To celebrate St George’s Day, Drink of England, Wells Bombardier is undertaking a nationwide hunt for the Champion of England.

And to celebrate readersheds.co.uk inclusion on the list of champions, our patriotic friends at Bombardier have given us four cases of the lovely Wells Bombardier to give away. So we are going to split it up so that two lucky sheddies can win two cases each!

Bombardier is the most English of beers - brewed right in the heart of England with accredited natural mineral water from the brewery’s very own well. It is available across England in good cask ale pubs, or it is available in bottles and cans at supermarkets and off licenses.

Enter here

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Well according to bombardier.co.uk beer I am!, an example nominee for champion of England that is..

To celebrate St George’s Day and Bombardier’s association with English Heritage, we’re undertaking a nationwide search to find the Champion of England - a wonderfully English person that makes this country what it is. The winner will be presented the title at a gala lunch on St George’s Day by another Champion of England - Sir Geoff Hurst

Do you know someone that has campaigned to save their town’s traditional red telephone box, or perhaps led a campaign against developers from building on England’s green and pleasant land. What about the person that has organised your village fete for years, or who has fought to save a local cricket team?

But they do mean readersheds and not me really! but Iam very grateful (and do venture to England a few times a year!) so hopefully I can get a few of there great beers, but you can count me out for the overall title! Dioch…

But if you are English then get over there and submit your local champion.

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BBC up north east, reports (around 20 mins in)

Emma Milne sets out on a pub crawl with a difference - this time round the breweries set up in sheds in back gardens in Darlington

We mentioned the beer sheddies before but its great to see them in action.

They have their own Beer of the year award and competition is held in one of their sheds.

John is one of the sheddies and you can read his beer blog here

Some great sheds and looks like wonderful beer, we would love to see some of them on readersheds for Shed of the year.

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A great little story from the Journal in N’castle

Image from dtbg.co.uk

The equation couldn’t be simpler. While men and sheds have always been an irresistible combination, inserting brewing enthusiasm into the formula results in Paradise.

John Winterburn, John Anderson, Pete Fenwick, Ian Jackson, Trevor Danes, John Penman and another half-dozen ale stalwarts scattered from Hartlepool to Gainford in County Durham meet up every three weeks – in a shed – to sample one another’s latest efforts and talk about mashing, boiling, fermenting and conditioning.

With doors closed, pints poured and spiders on guard, it’s boys’ talk that oft-times wanders along the lines of tongue-and-groove, felt roofs and dovetail joints, but invariably returns to beer.

Darlington Traditional Brewing Group was formed in 2002 after long-time home-brewer John Winterburn was invited by the Workers Education Association to run a course on full-mash brewing in his local community centre. The original scheme has run its course but the 12 remaining members continue to brew in back yards, kitchens and garages – and every one of them has his own shed-based pub to reflect in and mull over what grown men reflect in and mull over.

“We all have our own recipes,” says lollipop man John Winterburn. “We take it in turns to host meetings where there’s a bit of a spread and always a new beer to try. People ask all the time if they can join, but we’ve got no more room at the moment because only so many people can fit into a shed.

“We can brew 10 gallons of beer for £5 or £6 by buying ingredients in bulk. It’s not just about cost, it’s about quality. We can make beer just like you’d buy in a pub. The only thing we can’t do is lager – Darlington water doesn’t have enough carbonates in it – but one member tried it by buying five gallons of spring water from Morrison’s and made a brilliant pilsner.”

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Our friends at Camra of course the people that are Campaigning for Real Ale, Pubs and Drinkers’, like us sheddies!

Has given us a copy of the 3rd edition of the excellent Brew Your Own British Real Ale

You can win a copy here.

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I don’t post enough about my other love on this blog as much as I would like - Real Ale that is……

I have been partaking in the wetherspoons beer festival for the last week or so around the pubs of Cardiff, and have had some great beer… here is a selection.

Anyway you can Vote for your favorites over at their website.

My task for 2009 is to brew my own in the shed, so any tips welcome..

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We don’t get enough shed poetry on readersheds or shedblog let along about beer and sheds.

Tim Baber has sent me this great poem that covers both my main loves (don’t tell Mrs Uncle Wilco) it was written by his father Jim as he says “Written by my dad who is 90 years old and still drinking beer.”

Beer brewed for the shed….

When your throat is dry
And your innards sigh
For a glass of ale or something of that ilk,
Look around ’till you espy
The sign to satisfy
That search for dear old Mother Nature’s milk.

As you wet your upper lip
With a gulp or just a sip -
Your taste buds tell you satisfactions near;
So you fill that arid hollow
With a deep and pleasing swallow
And bless that well-kept shed-conditioned beer.

For beer on draught and real
Can instantly appeal
To nostrils, palate and the inner man;
It lifts you when you’re tired
Can make you feel inspired
And has done since drinking time began.

So here’s a vote of thanks
To the chaps who keep the tanks
Fed with a flow of good full-bodied beer:
To brewers who keep it fit
So that the taste is exquisite
Here’s thanks and praise, both heartfelt and sincere.

Jim Baber (1985)

You can view Master Babers sheds here, a credit you would agree.

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All over the news..

Sort of thirds

Drinkers could soon be able to order two-thirds of a pint under new proposals to change measures for food and drink, it has been announced.

The consultation will consider introducing two-thirds of a pint of draught beer or cider alongside the current pint, half pint and third of a pint – a legal measure that has fallen out of common usage. The consultation runs until January.

The thing is in a beer festival I am happy with three 3rd glasses to test out the beers, but not sure if i would pay for a two thirds pint in a pub as they try and “do you” most of time but not giving a full pint, and most of the staff will be confused as they are with my photo antics everytime I buy a pint.

Of course you could always treat yourself to one of these Ceramic Pint Mugs!

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Keep wanting to do another one of these posts from my Beer of the Week Group

anyway two dates for the diary

The Worlds Biggest Real Ale festival 20th October to 16th November

Oct-O-Bar-Fest 08 Thursday 23rd - Sunday 26th October 2008.

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Not done one of these for ages, but as there seems to be more and more shedpubs and I like my beer

Here is my list of my favourite beers for the last number of weeks.

remember you can add your favourite beers to my flickr group Beer of the Week.,

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