Eating & Drinking

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 08:53

As Soon as this Pub Closes: Beer and the Election

Written by Keith Flett

in Eating & Drinking

Jeremy Corbyn is a lifelong abstainer from drink. Nevertheless, he has always shown interest in protecting pubs in his constituency, and so repaired with his campaign to the Bedford Tavern pub, in Seven Sisters Rd, North London, to watch Euro football games after canvassing. The pub was supporting his campaign.…

jeremy corbyn Keir Starmer Rishi Sunak Brewdog CAMRA Nigel Farage

Friday, 24 May 2024 10:45

Recognise the union and bring in the punks! The future of Brewdog

Written by Keith Flett

in Eating & Drinking

Is there a way forward for Brewdog? James Watt has stood down as CEO of Brewdog after seventeen years. He has become ‘captain’ and a non-executive Director. His replacement James Arrow was previously at Carphone Warehouse. Brewdog started very small scale in 2007 with Watt and Martin Dickie, who had…

Tuesday, 02 April 2024 08:52

At the Chocolate Factory: negotiating cocoa illusion in fact and fiction this Easter

Written by Amy K Grandvoinet

in Eating & Drinking

Indelibly racist Roald Dahl was called upon by Hollywood profit-brokers again last year for yet another adaptation of his 1964 children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Timothée Chalamet starred as the film’s eponymous Wonka, next in cocoa-boss line to 2005’s Johnny Depp after 1971’s Gene Wilder. In January 2024,…

Cadbury World psychogeography Cocoa and Nothing Easter

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Thursday, 01 February 2024 12:01

Wetherspoons and an alternative to the neoliberal capitalism of big pub chains

in Eating & Drinking

Written by Keith Flett

Tim Martin, the public face of Wetherspoons, was given a knighthood in the NewYear Honours list. Officially this was for his services to the hospitality industry. Reports however suggested that hard right Tory Minister Kim Badenoch was keen for Martin to get a gong for his pro-Brexit activities. Martin has…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Sunday, 15 October 2023 09:52

Cask Ale, Private Equity and Class Politics

in Eating & Drinking

Written by Keith Flett

Cask Ale Week, backed by Cask Marque, is an annual promotion of cask ale which runs in early Autumn each year. Its aim is to get the message across that cask ale is enjoyable to drink to an audience wider than its current clientele. The market for cask ale is…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Tuesday, 10 January 2023 17:10

Taking back control of beer

in Eating & Drinking

Written by Keith Flett

Keith Flett proposes some ways of taking back control of brewing and pubs, beyond the reach of ‘Big Beer’ in brewing and pubs. Image above: the former Bevendean Hotel, now The Bevy Wild Beer the Somerset craft beer went into administration several weeks before Christmas. It now appears that the…

Wild Beer The Bevy Beer Houses Carlisle State Management Scheme

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Sunday, 13 February 2022 10:46

Culture Wars in Beer

in Eating & Drinking

Written by Keith Flett

Keith Flett wades into the culture war around Brewdog, its toxic workplace culture and Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity issues in the world of craft beer. Image above by Matt Buckland In late January BBC Scotland broadcast a programme on Brewdog, which is available on iPlayer. The programme had three elements.…

Brewdog Craft ale Punks With Purpose CAMRA

Saturday, 20 November 2021 11:11

How to drink beer ethically

Written by Keith Flett

in Eating & Drinking

It is a difficult period in craft beer, globally. With many of the well-known craft brewers now quite sizeable and moving into a second decade of operations, the focus has moved beyond the novelty and then the excellence of the beer brewed. Though these remain important issues, the new question…

Saturday, 09 January 2021 14:14

Beyond Dry January and alcohol: the key role of the pub

Written by Keith Flett

in Eating & Drinking

Keith Flett celebrates the key social role of the pub As we enter the New Year the Dry January campaign is once again active. It is a registered charity and it aims to persuade people to abstain from alcohol for a month, after a supposed festive season of excess. While…

Carlisle State Pub scheme Clarion

Saturday, 04 July 2020 16:51

Pubs: a cultural space where you can just be

Written by Phil Mellows

in Eating & Drinking

Phil Mellows muses on the need for more awareness of the value of pubs, places where neoliberal subjectivity and stress can be suspended. The painting is by Norman Cornish A little over a hundred years ago, in his novella The Machine Stops, E M Forster prophesied a locked-down future in…

Wednesday, 03 June 2020 09:16

The future of breaking bread

Written by Charlie Clutterbuck

in Eating & Drinking

Charlie Clutterbuck continues the joint Culture Matters/Morning Star series on the future of cultural activities after the Covid-19 crisis, looking at what will we have on our plates afterwards. Image above: ultra-processed cheese production, photo by Matthias Kabel Food is essential to live but has also been at the centre…