Micropubs Somewhat A Big Deal

Micropubs are somewhat a big deal these days, but what is a micropub? A micropub, according to the Micropub Association, is defined as follows: “A micropub is a small freehouse which listens to its customers, mainly serves cask ales, promotes conversation, shuns all forms of electronic entertainment and dabbles in traditional pub snacks”.

That said, although the name implies that a micropub constitutes a small pub, in reality there is no strict formula to a micropub. For example, Beer Rebellion in Gypsy Hill is a micropub over two floors, with a quaint seated area and outdoor area downstairs, and a bar with seated areas upstairs, so the ideology of a micropub being tiny, isn’t necessarily true in all cases.

The Beer Rebellion in Gypsy Hill, South East London, was an undertakers prior to it becoming the cracking micropub it is today, so didn’t have a drinks license previously; hence why it’s referred to as a micropub, and not a pub, nor a bar.

Essentially, a place is categorised or referred to as a micropub when the premises previously didn’t have a drinks licence and / or didn’t have a history of selling alcohol at that address. Having said that, as an unwritten rule, micropubs (on the whole) don’t have televisions, spirits, or fruit machines.

The first Micropub (The Butchers Arms in Herne Bay, Kent) was opened in 2005. Since then they have grown to around 180 across the country. With statistics showing a number of pubs closing across the UK, the amount of micropubs that are opening are pretty much balancing out the numbers.

Although the term suggests a change in consumer behaviour from visiting traditional British pubs, the underlying concept of the micropub (being to showcase locally sourced drinks), in fact takes things back to basics, showcasing home grown local brewers from a grassroots level in many instances. None more so than Beer Rebellion.

The Beer Rebellion, like most micro breweries, was started by three gentlemen who brewed from their home, a small cottage on Maple Road in Penge, South East London. From their humble beginnings, to opening their a microbrewery across the road on Penge High Street (behind Superdrug), to getting their beers served opposite the brewery (back on the other side of the road) in the local Wetherspoon‘s (The Moon and Stars). They then went on to acquire a micropub, going on to open another in Peckham just a couple of years after opening their first in Gypsy Hill! So micropubs are very much in vogue and continue to inspire drinkers from far and wide!

The attraction for me, aside from the quality local beers they have to offer, is the use of the space and how these (usually small) spaces are transformed in to beautiful watering holes. From listed public toilets, like the Rye Waterworks Micropub in Rye, East Sussex, to an old office, like Mr Small’s Taphouse in St Austell, Cornwall, or Just Ales in Wells, Somerset… discovering quirky places to drink at has become as important as the produce, making finding places to drink at even more exciting!

Consumer’s not only love local produce and knowing where there drink has come from, but finding interesting places is equally as refreshing which is why micropubs have become so appealing over the past thirteen years. A blooming business that is here to stay, and flourish (if watered correctly)!

The micropub as we know it, have differences between the pubs. For example, they may or may not have a bar, they might serve beer straight from the cask or through hand pumps. They share a philosophy: a simple pub with the focus on cask beer and conversation for entertainment, with the basic premise of KIS, KIS (Keep It Small, Keep It Simple). Just how I like it!

It became a lot easier to set up a small independent public house following the passing of the 2003 Licensing Act, which came in to effect in 2005, so founder of the original micropub, The Butchers Arms in Herne, Kent, was opened in 2005 by Martyn Hillier (Campaign for Real Ale campaigner of the year for launching the Micropub Association) after spending several years as an off-licence. In 2009, Martyn gave a presentation to CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) in Eastbourne, showing the simplicity of the micropub model and encouraging other people to follow in his footsteps.

Following the Butchers Arms opening in 2005, the Rat Race Ale House in Hartlepool opening just six months later, followed by Just Beer Micropub in Newark-on-Trent opening in August 2010. The Conqueror Alehouse in Ramsgate opened the same year and since then several other micropubs opened shortly after, like The Just Reproach in Deal, Kent and the Bake and Alehouse in Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.

The Micropub Association was set up by Stu Hirst and Martyn Hillier as a resource for other would-be micropubs in June 2012 and provides free advice to anyone thinking of opening a micropub. Hillier wrote on his website:

Recognition from the Micropub Association is given when a premises commits to holding up the tenets and ethics of the Micropub Association ‘s definition of what it means to become a micropub. If accepted, a personalised certificate is issued which is valid for one year for the premises to display to their customers and is a way of demonstrating micropub ideologies and practices, as well as a way to network with other micropubs within the association.

CAMRA announced its sixteen regional round winners for National Pub of the Year (POTY) competition in September 2012. Unsurprisingly to me, but a shock to some, two micropubs featured in the list, namely Just Beer in Newark, Nottinghamshire, (East Midlands Regional Winner) and The Conqueror Alehouse in Ramsgate, Kent, (Kent Regional Winner), which was later selected as one of the four finalists in the entire competition, with another finalist featuring The Door Hinge in Welling (London Regional Winner) which is another micropub.

Although micropubs make up only 0.4% of pubs that sell real ale, three of the CAMRA Top Sixteen pubs that featured on their list (when the concept of a micropub was born back in 2005), were, indeed, micropubs.

It was in March 2017 that the first book book was published solely focusing on the beloved micropub which is called The Micropub Guide: Enjoying the pint-sized pub revolution (published by Duncan Petersen) which is a great read if you haven’t already read it. Micropubs also offer discounted ale for CAMRA Members. If you’re not already a member, The Food And Drink is giving away a Free CAMRA Membership on the 31st October 2018 if you’d like one! Simply tell us your favourite pub and why it’s special to you to enter the competition.

Have you been to a micropub? We’d love to know where you went and what you thought of it. You can let us know where you’ve been in the comments section below this post. Drink responsibly, check out a micropub this week! 🍻