Micropub
A Micropub is a very small, one room public house. The concept is attributed to publican Martyn Hillier and his pub, The Butchers Arms, in Herne, Kent, England.
Definition
The definition of a micropub is difficult. It is a set of ethics rather than a set of rules
A 'Micropub' according to the Micropub Association is defined as follows: 'A Micropub is a small freehouse which listens to its customers, mainly serves cask ales, promotes conversation, shuns all forms of electronic entertainment and dabbles in traditional pub snacks'
There may be differences between the pubs; they may or may not have a bar, they might serve beer straight from the cask or through hand pumps. But they are united in one philosophy. A simple pub with the focus on cask beer and conversation for entertainment. The basic premise is KIS, KIS – Keep It Small, Keep It Simple
History
It became easier to set up a small independent public house following the passing of the 2003 Licensing Act, which became effective in 2005.[1]
The original Micropub, The Butchers Arms in Herne, Kent, was opened in 2005 by Martyn Hillier[1] after spending several years as an off-licence. In 2009, Martyn gave a presentation to the AGM of Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), in Eastbourne, showing the simplicity of the 'Micropub' model and encouraging other people to follow his lead.
It proved to be a catalyst with the Rat Race Ale House in Hartlepool six months later[1] and Just Beer Micropub in Newark-on-Trent opening August 2010, soon after followed by The Conqueror Alehouse the same year. Since then, there have been several more Micropubs opening such as The Just Reproach in Deal, Kent and the Bake & Alehouse in Westgate-on-Sea, Kent with many more reported to be setting up as can be seen from the lists below.
In June 2012, the Micropub Association was set up by Stu Hirst and Martyn Hillier as a resource for other would-be Micropubs, to give free advice on the setting up and running of a successful Micropub.
Said Martyn on his web site:
“The Micropub Association will be a place where like-minded real ale lovers can share their Micropub experiences. The Micropub Association will also be a platform for the new Micropubs to tell the beer drinking community about themselves. A successful Micropub is based upon good ale and lively banter and I want this to come across through the Micropub Association.
Ultimately I’d like to think that we could become a useful lobby group to support the likes of CAMRA and SIBA, promoting the real ale experience”.
From 1st October 2014 the Micropub Association launched its official Micropub recognition scheme, which allows Micropub owners to register as a 'Recognised Micropub Member'. To qualify a Micropub must commit to holding up the tenets and ethics of the Association's definition of what it means to be a Micropub. Once accepted a personalised certificate, with one year's validity, is issued for display in the establishment to demonstrate to visitors that it is promoting the ethics and tenets of what it means to be a Micropub.
In April 2015, planning permission was granted to open the very first micropub in Scotland. Rutherfords, based in Kelso in the Scottish Borders.
Current Micropubs
Micropubs currently open, listed in chronological order in which they opened:
- The Butchers Arms, Herne, Kent[1] (Nov 2005)
- Rat Race Ale House, Hartlepool, County Durham[1] (Nov 2009)
- Just Beer Micropub, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire[1] (Aug 2010) click here for the website
- The Marlpool Brewery Ale House, Marlpool, Derbyshire (Sep 2010)
- The Conqueror Alehouse, Ramsgate, Kent (Nov 2010)
- The Railway Arms, Downham Market, Norfolk (2010)
- The Gas Lamp Lounge, Louth, Lincolnshire (Dec 2010)
- The Treacle Tap, Macclesfield, Cheshire (Dec 2010)
- Bake & Alehouse, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent (Apr 2011) click here for the website
- The Just Reproach, Deal, Kent (Dec 2011)
- The Snug Micropub, Carnforth, Lancashire (Aug 2012)
- The Four Candles Alehouse, St Peter's, Kent (Aug 2012)
- Courtenay's, Tiverton, Devon (Aug 2012)
- The Woodyard Brewpub, Wellington, Somerset (Sep 2012)
- Little Chester Ale House, Derby, Derbyshire (Nov 2012)
- The Firkin Ale House, Folkestone, Kent (Nov 2012) click here for the website
- The Thirty-Nine Steps Alehouse, Broadstairs, Kent (Nov 2012) click here for the website
- The Bank Micropub, Willingham, Cambridgeshire (Dec 2012)
- Doctor's Orders, Carrington, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (Dec 2012)
- Cobblers, Newent, Gloucestershire (Feb 2013)
- The Wheel Alehouse, Birchington-on-Sea, Kent (Mar 2013) click here for the website
- The Tankerton Arms, Tankerton, Whitstable, Kent (Mar 2013)[2]
- The Door Hinge, Welling, Greater London (Mar 2013) click here for the website
- The Hovelling Boat Inn, Ramsgate, Kent (Mar 2013)
- The Firkin Frog, Herne Bay, Kent (Apr 2013)[3]
- Beer Rebellion, Gipsy Hill, Inner London (Apr 2013)
- The Bouncing Barrel, Herne Bay, Kent (May 2013)
- Harbour Arms, Margate, Kent (May 2013) click here for the website
- Barbers Arms, Wye, Kent (May 2013)
- The Weavers Real Ale House, Kidderminster, Worcestershire (June 2013) click here for website
- Chequers Micropub, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire (June 2013)
- Beer Dock, Crewe, Cheshire (June 2013) / click here for website
- Liberty Belle, Ely, Cambridgeshire (Jul 2013)
- Dr Phil's Real Ale House, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire (Aug 2013)
- Beer Shack, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire (Aug 2013)
- Ales of the Unexpected, Westbrook, Kent (Aug 2013)
- Beer in Hand, Hereford, Herefordshire (Aug 2013)
- Anchored in Worthing, Worthing, West Sussex (Aug 2013) click here for the website
- Hail to the Ale, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Sep 2013)[4]click here for the website
- The Black Dog, Whitstable, Kent (Sep 2013)[5]
- Kipps' Alehouse, Folkestone, Kent (Oct 2013) click here for website
- Rack of Ale, Dover, Kent (Oct 2013)
- Liverpool Pigeon, Crosby, Merseyside (Oct 2013)
- The Little Ale House, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire (Oct 2013)
- The Paper Mill, Sittingbourne, Kent (Oct 2013) click here for the website
- Chesterfield Alehouse, Chesterfield, Derbyshire (Oct 2013) click here for the website
- Cask & Pottle, Tutbury, Staffordshire (Oct 2013)
- The Vaults, Devizes, Wiltshire (Oct 2013)
- Hair of the Dog, Minster, Thanet, Kent (Dec 2013)
- The Market Ale House, Leyland, Lancashire (Dec 2013)
- The Stratford Alehouse, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire (Dec 2013) click here for the website
- The Priors Oven, Spalding, Lincolnshire (Dec 2013)
- The Heritage, Minster, Swale, Kent (Jan 2014)
- Cobblers, Coleford, Gloucestershire (Jan 2014)
- The Butcher's Hook, Southampton, Hampshire (Feb 2014)
- Cask in Hand, Holbeach, Lincolnshire (Feb 14)
- Beer Shack, Burnley, Lancashire (Mar 2014)
- The Chequered Flag, Castle Donington, Leicestershire (Apr 2014)
- Yard of Ale, St Peter's, Kent (Apr 2014)
- The Whippet Inn Micropub, Lichfield, Staffordshire (Apr 2014)
- The Beer Engine, Skipton, North Yorkshire (May 2014)
- One Inn The Wood, Petts Wood, Greater London (May 2014)
- The Twisted Lip, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire (May 2014)
- The Curfew, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland (June 2014)
- Sherlock's, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire (June 2014)
- Bridge Street Ale House, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire (July 2014)
- Cobbett's Micropub, Dorking, Surrey (July 2014)
- Cobblers, Cinderford, Gloucestershire (July 2014)
- Past and Present, Gillingham, Kent, (Aug 2014)
- The Mash Tun, Dover, Kent (Aug 2014)
- Shepherds' Hall Ale House, Chorley, Lancashire (Aug 2014)
- The Golden Smog, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham (Aug 14)
- The Beer Parlour, Chesterfield, Derbyshire (Aug 14)
- Old Star Ale & Cider House, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex (Aug 2014) click here for the website
- The Wrong Turn, Barfrestone, Kent (Aug 2014)
- The Old Post Office, Warwick, Warwickshire (Aug 2014)
- The Abdication, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (Aug 2014)
- Mumbles Ale House, Mumbles, Swansea (Aug 2014)
- The Arlington, Dover, Kent (Aug 2014)
- The Dog House, Smeeth, Kent (Aug 2014)
- Brooksteed Alehouse, Worthing, West Sussex (Sep 2014) click here for the website
- The Penny Farthing, Crayford, Greater London (Sep 2014)
- The Potting Shed, Hythe, Kent (Sep 2014)
- The Compass Alehouse, Gravesend, Kent (Sep 2014)
- The Last Post, Derby, Derbyshire (Sep 2014)
- The Stanley Ale House, Lancing, West Sussex (Oct 2014)
- BeerHeadZ, Retford, Nottinghamshire (Oct 2014) click here for the website
- The Chip & Pin, Melbourne, Derbyshire (Oct 2014)
- The Old Transporter Alehouse, Henlow, Bedfordshire (Oct 2014)
- The Cuckoo, Toddington, Bedfordshire (Oct 2014)
- Prairie Schooner Taphouse, Urmston, Greater Manchester (Oct 2014)
- The Handsome Sam, Whitstable, Kent (Nov 2014)
- Bankers Draft, Barrowford, Lancashire (Nov 2014)
- Boyce's Barrel, Colne, Lancashire (Nov 2014)
- Cow & Cask, Newbury, Berkshire (Nov 2014)
- The Hop Beer Shop, Chelmsford Essex (Nov 2014)
- The Ale Stop, Buxton Derbyshire (Nov 2014)
- The King's Ditch, Tamworth, Staffordshire (Nov 2014)
- Arkwright's Real Ale Bar, Belper, Derbyshire (Nov 2014)
- Albion Ale House, Standish, Greater Manchester (Nov 2014)
- Bursley Ale House, Burslem, Staffordshire (Dec 2014)
- Beerhouse, Market Harborough, Leicestershire (Dec 2014)
- Billericay Brewing Company Micropub, Billericay, Essex (Dec 2014)
- Rugby Tap Room, Rugby, Warwickshire (Dec 2014) click here for the website
- The Long Pond, Eltham, Inner London (Dec 2014)
- The Beer House, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Dec 2014)
- Furlong's Ale House, Faversham, Kent (Dec 2014)
- The Lanes, Dover, Kent (Dec 2014)
- The Devil's Advocate, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire (Dec 2014)
- 10:50 From Victoria, Strood, Kent (Jan 2015)
- The Firkin Shed, Bournemouth, Dorset (Feb 2015)
- Early Doors, Daventry, Northamptonshire (Mar 2015)
- The Tap Room, Cliftonville, Kent (Apr 2015)
- The Broken Drum, Blackfen, Greater London (Apr 2015)
Micropubs due to open soon (planning permission granted):
- The Bitter Half, Alfreton, Derbyshire
- The Radius Arms, Whyteleafe, Surrey
- The Laurel & Hardy Real Ale House, Sandwich, Kent
- The Watchmaker's Arms, Hove, East Sussex
- Rutherfords, Kelso, Scottish Borders 1st Micropub in Scotland
Micropubs which have ceased trading and are closed, listed in chronological order in which they ceased trading:
- The Why Not, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent (Originally opened Dec 2012, closed Sep 2013 and re-opened under new management Nov 2013, closed again Nov 2013). The Why Not has now closed, following the unexpected death of the landlady/licensee.
Influence
In September 2012, CAMRA announced its 16 regional round winners of the 2012 National Pub of the Year (POTY) competition, amongst which were two Micropubs, Just Beer Micropub in Newark, Notts (East Midlands regional winner), and The Conqueror Alehouse in Ramsgate, Kent (Kent regional winner). In November 2012 CAMRA announced that The Conqueror Alehouse had been chosen to be one of the four finalists in this competition. In September 2014, CAMRA announced its 16 regional round winners of the 2014 National Pub of the Year (POTY) competition, amongst which was one Micropub, The Door Hinge in Welling (Greater London regional winner).
See also
- List of public house topics
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Hawkes, Will (17 February 2011). "A local pub for local people: 'Micropubs' are catching on". The Independent. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ↑ "The Tankerton Arms". Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- ↑ "Herne Bay Community Group Projects Limited report". Retrieved 9 April 2013.
- ↑ "Fate of Wolverhampton micro pub plan to be decided". Express & Star. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
- ↑ "Canterbury City Council Decision Notice". Retrieved 7 February 2013.
External links
- http://www.micropubassociation.co.uk/ Micropub Association
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCVXzu9xFUo/ A short video about The Butchers Arms
- http://micropubcrawl.co.uk/
- http://www.micropub.info/