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ALE Winter 2003/04 No. 312 : Next section

ALE Winter 2003/04 No. 312

The definitive bible for all ale enthusiasts has to be the Good Beer Guide. This year there is a new name, The Longbow in Stapleford.
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Here is a transformation of a pub. Mat and Alison Clark have run this village pub for the last three years and they have transformed it from a lager-swilling ghetto to a fine real ale tavern. In that time real ale sales have climbed by a dramatic 70% whilst there has been around a 30% fall off in lager sales, bucking the national trend [see Real Ale's market share]: it would appear the people of Stapleford and the Shelfords have at last found a truly free house.

In the Whitbread days of Bob Evans, before he retired in 1976, the Three Horseshoes was a fine old pub. Along came the dreaded Norwich Brewery and bastardised the regulars' stomachs as well as the interior of the pub. The Longbow (as it became) struggled on until Mat and Alison took over. Their beer has real condition, and they boast five real ales. There are always a couple from Adnams, the others from, amongst others, Caledonian, Wychwood, Batemans and Nethergate. They also boast a fine range of eight malt whiskeys and it is hoped that Cassels cider will shortly be added to the portfolio. They also serve a fine array of great bar snacks all at a reasonable price for gargantuan portions.

In the last couple of years the pub has been gently refurbished with comfortable decorations, new carpets and stylish seating, though the mock beams are still there. There is a small dining room with 18 covers as well as an unobtrusive games room that plays host to pool, bar billiards, a fruit machine and darts, and they have thriving pub teams that enter various leagues. This enterprising pair also took on the local Post Office when it closed, opening it two days a week within the bar. Mat was also a great helper at that great bastion of real ale festivals, The Shelford Feast.

Mat and Alison have worked wonders, and it just shows what can be done with a little dedication. A visit to the only totally free house in Stapleford is well worthwhile.

Jerry Brown


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