Dudley Winter Ales Fayre 2024

Dudley & South Staffordshire CAMRA are pleased to confirm that Dudley Winter Ales Fayre will be taking place at Dudley’s Town Hall from Thursday 28 to Saturday 30 November.

The logo for DWAF reflects some distinctive milestones. Firstly, the creation of Dudley Metropolitan Borough from 50 years ago, where the “Dudley Bug” featuring on the original coat of arms. We also wanted to commemorate Sarah Hughes’ Snowflake, the winner of the Champion Winter Beer Of Britain 2024.

72 beers and 20 ciders will be on sale, some of which will be available on Friday and Saturday to minimise selling out the favourites too early.

Keep an eye out on social media and our website for the latest information.

You'll be pleased to hear that a Brierley Hill canalside pub is reopening on July 18 at 12 noon following a six-figure refurbishment.

The Bell in Delph Road has been closed for four years and is reopening as The Bell on the Delph after being bought by Simon Glear, of Radius Total Building Solutions, Wolverhampton, in May last year.

The pub has been converted from two rooms to one room and a darts area has been created. The pub is at the bottom of the Delph Locks on the Dudley No 1 Canal.

It will be offering four real ales on hand pump and two ciders and will also offer cobs and pies.

The pub, which will open seven days a week, has a car park to the side and a beer garden to the rear. Tracy Rodgers has been appointed to run the pub for the newly formed SSG Inns.

We've had a query in on whether anyone has the giraffe festive glass from 1999:

...My late husband was an avid beer festival attender and collected many of the commemorative glasses at both the Dudley summer and winter festivals over a number of years.

Sadly he passed away in 2016 but my son (who was only 21 at the time) wanted to keep a number of the glasses he had collected. His favorite was the 1999 pint glass which had a giraffe on one side. Unfortunately he has just moved house and the glass was broken this weekend leaving him really upset. It was a cherished memory from his dad.

I wondered if you had any idea where I might be able to get another one. Any help you can offer would be really appreciated.

Can you help? If you can, drop us a line and we'll put you in touch.

Someone has kindly offered to give theirs. Thank you.

This forthcoming Monday we have our Annual General Meeting at the Rose & Crown, Bank Street, Brierley Hill.

Naturally it's an important meeting for us as it helps to give the branch its direction and leadership for the next year. Your voice is integral.

The pub is also kindly putting on food for us. So drop us a line at ku.gro.armac.yeldud@yraterces, if you're planning to attend (to avoid any food waste).

The latest minutes from the recent meeting is now available for download.

If you use https://whatpub.com/ but notice that the information of the pub you're visiting is out of date, there's an option on the page to advise that there's an error. Naturally we endeavour to keep it up to date, but any feedback is always warmly welcomed.

Sedgley's The Beacon Hotel has won the Dudley and South Staffordshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale's annual pub of the year award for the tenth time. Sedgley's The Beacon Hotel has won the Dudley and South Staffordshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale's annual pub of the year award for the tenth time.

The Beacon in Bilston Street came out on top in judging by branch members of four finalists. A presentation date for the branch award has yet to be finalised.

The Beacon Hotel scored highly for the quality of its beer and was also given good marks for its style and cleanliness, welcome and alignment with CAMRA principles. It last won the award in 2018 and will now go through to be judged in the West Midlands county round of the CAMRA national competition.

Runner-up in the branch competition was Black Country Ales pub, The Old Bush Revived in Powke Lane, Rowley Regis.

Third place for 2024 went to The Jolly Crispin in Upper Gornal - a Red Pub Company pub. The Cross Inn in Kinver, which was the top scoring Staffordshire pub in the branch area and has been put forward as the branch South Staffordshire pub of the year for the Staffordshire county judging. Branch chairman John Corser said: "It was a difficult job for members in judging the four finalists, which also included The Malt Shovel in Dudley.

"All scored well for beer quality but the Beacon came out clearly on top with the majority of judges putting it top of their list.

"Congratulations to all the pubs on doing such a good job in offering great real ale.

"The 2023 pub of the year The Bird in Hand in Wordsley narrowly missed out on getting on the judging shortlist."