Welcome to your Bolton CAMRA branch update. I hope you’ve managed to enjoy a pint or two to ease the effects of the heatwave.
Branch Meeting
The next branch meeting will be held at 8pm on Thursday 2 July at the Northern Monkey Brewery Tap, Unit 1 Chorley Street Industrial Estate, Bolton, BL1 4AL (not the Nelson Square Bar!). Hopefully the weather will be kind and we can have the big door open. As always, everyone welcome, members and non-members alike.
Summer Pub of the Season
Nominations are in for the Summer Pub of the Season and they are:
The Beer School, Westhoughton.
You can vote online from this evening until Saturday evening at https://bolton.camra.org.uk/login/ or if you prefer you can vote in person at Thursday’s branch meeting. The winner will be announced on the branch website and on social media.
Cider and Perry Month
July is CAMRA’s Cider and Perry month. Why July? Real cider and perry are generally seasonal products that can only be made when fruit is ripe. This means production of these drinks are tied to a natural cycle of the apple and perry pear trees found in orchards around the UK.
But the celebration of these fantastic drinks is an all-year-round event, often enjoyed best when the sun is shining, picnic baskets are being prepared, and locals are serving the finest real cider and perry during their busy summertime peak.
Independent cider and perry makers produce some of the best quality drinks in the UK. We hope consumers can help us champion producers by ordering a pint of real cider or perry at their local this July!
To find out more about real cider and Cider and Perry Month visit https://members.camra.org.uk/cider-and-perry-months/
Taste Match
Taste Match is a feature on CAMRA’s website which matches beers available all over the country to your personal tastes and then tells you where you may be able to find them. If you go to https://camra.org.uk/taste-match you will find your own personal taste profile, built from beers that you have scored on the website. If you click on your profile it will tell you in detail what kind of flavours in beer you prefer. I am a Hophead, as I prefer pale ales and IPAs with lots of hops. Your profile may be completely different depending on the kind of beers you drink. You will, of course, have to score your beers in order to build your profile. Below your profile you will find beers that Taste Match thinks fit your particular tastes. If you click on the beers it will tell you in which pubs the recommended beers can be found.
I was fascinated by the recommended beers and look forward to trying them, although I may have to travel to sample some of them.
Socials
There are a number of socials in the pipeline so get the follwing dates in your diary.
Saturday 25th July 2026 – Torrside Brewery trip.
Saturday 1st August – Greater Manchester Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood trip to the Darwen/Blackburn area on Saturday 1st August heading to The Black Bull (3Bs brewery).
Wednesday 5th August 2026 – Egerton to Bromley Cross social. Organised by the Stockport & South Manchester branch.
Bolton Branch members have been invited to attend both the above trips.
Saturday 29th August 2026 – Torrside Brewery trip.
Friday 27th – Saturday 28th November 2026 – Wolverhampton & Dudley trip.
As always, details on the branch website Socials Events page.
Trips
If you prefer organising your own beer days, you may have tried the May Mildness trip I included in my last newsletter. Here is a link to some more trips featuring ‘Indie’ beers in and around Bolton. The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) says that independent beer is handmade by real people who truly care about the quality and flavour of the beer they are producing. Importantly, you’ll be supporting local business, protecting local pubs, and making a more sustainable choice too.
Hopefully there’s something there to excite your tastebuds, but even if you only call in at your local, you’re still keeping Bolton’s pubs and clubs going.
Cheers,
John Mitchell – Chair