News & Features

There are new tenants at Holt's Volunteer Hotel in Sale. Former hosts Jim & Tracy Roberts left the Cross Street pub at the end of September and have been replaced by Debby & Eddie Scott.

The couple have a long association with Sale having moved to the area from the North East of England 26 years ago and are really pleased to be back in the area they view as home. They have been in the pub trade for many years with an impressive list of pubs behind them - Stretford's Melville, The Kingsway in Levenshulme to name just two.

They have moved to Sale from another Holt's pub, The Grafton Arms in the shadow of Manchester Royal Infirmary. The couple don't have plans to make significant changes to the pub - the Thursday night quiz will remain as will Saturday's disco & karaoke - and their long experience should make sure that the ale remains in the same excellent condition.

Chorlton Challenge 2014
Friday 14th & Saturday 15th November 2014

The Chorlton Challenge is the annual survey of Chorlton's 24 pubs and bars which serve cask ale. Spread over two days, the challenge is to visit all 24 pubs but if you can't make the full weekend just drop in when you feel you can to support your local pubs. If you know the area then it may be a chance to visit pubs you don't regularly go to.

Times shown bold are planned meeting points, all other times approximate.
If lost call 07979 350863 or 07879 880972
Click here for map of pub locations

Nominations from CAMRA members are required for entrants into the North West Champion Beer of Britain competition.

The winners from this area competition are put forward as finalists to the national Champion Beer of Britain competition at the Great British Beer Festival and the National Winter Ales Festival.

There are 11 categories for the competition Milds; Bitter; Best Bitters; Strong Bitters; Golden Ales; Specialiity Beers; Old Ales and Strong Milds; Porters; Stouts; Barley Wines and Strong Old Ales; and Real Ales in a Bottle and you  can nominate up to five beers, in order of preference, in each.

There are plenty in there to choose from and if you don't want to vote in a particular category, you don't have to.

You ONLY have until the 30 November 2014 to vote, so login to

http://www.cbobvoting.org.uk/login.asp

using your membership number and the password from www.camra.org.uk then select your favourites.

If you change you mind, no problems, you can go back any time before the closing date and update your choices.

Altrincham's Orange Tree re-opened on October 8th. As reported previously, the pub has been taken over by Chris Clish who has overseen the  revival of Chorlton's Beech Inn. Chris has gone into partnership with Gabrielle Burns-Smith, formerly his manager at The Beech Inn and  her partner James Dainty to take the lease of the Enterprise Inns pub. The pub has undergone an extensive refurbishment lasting two  months and is now a much smarter affair than it was previously.

Externally the rather garish orange colour scheme has been replaced with a much more subdued green while internally the is a mix of  stripped brick walls and plain grey plaster. On entering the pub, seven handpumps flank the corner of the bar in front of you. Five  dispense real ale with two given over to cider. Three regular ales are Landlord, Copper Dragon Golden Pippin Thwaites Wainwright while when the branch's Altrincham Market social called on October 17th, the guests were Dorset's Otter Amber & Rudgate Ruby Mild. Gabby told us that their is an eighth  line installed but they are physically struggling to fit the pump in. She also told us that while none was available on our visit, they  will be aiming to have at least one local brew available - beers from Mobberley Fine Ales have been going well and they also had  Beartown in the cellar.