We are delighted to announce that the Red Lion Inn Old Shoreham will be the official brewery tap from 22 May, meaning that you will always be able to find a pint (or bottle) of our beers available there. The Red Lion is an historic inn with an enviable reputation both for its catering and the quality of its beer. It stands in a delightful location on the banks of the Adur, just a little way downriver from the brewery’s base in Steyning.
To celebrate the partnership we are reviving the medieval custom of Church Ales, a charitable event to benefit local good causes, as we did for the brewery’s official launch two years ago. The date is Saturday May 22 and the event starts at 10.00 a.m. and continues until 11.30 a.m. when normal pub service resumes.
The Adur Brewery are donating the beer, the Real Patisserie are giving a supply of their delicious rustic bread, the Red Lion Inn is offering the cheese, and it is all being run by volunteers. A background of traditional music will be provided by The Rude Mechanicals who are also giving their services free of charge. This means that all proceeds from the event will go to the charities supported.
We shall offer those attending a half-pint of each of two Adur Brewery beers, together with a slice of locally-produced bread, and fingers of English cheeses. Tickets for the event are free and those attending will be invited to make contributions to local charities. At the Church Ale to mark the launch of the Adur Brewery in 2008 we raised nearly £200 and hope to do at least as well this time.
If you would like to join us you may collect tickets from the bar of the Red Lion during normal opening hours. Alternatively write enclosing SAE marked with the number of tickets required to ‘Church Ale’ 56 Greenacres, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5WY.
The tradition of Church Ales goes back to medieval times and lasted for hundreds of years. It was a local festival at which ale made and donated for the event was the chief drink. The feast was usually held in a barn near the church or a special church house, used for meetings and social gatherings. In Tudor times church-ales were gradually limited to the Whitsun season, until they were finally suppressed by the Puritans in the 17th century.
These parish festivals were of much ecclesiastical and social importance in medieval England. All sorts of ‘-ales’ were held in support of local causes, including ones to benefit a young couple getting married – these were ‘bride-ales’ from which we get our word ‘bridal’. ‘Bid-ales’ were for general charitable purposes and all the neighbours attending would make contributions to help the object of the benefit. Another major purpose of church-ales was to help to keep the parish church in good repair.
The Red Lion, the historic 16th century inn, stands in Old Shoreham next to the church of St Nicolas which dates back to Saxon times. In accordance with tradition, part of the proceeds will be given to the Friends of St Nicolas, the trustees tasked with maintaining the fabric of this historic church. The building is an architectural jewel and a valuable piece of our national heritage, whose tower has been a landmark of Old Shoreham for more than a thousand years. You may have heard of the famous Norman decorated arches – but can you find the cat and the mouse? And do you know of the connection to the Titanic? During the morning the church will be open and a guide will be available to help visitors discover its hidden treasures. Let’s help ensure this wonderful building is still there for our descendants in another thousand years.
While we are enjoying good company in a convivial location we should not forget those less fortunate than ourselves, and the other charity we are supporting provides a way we can give practical help. Worthing Churches Homeless Projects operates in the Worthing locality offering care, support and accommodation to the most vulnerable and excluded members of our community. They have a very simple message. “We are not here to judge people but we are here to reach out with human compassion and offer a loving hand of support”. Let’s give generously to help in that work.
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