Join the British Guild of Beer Writers and the Drinking Studies Network at this exclusive event to debate with the country’s top academics in the field of beer and pubs
In recent years pub closures have escalated, which has attracted academic attention; delving into the deeper questions of how losing ‘locals’ impacts people’s lives, a crisis that plays into the role of the British pub plays out in national ideologies. These real and imaginary aspects of the pub will be the twin focus of the afternoon, with presentations from Dr Thomas Thurnell-Read from Loughborough University, Dr Claire Markham from Nottingham Trent University, Dr James Kneale from UCL, Jed Meers from York Law School and others.
After the talks and discussion, Castle Rock will deliver an exclusive tutored tasting focused on brewing beer below the 3.5% duty threshold, including the use of a special yeast strain.
Castle Rock Brewery’s Pilot Project, run by development brewer Danny Pearson, has been trialling yeast strains for a while now, working with an innovative new yeast producer called WHC, and the most recent strain has characteristics that should make it perfect for lower abv beers and beers that demand a lot of fruity aromas.
Danny said: “Guests will be invited to taste the 4.1% and 2.9% versions of the same recipe of a cask New England style IPA comparing a more typical abv for cask beer with a much lower abv. We want to see how lower abv affects the perception of flavour characteristics, how low abv beer behaves in cask and whether yeast strains such as this could be used to bolster flavour, aroma and mouthfeel. “
The event, hosted at Castle Rock’s Canalhouse in Nottingham, will have two sessions for discussion and debate, with the following speakers taking to the stage to present short, informative and thought provoking talks:
- Dr Claire Markham: senior lecturer in sociology and criminology at NTU. Claire’s PhD explored multiple representations and experiences surrounding the village pub. Following her PhD, she worked on a number of research projects focusing on community well-being. Findings from her PhD have been published. Her main research interests focus on rural pubs, and the sustainability of rural pub and their communities. In this event, Claire will be discussing the rural idyll and how this can help and hinder the sustainability of rural pubs.
- Dr Jed Meers from York Law School: Jed will be speaking about the UK Government’s ratification of the UNESCO ‘Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage’ and – picking up on the Craft Beer Channel’s #KeepCaskAlive campaign – what this could mean for the future protection of cask beer.
- Dr Thomas Thurnell-Read, Reader in Sociology, Department of Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy (CSSP) at Loughborough University: Tom is a sociologist of consumption and leisure whose research uses drinking culture as a means to examine social and cultural issues relating to identity, belonging and sociability.
He is the author or editor of numerous articles and books and his research has featured in The Observer, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Morning Advertiser and on BBC Radio 4. He is currently leading a Leverhulme Trust funded project called ‘After Last Orders?: A biographical exploration of the impact of UK pub closures’, which explores the causes of pub closures and analyses the impact of closures at a personal, social and cultural level.
In his presentation, Tom will present early findings from his research project exploring the causes and consequences of pub closures in the UK. Drawing on several case studies, he will explain how different communities have responded to pub closures and how concerns around pub closures connect to wider social issues and tensions.
- James Kneale is an associate professor at UCL. He has written about historical and contemporary drinking and drinking places and is working on a project on desi pubs with Amit Singh and Sivamohan Valluvan. James will explore the complicated historical relationship between pubs and national decline.
- Victoria Wells is a Professor of Sustainable Management at the School for Business and Society, University of York. Victoria will discuss the role of consumers and pubs. Consumers are central to pubs survival but have and will continue to evolve affecting the ability of pubs to survive and thrive.
Guild Board member and host for the event, Phil Mellows, adds: “This should be a great opportunity for anyone who cares about pubs to discuss in depth the impact of closures with some of the sharpest minds we have on the subject – and then enjoy a tasting with the brewer of a new Castle Rock beer. It’s sure to be an afternoon well spent.”