You probably remember Westbury Ales brewed by Leigh at the Horse & Groom. Most of the locals liked it but I couldn't stand it and didn't have the heart to tell him. Shame what happened.

[baldy]

Actually, I thought Leigh's Westbury Ales were just about OK once one got used to them. They reminded me very much of the old (and long-closed down) original Firkin chain of pubs and their on-site micro-breweries in London in the 80s and 90s (I lived in London on and off in the 80s and all through the 90s) and one beer there called Dogbolter, which was definitely unsafe to drink in large quantities but people did anyway ..... They were hugely popular pubs, often with someone playing a piano and lots of folk singing along, and you could see the brewing kit through a glass floor or wall but I always thought the beers were only barely OK. If I remember correctly, Leigh and wife suddenly closed the pub due to financial reasons triggered by a second pub of theirs in Leigh's hometown or village of Tisbury when the recession hit in about 2009 but they carried on living in the H+G in Westbury whilst it was put up for sale by the landlord  ...


Thinking of Leigh, who died suddenly in his sleep in 2010, his name came up out of the blue about 4 years ago when I was in Sherborne. I was looking for an open fish n chip shop and noticed one in a road called "Westbury". The take away food was really excellent and I went back a few weeks later, again on a Sunday evening drive back from Weymouth. During a conversation with the owner / chief fryer, I mentioned that I came from the town of Westbury and that I was amused to see the road is called Westbury which helped me to find his place again. He said he knows the town Westbury because an old friend of his, Leigh Pickering, had run a pub and a micro-brewery and had been living in Westbury until his untimely death a few years previously .... so I explained that I had met Leigh as a local publican, brewer and also because, as a town councillor (I was at the time) I had known him because he became involved in running the bar at The Laverton (Westbury's town hall).

[baldy]

I have since discovered that the fish n chip shop in Westbury, Sherborne (the one-way town centre part of Westbury) is run by someone who also runs or ran a pub and who also used to run a micro-brewery like Leigh. The fish n chip shop web site is here; https://abbeyfriar.webs.com/   Looks like they don't do Sundays now.

The Trip Advisor rating is excellent: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186265-d4299535-Reviews-Docherty_s_fish_and_chip_shop-Sherborne_Dorset_England.html#REVIEWS

I was really struck by how good the fish (cod) and chips were.

[Shizzy]

I think Leigh was from around that area originally, Tisbury if memory serves me right

[Bob DeBilda]

It was Tisbury.

I wouldn't want you two navigating for me. Tisbury is about 30 miles from Sherborne. And who in their right mind drives from Weymouth to Westbury via Sherborne? Even if the fish and chips in Sherborne are good. 

[DORIAN]

Dear Leigh invested in a Pub in Tisbury which we went for drink there. Leigh was a forward thinker and after his efforts deserves much praise , rerally put the H and G back on the map....but agree his ales were not to my liking !!!!!!! Leigh RSVP
at his funeral every one was asked to bring a red rose, a lovely service for a lovely fellow

[baldy]

 who in their right mind drives from Weymouth to Westbury via Sherborne? Even if the fish and chips in Sherborne are good. 

It was more about the drive through pleasant scenery, including Cerne Abbas (the giant man hill carving) than speed or quickness.

As it happens, the route is often quicker than going via the A354 and A350 etc.  I used to use the route via Sherborne before the Dorchester and Blandford Forum bypasses were built to avoid the terrible jams through both towns. 

In recent years, the Tom Tom GPS map in the car tells me to go straight north from Sherborne onto the A303 near Wincanton. I used to ignore this until 2 years ago and so then gave it a try. This really does make the journey much quicker compared to when I was turning east towards Shaftesbury to join the A350 or using the A350 etc down to Blandford and going on via the Dorchester bypass to Weymouth.

If you look at a map, it will be clear why going via Sherborne is actually slightly less mileage. When you realise that the traffic moves quicker, especially on the A303 and the smaller roads between Sherborne and Dorchester (often there is just no traffic), compared to the main lorry route, you will understand that actually going via Sherborne is actually quicker ....

[Michael]

Green Flag offers three different routes, though all about the same time but slightly different mileage. I find the A350 a bit of a pain.
But don't worry folks the government are making money available to improve the route, perhaps they'll include the section through Westbury.

[Shizzy]

Green Flag offers three different routes, though all about the same time but slightly different mileage. I find the A350 a bit of a pain.
But don't worry folks the government are making money available to improve the route, perhaps they'll include the section through Westbury.

I doubt it. Too many people from outside Westbury are against it.

[Bob DeBilda]

A350 is ok as far as Shaftesbury. Ditch it there and take the B3081 to Melbury Abbas where you go straight down to Blandford a much straighter and quicker road than the A350. At Blandford get on the A354.

If you look at a map, it will be clear why going via Sherborne is actually slightly less mileage. When you realise that the traffic moves quicker, especially on the A303 and the smaller roads between Sherborne and Dorchester (often there is just no traffic), compared to the main lorry route, you will understand that actually going via Sherborne is actually quicker ....

That sounds logical. Next time I go down to Weymouth I'll give it a go.

Now, back to the beer and talking about Weymouth. Well near Weymouth anyway is Bridport where one of my favourite's is brewed. Palmers ! all their beer is excellent

[baldy]

I'm off to Bridport next week, courtesy of Dorset Police who think I deserve to not have 3 points added to my licence for a speeding offence if I attend a "Driver Awareness" Course for about 4 hours.


The only thing I'm worried about is looking at your mobile is banned for the whole course ....   and anyone caught looking will have the 3 points reinstated and be fined as well as the course fee .... 


This will be the first time I have actually switched it off rather than left it on silent ...

[baldy]

A350 is ok as far as Shaftesbury. Ditch it there and take the B3081 to Melbury Abbas where you go straight down to Blandford a much straighter and quicker road than the A350. At Blandford get on the A354.

Yes, I take the Higher Shaftesbury / Blandford Road when I'm going to Wimborne, Wareham, Swanage/Studland or Poole to avoid the diabolical A350 bends and slow traffic between Shaftesbury and Blandford.  It reminds me of the Old Wells Road out of Frome via Chantry towards Cheddar which is straight like a roman road much of the way ...

[baldy]

Green Flag offers three different routes, though all about the same time but slightly different mileage. I find the A350 a bit of a pain.
But don't worry folks the government are making money available to improve the route, perhaps they'll include the section through Westbury.

I doubt it. Too many people from outside Westbury are against it.

The strong opposition to an eastern Westbury A350 bypass was mostly from outside the BA13 area. The equally strong support was virtually all from the the BA13 area.  BA13 support was three times larger than BA13 opposition.


Anyway, the hints I have received about any future route to bypass Westbury involve looking very closely at the longer and more expensive far western route ... though of course that is not to say that it will be found to be viable in terms of benefits v costs.  One of the increasingly important issues is the cost of fuel used is rising especially on longer routes and more especially when bypasses should involve quicker more reliable journey times rather than far longer and fuel-guzzling journeys ...