MID CHILTERNS CAMRA BRANCH MEETING SUMMARY

Date: 4 March 2026
Location: The Pheasant, Chesham

OVERVIEW

Routine business covered finances, membership, brewery liaison updates, Pub of the Year awards, socials, and beer festival planning.

FINANCES

• Bank and ledger balances: £13,446 (includes £10,200 festival loan).
• £500 allocated for expected first-aider invoice.
• Two advertising debts from 2024 remain outstanding.
• £1,500 remittance to national CAMRA not yet made.
• Action: Treasurer to seek approval via WhatsApp and arrange payment.
• Branch remains in fine financial health.

MEMBERSHIP

• 2 new members joined; 5 lapsed; 1 moved out.
• Branch total: 631 members.
• National CAMRA membership: 141,394 (down 508 since January).

BREWERY LIAISON UPDATES

Mad Squirrel

• New core keg beer: Citrik (4.2%) replacing Big C (5.5%).
• Legally Blonde (4%) to appear in Wetherspoon’s Spring Festival.
• Mosaic (6.2%) now in Sainsbury’s nationwide.
• Limited edition Sappy (6.6%) brewed at 30HL, may expand to 60HL.

Pope’s Yard

• No update.

Tring Brewery

• March special: Skeleton Session (4%).
• Seasonal return: Bring Me Sunshine (4.2%).
• Small-batch West Coast IPA (6%) at the Piggeries.
• Shop repairs nearly complete.
• Street Food Heroes event renewed (monthly, March–October).

TAPLER MAGAZINE

• Spring edition (52 pages) nearly complete with refreshed design.
• Articles include CAMRA Members’ Weekend, Greek beer scene, beer engines, Sharp’s closure, Bass, barley, bar etiquette, beer scores, and a Leighton Buzzard social.
• Advertising revenue expected to exceed £1,000.

PUB OF THE YEAR AWARDS

• Overall POTY: Hop Tap, Hemel Hempstead
• Runner-up: Three Blackbirds, Boxmoor
• Cider POTY: Rising Sun, Berkhamsted
• Cider Runner-up: Fishery Wharf Café, Boxmoor
• Community Pub: Red Lion, Dagnall
• Most Improved: Grand Junction Arms, Bulbourne

Actions: Richard Healey to order frames; Jared to order certificates.

LOCALE

• Grand Junction Arms is a potential candidate but needs six months of trading before consideration.

PUBWATCH

• Black Horse, Chesham Vale: reopening expected in June.
• Three Blackbirds, Flamstead: reopened with three handpumps and Asian cuisine.
• Black Cat, Lye Green: listed for sale/lease.

SOCIALS

• Next social: Berkhamsted, likely 23 May, canal-side route.
• Future ideas: boat trip from Kings Langley to Apsley; Autumn trip to Bedford.

BEER FESTIVAL

• Preparations progressing well and accelerating.
• Next Festival Committee meeting: TBC.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• Chris Pontin presented Pheasant’s landlady Jane with certificate for 30 years’ service.
• Farr Brew reportedly not brewing and not opening taproom.
• Thanks to GBG surveyors for timely submissions.

NEXT MEETING

• Three Blackbirds, Flamstead – 1 April, 8pm